($20): Randall Grahm, proprietor of Bonny Doon, is a winemaker who sets his own course and follows it.  Far before lower alcohol wines became the new mantra of California (let’s hope that’s not going to be a passing fad) Grahm was making well-proportioned flavorful wines. … Read more

($26): This is a ripe, full-bodied and wonderfully balanced expression of Syrah, focusing more of the black fruitiness of that variety rather than its peppery profile.  Still, it’s not just fruit.  Earthy nuances provide complexity.  A glorious silky texture makes it easy to enjoy now with robust fare.… Read more

($35): Since the 1940s when Louis M. Martini planted Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on the Stanly Ranch in Carneros, California growers have been enthralled by those varieties in that locale.  Indeed, Carneros is the only AVA to be defined by geographic parameters instead of political ones. … Read more

($45): Merry Edwards consistently produces a stunning array of Pinot Noir and 2011 was no exception.  This one, a blend from vineyards within the Russian River Valley, is the most straightforward and most immediately appealing.  Hints of sweet oak are still apparent but marry well with savory notes. … Read more

($54): Merry Edwards has a reputation for bottling Pinot Noir from several individual vineyards within the Russian River Valley.  Tasting them side-by-side validates her judgment that the wines are different and deserve their separate designations.  These single vineyard wines reflect inherent differences in the vineyards (aka terroir) and bottling them separately has great merit because it shows the wonderful diversity of the Russian River Valley. … Read more

($57): Merry Edwards’ Meredith Estate Pinot Noir has a lot in common with the Klopp Ranch bottling in that it’s weighty but not heavy and has Merry Edwards’ signature, a plush texture.  But worthy of a single vineyard bottling, it’s distinctive. … Read more

($57): Merry Edwards’ Klopp Ranch bottling of Pinot Noir is wonderfully different from her other single vineyard wines.  It’s denser still, with more concentrated black fruit flavors, yet still avoids being heavy because of lip-smacking acidity.  At this stage, there’s a smattering of savory notes that emerges with time in the glass. … Read more

($95): It’s hard to remember, but as recently as 1978, just two years after Dan and Margaret Duckhorn founded their eponymous winery, Merlot was rarely bottled in California as a varietal wine.  The grape was used primarily for blending — to “soften” Cabernet Sauvignon. … Read more

($28): Sequoia Grove has successfully walked a fine line by producing this restrained, but not eviscerated, Chardonnay.  Indeed, the hint of creaminess becomes more even engaging because it doesn’t fight heavier, more obvious flavors.  Enlivening acidity in the finish keeps it fresh and you coming back for more. … Read more

($30): Carneros, the cool region at the southern end of both the Napa and Sonoma Valleys, is well recognized as a great place for Chardonnay, a variety that likes cooler climate.  Rob Mondavi, Jr., the winemaker and grandson of legendary Robert Mondavi, says he purchases grapes from growers in the Sonoma Valley portion of Carneros and blends them with their estate grapes from the Napa Valley portion of Carneros because the Sonoma grapes add a different dimension. … Read more

($55): Migration is one of Duckhorn’s outposts in Northern California for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.  Dan and Margaret Duckhorn knew, perhaps ahead of their time, that Napa Valley, their home, was great for certain grapes, but a less ideal place for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, which excel in cooler climates, such as Sonoma Coast. … Read more

($29): Duckhorn has always focused on Merlot.  And their Merlots are terrific.  But Duckhorn is not a one-trick pony, as this Sauvignon Blanc shows.  Beautifully balanced, it combines richness and edginess.  A touch of Semillon — anywhere from 15 to 20 percent — is included in the blend, which provides lushness without obliterating the pleasant and uplifting bite of Sauvignon.… Read more

($25): Finding authentic Pinot Noir at this price is a treat.  All too often they are just sweet and fruity.  Decoy’s — they do love to fool you — has modest and restrained fruitiness that allows the herbal, slightly savory, element that makes Pinot Noir so engaging.… Read more

($25): If anyone in California can make authentic Merlot, it should be Duckhorn Vineyards who focused on that varietal well before it became a household word.  They make a marvelous one under their Decoy label.  This 2012 is fleshy and ripe, with a lovely slightly bitter cherry note in the finish. … Read more

($63): Though Duckhorn has focused on Merlot since their inception, their Cabernets demonstrate that the winery is hardly a one-trick pony.  This classic Napa Valley Cabernet is firm without being aggressive.  Deeply flavored, it’s not over the top, but well-balanced delivering a mélange of black fruit flavors and herbal, savory — almost black olive type — notes. … Read more

($54): Duckhorn made a name for itself with Merlot and continues to excel with that grape variety.  Their 2011 Napa Valley bottling, made from a combination of their and purchased grapes, has real character, which puts it out of the “I’ll have a glass of Merlot before dinner” category. … Read more

($25): Decoy is Duckhorn’s little sister winery that focuses on wines that are meant to be consumed immediately after release.  And this supple mid-weight wine is just that.  But like a decoy, it fools you.  Though you might think that a wine labeled “Red Wine” would be a non-descript commodity, this is far from that, offering good structure that balances its engaging fruitiness. … Read more

($80): Goldeneye is Duckhorn Vineyard’s winery and estate in Anderson Valley that Dan and Margaret Duckhorn established in 1996.  Duckhorn realized that if they wanted to make top notch Pinot Noir they needed to look elsewhere from their northern Napa Valley base, which was far too warm for that grape. … Read more

($115): Confusingly, the Ten Degrees Vineyard bottling does not come from a single vineyard, but rather is a blend of Goldeneye’s best lots from their four Anderson Valley vineyards, making it more like a “Reserve” bottling than an expression of a single discreet place. … Read more