Mike Dunne’s 2022 Best of Class Tasting Notes

Mike Dunne
Mike Dunne

Mike Dunne is a longtime SFCWC wine judge and the former food editor, wine columnist, and restaurant critic. This year, Dunne shares his insights and tasting notes for 162 Best of Class winners, giving wine consumers an inside look at why these wines were named the best of each category.


Category NameMike Dunne Tasting Notes
Blanc de BlancsVino Godfather 2019 North Coast Blanc de Blancs: Feathery in feel and steadfast in its expression of snappy apple fruit, the Vino Godfather 2019 North Coast Blanc de Blancs rose to the top of its class with an offer no wine enthusiast could refuse (somebody had to say it): A sparkling wine with the grace and confidence to savor on its own and the backbone and endurance to pair with lighter seafood dishes, oysters in particular.
Blanc de NoirsBattle Creek Cellars Yamhill-Carlton Yamhela Vineyard Blanc de Noir: This sparkler's light brassy tone only hints at the many facets the wine delivers - a flute brimming with fresh fruit, toasty highlights and prolonged finish.
BrutGloria Ferrer 2014 Los Carneros Royal Cuvée Brut: Sparkling-wine judges at the 2022 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition had to be super-human to keep from swallowing this wine instead of abiding by the usual practice of spitting, the Royal Cuvee is that commanding in its nobility, assertiveness, captivating suggestions of apples and mandarins, and tenacity. A blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the Royal Cuvée went on to beat out three other finalists to be voted the competition's best sparkling wine.
Rose SparklingThe Gala 2019 Brut Cuvee: A sophisticated brass-toned and bone-dry sparkling wine suggestive of both chalkiness common to France and nectarines common to California. "The Gala" is a brand of the inventive and bold Rodney Schatz family of Lodi.
Fruit SparklingFarm Fresh Wine Company Raspberry Bubbly Moscato: It comes in a can, it is uplifting in its effervesence, it is decidedly sweet yet refreshing, and most of all it is true to the brightness and juiciness of raspberries. Throw a couple of cans in the tackle box and it won't much matter if a fish is caught; the day on the lake will pass happily nevertheless.
Other SparklingBokisch Lodi Clements Hills Terra Alta Vineyard Sparkling Albarino: Wine explorers who pause at Bokisch Vineyards on the east edge of Lodi can ease back into Adirondack chairs while enjoying both vineyard view and Markus and Liz Bokisch's proud and steady lineup of Iberian-inspired wines. Now, with the couple's first sparkling Albarino, they will want to stay in one of those chairs the entire day, given the wine's come-hither fragrance, dry citric flavor and joyous persistence.
Sauvignon Blanc/Fume - Up to - $15.99H3 2019 Horse Heaven Hills Sauvignon Blanc: From Washington state's Horse Heaven Hills comes an absolutely unbridled Sauvignon Blanc - muscular and fluid, pungent in aroma, tilting to the jalapeno and lime end of the Sauvignon Blanc spectrum, and overall refreshingly zesty. And all that comes with just 105 calories per five-ounce serving, H3 being one of the few wineries to provide nutritional information on its back label.
Sauvignon Blanc/Fume - $16.00 - $19.99Oak Farm Vineyards 2020 Lodi Sauvignon Blanc: The jury still is out on what white varietal wine will come to shine most brightly in the Lodi sun, but to judge by this model of sunny, melony and peachy fruit, shot through with a thread of gunflint, the verdict well may come down in favor of Sauvignon Blanc.
Sauvignon Blanc/Fume - $20.00 - $ 25.99Bella Grace Vineyards 2021 Amador County Sauvignon Blanc: In an extremely competitive class of Sauvignon Blancs - 51 entries, no less - the Bella Grace stood out for its beckoning floral and fruity aroma, angular build, abiding balance, zesty acidity and incessant finish.
Sauvignon Blanc/Fume - $26.00 and OverWise Villa Winery 2021 Sierra Foothills Sauvignon Blanc: As befits the rugged Sierra Nevada Foothills, this Sauvignon Blanc boasts an uncustomary robustness for the variety. Its assertive flavors land solidly on both the fruit and grass expressions of the variety. Bring on the lemon chicken, smoked salmon and steamed mussels, even when accented with Thai chile peppers.
Chardonnay - Up to - $10.99CK Mondavi 2020 California Chardonnay: A Chardonnay ideal to pair with fish tacos as long as the salsa and cilantro are held in check, given the wine's tender pear fruit, lean build and reserved acidity.
Chardonnay - $11.00 - $13.99Menage à Trois 2019 Central Coast Chardonnay: The wine's vivid filigree gold alerts consumers to a Chardonnay that basically amounts to the gold standard for modestly priced releases. It is dry, stable, sharp edged, not at all tricked up with sugar, and decidedly expressive of the apple side of the variety.
Chardonnay - $14.00 - $15.99Locatour Wines 2020 California "Creamy" Chardonnay: The "toasty flavors" promised on the wine's front label is a bit of understatement. This is one smoky Chardonnay, its suggestion of roaring firepit overshadowing the "creamy" also broadcast on the label, but neither smoke nor cream eclipses the robust and sweetly refreshing fruit in the bottle.
Chardonnay - $16.00 - $17.99Tribute 2019 Monterey County Chardonnay: A scent of grilled pears blooms from the neck of the bottle, trailed by forthright and fulsome flavors of a traditional and nicely balanced California Chardonnay.
Chardonnay - $18.00 - $ 19.99Rodney Strong 2020 California Chardonnay: The aroma of this Chardonnay is so complicated and diverting - sagebrush, citrus grove, apple orchard, talcom powder - that the wine enthusiast runs the risk of never getting around to actually tasting the wine, which would be a mistake given the animation and persistence of its bright fruit.
Chardonnay - $20.00 - $22.99Wente Vineyards 2020 Monterey Arroyo Seco Riva Ranch Vineyard Chardonnay: Wente, the first family of California Chardonnay, can be relied upon virtually every vintage to turn out a Riva Ranch Chardonnay that hits all the benchmarks for memorable character in the variety - manageable heft, tingly spice, a tapestry of fruit that ranges from papaya to pineapple, revitalizing acidity and a finish that hangs around from appetizer to dessert.
Chardonnay - $23.00 - $25.99J. Lohr 2019 Monterey Arroyo Seco Chardonnay: If this were a contestant on "Dancing with the Stars" it would win even without a partner, given its dapper delivery, equilibrium and energy. It is all coordinated richness, vitality and citric fruit. Bring on the lobster roll, partner enough.
Chardonnay - $26.00 - $28.99Pistachio Lane 2020 San Francisco Bay Chardonnay: After cracking the screwcap, which as it is twisted off sounds a lot like a pistachio shell being broken open, sit back and start to savor a sleek and minerally Chardonny airy with suggestions of papaya, mango and mostly lemon. Savor with a bowl of pistachios, naturally.
Chardonnay - $29.00 - $32.99Barrel Notes 2019 Cienega Valley Reserve Chardonnay: Cienega Valley is an American Viticultural Area divided by the San Andreas Fault in San Benito County. This apple-scented, mouth-filling Chardonnay must be from the more settled side of the divide, accounting for its composure, gentleness and comfort.
Chardonnay - $33.00 - $35.99Roche Winery & Vineyards 2020 Carneros Chardonnay: Notes of spring flowers and hazelnuts tap lightly but enthrallingly across a stage of tropical fruit burnished to a high gleam.
Chardonnay - $36.00 - $39.99V. Sattui Winery 2019 Napa Valley Chardonnay: In aroma and flavor, this V. Sattui seizes succinctly the more delicate, leaner and drier style of Chardonnay in its pure celebration of zesty fruit.
Chardonnay - $40.00 - $45.99Roche Winery & Vineyards 2020 Carneros American Oak Reserve Chardonnay: In one of the more remarkable developments at the 2022 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, Roche won two best-of-class awards for Chardonnays from the same vintage and same appellation. They were up against a total 85 other entries. This interpretation won over judges not only for the pull of its American oak in both aroma and finish but for the brilliant sunshine of its tropical fruit. In addition to a cork puller, grab a pair of sunglasses and proceed down pleasure lane.
Chardonnay - $46.00 and OverCastello di Amorosa 2019 Napa Valley Reserve Chardonnay: Of course any Chardonnay that comes from a castle should be seen as being kingly and queenly, which this is in its golden luminescence, regal carriage, vivid citric fruit and ticklish spiciness. Castello di Amorosa is part of the same royal family that includes V. Sattui Winery, which also won best-of-class for a lighter but nonethess correct interpretation of Chardonnay.
Viognier - $27.00 and OverAquiesce Winery & Vineyards 2020 Lodi Mokelumne River Viognier: Susan Tipton's masterful hand with white grapes traditionally associated with France's Rhone Valley was recognized with remarkable consistency at the 2022 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competitions. Four of her white varietal wines topped their classes, with her mellifluous 2020 Viognier going all the way to win the competition's award for best white wine on the strength of its honeysuckle perfume and tuneful suggestions of peach orchard. It outdistanced 16 other nominated whites for the top honor in the final round of voting.
Pinot Gris/Grigio - Up to - $14.99McManis 2021 River Junction Pinot Grigio: "Spring in a bottle" is a wine-world cliché, but here it is as irresistible for this frisky take on Pinot Grigio - springy, playful and astonishingly multi-faceted and persistent for the variety.
Pinot Gris/Grigio - $15.00 - $19.99Terra D'Oro 2020 Clarksburg Pinot Grigio: This must be the secret to turning out a Pinot Grigio of uncommon vigor and layering: Blend five clones of the grape grown in the rich and cool Sacramento/San Joaquin River Delta. The result is a Pinot Grigio that stretches far beyond the wine's familiar flippant style, coming off with appeal and distinction in its hearty suggestions of pear, peach and persimmon.
Pinot Gris/Grigio - $20.00 and OverFerrari-Carano 2021 Sonoma County Pinot Grigio: "Substantial" and "Pinot Grigio" won't often be found in the same sentence. This is the exception. The Ferrari-Carano way with Pinot Grigio is to mold it as a worthy challenger to more noble white wines in its uncommon heft, flowering aroma, juicy and sunny fruit and teasing spice.
SemillonTwo Bad Labs 2020 Lewis Clark Valley Sémillon: Long celebrated in France but basically ignored in the United States, the green grape Sémillon is capable of yielding wines of rare decorum and haunting suggestions of figs, smoke and dried grass wherever it is grown. That includes Idado's Lewis Clark Valley, to judge by this model of equilibrium and brio.
VignolesLes Bourgeois Vineyards 2020 Missouri Vignoles: A hybrid grape whose parentage is suspect, Vignoles customarily is used to make ice wines, but with climate change upsetting the frequency and extent of freezes needed for that style, the grape also is showing itself capable of yielding head-turning dry table wines whose floral aroma, suggestions of peach and pineapple, and long and satisfying finish make it fitting for the dinner table, especially when white-fleshed seafood is on the menu.
MuscatLatah Creek 2020 Yakima Valley Lonesome Spring Vineyard Orange Moscato: As perfumey as a floral shop on the eve of Valentine's Day, and as sweet as a box of accompanuing candy, the Latah Creek is seductive, harmonious, honeyed and melodic, and all that is delivered with just six percent alcohol.
AlbarinoWood Family Vineyards 2021 Livermore Valley Albarino: In an extremely congested field of entries, the Wood Family Albarino emerged as the favorite on the strength of its intensely sweet pineapple, lemon and apple fruit and a roundness as comfortable as a favored old reading chair.
Chenin BlancL.A. Cetto 2020 Valle de Guadalupe Chenin Blanc: The faint brassy color of this Chenin Blanc from Mexico's Baja California doesn't prepare the consumer for the authority with which the wine speaks. Its aroma defines what is meant by fragrant and floral, its flavor is all fresh peach and pear just off the trees, and its sweetness is more stimulating than sticky. In a word, "refrescante."
Grenache BlancAcquiesce Winery & Vineyard 2020 Lodi Grenache Blanc: A variety most at home in France's Rhone Valley, Grenache Blanc is gaining adherents in California, thanks largely to the gumption and imagination of Susan Tipton of Acquiesce in Lodi. She appreciates food-and-wine pairing to an extent that is exceptional even in California's winemaking community, and as a consequence styles her wines to shine at the dinner table, which her Grenache Blanc will do for its refreshingly citric flavor, steely structure and dry and snappy finish. Whatever fresh seafood is on the plate, this Grenache Blanc should be in the glass.
VermentinoPedernales 2019 Texas High Plains Vermentino: Vermentino isn't yet positioned to challenge Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio or even Sauvignon Blanc among white wines preferred by Americans, but as more takes like this reach the market it will draw attention just as steers draw lariats during team roping at the rodeo. From its gold-flake sheen to its suggestions of peach, melon and caramel, the Pedernales Vermentino is dry, loping and surprisingly long for a white wine.
RoussanneAcquiesce 2020 Lodi Roussanne: Lodi, long celebrated for its husky and brash red wines, nowadays is showing that it has the climate, soils and gutsy vintners to turn out white wines of alluring nuance and zest, including the Tiptons of Acquiesce, who with imagination and flair are raising Lodi's profile for astute whites based on traditional Rhone Valley varieties, including this golden and elegant representative of Roussanne.
MarsanneLangtry 2018 Guenoc Valley "Night" Marsanne: The flourish of actress Lillie Langtry, responsible originally for the Lake County estate to bear her name, and the sturdiness of the blue oak on the wine's front label represent fittingly the color and vitality of this exceptionally rich, voluminous and enduring interpretation of Marsanne.
Gruner VeltlinerAurora Cellars 2020 Leelanau Peninsula Gruner Veltliner: At its best, Gruner Veltliner should combine in essentially equal measures an inviting floral perfume, an assertive but congenial fruitiness, and unmistakable white pepper. The Aurora Cellars is Gruner Veltliner at its best.
VerdelhoLas Positas 2021 Livermore Valley Estate Verdelho: Most closely identified with Portugal, in particular Madeira, the green grape Verdelho looks to have a promising future in Livermore Valley, if this teasingly aromatic, sweet, citric, peachy and lingering interpretation is any indication.
Gewurztraminer - Up to - $19.99Fetzer 2020 California Gewurztraminer: With its beckoning floral aroma, rhapsodic sweetness, punctuating spice and overall refreshing delivery Fetzer's always reliable Gewurztraminer paints a colorful and lively portrait of spring; the only brushstroke missing is a hammock awaiting an occupant in the front yard.
Riesling - Dry <.99 RSEnglish Newsom Cellars 2020 Texas High Plains Steve & Cindy Newsome Vineyards Riesling: Texas keeps drawing attention in surprising ways - the resurrection of the Dallas Cowboys as "America's Team" for one - so it shouldn't be shocking in wine circles to find that the state's High Plains can yield with assurance a dry, peachy and long-lasting take on a grape variety accustomed to showing off such pleasure when it is made in much cooler climates, Riesling.
Riesling - Medium Dry 1.0 - 2.00 RSMichaud 2020 Columbia Valley Riesling: Here is a commendable Riesling that evokes tantalizing suggestions of spiced apricot coupled with refreshing sweetness in an exquisitely cut style.
Riesling - Medium Sweet - 2.1 - 4.0 RSLatah Creek 2020 Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley Familigia Vineyards Riesling: Long-ago floods east of the Cascade Mountains in Washington state pretty much washed topsoil down to solid basalt, leaving behind what today is the Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley American Viticultural Area, the perfect grounding for Rieslings of uncommon harmony and persistence, as shown by the straight-forward, gently massaging Latah Creek.
Riesling - Sweet - >4.1 RS (not late Harvest Dessert)Keuka Spring Vineyards 2020 Finger LakesWiltberger Vineyard Riesling: A lug box of perfectly ripe summer peaches whose sunny flavor is drawn out with ample sugar, but thanks to the wine's acute acidity the wine is all energy and balance.
White Native American/HybridBraganini Reserve 2020 Lake Michigan Shore Traminette: A cross created to hold up against frigid weather, Traminette shows with its exotic floaral aroma and spicy fruit flavor that one of its parents is Gewurztraminer. Relish it on its own or pair with seafood, even dishes relatively spicy.
Other White VarietalsAcquiesce 2020 Lodi Picpoul Blanc: In France, Picpoul Blanc is so celebrated for the piercing acidity it brings to blended white wines it fondly is referred to as "lip stinger." That ardent acidity is evident in the Acquiesce, helping offset the richness of its swelling suggestions of lemon creme brulee, honeycomb and lime. Bring on the mussels, oysters and clams.
White Blends - Up to - $21.99Menage a Trois 2020 California Exotic Blend: As a sign of the growing sophistication and adventurousness of the American wine market, winemakers no longer shy from proprietary blends with offbeat names instead of single-variety wines with readily recognized grape names. A refreshing and balanced take on such a proprietary wine is the Menage a Trois 2020 Exotic Blend, a smartly conceived mix of Chardonnay, Moscato and Chenin Blanc. Moscato's floral aroma and customary sweetness is leavened with the tropical, apple and pear notes of Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc.
White Blends - $28.00 and OverCass 2020 Paso Robles Rockin' One: The 2020 Rockin' One is precisely why Paso Robles is rising fast in regard for blended white wines based on grape varieties traditionally grown in France's Rhone Valley. Here, Roussanne, Marsanne and Viognier combine to seduce consumers with abiding honeysuckle and peach aroma and flavor, prickly spice, subtle complexity and invigorating acidity.
Dry Rose/Blush - RS 0Bernard Griffin 2021 Columbia Valley Rosé of Sangiovese: If we haven't yet reached the stage where every other rosé in a wine competition simply yields the best-of-class showdown to the Bernard Griffin Sangiovese, we're close. The Bernard Griffin is just that consistent in winning high honors on the competition circuit, its reliability reinforced when judges of the 2022 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition declared it the best pink wine in the sweepstakes round, where it outshone five other strong candidates in an unusually competitive and congested field for the style. The Bernard Griffin Sangiovese continues to stand out for its extremely tempting aroma, its field of strawberries dense and zingy across the palate, and its extraordinarily incessant finish.
Dry Rose/Blush Blend - RS 0Lewis Grace 2021 El Dorado Estate Rosé Wine: El Dorado County's Lewis Grace Winery releases an exceptionally ambitious number of wines each vintage, but an unusually high proportion of them win acclaim from critics and consumers. To that growing list, add this brilliantly pink, abidingly fruity and unusually layered rosé, a smart if daring blend of 82 percent Grenache and 18 percent Pinot Noir, both varieties estate grown. The thin thread of smoke that insinuates itself in the wine makes this rosé a truly transparent representative of terroir and vintage - the smoky nuance is due to the wildland Caldor Fire that blazed in El Dorado County in the summer of 2021.
Dry Rose/Blush - RS .001 - .099Wood Family Vineyards 2021 Livermore Valley "Pink Pearl" Rosé Wine of Grenache: "Pink Pearl" is a fittingly pretty name for an unusually pretty rosé - lingerie pink in color, sashaying across the palate with alluring suggestions of watermelon and orange zest in aroma and flavor, and finishing with punctuating spiciness.
Dry Rose/Blush - RS .1 - .299Sofia 2020 Monterey County Rosé: Once again, the Francis Coppola family continues its string of appealingly fruity, balanced and restorative rosés.
Dry Rose/Blush - RS .3 - .99Carol Shelton Wines Wild Things 2021 Mendocino County Rendezvous Rosé: A master at blending, Carol Shelton extracts from Carignane and Zinfandel all the straweberry-scented and -flavored juice the varieties can deliver, then hands over to the consumer all that well-modulated fruit with bounce and élan.
Dry/Sweet Rose/Blush - RS 1.00 and OverChateau Chantal 2020 Michigan Amour Rose: An unusual blend of Gamay and Marquette, Amour Rose will tickle consumers who like their wine sweet but not cloying, thanks here to the wine's refreshing acidity.
Pinot Noir - Up to - $14.99Sand Point 2019 California Pinot Noir: Pinot Noirs in this price category characteristically speak to the invididuality and charm of the variety only under a heavy layer of sugar, so the Sand Point, a label of Lodi's LangeTwins, leaped to the top of its class for its clearly defined Pinot Noir aroma, relative dryness, earthy grounding and trilling finish.
Pinot Noir - $15.00 - $19.99Lockwood Vineyard 2020 Monterey Pinot Noir: In a popular and highly competitive class - 43 other entries - the Lockwood rose to the top on the strength of the tight stitching of its bright fruit flavors and underlying earthiness.
Pinot Noir - $20.00 - $23.99Educated Guess 2019 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir: As shown by this Educated Guess, Sonoma Coast can be relied upon from vintage to vintage for Pinot Noirs of manageable mass, delivering well-developed cherry/berry flavors within an appealingly flexible framing of oak, acid and tannin.
Pinot Noir - $24.00 - $27.99Angels Ink 2020 Central Coast Pinot Noir: A pinpoint Pinot Noir in its refined delivery of charming cherry/raspberry fruit, caressing tannins and a trail of smoke as if from a dying campfire.
Pinot Noir - $28.00 - $31.99Elkhorn Ridge Vineyards & Winery 2019 Willamette Valley "777" Pinot Noir: Light in color and lean in build, both of which prep the consumer for a Pinot Noir that goes down as faithful to the raspberry/blackberry expression of the grape. Genial tannins and a zippy finish help make the wine especially buyer friendly.
Pinot Noir - $32.00 - $35.99Alexander Valley Vineyards 2019 Alexander Valley Wetzel Family Estate Pinot Noir: While Alexander Valley is identified mostly with Cabernet Sauvignon, the Wetzel family has been tending a small vineyard of Pinot Noir since the mid-1970s, and with the 2019 has produced an interpretation that stands out for the muscularity and grace of its cherry/berry fruit.
Pinot Noir - $36.00 - $39.99Outer Bound 2018 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir: For its freshness, acid and spine, this is a Pinot Noir that should age regally for at least another decade, but anyone who socks away a case in the cellar best had put it under a lock that is timed not to open until then, the temptation to drink it early being so strong.
Pinot Noir - $40.00 - $43.99Ammons Horn 2019 Carneros "Clone 667" Pinot Noir: Fragrant, focused and angular, "Clone 667" is a Pinot Noir that zeros in with equal measure on both the grape's power and charm, its subtle layering inviting no end of speculation and discussion about its heritage at the dinner table.
Pinot Noir - $44.00 - $47.99Balverne 2019 Russian River Valley Estate "Forever Wild" Pinot Noir: From its brilliant color to its soothing finish, the "Forever Wild" is one radiant Pinot Noir, the assertion of its fresh raspberry fruit underscored with an earthiness uncommon but not unwelcome. The "Forever Wild" and the red-tailed hawk of the label refer to a dedicated 350-acre nature preserve of the winery.
Pinot Noir - $48.00 - $50.99Noria 2019 Russian River Valley Michael Valentine Vineyard Pinot Noir: All the vibrance and charm that a person seeks in Pinot Noir is rounded up here - rich cherry fruit, punctuating spice, reserved tannins, a flourishing finish - all delivered swiftly and cogently.
Pinot Noir - $51.00 - $57.99Balletto 2019 Russian River Valley Sexton Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir: A veritable zephyr of fresh strawberry and cherry fruit is captured in this vital and uplifting Pinot Noir. That it originates in the Sexton Hill Vineyard is perfectly appropriate, given that Balletto has become the sexton of Russian River Valley, caring steadfastly for the region's standing as one of the country's few appellations where Pinot Noir reaches such a lofty standard that it deserves to be worshipped.
Pinot Noir- $58.00 - $66.99Landmark Vineyards 2018 Sta. Rita Hills La Encantada Vineyard Pinot Noir: Splashy and silky, assertive and resonating, the La Encantada is an exceptionally rich, spicy and persevering take on Pinot Noir, showing that the variety as grown in California can be the equal, if not the superior, to any cultivated anywhere. With all its centered assurance and dictionary-worth definition of what Pinot Noir is all about, the La Encantada strode to the front of an unusually diverse and long list of contenders for best red wine in the sweepstakes finale of the 2022 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition; 24 other nominees were up for the honor, but the Pinot Noir, first candidate on the list, weathered every successive challenge. While Landmark is in Sonoma County, this sweepstakes winner was made with grapes grown in Sta. Rita Hills in Santa Barbara County far to the south.
Pinot Noir - $67.00 and OverNicholson Ranch 2019 Sonoma Coast Cactus Hill Pinot Noir: So profoundly Pinot Noir, the Cactus Hill is the veritable equivalent of a battery of trumpeters lined up to welcome with gusto and joy some Queen or King as they make their first visit to Sonoma Coast.
Zinfandel - Up to - $16.99Sand Point 2019 California Zinfandel: Hits the bullseye for a Zinfandel ideal for Super Bowl parties and art-exhibit openings - attractively priced and satisfying to everyone in the crowd who appreciates equal measures of sweetness and directness in their Zinfandel.
Zinfandel - $23.00 - $25.99Pedroncelli 2019 Sonoma County Dry Creek Valley Signature Selection Zinfandel: With its 2019 Dry Creek Valley Signature Selection Zinfandel, venerable Pedroncelli moves from Zinfandels of restraint and fine-line layering into audacious and stout interpretations of the variety - ripe with bristling blackberry fruit, spicy with the entire jar of cloves in the spice cabinet, sweetly generous with oak and high in alcohol (15.5 percent). This is a Zinfandel that calls for the thickest and most heavily marbled cuts of beef in the meat counter.
Zinfandel - $26.00 - $28.99m2 2018 Lodi Mokelumne River Cemetery Vineyard Zinfandel: Despite the name of the vineyard from which grapes for this Zinfandel are drawn, there's nothing dead here, given the wine's freshness, vivacity and spirited finish.
Zinfandel - $29.00 - $31.99Lewis Grace 2019 El Dorado Estate Zinfandel: This Lewis Grace shows that El Dorado County can be the equal of Amador County in yielding Zinfandel of extraordinary power, elation and palate-seizing passion, given its ripeness, spice, heat and oak. A Zinfandel for when ribeye steak is on the grill, being burned to what a cooper would call the heavily charred side of the toasty spectrum.
Zinfandel - $32.00 - $34.99J. Rickards Winery 2018 Dry Creek Valley Voigt Vineyards Zinfandel: A splendid advocate for Dry Creek Valley as the fulcrum for Zinfandels of equilibrium and character, meaning a steady representative of ripe cherry/berry fruit, dusty spice and trailing intrigue.
Zinfandel - $35.00 - $38.99Belledor 2019 Shenandoah Valley of California Zinfandel: Proof that an Amador County Zinfandel that weighs in with 16.8 percent alcohol need not necessarily be grouped with warm, sweet, viscous late-harvest takes on the variety. Ignore the alcohol and just savor the wine's clean berry fruit, chiming spice, supple tannins and long finish that invites both reverie and reflection.
Zinfandel - $39.00 - $41.99V. Sattui Winery 2019 Lodi Old Vine Pilgrim Vineyard Zinfandel: About as complete a Lodi Zinfandel as a person is apt to find, speaking to the blossoming floral aroma, fresh raspberry/blackberry flavors, spicy overtone and seamless structure that the appellation can yield when the vineyard is carefully groomed and the cellar is alert to every step of the winemaking.
Zinfandel - $42.00 - $47.99Matrix 2019 Russian River Valley Matrix Estate Zinfandel: "Matrix" is synonymous with Zinfandels of bluster and polish, and this interpretation reinforces that standing with forthright berry fruit, well-integrated oak and surprisingly supple tannins.
Zinfandel - $48.00 to $59.99Ledson 2018 Dry Creek Valley Reserve Estate Old Vine Zinfandel: In the never-ending debate about whether Dry Creek Valley is best suited for Zinfandel or Cabernet Sauvignon among red wines, the argument for Zinfandel is reinforced by the keen nuance, exceptional balance, pure elegance and sly persistence of this take from Ledson.
Zinfandel - $60.00 and OverMazzocco 2019 Rockpile Pomo Reserve Zinfandel: Given its dense color, ripeness, chewy tannins and high alcohol (16 percent), the Pomo well could be classified as an old-school Sonoma County Zinfandel, but in its swagger and liveliness the wine speaks to a style that isn't at all dated.
PrimitivoJeff Runquist 2020 Amador County Nostro Vino Primitivo: One chipper Primitivo, and not only for an opening perfume suggestive of newly ground wood chips where an old oak has been felled. This is a Primitivo sprightly with sweet red fruit, uplifting acidity and retreating tannins.
Sangiovese - Up to - $34.99Garre 2018 Livermore Valley Sangiovese: The comfortable old sofa of Sangioveses - stuffed with dark ripe fruit, enveloping in its plushness.
Sangiovese - $35.00 and OverVino Noceto 2018 Shenandoah Valley Dos Oakies Sangiovese: Vino Noceto's Dos Oakies, which refers to a pair of signature oaks on the Amador County estate in its early years, stems from the first Sangiovese that Jim and Suzy Gullett planted in 1988, setting them on the path to being widely acknowledged as the most accomplished advocates of the variety in California, a standing reinforced by the vitality, fresh fruit, reserved tannins and lively acidity of this release.
Barbera - Up to - $34.99Amador Cellars 2019 Shenandoah Valley Barbera: Drawn from two distinct vineyards, the grapes that went into this wine nonetheless amount to one pinpoint Barbera, satisfying for its unfolding aroma, sunny fruit and tangy finish.
Barbera - $35.00 and OverLas Positas 2019 Livermore Valley Estate Barbera: The customary fresh cherry/berry fruit of Barbera comes wrapped in the Las Positas with the abundant vanilla, sweetness and smoke of oak, adding up to one happily seductive take on the variety.
DolcettoGianelli Vineyards 2017 Tuolumne County Dolcetto: Of all the counties along California's Sierra Nevada foothills, Tuolumne lags in vineyards, wineries and appreciation for its wines compared with its neighbors to the north. However, the fragrance, concentration, maturity and lip-smacking fruit of this Dolcetto, from a vineyard just outside the old mining settlement of Jamestown, could trigger a new kind of rush to the area, with grapes succeeding the gold that first brought attention to the region.
NebbioloHawley 2018 Sonoma Valley Camporelli Vineyard Nebbiolo: The recalcitrant child in California vineyards, Nebbiolo is renowned for shielding its core of dark juicy fruit behind a rampart of bristling tannins. The John Hawley family has been working Sonoma County vineyards for around three decades, however, and it has learned that two years of barrel aging is just what the variety needs to let down its guard. The wine's tannins still are evident, but either three to five years in the cellar or a richly marbled cowboy ribeye will have them surrendering.
AglianicoPerissos 2019 Texas Hill Country Extended Barrel Aged Aglianico: By its clarity and captivating layering - cherries, sagebrush, mint, even a slap of buckskin - the Perissos Aglianico shows why Texas is rising fast in esteem for wines of distinctivc character.
MontepulcianoBitter Creek Winery Wilcox Dragoon Mountain Vineyard Montepulciano: The black Italian grape Montepulciano is recognized for its dark, solid and razory wines. This highly perfumed interpretation evokes an image of a raisin-studded fruit cake for all its ripeness and weight.
Carignan/CarignaneMalm Cellars 2017 Sonom County Harris Kratka Vineyard Carignan: If the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition were to give an award for heaviest bottle, the heavy early betting would be on this release from Malm, but maybe all that glass is needed to hold in check such an exceptionally monumental Carignan, which bursts with jammy boysenberry fruit, threads of licorice rope and chewy tannins. Give it a few more years in the bottle or pair with a beefy, steaming winter stew.
Alicante BouschetDriftwood Estate Winery 2017 Texas High Plains Newsom Vineyards Reserve Alicante Bouschet: Texas not only is luring Californians, it is staking at least some of its standing for fine wine on one of California's more historic and reliable vineyard workhorses, Alicante Bouschet. Here, the grape is delivered with appealing aplomb in its floral aroma and its suggestion of Bing cherries in flavor. It is dry, medium bodied and limned with a thread of wood evocative of mesquite. More Alicante Bouschet would be packaged as a varietal wine if it were made with as much attention to place, cultivation and transformation.
Syrah/Shiraz - Up to - $26.99Pacific Redwood 2020 California Organic Syrah: Dry, broad and layered, but more significanctly a Syrah that proves that an organically produced wine can be clean and even.
Syrah/Shiraz - $27.00 - $30.99Lewis Grace 2019 Sierra Foothills Renner Vineyard Syrah: Lewis Grace Winery sits along the old Pony Express trail, the ethos of which was all about determination, efficiency and strength, which, oddly enough, precisely defines this focused, minerally and structured interpretation of Syrah.
Syrah/Shiraz - $31.00 - $34.99Silver Mountain Vineyards 2014 Santa Cruz Mountains Syrah: A persuasive argument for winemakers to hang on to wines until they really are ready to drink and appreciate. Here, the initially stringent tannins are stretched out to resolve themselves in friendly accord, the fruit remains fresh and satisfying, and the aroma is the perfect definition of perfume in its invitation and representation of Syrah.
Syrah/Shiraz - $35.00 - $39.99Cliff Creek Cellars 2017 Rogue Valley Syrah: Any wine coming out of Southern Oregon is expected to be at least somewhat Shakesperean in the complexity, cadence and insight of what it has to say, and this Cliff Creek Syrah is the master's whole body of work in its surprise, poetry and wisdom, at least with respect to how grapes should be grown and handled about Ashland.
Syrah/Shiraz - $40.00 - $43.99Villa Vallecito Vineyards 2017 Sierra Foothills Estate Syrah: The teetotaler in the family will be sorely tested if he or she is within 10 yards of a glass of this Syrah, given the effusiveness of the wine's striking aroma. That blooming bouquet is followed by the traditional markers of Syrah - blueberries, bacon, pepper - all delivered in a package hearty and animated.
Petite Sirah - Up to - $27.99Michael David Winery Petite Petit 2019 Lodi Petite Sirah: Note the "strongest man" on this wine's circus-theme label. Could be a sly reference to Petite Sirah as the strongest wine in the winery's portfolio. If that's the case, this strong man is one considerate gentleman, delivering the variety's characteristic flamboyant fruit and punctuating spice with enough balance that he could do double duty on the trapeze.
Petite Sirah - $28.00 - $34.99Jeff Runquist 2019 Clarksburg Salman Vineyard Petite Sirah: The lushness of Petite Sirah coming out of the Sacramento/San Joaquin River Delta south of Sacramento is matched with the lushness of oak that Jeff Runquist likes to apply to many of his wines.
Petite Sirah - $35.00 - $39.99Mikami Vineyards 2019 Lodi Petite Sirah: An extraordinarily sleek and lively Petite Sirah whose dark sweet fruit, limber tannins and accenting spice make it a perfect companion for jambalaya, gumbo or any other Southern dish of joy and verve.
Petite Sirah - $40.00 - $45.99Becker Vineyards 2018 Texas Hill Country Reserve Petite Sirah: A red wine made for a trail drive, with the backbone of fruit, the barb of spice and the underpinning of supple tannins to pair with whatever chili is being dished out at the chuckwagon. This is one classic Petite Sirah, its aroma evocative of lavender and lilac, its fruit all about cherries and berries, its oak appropriately toasty without being distracting.
Petite Sirah - $46.00 and OverVezér Family Vineyard 2019 Suisun Valley "Marco" Petite Sirah: As word of the floral, minerally and gamy strengths of this Petite Sirah start to circulate motorists on Interestate 80 at Fairfield need to be alert to fellow travelers abruptly hitting the brakes and diverting to Suisun Valley to do some wine exploring.
Grenache - Up to - $34.99The.Grenachista 2020 Sonoma County Sonoma Valley Mathis Vineyard Grenache Noir: This Grenache Noir owes its freshness, buoyancy and essence of strawberry to carbonic maceration, whereby grapes ferment on their own within an oxygen-deprived environment. Such wines often are classified as "picnic wines" for their fruity concentration and breezy attitude. Given that, this is one "picnic wine" whose assurance, disarming saunter and abiding originality will upstage the picnic's loaf of bread and even its book of poetry.
Grenache - $35.00 and OverBrick Barn 2018 Santa Ynez Valley Grenache: For whatever reason, a growing community of California winemakers is just nuts about the potential for the black grape Grenache. Well, this Brick Barn Grenache pretty much explains their enthusiasm - bright pomegranate, cherry and berry fruit, relaxed tannins, edgy acidity and an amusing and vigorous dash of black pepper.
Merlot - Up to - $14.99Challis Lane 2020 California Merlot: The party Merlot - sweet and comfy, perfect to welcome the new neighbor whose taste in wine is unknown, though you can be confident he or shee will accept and down a glass of this with good cheer and thankfulness.
Merlot - $15.00 - $18.99Deeply Rooted 2019 Mendocino County Merlot: Delicately sweet and fresh with cherry/berry/plummy fruit, the Deeply Rooted will segue fittingly onto a weeknight table featuring chicken thighs in any of the many light-handed treatments to which they are being subjected these days.
Merlot - $19.00 - $22.99Harry & David Vineyards 2019 Southern Oregon Merlot: While Southern Oregon is most closely associated with Tempranillo, it also is showing itself to do especially well by other grape varieties. Take this Merlot - dense in color, bold in flavor, round and soothing in texture, and filled with as many kinds of fruit - cherries, plums, persimmons - as one of the holiday gift baskets for which Harry & David was celebrated in its early days.
Merlot - $23.00 - $26.99Trecini 2018 Russian River Valley Merlot: While the cool Russian River Valley is identified most closely with exquisite Pinot Noir, years of precise farming and equally attentive winemaking has shown that it can do exceptionally well by other black grapes, including Merlot, which in this instance is a bowl of pomegranates, cherries and plums, dusted with a spray of cocoa.
Merlot - $27.00 - $30.99L'Ecole No. 41 2019 Columbia Valley Merlot: Coming up on its 40th anniversary, L'Ecole No. 41, which features an old schoolhouse on its label, has been instructing consumers and winemakers alike in how appropriate Columbia Valley is for growing Merlot. This latest release, for one, comes across with a beckoning floral aroma and a seductive herbalness alongside its plummy and cherry fruit.
Merlot - $31.00 - $39.99Barrage Cellars 2015 Yakima Valley Merlot: Through the clarity and vigor of its plummy, saturating fruit, this aptly named Barrage shows why Washington has emerged as the go-to state for Merlots of outstanding drive and satisfaction.
Merlot - $40.00 and OverBenziger Estate 2018 Sonoma Valley Sunny Slope Vineyard Merlot: The hard heat and topography of Sonoma Valley is celebrated for wines of muscle and endurance, often requiring long aging before they can be fully appreciated, but this Benziger Merlot is ready to drink right now, its welcoming dark fruit reinforced with tannins that are supportive but not intrusive.
Cab Sauv - Up to - $12.99Bar Dog 2019 California Cabernet Sauvignon: California Cabernet Sauvignons this inexpensive often suffer from sweetness and flatness, but not this finely sculpted release, which is dry, balanced and endearingly representative of the grape in its rhythmic cherry fruit. But there's more...a freshly amusing back label.
Cab Sauv - $13.00 - $15.99Flat Top Hills Cellars 2018 California Cabernet Sauvignon: From the fourth generation of California's esteemed winemaking Mondavis comes an everyday Cabernet Sauvignon to reward the buyer with sweet cherry fruit, appealing smoothness and an unusually long finish for a wine in this price niche.
Cab Sauv - $16.00 - $18.99Sobon Estate 2018 California Cabernet Sauvignon: Bright in color and bright in cherry/pluot/plum flavor, this "California" designated Cabernt Sauvignon testifies to the long appreciation of the Sobon family for admirable vineyards and for their own acumen at sensitive blending.
Cab Sauv - $19.00 - $22.99Charles Woodson's Intercept 2019 Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon: Charles Woodson, one of the NFL's more accomplished and admired players, has brought his resilient talents to the California wine scene, showing them off with this speedy, agile and sinewy interpreation of Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon, which goes deep with charming cassis fruit and subtle but diverting eucalyptus flavors.
Cab Sauv - $23.00 - $25.99Gifft 2019 California Cabernet Sauvignon: Gifft is the brand of television personality Kathie Lee Gifford, as noted on this wine's front label. In most respects, this is a pleasant mainstream Cabernet Sauvignon - sweet and smooth - but with an uncharacteristic twist from the pepper grinder, giving it welcome dash and freshness.
Cab Sauv - $26.00 - $29.99Darcie Kent Vineyards 2018 Livermore Valley Tesla Neighbors Cabernet Sauvignon: The designation "Tesla Neighbors" is curious and suggestive, mostly suggesting that this is a wine that needs periodic recharging. Not so. It bolts out of the gate with zesty fruit, overtones of green olive, slippery tannins and a finish that travels non-stop until the bottle is empty.
Cab Sauv - $30.00 - $34.99Mercer 2018 Horse Heaven Hills "Small Lot" Cabernet Sauvignon: Wines can evoke all sorts of rambling associations, and this carefully constructed Mercer brings to mind the architectural principles of Vitruvius: It imeasures up to his standards of durability, utility and beauty for its firm foundation of earthy fruit, its ready accessibility despite tannins still resolving themselves, and its overall balance, liveliness and pleasure.
Cab Sauv - $35.00 - $38.99Penman Springs Vineyard 2017 Paso Robles Penman Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon: One extremely focused Cabernet Sauvignon, its angular lines channeling all its bright cherry fruit, placid tannins, pipe tobacco and enlivening acidity onto just those tastebuds that would most appreciate them.
Cab Sauv - $39.00 - $41.99Schmidt Family Vineyards 2018 Oregon Applegate Family Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon: Strength and acceptance all in one firm, fruity and embracing Cabernet Sauivignon.
Cab Sauv - $42.00 - $45.99Retzlaff 2016 Livermore Valley Cabernet Sauvignon: For all the spirited mint contained in this Cabernet Sauvignon you might as well take a pass on the mints often handed out at the end of a meal.
Cab Sauv - $46.00 - $49.99Foley Sonoma 2017 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon: A more robust than usual representative of classy Alexander Valley Cabernt Sauvignon, its core of cassis and cola safeguarded by strong-armed tannins only slowly lowering their vigilance. Drink now with equally hearty foods or sock away in the cellar for five or so years.
Cab Sauv - $50.00 - $54.99Eberle 2018 Paso Robles Eberle Estate Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon: One impressive storyline to develop from the 2022 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition is the impressive overall showing of Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles, which accounted for an unusual proportion of best-of-class awards for the variety. Gary Eberle early on recognized the region's potential for Cabernet Sauvignon of exceptional character and longevity, and this release from 2018 reinforces his vision with seamless cherry fruit, lithe tannins and bracing acidity. Enjoy now or in two or three decades.
Cab Sauv - $55.00 - $59.99deLorimier 2018 Dry Creek Valley Warm Springs Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon: Plush and sweet cherries hang on a trellis of oak well concealed by all the wine's fruity flamboyance, finely sculped proportion and relentless finish.
Cab Sauv - $60.00 - $64.99Peltzer Family Cellars 2019 Central Coast Cabernet Sauvignon: A merry-go-round of a Cabernet Sauvignon - here comes the cherries, followed by the olives, followed by the sage, all colorful and moving.
Cab Sauv - $65.00 - $71.99Soda Rock 2019 Alexander Valley "Five Star General" Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon: Loaded with dark fruit and backed with protective tannins, "Five Star General" is all commanding stature and honorable intention, which is to please the diner whenever chateaubriand or some equally busy and robust entree is on the table.
Cab Sauv - $72.00 - $89.99Stanton Vineyards 2018 Napa Valley Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon: One streamlined and elegant Cabernet Sauvignon, swiftly moving across the palate while trailing fresh fruit, a dash of cocoa and a hint of eucalyptus, all of it facilitated by tannins and oak held respectfully in the background.
Cab Sauv - $90.00 and OverCass 2018 Paso Robles Geneseo District Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon: Constructed from fruit grown on stepped terraces of silty clay and clay loam just east of the town of Paso Robles, the Cass shoulders its way into the realm of high-priced Cabernet Sauvignons with penetrating cherry fruit with traces of sage and rangeland evocative of the area's ranching heritage.
Cab Franc - Up to - $29.99Jeff Runquist 2020 Clarksburg Salmon Vineyard Cabernet Franc: No matter grape variety or place of origin, Jeff Runquist and his merry band of farmers scattered all over California combine each vintage to produce a rangy portfolio of wines that can be summed up in one word: Delicious. They do it by coddling the fruit, picking it at full ripeness, treating it respectfully in the cellar, and aging it with frank exposure to oak. Take this Cabernet Franc, a wine of frolic and fun, sweet with bright fruit, underscored with the vanillin and smoke of oak, and scored with notes of briar and spice, unusual for the variety but nonetheless welcome.
Cab Franc - $30.00 - $39.99Barrage Cellars 2015 Yakima Valley Cease & Desist Cabernet Franc: While lean in structure, Cease & Desist unleashes a veritable barrage (sorry) of Cabernet Franc's traditional red-fruit flavor, underscored with hints of herbalness.
Malbec - Up to - $36.99Cellardoor Winery 2018 American Malbec: An appealingly juicy take on Malbec, its dark-fruit core accented with ticklish pepper and the fleeting sweetness of oak.
Malbec - $37.00 and OverImagery Estate Winery 2019 Pine Mountain Cloverdale Peak Upper Ridge Vineyard Malbec: In this Imagery, Sonoma County's high, rugged and rambling Pine Mountain Cloverdale Peak appellation yields a Malbec of meatiness, force and spice, a veritable blueberry and blackberry pie wrapped in a caramelized crust.
Petit Verdot - Up to - $39.99Bishops Hill 2019 Dunnigan Hills Petit Verdot: Whether as grape or juice, Petit Verdot has the bold fruit and sturdy tannins to travel far and well. Proof is right here. Bishops Hill is in Joliet, Illinois. Dunnigan Hills is in Northern California's Yolo County, just northwest of Sacramento. The result of this long-distance collaboration is a Petit Verdot that resonates with beautifully juicy dark-fruit flavor and bristling tannins that will benefit from a few years of holding the wine in the cellar.
Petit Verdot - $40.00 and OverMatt Parish 2019 Napa Valley Rutherford "Special Bottling" Petit Verdot: You can take the "Special Bottling" on the label at face value, or you can pull the cork to see just why this release warrants that introduction: Its core of dark and lush fruit, which will be more accessible after a few years of cellaring to settle down the wine's gritty tannins.
TannatGraveyard Vineyards 2019 Paso Robles Tannat: Keep an eye on Tannat, still a minor player on the California wine scene but capable of providing dark intrigue, solid grounding and finely layered fruit, as this Graveyard demonstrates with aplomb and verve.
CarmenereSpangler Vineyards 2018 Southern Oregon Carmenere: One precocious Carmenere, speaking assuredly of an originality that runs to suggestions of both raspberries and cherries, with a piney bough and a trail of campfire smoke thrown into the mix to keep drawing back the diner for another taste between bites of lamb, pork or beef just off the grill.
Tempranillo - Up to - $34.99Tie: Jeff Runquist 2020 Lodi Liberty Oaks Vineyard Tempranillo: None of the melancholy that often attends Tempranillo is evident in this exceptionally fragrant and spirited take on the variety. It has joyous fruit, minerality, flowers and a seam of coal-like earthiness in a package svelte and athletic; and Spicewood Vineyards 2019 Texas High Plains Tempranillo: Inviting floral scent opens the door to a Texas Tempranillo that runs to the sassy plum side of the variety's flavor spectrum. Its dryness, elastic tannins and refreshing acidity make the Spicewood fitting for a wide variety of beef dishes, from straight-forward grilled steaks to hamburger casserole.
Tempranillo - $35 and OverValley Mills Vineyards 2019 Texas Estate Tempranillo: Could Tempranillo be the Pinot Noir of Texas? If the model is as lustrous and electric with fruit, acid and sense of place as this, why not?
CharbonoPortalupi 2019 Mendocino County L. Venturi Vineyards Charbono: Century-old vines and adroit winemaking result in a Charbono that eludes the longtime knock on the variety - that it is too massive and astringent for comfortable drinking. That isn't at all the case here. There's huskiness, to be sure, and obvious tannins, but what stands out as most memorable are the wine's dark-berry flavors coupled with suggestions of drying tobacco leaves and a damp woodsy slope.
Red Natives/Hybrid VarietalsSovereign Estate 2020 Minnesota Bourbon Barrel Aged Marquette: Downright succulent in its fruitiness, cold-hardy Marquette also brings to the table a smoked-meat aroma - no doubt from its time in bourbon barrels - and bracing tannins best complemented by, well, smoked meats.
All Other Red VarietalsLeisure Street Winery 2018 Amador County Vino di Volpatti Red Wine: Made with Brunello, aka Sangiovese, grown at the Dick Cooper Ranch in Amador County's Shenandoah Valley, the Vino di Volpatti is one husky interpretation of the variety - exceptionally ripe fruit complicated with stemmy herbalness and complemented with saturating warmth (15.3 percent alcohol).
Red Blend: Cab Sauv leading blend - Up to - $24.99Grindstone 2017 California Cortina Red: Picture yourself climbing up a slope of California chapparral during a summer heat spike - dry and dusty but determined, confident you will be rewarded and inspired by the view from the ridge you are about to scale. That's the feeling you get from this inspired mix of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Petite Verdot.
Red Blend: Cab Sauv leading blend - $25.00 - $34.99Darcie Kent 2017 San Francisco Bay Firepit Red: "Firepit Red" is the perfect name for a wine that insists on friends gathered around a warming blaze on a chilly fall night, chatting easily and candidly about what is important in their lives, including wines like this - unaffected, balanced and refreshing.
Red Blend: Cab Sauv leading blend - $35.00 - $44.99Bumgarner 2018 El Dorado Many Hands Cuvee Rouge: If they can do it in Bordeaux - come up with exquisite wines without telling anyone what grape varieties are used - why not California? After all, the results can be parallel - wines that combine mass with airiness: envision a hot-air balloon floating over the grandeur and resonating history of Paris. That's what you get with this Bumgarner - elegance, layering, balance, spice.
Red Blend: Cab Sauv leading blend - $45.00 - $55.99Silt 2019 Clarksburg Reclamation Red: "Reclamation Red" refers to the laborious efforts that farmers in the Sacramento/San Joaquin River Delta have made over decades to reclaim and preserve valuable farm land endangered by frequent floods. The payoff has been wines like this - sweetly fruity, finely calibrated, readily accessible, long lingering.
Red Blend: Merlot leading blend - $30.00 and OverPeju 2019 Napa Valley Fifty/Fifty: A 50/50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, this Peju speaks to the brightness, intricate dovetailing and potential for graceful aging that Napa Valley can yield when two of the world's classic grape varieties are paired.
Red Blend: Syrah leading blend - $36.00 and OverPage Mill Winery 2019 Livermore Valley GPS: Clever this, the reinforcing of wine's traditional tie to place by naming the release after the modern way to get from place to place via GPS, herein also standing for Grenache, Petite Sirah and Syrah, the components adding up to a lush, meaty and solidly structured red wine with so much sunny fruit it will pair snugly with any number of today's popular sheet-pan chicken dishes.
Red Blend: Zinfandel leading blend - Up to - $24.99Mettler Family Lodi Copacetic Gig 5: While grand in ripeness and approachability, this wine is a mystery for its curious name and lack of vintage and varietal, two standards that Americans customarily expect in their wine purchases. Gamblers, however, will be rewarded here with a wine of mature red fruit, dried tobacco leaves, retreating tannins and an abiding composure that only adds to its mystique.
Red Blend: Malbec leading blendRock & Clay 2019 Clarksburg Heringer Vineyard Malbec/Tannat: The rich soils and cool temperatures of the Sacramento/San Joaquin River Delta are noted for producing wines of poise and shading, and those attributes are delivered here in a dry, tightly knit and subtly complex blend of two outriders on the California wine scene - Malbec and Tannat.
Red Blend: Barbera leading blendCooper Vineyards Amador County Cooper Ranch Red: The late Dick Cooper, a congenial grape grower in Amador County's Shenandoah Valley, was the most earnest proponent of Barbera along the Sierra Foothills, but he wasn't overly stubborn, and could see that the variety might occasionally benefit by blending with other grapes. Thus "Cooper Ranch Red," wherein Barbera is paired with an equal amount of Primitivo and a dash of Brunello to yield the sort of easy-going, sweetly fruity, readily accessible wine welcome at a table set with heaping bowls of spaghetti and equally generous rounds of conversation and laughter.
Red Blend: Carignane; Graziano or Tannat leading blendEcluse 2019 Paso Robles Insider: Luscious can be seen as synonymous with soft, but while "Insider" definitely is luscious, it isn't soft. Rather, the wine comes across as a sharp-edged and brisk blend of Tannat, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Red Blend: Red Native/HybridPrairie Berry Winery 2021 South Dakota Black Hills Red Blend: Its color is so light it could qualify as a rosé, but in aroma and flavor it is all muscle and speed, running largely to exceptionall fragrant and sweet bright-red fruits.
All Other Red Blends: Up to - $22.99Urban Barn 2020 California Dark Red Wine Blend: The ultimate exhibit when someone is looking for a blended red wine that represents the profile expected by many consumers today: Sweet, quaffable, and versatile at the table, with or without food; a round of poker would be fitting.
All Other Red Blends; $23.00 - $34.99Montoliva 2019 Chicago Park Mark's Magia: "Mark" must be Mark Henry, owner/winemaker of Montoliva in the secret settlement of Chicago Park in Nevada County, which is in California, not Nevada. "Magia" must refer to his everyday magic in transforming traditional Italian grape varieties into wines of vigor and clarity. Why he singles out this one to bear the name is a mystery. Another mystery is how he makes a wine with 19.9 percent alcohol so drinkable. Yes, it is plenty ripe, but not at all hot, coming off rather lyrical and companionable at the table.
All Other Red Blends: $35.00 and Overm2 2019 Shenandoah Valley Duality Red Wine: This is one gorgeous wine, standing out for its clean dark fruit, peppery spice and persistence. It is downright delicious on its own, but will pair beautifully with all sorts of beef, from Sunday roasts to Wednesday burger. It represents a trend in California wines - don't tell the curious what grape varieties were used, just let them explore and discover, which in this instance adds up to pure pleasure.
Sweet Red - Quady 2020 California Red Electra Moscato: Quady is in Madera, where anyone who has spent a summer day on a tractor just wants something to drink that is bright in its fruitiness and sweetness. That's the worker for whom Red Electra Moscato was designed, a wine low in alcohol (5.5 percent), easy to quaff and clearly fruity and sweet.
White Dessert/Late Harvest - RS >3.5Alapay 2021 Central Coast Late Harvest Moscato: Flowers, peaches, a wedge of pineapple, a little crushed ginger and a dash of peppery spice add up to a late-harvest wine with more moving parts and more balance than generally found in the style.
Red Dessert - RS >3.5Black Magic 2021 Sonoma County Late Harvest Zinfandel: Late-harvest Zinfandel is an endangered style of wine in California, though as word about the sweet and peppery fruit, gracefulness and persistence of Black Magic gets around it could undergo a welcome revival.
Fruit WineObsession Wines California Symphony Mango: Dessert all on its own, given its sweetness, fruitiness and inevitable comparisons to a rendition of crème brulee based on mango.
Berry WineBarefoot Fruitscato Strawberry: Anyone going skiing, especially Nordic skiing, should toss a bottle of the Barefoot Fruitscato Straweberry into their pack. When the time comes for a break and a need for a jolt of sugar and liquid, just scoop up some snow, pour this on top and lap up the resulting snow cone.
Port - Up to - $32.99Sunce Winery & Vineyard 2014 Russian River Valley Cattich Vineyard Sweet Zora Zinfandel: Is there no style of wine at which Russian River Valle doesn't excell? Take this port-style Zinfandel, which unfolds with violets and roses in aroma, boysenberries and prunes in flavor, and peppery spice in the finish. Despite all that, it has enough lift to double as a hot-air balloon over a Russian River Valley vineyard.
Port - $33.00 and OverChateau Elan Winery 2017 American Riserva Bianco: Toffee in a glass - sweetened with suggestions of caramel, honeyed in texture, and earthy in its evocation of nuts, smoke and alcohol. An American port-style wine in close emulation of a Tawny from Portugal, Bianco is a blend of 70 percent Chardonnay and 30 percent Muscadine, a grape native to the American South, which is where Chateau Elan is based - Georgia, to be specific. On the strength of its novelty, balance and power, the Bianco was voted the best specialty wine at the 2022 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.
Distilled/FortifiedCarter Creek Family Winery Texas 1845 Dominim Tinto Port: A Port that opens with unusual herbal notes in aroma but then gallops across the palate with suggestions of dark fruits and walnuts, which, of course, is a classic accompaniment for Port.
Varietal CiderGowan's Macintosh Cider: Apples won't disappear from Mendocino County as long as the Gowan family cranks out their heirloom ciders as fragrant, spicy, crisp and refreshing as the Macintosh.
Specialty or All Other CiderStormalong Cider Holiday Spiced Cider: When Starbucks learns of how closely this cider approximates apple cake or pumpkin pie heavy on the cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves it will revive its plans to add alcoholic-based beverages to its holiday lineup (5.2 percent alcohol).
Mixed Category MeadChaucer's Pomegranate Mead: The longest line at the Renaissance Faire will be in front of the booth where Chaucer's Pomegranate Mead is being poured, a sweetly coherent blend of pomegranate and honey sure to shore up the spine of the opponents next scheduled to joust.
Wine SpritzersBarefoot Spritzer Moscato: The Gallo legacy of astutely sensing what next will capture the finicky palate of the American consumer continues with this honeyed and peachy spritzer based on the ever-accommodating Moscato grape. As entertaining as the beverage itself is, it is topped by its transparent back label, a nutrition guide whose "2 servings per container" breaks down to 210 calories, 20 milligrams of sodium and 21 grames of sugar per serving, the latter amounting to 43 percent of a person's daily value.

Learn more about Professional Wine Judge Mike Dunne.

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