Wines To Go Buy This Week

In spite of being the third most widely planted grape in California and being one of the primary grapes in Bordeaux, Merlot still has an uphill climb for respectability. Napa lays claim to a lot of Merlot but Sonoma County also produces wonderful Merlot's that are often under the radar, overshadowed by either Napa or Cabernet Sauvignon.

Sea Smoke (so named for the clouds that hug and blanket the Santa Rita Hills in Santa Barbara) began Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in 1999, and has since established itself as one of the premier producers in this region. Dijon and Wente clones of Chardonnay are planted in loamy, clay shallow but well-drained soils on their estate vineyard.

Port is often considered a wine for the holiday or the winter months, sipping it front of a fireplace. But Port belongs on a dinner table anytime of year. The Cockburn’s Special Reserve is a blend of the traditional five varietals used to make most Ports: Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta...

One of the smallest AVAs in Napa, Stags Leap District is also one of the coolest for growing Cabernet in the Napa Valley, however the fruit attains full ripeness, without getting overripe, and Clos Du Val shows this well. Since it’s founding in 1972 Clos Du Val has had an insatiable desire to produce beautiful Cabernet’s and their Hirondelle Vineyard is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon fruit from the Clos Estate.

Mom deserves the very best and the Taittinger Comtes de Champagne is certainly one of the very best. You may not recall, but 2006 in Montagne de Reims was a hot year, helping to produce stellar fruit. This Rose’ comprised of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay is aged about eight years on the lees, helping to create more complexity and creaminess.

Wine geeks love oddball wines and whereas many people seek out the wines they are not familiar with, still many more stick with the traditional. Fortunately, Vietti is not only well known even though their Arneis is not, meaning you can try this wine knowing that this fifth generation producer will deliver. In fact, 2016 marks the 50th anniversary of this wine.

Pinot Noir is one of those wines that truly encapsulates its place of origin better than other red wines. Russian River Valley as a whole reflects this, as does the Hallberg Ranch in Sebastopol. Hallberg, formerly an apple orchard, is entirely dry farmed Pinot Noir grapes, which offers a balance between lush fruit and an earthy darkness given its sandy loam, clay soils and cooler temperatures.

Washington State is the 2nd largest wine producer in America, after California. The wine regions here are making incredible strides and one of the most auspicious places out of the 14 AVAs in the state is Red Mountain, a sub-appellation of Yakima Valley (which is, in turn, a sub-appellation of the Columbia Valley).

Pinot Noir is the 5th most planted grape in California and produces diverse iterations of Pinot. In 1994 J Vineyards began making Pinot Noir. What’s unique about this wine is that it is constructed from diverse appellations; Monterey County’s Santa Lucia Highlands (70%), Sonoma’s Russian River...

Santa Barbara’s Byron Winery started in 1984 located on the Santa Maria Valley Bench above the erratic Santa Maria River. Using diverse clones, this “cellar blend” as winemaker Jonathan Nagy calls it, utilizes clones 2A, Swan, Pommard, and Benedict Selection to create a vibrant expression of a multi-layered Pinot Noir. All the fruit comes from the Santa Maria Valley and in fact all Byron Pinot Noirs are now single Vineyard designates. This wine introduces plum, black cherry, boysenberry, blackberry and an intriguing rusticity with a subtle but present acidity.