($35): The team at Presqu’ile clearly knows what they are doing.  First, I tasted — and loved — their Chardonnay, reinforcing the idea that Santa Maria Valley is a good locale for that grape.  Then I tasted — and loved — their Sauvignon Blanc, so I figured they were talented white wine producers. … Read more

($38): Louis Martini is one of the great names — a true icon — of California wine.  Their wines continue to enhance the Martini reputation even after the winery was acquired by Gallo, a company that had the good sense to maintain the winery’s integrity and not turn it into brand. … Read more

($54): There’s Merlot…and then there’s the real Merlot.  Put this 2013 Duckhorn Merlot in the latter category.  This should not be surprising.  After all, it was Duckhorn with their Three Palms Merlot that showed the heights that this varietal could achieve in Napa. … Read more

($34): Though distinctly different from Martini’s Napa Valley bottling, it is equally appealing, perhaps because it is so different.  This Cabernet is more floral and “pretty,” less mineraly and lacking the black olive note of its neighbor from Napa.  It still manages to combine a mouth-watering savory component to mixture of fruit notes. … Read more

($42):  Presqu’ile seemingly does everything right.  Take this Pinot Noir, for example–a lacey combination of red fruit flavors and spice.  It’s not overdone in a “Pinot Syrah” style, but rather captures the subtleties of the variety as it dances across the palate.… Read more

($48):  Presqu’ile buys grapes from the Phelan family who owns the Steiner Creek Vineyard, showing, once again, that consumers should not automatically shun wines that are not “estate.”  This Pinot Noir is a notch–or two–above their very good Santa Maria bottling with more engaging aromatics and greater depth. … Read more

($186):  Stunning is a word that leaps to mind after tasting this wine.  Weighing in at less than 14 percent stated-alcohol, it dazzles with its elegance, harmony and length, not shear power.  Though it has plenty of that, too.  Paradoxically, almost, its power is restrained and not flamboyant. … Read more

($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