($15): Robert Oatley, the iconic Australian winemaker who founded the famous and widely popular Hunter Valley-based Rosemount Estate wine company, is the man behind Wild Oats.  Using purchased fruit — as he did for years at Rosemount — his team has produced a value-packed California Pinot Noir.… Read more

($39): With a forty year history of working with Pinot Noir, it’s no surprise that Merry Edwards is one of California’s star producers of that varietal.  While her single vineyard bottlings show the diversity of sites, this one from the Sonoma Coast is a great introduction to her engaging style. … Read more

($60): Merry Edwards and her husband, Ken Coopersmith, own this vineyard.  Though the glossy texture is similar to the Georganne bottling, the darker, riper and denser flavors distinguish Coopersmith from the rest of her single vineyard Pinot Noir.  It’s a bigger, but no less elegant, wine. … Read more

($57): One of the reasons I admire Merry Edwards is because she makes Pinot Noir that reflect their origins — she is not trying to make red Burgundy.  To be sure, she understands the subtlety and delicacy of Pinot Noir but also knows that grape expresses itself differently in the Russian River Valley than in the Côte d’Or. … Read more

($62): Though similarly plush and polished, a thread of red fruit flavors is woven into the fabric of the Merry Edwards Olivet Lane Pinot Noir, which sets it apart from both the Coopersmith and Georganne bottlings. At this stage, with its charming subtleties, the Olivet Lane is the most expressive of her these three single vineyard bottlings.  … Read more

($30): Tony Truchard and his wife Jo Ann were early advocates of the virtues of the Carneros region of Napa Valley when they started to acquire their now 400 acres in the 1960s.  It turns out the cool climate of Carneros is ideal for their Chardonnay, a consistently balanced wine. … Read more

($42): Comparing Grgich Hills Estate’s 2012 Chardonnay with their 2013 Sauvignon Blanc puts the limitation of a numerical scoring system for rating wines into sharp relief.  Since I scored the Sauvignon Blanc slightly higher than their Chardonnay that must mean that I think it’s a better wine, right? … Read more

($55): Mike Grgich embarrassed the French judges in 1976 with the Montelena Chardonnay he made that took first place in the famous Judgment of Paris.  If he had been making this Sauvignon Blanc at the time, I’m sure it would have done equally well. … Read more

($16): Bonterra, a label established by Fetzer in 1990, prides itself on making wine exclusively from organic grapes.  Indeed, according to the California Sustainable Winemaking Alliance, it’s the number one selling brand made from organic grapes.  This 2013 Viognier helps explain why. … Read more

($65): Opulent and generous — it is Petite Sirah, after all — Grgich Hills Estate’s 2010 has elegance, not a word usually used to describe that varietal.  Its elegance really shouldn’t be surprising because if anyone can make a stylish Petite Sirah, it’s Mike Grgich’s winemaking team. … Read more

($15): It’s refreshing to find a California Chardonnay that’s balanced and delivers so much enjoyment for $15.  The winemaking team has walked the line nicely by imparting a touch of seductive creaminess and a subtle patina of oakiness without going overboard. … Read more

($10): When people complain they cannot find good inexpensive California wine, I point them to McManus Family Vineyards.  They have a consistent track record of producing good, well-priced wines, such as this Pinot Grigio.  Floral with the barest hint of pears, it has sufficient acidity to match it with a simple fish dish, but not so much that you’d shy away from drinking it by itself as an aperitif.  … Read more

($195): Grgich’s 2010 Yountville Selection Cabernet Sauvignon is one of California’s grandest wines.  It reminds us why Napa Valley, and in this case, the Yountville region, is so revered for that grape.  The winemaking team, led by Mike Grgich’s nephew, Ivo Jeramaz, has hit the bull’s eye with this wine. … Read more

($48): Denser, more herbal and less fruity than their Merlot, this wine is quintessential expression of Napa Valley Cabernet.  At this stage the tannins make it a less “friendly” wine — you don’t want a glass of it before dinner — but it’s a fabulous choice for prime rib. … Read more

($35): This is real Merlot and shows what that grape, when handled properly, can do.  Very aromatic, it conveys ripe black cherry-like fruitiness and a pleasant and subtle funkiness that is characteristic of top-notch Merlot.  Broad and deep, it carries its ripeness — it weighs in at a 14.9% stated alcohol — effortlessly. … Read more

($53): Jordan continues to excel by sticking to the founders’ philosophy of making refined, not blockbuster, Cabernet Sauvignon.  Their 2010 fits that mold beautifully.  The bouquet is explosive, but in the mouth it is restrained and refined, seducing you with polish and persistence, not power. … Read more

($35): This broad shouldered, concentrated Cabernet combines dense ripe fruitiness with more than a whiff of black olives and herbs.  With a hint of bitterness in the finish and fine balance, it would be a fitting choice for a charcoal grilled steak. … Read more

($85): The grapes for Animo, (“spirit,” in Italian), come from the family’s vineyard atop Atlas Peak.  Michael Mondavi, one of the sons of the late, legendary Robert Mondavi, explains that they chose the name because they felt the wine expressed the spirit of Atlas Peak. … Read more

($60): This wine shows you can’t rely on vintage charts.  The 2011 vintage in Napa was terrible for Cabernet Sauvignon, the valley’s signature grape.  Unusually cool wet weather made it a struggle for Cabernet vines to fully ripen their fruit during the growing season. … Read more

($35): Davis Bynum was a visionary in the Russian River Valley when, in 1973, he was the first to bottle a single vineyard Pinot Noir.  Forty years later, the winery is still focused on and making excellent Pinot Noir there.  Though pure clean red fruit flavors is the initial message from the 2012 Jane’s Vineyard bottling, lovely herbal nuances appear over time, creating a harmonious wine. … Read more

($15): Edna Valley Vineyard has hit the bull’s eye with their 2012 Cabernet.  Concentrated without being aggressive or overdone, it conveys both fruit and savory notes.  It has the complexity — not just fruit flavors — that makes Cabernet Sauvignon so revered. … Read more

($10): This Chardonnay is about as good as it gets for the price. McManis Family Vineyards has been — and continues to be — a leader in well made inexpensive wines.  River Junction, essentially McManis Family’s personal AVA since they are the only commercial winery there, is located west of Modesto at the junction of the San Joaquin and Stanislaus Rivers and is cooler than the rest of the Central Valley. … Read more

($18): Most rosé is an afterthought.  Most of it results from a technique called  saignée or bleeding, used to enhance red wine (once a tank of red grapes has been macerated briefly and the liquid has taken on a bit of color). … Read more

($28): It should come as no surprise that J Vineyards makes easy-to-recommend, stylish Chardonnay since they’ve been using that grape — along with Pinot Noir — for their stunning sparkling wines.  This Chardonnay has the richness and opulence often associated with California wines without being overdone. … Read more

($20): Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio are two names for the same grape.  Nonetheless, wines labeled Pinot Gris are typically denser and riper than those labeled Pinot Grigio.   MacMurray Estate Vineyards has split the difference nicely with their Russian River bottling. … Read more

($30): Jordan is one of California’s iconic wineries lauded for their stylish Cabernet Sauvignon, which evolve splendidly with bottle age, as last year’s 40 year vertical tasting showed.  Jordan released their first Chardonnay in 1979, three years after their first Cabernet. … Read more

($34): Here’s another example of a renowned Napa Valley winery that has made their reputation on red wines turning out a fine Chardonnay.  In 1996, more than two decades after Warren Winiarski founded Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, he purchased the Arcadia Vineyard, which had originally been developed by Grgich Hills and was the source for some of their fine Chardonnays. … Read more

($14): Unoaked Chardonnay is all the rage.  Sadly many are vapid and paradoxically wind up reinforcing the virtue of a little bit of oak aging.  In contrast, Toad Hollow manages to pull it off.  A delicate but distinct crisp green apple fruitiness is apparent in this appealing unoaked Chardonnay.  … Read more

($60): Wow is the first impression after tasting this wine.  Judging from this Chardonnay, Merry Edwards is as talented with that grape as she is with her exceptional Pinot Noir.  Although she’s made small quantities of Chardonnay from the Olivet Lane vineyard for a few years, the 2011 is only the second year it’s been available outside of the tasting room. … Read more

($18): Bonny Doon has captured the enchanting essence of Albariño — a bracing grapefruit rind bitterness and citrus zing balanced by ripeness without heaviness.  A hint of creaminess adds an unusual — for Albariño — luxuriousness.  It’s a masterful balance of ying and yang.… Read more

($16): J, known best for their stellar sparkling wines, have made Pinot Gris since 1996.  Indeed, they have three bottlings — this one, one from Russian River Valley grapes and a single vineyard one.  They’ve pretty much nailed this variety.  The “California” bottling has subtle peach-like nuances, bright acidity, and an appealing hint of bitterness in the finish. … Read more

($91): At $91 a bottle, the price gets your attention, even though it’s not California’s most expensive Chardonnay (Marcassin Estate takes that honor).  But after tasting the 2011 Grgich Hills Estate Paris Tasting Chardonnay, it’s the wine, not the price, you remember. … Read more

($23): Roederer Estate consistently produces one of this country’s best, if not the best, sparkling wine.  It’s easy to understand why they regularly make such high quality sparkling wine.  First, they are a subsidiary of Champagne Roederer, one of France’s leading Champagne producers. … Read more

($22):  Santa Maria Valley is one of the many coastal valleys in California that runs east to west, which means that cooling winds from the Pacific Ocean moderate the temperature and make it an ideal site for grape varieties such as Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, that thrive in “cooler” weather.… Read more

($37):  Let’s hope more California wineries follow the style of Presqu’ile’s 2011 Chardonnay.   This restrained wine displays a gorgeous combination of richness and energy.  Its subtle richness becomes increasingly apparent with each sip–it sneaks up on you as opposed to hitting you over the head. … Read more

($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