($23): It’s a pleasure to find a California Pinot Blanc that strikes the right balance.  There can be a temptation to beef up this delicate wine either by using super ripe grapes or overwhelming it with barrel aging.  Valley of the Moon has avoided both. … Read more

($75): The Foley Johnson interpretation of Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon focuses more on fruit than on earthy notes.  Ripe sweet red, almost strawberry-like, fruit buttressed by fine suave tannins makes it easy to love.  There’s a lovely purity and focus in this wine that makes it very appealing for current consumption.… Read more

($72): The Rutherford section of Napa Valley is rightly known to be an ideal place for Cabernet Sauvignon.  The line-up of wines from the Rutherford Dust Society — a group of producers who make wines from Rutherford grown fruit — shows the uniqueness of the region. … Read more

($135): Combine a great producer, Agustin Huneeus and his team, with a great place, Rutherford, and bingo — you get great wine.  The 2010 Quintessa delivers a little bit of everything — fruit, herbs, earth, minerals — and not too much of anything. … Read more

($35): Though best known for their stellar Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, Grgich makes a stylish and dare I say, refined, Zinfandel.  It has plenty of up-front fruit and briary spice, as befitting a Zinfandel.  But what sets it apart is its lack of flamboyance. … Read more

($60): If anyone needed additional proof (I don’t) that Grgich Hills is a brilliant producer — one of California’s best — they should try this Petite Sirah.  It’s a category I try to avoid judging at wine competitions because most Petite Sirah are massive and ponderous, lacking finesse and complexity I value and look for. … Read more

($28): Though their wines are consistently among the best in Napa Valley, Clos du Val is not — and never was — a “cult” winery.  All their wines have the same grace and balance of this Chardonnay.  It’s toasty and rich without being oaky or obnoxious. … Read more

($38): Judy Jordan founded J Vineyards and Winery in 1986 and has been making stunning sparkling wines every since.  Its grapefruit-tinged nuances impart a pleasantly cutting edginess.  This fresh and floral style of rosé works well as an invigorating aperitif or as an accompaniment to smoked salmon or scallops in a decadent cream sauce.… Read more

($32): I’ve had so many excellent vintages of Merry Edwards’ Sauvignon Blanc that I should no longer be surprised.  But I am because I still associate her with stellar Pinot Noir and only few producers anywhere in the world show their talents with both grapes. … Read more

($25):  Laetitia could be considered a pioneer in Arroyo Grande Valley having planted their vineyards over 30 years ago.  They make a line of distinctive vineyard-specific Pinot Noir.  This one, a blend from their vineyards, delivers a whiff of herbal elements that adds great interest to this otherwise classic fruit-focused California Pinot Noir. … Read more

($45): William Hill’s Bench Blend Cabernet Sauvignon represents a blend of wines made exclusively from Cabernet Sauvignon grown in their best vineyards, according to Ralf Holdenried, their winemaker.  Similar to their Napa Valley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, which contains a dollop of other varieties, this Bench Blend is dense and dark with a harmonious interplay of herbs and black fruit and an appealing bitterness in the finish. … Read more

($30): This is serious Merlot — dark and dense with even chocolate nuances.  And a touch of leafiness, just to reinforce it is real Merlot.  The tannins are polished, but it’s not a soft wine, so I wouldn’t recommend sipping it before dinner. … Read more

($62): The age of the vines — the vineyard’s 40 years old — shows in this wine’s complexity and refinement.  It combines the brightness and liveliness character of Edwards’ Sonoma Coast bottling with the intensity of her Georganne Pinot Noir.  What’s most amazing is the way it unfolds in the glass, revealing more and more pleasure over a couple of hours. … Read more

($60): Edwards’ Coopersmith bottling is always one of her most gorgeous Pinot Noirs, perhaps because the vineyard is named for her husband.  The epitome of power and grace, this Pinot Noir combines everything you’d want from that variety — floral notes, earthy minerality and plenty of fruit. … Read more

($40): This fine wine shows the gorgeous combination of herbal and fruit — cassis — flavors that makes Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon so enthralling.   The tannins are remarkably fine for such a dark and almost brooding wine.  A refreshing even so slightly bitter finish adds to its appeal. … Read more

($39): Merry Edwards shows that the French have no monopoly on the concert of terroir.  Her Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is refreshingly different from her Russian River bottlings.  It delivers bright berry-like flavors intermingled with spicy and earthy nuances.  It’s a lively and invigorating wine that combines succulence and spice without being overdone. … Read more

($57): From her youngest vineyard, which was planted in 2006, Edwards’ Georganne is a bigger and weightier wine than her Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir bottling.  Conveying more black than red fruit-like flavors, it has an attractive burly presence.  Almost chewy, Edwards magically prevents it — and all her Pinot Noir — from being heavy. … Read more

($25): With their Fiddletown bottling, Renwood Winery has produced a lush and simultaneously, briary Zinfandel, filled with dark fruit flavors and spice.  It has depth and the ripe fruit notes come across as a touch sweet, but yet, overall, the wine remains in balance and not overblown. … Read more

($135): This concentrated and bold — 15% stated alcohol — Cabernet does manage to contain itself.  The breeding of Napa Valley is apparent with rich cassis-laden fruit flavors combined with haunting herbal nuances.  Tightly wound with fine, but firm tannins, the 2010 Mondavi Reserve is best cellared for several years.  … Read more