Wine Recommendations

Calera winery has been making wine for almost 50 years. But few people ever visit this winery. It’s way off the normal wine experience, being sequestered in the Gavilan Mountain range near the tiny town of Hollister. But that is also its best quality. There is a lovely viscosity to this Chardonnay - a thickness that rolls over the tongue. Yes, you will find the requisite lemon chiffon, lime kefir, white peach, green apple and Asian pear.

It’s not easy to find an approachable Tannat, one that drinks well right out of the bottle. One of the reasons is that the Tannat grape has more, and larger, seeds than other grapes therefore the tannins are more aggressive. Tame that and you’ve got it nailed. Uruguay is a country pushing Tannat to the world and with great results. This 2020 is a lively robust wine that will change your mind about this misunderstood grape.

Dow has a long history with Port wines, but over the last few decades they have been making great strides with still red and white wines. They have consistently produced quality still wines that I have reviewed for several vintages. Their “everyday” red and white wines from Vale do Bomfim - line priced at a mere $15 - are terrific quality for the price. This red, a blend of traditional Port grapes not made into a sweet wine, includes Touriga Nacional (40%), Tina Roriz (30%) and smaller amounts of Tinta Franca and Tinta Barroca.

Bouchaine has consistently made this wine and has consistently made it well. What sets this apart from many California rosé is that it straddles the line between fruit and acidity, allowing the wine to be a part of any meal. It offers strawberry, lemon-lime, resin, light apricot and loquat. There is also a slight tartness to it, a hint of green apple that helps define this as a multi layered wine. Since the wine sees no oak at all, the freshness, the brightness and the clean fruit shines through. 1,500 cases. ORIGIN: Napa Valley, Carneros. ALCOHOL: 13.5%

Most wineries, like Acumen, love fruit grown on hilly terrain. The grapes have proper drainage, the addition of breezes keeps the leafy vines healthier and soils are richer in nutrients. Therefore, this Mountainside Cabernet has everything going for it. This wine requires a little bit of patience however, and decanting this for a few hours will be well worth your time. This shows the obvious black cherry, blueberry, boysenberry, and huckleberry notes that Cabernet typically has.

For years MacRostie has had much success with Chardonnay and this latest offering is no exception. Pulling fruit from three distinct vineyards – all of which produce exceptional fruit on their own - this offers a taut acidity with light notes of green melon, citrus, star fruit, honeysuckle, lemon meringue, resin, guava and floral wildflower notes – a palette of tropical fruits. The combination of these vineyard sources shows how a wine can be better than the sum of its parts, and The Key is a harmonious, lovely, enjoyable wine.

This is the first Chardonnay-centric sparkler MacRostie has ever made and, as an inaugural effort, they nailed it, creating a lovely wine that is complex and just plain enjoyable to drink. This is a soft, velvety sparkler that drinks incredibly smoothly. The carbonation is fairly mild, a plus in that we get more of the aromas and flavors of the wine than it being obstructed by bubbles. Soft baked bread, light lemon-lime, whispers of resin, grapefruit, white peach and Asian pear fill the palate.

Emeritus has long had a love affair with Pinot Noir, always seeking new ways to let grapes and ground express what’s in the bottle. This 2020 offers bright fruits of wild cherry, raspberry, pomegranate, plum with back notes of light green tea leaf, very light cola, and light earthiness and minerality - notes that Sonoma coast fruit is known for. There is a nice velvety viscosity to this as well as mild tannins that support the fruit and mellow out the overall feel of the wine.

In just a few short years of production the Canvasback Cabernet Sauvignon has become one of the de facto wines from the Red Mountain AVA in Washington state. Having reviewed this wine from multiple vintages, there is a clear consistency to its quality. Like most Cabernet you will find the requisite black cherry, blueberry, blackberry notes, but this adds huckleberry, boysenberry into the mix along with dusty tannins and a light mocha quality. But Red Mountain fruit also offers an earthiness and minerality with richer fruit.

C.L. Butaud started making wine in 2014 in Texas and this is an exceptional Mourvèdre from a place where you don’t see exceptional Mourvèdre. Using native yeasts and partial whole cluster fermentation, they coax out pomegranate, Rainer cherry, a campfire smoke quality, light Asian pear and some plum, a whisper of tar and there is a quiet minerality throughout the wine. The acidity and tannins are in check and support the overall drinking experience.