($95): Duckhorn Vineyards, which was the first to show us the potential of Merlot from Napa with their Three Palms bottling of it, now shows us the diversity of sites in Napa Valley with a series of single vineyard bottlings. Patzimaro Vineyard, located at the base of Spring Mountain in the St.… Read more

($95): The expected power befitting a “mountain wine” is front and center.  But the surprise is its incredible elegance for its size and weight.  Alluring mineral-y earthy flavors balance the dark black fruit notes in this very polished wine.  Succulent and long, it’s paradoxically powerful, yet subtle — quite an amazing combination. … Read more

($25): La Crema’s Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir emphasizes the red cherry fruit nature of the variety.  To their credit, the fruit flavors are fresh, not jammy, and not overdone.  A whiff of savory notes appears in the background.  Appealing tart cherry notes are apparent in the finish in keeping with the wine’s fruity profile. … Read more

($22): I have been impressed by the Chardonnay coming from Presqu’ile and now see that they do equally well with Sauvignon Blanc.  This one, from their vineyard in Santa Maria Valley, is, in a word, balanced. Pleasantly herbal, as opposed to grassy, there’s an ever so slight roundness to its texture, as though the coarse edges of Sauvignon Blanc have been sanded. … Read more

($17): Route Stock has managed to achieve harmonious balance in this Sauvignon Blanc.  Without losing its distinctive cutting edginess, a subtle creaminess offsets the potential shrillness characteristic of the varietal.  Nicely aggressive, delivering just the right about of pungency, it has a finish and delivers a complexity often lacking in Sauvignon Blanc. … Read more

($30): Duckhorn Vineyards continues to impress despite their long and stellar track record.  Perhaps best known for their powerful, yet elegant, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, they also make noteworthy Chardonnay and, judging from this example, Sauvignon Blanc.  They also know what they can — and cannot — do in Napa. … Read more

($60): One of the joys of tasting Cabernet Sauvignon from J. Lohr is that they show the diversity of California terroir.  Tasted side-by-side, this one from a single vineyard in St. Helena in Napa Valley and their “Hilltop” Cabernet Sauvignon ($35, 89 points) from their vineyards in Paso Robles make a fascinating comparison. … Read more

($50): The big, heavy, oversized bottle makes me not want to like this wine.  But the first whiff — a combination of red fruits and earthiness — wins you over easily.  It delivers cherry-like fruit and minerals woven into a fine texture. … Read more

($32): Migration, initially the second label of Decoy, Duckhorn’s Pinot Noir-focused outpost in Anderson Valley, now has its own home in Sonoma County.  It’s a first wine in its own right.  And though the focus was — and is — on Pinot Noir, it turns out, at least judging from this wine, they do a fine job with Chardonnay. … Read more

($31): When it comes to winemaking, Grgich Hills Estate can do no wrong.  Of course it excels with Chardonnay.  Miljenko “Mike” Grgich made the Chardonnay when he was at Chateau Montelena that instantly put California wine on the map when judges — French no less — placed it first, besting prestigious white Burgundies in a blind tasting, the so-called Judgment of Paris, forty years ago. … Read more

($28): Le Cigare Blanc, the white counterpart of Bonny Doon’s Cigare Volant, which emulates the red wine of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, is a typical Rhône blend: Roussanne (55%), Grenache Blanc (26%), and Picpoul Blanc.  It’s a lovely interpretation of a white Rhône with stone fruit richness and sufficient balancing acidity to keep it interesting, but not so much as to make your mouth pucker. … Read more

($69): This wine shows the beauty of Napa Valley Cabernet.  Not bigger, but just a more muscular style of Cabernet Sauvignon than is the norm, the 2013 Grgich Hills Estate Cabernet Sauvignon has extraordinary finesse.  It’s truly an iron fist in a velvet glove. … Read more

($55): Jordan consistently makes a beautifully graceful Cabernet Sauvignon.  The 2012 is even more so, full-flavored, yet elegant with a suave texture.  Although a mouth-filling wine, it is not heavy.  It impresses with its elegance and complexity, not brute force.  Layers of red and black fruit flavors intermingle with herbal earthy notes. … Read more