New Zealand native Angela Osborne moved to California in 2006 with a simple dream: to make Grenache. Over the years, she's established herself as one of the few masters of crafting Grenache that's bursting with fruit but... Read More
A classic rich and buttery (but not too much!) Russian River Chardonnay with enough oak for spice. Big, ripe, aromas and flavors of yellow pear, apple, almond and more coat the palate nicely before cleaning up with a squirt of... Read More
Jim Clendenen is sadly gone, but his legacy lives on at the winery that more or less put Santa Barbara on the wine map. This is fully ripe at 13.5 alcohol, shaped (but not overwhelmed) by malolactic fermentation and time in French... Read More
Lower ABV Absurdly delicious cool-climate, California, Syrah that delivers layers of savory complexity, whole cluster (50%) grip, and still has enough fruit to just drink sexy. Double 95 point reviews for the 2019 will be repreated... Read More
A terrific value Cabernet from Alexander Valley, north of Napa. Mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with splashes of Malbec and Petit Verdot, this pairs rich blackberry and currant fruit with Alexander Valley’s signature... Read More
From the tenderloin of Alexander Valley, this has plenty of size but also a bit of grace. Lots of blackberry, raspberry and currant fruit with accents of cedar and baking spice. The French oak shows on the trace of vanilla on... Read More
Organic/Bio From the sister winery of Radio-Couteau, County Line wines look to deliver that level of style and quality in a more immediately drinkable (and less expensive) format. Fermented in steel and aged in neutral (meaning... Read More
Seeing this on the shelf, a great Chardonnay customer reminisced that she and her husband first visited Cuvaison in the 1970s. Through the boom in super-butter Chard in the '80s and '90s and the reactionary trend towards... Read More
While brother Tim has gone the artisanal route with his Continuum project, Michael Mondavi has focused more on making plenty of good-drinking, well-made, Napa-typical selections. Like this which showcases plenty of deep Napa Cab... Read More
Michael and Robert Mondavi, Jr. make California Chardonnay that's both very traditional and a bit more up-to-date. The rich body and ripe stone fruit, sliced pear, lemon curd and green melon flavors are just what you expect... Read More
Powerful enough to benefit from a decant today, this is Napa steak wine par excellence. Deep red currant and raspberry fruit with hints of violets, mocha and smoke, it unfurls in the glass nicely and has the firm grip to match... Read More
Hartford Court is easily one of the top “traditional” California Chard houses working today in the <$100 price point and this “village” bottling shows off their skill and ethic to a “T”.... Read More
100% Cabernet Sauvignon from sites across Paso Robles with 10 months in French oak delivers a wine of excellent plushness and flesh. Dark cherry and blackcurrant fruit get a nice pop from the juicy texture and dollops of dark... Read More
Ripe fruit, around 40% whole clusters, and careful use of oak give a wine that almost feels better on the palate than it tastes - and it tastes GREAT! This is a terrific value.
Morgan was a pioneer in all stainless steel California Chardonnay and they still do one of the most delicious versions. Santa Lucia Highlands fruit gives plenty of ripe fruit – think pear, apple and papaya – that still... Read More
An old-school label and old hand at Zinfandel (former Ridge asst. winemaker) and very old-school blend of 81% Zinfandel, 9% Petite Sirah, 7% Carignane and 3% Grenache from hot and sunny Dry Creek Valley all give away the story... Read More
This wine is stupid good. The blend of ripeness, finesse, purity and flavor intensity would be expected in a great $50 Pinot Noir. For less than half that, the value here is nuts. The 94 point rave from WE for the 2020 applies:... Read More
Lower ABV I’m skeptical of super-high-altitude California Pinot with 45% whole clusters, 10 months in barrel, only 336 case production and just 12.7% alcohol. This one is convincing, though, in its ripeness, flavor intensity... Read More
A terrific value in Russian River Chardonnay picked fresh and ripe and aged 10 months in French oak (25% new). Welcoming aromas of golden apple, stone fruit and buttered popcorn pull you into a wine that has plenty of California... Read More
From vines in the heart of the valley, this delivers the distinctive combination of rich and ripe dark fruit and mouthwatering freshness that makes Russian River Valley Pinot so famous. Fresh raspberry and earth aromas give way... Read More
Organic/Bio Ch Beaucastel’s Paso Robles outpost crafts this Rhone-Ranger red from mainly Syrah plus other grapes purchased from neighboring vineyards planted to Beaucastel vines stock. It’s dark and smoky on the nose... Read More
Yes, really. Classic, very high-quality, robust, Howell Mountain Cabernet at this price (vs. the $100+ usually). How? Neil Koch used his job as a Napa grape/wine broker to build great relationships with some of Napa’s top... Read More
The best Quality-Price-Ratio (QPR) California Pinot Noir we’ve tasted in years! It’s from one of the Central Coast’s very first Pinot Noir vineyards, Mission Ranch in the Salinas Valley planted in 1961. Fifty-five... Read More
Tolosa makes world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from California's cool-climate Edna Valley. The Pinots normally sell for $70-$150, fairly priced for the hard work they take, the small production, and the huge amounts of... Read More
Sign up for our newsletter to learn about special offers, classes, in-store tastings and more. You’ll receive 2-3 emails per week and never miss out on super savings, unique bottlings, and chances to learn about, taste and enjoy wine more!