($68): This wine, Domaine Carneros’s super-duper cuvee, undoubtedly a blend of their best barrels, has the graceful marriage of fruit and earth flavors you’d expect from a top-end Pinot Noir.   It shows more complexity and haunting non-fruit nuances, but less of the direct sweet cherry-like flavors than their regular ‘Estate’ Pinot Noir (also reviewed this week). … Read more

($60): Often times Cabernet-blended wines show more complexity than wines made from any of the single Bordeaux varieties.  The flavor profile of Merlot or Cabernet Franc, in particular, seems to be an especially well-suited foil to Cabernet.  But in this case, Rodney Strong’s Symmetry–a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (73%), Merlot (15%), Cabernet Franc (4%) and Malbec (3%)–takes a back seat to their excellent Alexander Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. … Read more

($50): Although this concentrated style of Cabernet emphasizes ripe primary fruit, it is not overdone or over-extracted.  Mellow tannins complement the sweet succulent fruit.  At this stage, it lacks complexity, but since it is balanced, additional flavors will likely emerge over time, so there’s rush. … Read more

($18): A blend of 94% Syrah with the remainder comprised of Grenache, this wine speaks to the plummy, ripe style of Syrah as opposed to the peppery, spicy style that grape can also exhibit.  It’s thick and rich without being heavy-weighing in at ‘only’ 13% alcohol–thanks to lively, blackberry-like acidity. … Read more

($50): Since its establishment three decades ago, Jordan has always been rightly known for its elegantly proportional Cabernets.  The 2004 vintage is no exception.  The dark fruit flavors have a curious combination of depth and delicacy.  An elusive hint of cigar box-like smokiness adds intrigue, while fine tannins support the entire package.… Read more

($28): Truchard had fallen off my screen, but this Merlot–along with their Zinfandel and Chardonnay–reminded me that they make stylish wines.  Truchard avoids the solo note of bright ripe fruit flavors by incorporating alluring herbal, leafy and earthy elements into this serious Merlot. … Read more

($8): One of the many Gallo labels, this straightforward–but good–wine challenges the proposition advanced by Michael Franz, my colleague at WRO, that California fails to produce many good inexpensive wines.  At a minimum, it is one wine that can be chalked up as a win for California. … Read more

($25): Carneros has the reputation as an area for producing fine Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Merlot.  After tasting this wine, perhaps Zinfandel should be added to the list.  But then again, it’s not your typical Zinfandel.  It certainly has the slightly jammy, distinctly grapey flavors mixed with spice characteristic of the variety. … Read more

($8): Part of the Gallo empire, the Redwood Creek Cabernet is an excellent value.  Ripe–but not sweet–mid weight red fruit flavors dominate and are balanced by a hint of supple tannins.  It’s a simple everyday Cabernet at the right price. 84 Michael Apstein May 27, 2008… Read more

($60): Those who complain that California Pinot Noir is simply sweet cherry juice need to try this wonderfully complex wine.  Laetitia’s ‘regular’ Pinot Noir is very good and easy to recommend, but if you run across this one, their single vineyard bottling, go for it. … Read more

($18): This lovely blend of mostly (77%) Syrah-the remainder is Grenache (12%), Mourvedre (5%), Carignan (4%) and Petite Syrah (2%)–delivers a harmonious balance of black and red fruit flavors complemented by spicy notes. Mild tannins add needed support, and uplifting acidity keeps it fresh and lively. … Read more

($18): Another in their line of Hummingbird names–Buff-Bellied–this Zinfandel gets added complexity from inclusion of small amounts of Petit Syrah, Primitivo and Alicante Bouchet in the blend.  Still plenty ripe, with hints of jammy flavors, delightful spice keeps it from being overdone.… Read more

($12): This friendly wine has the plush ripe forward fruit character that has made Merlot so popular.  But, in addition, it conveys nuances of an earthy leafiness that add more complexity than you’d expect at the price. 86 Michael Apstein Apr 22, 2008… Read more

($19): Year in and year out, KJ does it.  Blending wine from grapes grown in Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma Counties, Kendall-Jackson walks the line between a sipping ‘aperitif’ Merlot and one with sufficient structure and stuffing to accompany food.  Accessible, upfront, cherry-like fruit makes it easy to drink a glass before dinner, but richness and good weight buttressed by supple tannins and good acidity makes it a fine choice with a meal.… Read more

($18): Clos LaChance has chosen the hummingbird as their symbol, which explains why many of their wines, such as Crimson Topaz, carry their names.  This artful blend of primarily Merlot (63%), Cabernet Sauvignon (17%), Cabernet Franc (11%)–the remainder is Malbec and Petit Verdot–delivers grace and finesse. … Read more

($35): Although the emphasis in this wine is on sweet, lush, California fruit flavors, earthy and smoky elements add complexity.  Its elegance is marred only slightly by heat of alcohol apparent in the finish. 88 Michael Apstein Feb 5, 2008… Read more

($22): Tasted side-by-side with their regular–North Coast–Merlot, the superiority of the Reserve bottling is readily evident and, in my mind, worth the extra four dollars.  As expected, it has more sweet fruit flavors, more apparent oak aging and more supporting tannins. … Read more

($11): I’ve never been enamored of the label of this brand, owned by Hahn Estates, the high quality Monterey-based winery.  But the wine in the bottle shows very well in blind tastings and consistently offers excellent value.  This 2005 Pinot Noir continues in that vein, delivering an alluring earthy/leafy component atop bright fresh red fruit flavors.… Read more

($30): Bouchaine Vineyards specializes in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, grapes that thrive in cooler climates, because of their location in the Carneros region.  Carneros spans the southern parts of both Napa and Sonoma and is cooled by influences from the San Pablo Bay. … Read more

($34): The Syrah grape can deliver peppery or plummy flavors depending on where it’s planted.  MacRostie manages to get both, perhaps because the grapes came from two different blocks within its Wildcat Mountain Vineyard.  The result is a lovely plummy, slightly peppery Syrah with nuances of smoke and bacon fat. … Read more

($30): MacRostie used a combination of its  own Wildcat Mountain Estate and purchased fruit for this stylish wine.   An alluring earthiness marries nicely with bright raspberry fruit flavors and is balanced by good acidity and mild tannins.  It carries the 14.2% alcohol nicely.… Read more

($18): KJ — as it is affectionately called in the trade — obtains grapes from all over California to fashion this classy Merlot.  Not overwrought, the hint of leafy quality characteristic of that grape complements the bright red- and black-fruit elements. … Read more

($18): With so many disappointing Merlots on the market, it’s especially gratifying to find one like Clos LaChance’s.  A lovely mixture of herbs and black fruit is immediately apparent in the nose and follows on the palate.  A hint of creamy oakiness is well integrated and adds to the allure. … Read more

($21): This wine explains why Merlot is so popular.  Attractively gamey and earthy flavors–not just fruit–come across in the nose and carry onto the palate and are balanced by supple tannins.  Not a ‘fruit bomb,’ its layers of flavor persist throughout the finish.… Read more

($13): Kendall Jackson has a seemingly never-ending ability to blend wines from throughout California to achieve excellent value offerings.  Comprised of almost equal parts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot–with a touch of Cabernet Franc thrown in–this bottling has sweet fruit balanced by mild tannins and just enough complexity to keep it interesting. … Read more

($26): Herzog has fashioned a Kosher Pinot Noir with delicacy and class.  Don’t let its lightish color deceive you, because it packs plenty of spiced, strawberry-like flavors. 86 Michael Apstein Sep 4, 2007… Read more

($28): Calera is one of California’s top Pinot Noir producers. This bottling comes mostly from vines–usually young–on Mount Harlan that produce fruit for wines that are meant for immediate consumption.  This ripe, big style of Pinot Noir conveys considerable finesse and complexity in the form of minerality atop ripe black fruit flavors. … Read more

($40): A significant step up from their Mount Harlan Cuvée, Ryan Vineyard Pinot Noir has far more complexity and better balance.  Smokey ash-like flavors in addition to ripe black and red fruit flavors show its California–as opposed to Burgundian–origins and add to its allure. … Read more

($12): Kendall Jackson has clearly found the formula for producing attractive well priced wines year in and year out.  This Syrah–plumy, ripe and nicely balanced–is easy to like.  Smokey elements add complexity rarely seen at this price. 87 Michael Apstein Aug 28, 2007… Read more

($30): The cool Carneros region spans the southern ends of the Napa and Sonoma Valleys and is well suited for Pinot Noir, a variety that thrives in cooler climes.  Bouchaine’s is a delightful combination of red fruit-strawberry, raspberry-like flavors–with just enough earthiness to keep it interesting.… Read more

($33): Clos Pegase should be complimented for restraint with this stylish Pinot Noir.  With more and more Pinots tasting like Pinot Syrah, it’s encouraging to see producers strive for restrained elegance rather than over-ripe intensity.  Ripe raspberry-like fruitiness is the predominant impression, but black cherry nuances appear in the finish.… Read more

($28): Despite this wine’s ripeness, the overall impression of this wonderfully balanced wine is one of restrained fruitiness because the tannins lend structure often lacking in California Pinot Noir.  Subtle cherry flavors are only one of the several red fruit flavors than come though. … Read more

($18): Sometimes large production wines with good availability are overlooked.  But this one should not be.  The grapes come from Kendall-Jackson’s sources throughout the state, hence the California appellation.  This is very good, approachable–and stylish–Cabernet Sauvignon. 87 Michael Apstein Feb 13, 2007… Read more

($30): This is sourced from the Anderson Valley outpost of Duckhorn Vineyards, the famed Napa Valley winery, which looked to the north for a site for their Pinot Noir production.  They make two bottlings, Goldeneye, and this less pricey one.   Made in a ripe, rich style with noticeable sweet oakiness, this won’t be mistaken for red Burgundy. … Read more

($16): This Rhone-styled wine from Bonny Doon is a little heavier and more alcoholic than their Cigare Volant, focusing more on black fruit as opposed to red fruit flavors.  Not overdone as many California Syrahs can be, it retains elegance and a distinct peppery character, reminiscent of wines from the Northern Rhone.… Read more

($30): Randall Grahm, founder and winemaker at Bonny Doon, is known for his humorous labels as well as his talented winemaking. His Cigare Volant (flying cigar or flying saucer) refers to an ordinance promulgated by Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a town in the southern Rhone Valley just north of Avignon, that prohibited the landing of flying saucers within the town limits. … Read more

($24): The sweet, ripe, plumy fruit character in this wine announces its California origins, but the gamy and other more exotic notes suggest an Old World origin to this wine.  It’s a balance that works well. 91 Michael Apstein Jan 2, 2007… Read more

($35): Cabernet Franc, which comprises roughly 2/3rds of the blend of Château Cheval Blanc–one of Bordeaux’s greatest wines–is a tricky grape to get right.  It produces wines with a distinctly vegetal character if it doesn’t ripen adequately.  Fortunately, Clos LaChance got this one right. … Read more

($24): Made from a blend of grapes traditionally found in France’s Rhône Valley, such as Syrah and Grenache, this wine is a California interpretation of Châteauneuf-du-Pape with an emphasis on sweet fruit flavors buttressed by a lively spicy component. 86 Michael Apstein Dec 19, 2006… Read more

($9): I wish California produced more of these inexpensive, yet satisfying, wines.  Thankfully not a palate scorching, 16% alcohol Zinfandel, Blackstone’s rendition has the spice associated with the grape without the burn. It lacks the panache of a small appellation since the purchased fruit came from all over California, but it’s a delightful ‘everyday’ wine.… Read more

($55): A typical Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, Rodney Strong’s 2001 Symmetry is a classy wine. Not overdone, the winemaker has ‘turned down the volume,’ allowing the layers of earth and mineral-like flavors to come through nicely.… Read more

($28): It should come as no surprise that the Aussie owners of this property have great success with Shiraz, which is considered by many to be Australia’s national grape. Rich and warm — as one would expect from California Shiraz — it is also meaty, exotic and smooth.… Read more

($42): In my experience, it’s rare for a wine made from mountain grown fruit to have this kind of weight and elegance. But Atlas Peak’s winemaker, Darren Proscal, and its viticulturist, Tony Fernandez, Jr., have pulled it off with their 2003 Cabernet.… Read more

($12): Even allowing for the fact that the Gallo empire can draw upon vast vineyard resources strewn across California, it still amazes me that they can pull together a Zin this fine for twelve bucks. This wine is actually more interesting and useful than many counterparts now selling for upwards of $20 in the current Zin-crazed era, and though its balanced, integrated profile won’t jerk you to attention like many other bottlings, it will win your admiration with its impressive combination of bold flavor and seamless integration.… Read more