($35): This is an easy wine to recommend for its creamy seductive texture.  Some will complain it’s heavy or overdone, but those who like a rich Chardonnay with a hint of butter will embrace it.  It does double duty as a stand-alone aperitif or to accompany a roast chicken with a creamy mushroom sauce.… Read more

($32): Balance.  That’s why this wine is so enjoyable.  And enjoyable, not just for a sip, but also throughout the meal.  There’s the lush ripeness and power you’d expect from Napa Valley Chardonnay, but the cooling influences of the San Pablo Bay on the Carneros region brings out a lovely lemony counterpoint and vivacity.… Read more

($26): Matanzas Creek has always been a star producer of Chardonnay.  They continue their reputation with this one.  They manage to deliver satisfying concentration without wandering into the “in your face” character.   Restrained, but not silent, this Chardonnay speaks to you without shouting. … Read more

($30): Santa Maria Valley, though located in Southern California, actually has some very cool areas because the valley runs East-West instead of the more usual North-South orientation.  As such, it draws cool air from the Pacific Ocean.  Indeed, growers determine what to plant where by assessing how much heat is needed to ripen a particular variety — Chardonnay and Pinot Noir favor western sites while Cabernet Sauvignon needs the heat of more inland — eastern — plots. … Read more

($110): Distinctly different from Nickel & Nickel’s other single vineyard Cabernet bottlings, the one from State Ranch appears far more youthful at this stage with its tannic structure showing immediately.  It has similar black fruit mixed with nuances of black olives and other savory notes, finishing with a beautiful bit of bitterness in the finish. … Read more

($25): After extolling the virtues of a bevy of $100+ Cabernet Sauvignon, it’s time to return to earth.  Ironically, under Duckhorn’s Decoy label, this wine is the real thing.  It clearly demonstrates that you needn’t spend triple digits to find satisfying wine with real character. … Read more

($56): The Sonoma Coast is the latest “hot” — more accurate to say, cool — place for Pinot Noir because of the dramatically cooler climate that its proximity to the Pacific Ocean offers.  Less bold than many, MacRostie’s Wildcat Mountain Pinot Noir still delivers ripe red fruit-like flavors accented with spice. … Read more

($160): Nickel & Nickel’s Cabernet from the Martin Stelling vineyard is fascinatingly different from the one from the John C. Sullenger Vineyard. It conveys dark fruit with more minerals, bordering on a tarry element, rather than the floweriness of the Sullenger. … Read more

($110): Nickel & Nickel and Far Niente overlap in ownership and philosophy, so it’s not surprising that they overlap in making spectacular wines.  Nickel & Nickel focuses on making distinctive Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines from different vineyards in Napa Valley.  Although their entire line-up is excellent, what is really impressive is how different the wines are despite similar wine making. … Read more

($160): In a word, gorgeous.  Ok, two words: Gorgeous and stunning.  Sure it’s powerful.  But for all its power, it has amazing elegance and gracefulness, which is why it’s so stunning and gorgeous.  It has everything you’d want in Napa Valley Cabernet — dark fruit flavors, a hint of savory notes, plush tannins and a seemingly never ending finish. … Read more

($40): This wonderfully refined mineraly Cabernet Sauvignon is a pleasure to drink now.  I’m certain it will gain complexity — though it has plenty now — and nuance with age, but the winemaking team at Sequoia Grove has polished the tannins so they provide necessary structure without a trace of astringency or roughness. … Read more

($26): Presqu’ile takes advantage of their location in the Santa Maria Valley, which is cooled by the influences of the Pacific Ocean, to focus on grapes that show their best in that kind of climate: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. … Read more

($35): As I said in my review of Presqu’ile’s Pinot Noir, you can’t go wrong with their wines.  It’s worth repeating.  The first sip of this Chardonnay awakens your palate with restrained richness balanced by an enlivening citrus character.  With air, more flavors emerge, but it still retains its vibrating soul. … Read more

($44): Dutton Ranch, which consists of 1,100 acres of vineyards spread over the Russian River Valley that are owned or leased by the Dutton family, is a famous name in California wine.  Lots of top name California producers buy grapes from Dutton, including Patz & Hall who has hit the mark with this 2014 Chardonnay.… Read more

($55): Patz & Hall have long been known for making single vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir by contracting with top growers for grapes from those vineyards. This one, from the Hudson Vineyard, which is wholly within the Napa Valley portion of Carneros, has lush generosity without being over the top or heavy. … Read more

($75): Laurel Glen, a true pioneering producer in Sonoma County, currently flies under most everyone’s radar.  Under Bettina Sichel’s leadership, that’s slowly changing. Planted in 1968 by Carmen Taylor, Chateau St. Jean purchased grapes for their famed Lauren Glen Cabernet in the 1970s. … Read more

($75): Cobb’s Rice-Spivak Vineyard Pinot Noir (13.3 percent) is more floral and opulent compared to their Emmaline Ann bottling at this stage, but still impeccably balanced.  Again, the flavors dance across the palate, leaving you wondering how such intensity can be so light. … Read more

($75): Ross Cobb has as much experience with Sonoma Coast vineyards as anybody, having worked at Williams Selyem, Flowers, and Hirsch, all notable Sonoma Coast producers.  Ross, like Jadot’s legendary winemaker, Jacques Lardière who is currently making Jadot’s Oregon Pinot Noir, favors picking that grape earlier in the New World’s warmer vineyards (at least compared to Burgundy) to preserve secondary aromas and flavors that are essential to the character of the wine. … Read more

($80): Cobb’s Coastlands Vineyard, “1906 Block Pommard” Pinot Noir is the “heavyweight” of this trio despite being the lowest in alcohol (12.5 percent), reminding us, yet again, that sometimes less is more with regard to ripeness, especially with this variety.  The juicy Coastlands Vineyard displays more black fruit compared to the red fruit character of the Rice Spivak bottling. … Read more

($42): If you see a wine from Presqu’ile (pronounced “press-keel”) on a wine list or in your retailer’s shop, buy it.  You’ll likely be very happy.  Take this Pinot Noir, for example.  The Santa Maria Valley is a superb locale for the so-called “cool climate” grapes, such as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay because the valley runs East-West. … Read more

($72): As usual and as expected, Grgich Hills’ current release Cabernet Sauvignon is outstanding.  I guess the question really is whether this producer can ever do anything wrong.  Year after year, the team at Grgich Hills produces stunning, balanced wines from a slew of different varieties of grapes, even Zinfandel. … Read more

($20): This is a wine that presents a problem for a wine critic.  I personally do not care for the in-your-face character, which favors power over elegance.  But it is well made and an excellent example of that style of Chardonnay, which I know many people adore. … Read more