Banshee 2017 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

A classic Cabernet Sauvignon for lovers of Napa wines! Blended from vineyards throughout the Napa Valley appellation for balance, this vintage is comprised of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot. The nose is deep and intense with stewed blackberry, plum, and eucalyptus and French vanilla and cinnamon from their use of 50% new French oak.  The palate is rich and voluptuous, with those stewed black fruits, and the freshness of raspberry and red plum. An excellent pairing for the classic American steak dinner! Michelle DeWyngaert

Bedrock 2018 Sonoma Bedrock Vineyard Heritage Red

The Heritage Red from  Bedrock Vineyard is from a Zinfandel-based blend composed of 22 inter-planted varieties planted in the 1880s in Red Hill  clay-loam soils, using no-till cover crop farming, and native yeast fermentation. Zinfandel really shines from these old, gnarled vines. The concentration of flavor that you get from the very low yields adds richness to the wines without having to pick them late and overripe. The nose shows a mix of violet, minty eucalyptus, and ripe, but not syrupy, purple plum. The palate shows additional complexity with a touch of cocoa powder, black tea, and black cherry. Rich and comforting, this will be excellent in the colder months! Michelle DeWyngaert

Bedrock NV North Coast Shebang Red Wine

55% Zinfandel blended with Carignane, Petite Sirah, Mourvedre, Alicante Bouschet, Grenache, Syrah, Barbera and a touch of whites for aromatics from old vine plantings (up to 100 years old) around Sonoma County, fermented with native yeasts in stainless steel and raised in a nice bit of French oak for a bold, bright-fruited, silky, and satisfying wine that is unbeatable at this price. 

Bow & Arrow 2018 Willamette Valley Gamay

I continue to be enamored with the wines being made from this beautiful Demeter-certified vineyard in the Willamette Valley. Bow & Arrow usually prefers to vinify Gamay in stainless steel or concrete, but found that the wine showed so beautifully after aging in an old puncheon that they decided to bottle it; making only 42 cases! The Johan Vineyard sits atop marine sedimentary soils at a relatively low elevation, but because of its access to the Van Duzer Corridor, it remains cool and breezy throughout the year. The nose is distinctly earthy , with dried herbs and crushed raspberry, and the palate has a nice balance of soft, powdery tannins and juicy red fruit. Really intriguing and delicious with gamier proteins. Michelle DeWyngaert  

Broadside 2017 Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon

Broadside is a project of very talented winemaker Chris Brock. The Cabernet is fermented with wild yeasts and aged in barrels, 10% of which are new. The resultant wine is remarkably fresh and full bodied with an interesting spicy character and plenty of bright, tangy dark fruit.

Cameron 2017 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Abbey Ridge

The Abbey Ridge Vineyard sits at one of the highest elevations in the Dundee Hills at ~600ft. These 40+ year-old vines are farmed organically and without irrigation; relying instead on cover crops to maintain the moisture/health of the soil. 2017 was a very successful and classic vintage for Oregon with no disease pressure. The winemakers describe this wine as having both rose petal and red fruit aromas as well as more savory notes of salumi, black pepper, and olive.

Camp 2018 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon

From the folks who run Hobo Wine Co., here we have the delicious new vintage of one of our favorite inexpensive Cabernets from California! Tart blackberry and ripe cassis mix with herbal hints and wildflower on the nose while broadly gracing the firm, rich, powerfully tannic palate. Sourced from many lesser known but sustainably or organically farmed vineyards throughout Sonoma county. Aged for nine months in neutral oak barrels.

Clos Saron 2007 California Black Pearl

Clos Saron is a small family-owned production whose mission is to create wines with "essence of place," as they call it, and work in a self-sustaining eco-system that's as non-interventionist as possible. They never add yeast, corrections, or additives except for occasionally a small amount of SO2, and they do not rack,  fine, or filter their wines. The 'Black Pearl' is a co-fermentation of 50% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, and 10% Viognier aged for 2.5 years in oak before bottling.

Clos Saron 2015 North Yuba Sierra Foothills Home Vineyard

Clos Saron is a tiny operation led by Guideon and Saron Bienstock who decided to plant, on their own roots, 2.5 acres of Pinot Noir in the SIerra Foothills. More well known as an area with a pretty warm climate, but their particular sloping hillside and elevation of 1500 ft keep these vines nice and cool, and the fractured granite and volcanic ash subsoil gives the wines of Clos Saron a distinctly rustic and earthy quality. The grapes are stomped and fermented whole-cluster and then aged in neutral barrels before being bottles with just a small amount of sulfur. The nose rich and ripe raspberry and  blackberry with a hint of that volcanic ash coming through. The palate is more fresh and high-toned with a rosey floral note and powdery tannins giving it structure followed by a rustic and meaty finish. Michelle DeWyngaert

Cooper Hill 2018 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir

Cooper Mountain Vineyards started in 1978 when Dr. Robert Gross and his wife, Corrine, planted the first Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines in the unique soils of Cooper Mountain in the Chehalem Mountains of Oregon's Willamette Valley. Today, the estate has more than 100 acres  dedicated to organic and biodynamic farming and winemaking. This Pinot Noir is refreshing and ripe, with brambly raspberry and cherry fruit, baking spice, and earthy flavors.

Corison, Cathy 2016 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Cathy Corison's wines eschew the bold, heavy-handed flavors and dollops of massive French oak embraced by her Napa Valley counterparts, instead focusing on teasing deeply concentrated, ripened fruit from the deep, stony alluvial soils of her vineyards in Rutherford and St. Helena. With dark fruit and violet notes, this Cabernet is nothing short of impressive with allusive black cherry and black tea flavors, and meaty undertones. A quintessential example of power intersecting with elegance.

Crowley 2017 Willamette Valley Entre Nous Pinot Noir

'Entre Nous' is a blend of fruit from La Colina Vineyard in Dundee Hills and the Four Winds Vineyard in the McMinnville Coast, all 100% Pinot Noir. This blend brings the ripeness and juiciness of the more inland vines, and the lift and elegance from the coastal influence. A small portion of new oak barrels and the rest neutral, frames this wine with a touch of baking spice, nothing dramatic, that will only continue to integrate as it ages. The nose has a beautiful floral, rose water aroma with notes of freshly picked white cherry, raspberry, and a sense of the volcanic soils that line the Willamette Valley. The palate is perfectly clean, almost austere with powdery tannins, but balanced by ripeness and power from the La Colina fruit. Michelle DeWyngaert

Dashe 2017 California Zinfandel Vineyard Select

The Vineyard Select bottling is designed as the perfect "bistro blend" from Dashe Cellars. The 2017 is a blend of 80% Zinfandel, 9%Teraldego, 5% Tannat, 3% Mourvedre, and 3% Petite Sirah from vineyards throughout Sonoma, Contra-Costa, and Clarksburg. Each variety is vinified seperately and then aged together for 14 months in 100% used French oak barrels. This wine is everything you want from California Zinfandel without being too jammy or overpowering. The wine is juicy and fresh while also having enticing notes of forest floor and dried herbs. Michelle DeWyngaert

Day Wines 2016 Willamette Valley Johan Vineyard Pinot Noir

A beautiful example of Pinot Noir from the Demeter certified Johan Vineyard in the Willamette Valley.  Exposed to cooling winds from the Van Duzer Corridor, it is the last picked of the Day Wines giving it a delicate freshness. The grapes are left 25% whole cluster during fermentation and then the juice is aged for 19 months in 15% new French oak, the rest neutral. This wine feels like Oregon to me. There is a perfect balance of richness and concentration to the flavor, while still showing enticing notes of fresh soil and dried herbs. The nose is a mix of fresh and stewed raspberry, rosemary, anise, and rose petals. The palate is plush with structured tannins that leaves me to believe that this will age nicely over the next several years. Michelle DeWyngaert

Day Wines 2018 Willamette Valley Vin de Days

Such a great value from the Willamette Valley! Made to resemble a classic Alsatian edelzwicker, or field blend, it brings together fruit from six different vineyards and five different grapes: Pinot Blanc, Müller-Thurgau, Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Muscat. The grapes are pressed and fermented in stainless steel with native yeasts, and then malolactic is blocked to maintain the bright zippiness of the wine before being cold-stabilized and filtered. As the name suggests, this is a tasty, super drinkable blend that will be just as delightful with or without food. Notes of freshly picked nectarine and orange blossom mingle with fresh herbs, almonds and both green and yellow apple. Tastes like springtime! Michelle DeWyngaert

Drew Family Cellars 2018 Mendocino Ridge Mid-Elevation Mendocino Ridge

Drew Family Cellars was established in 2000 with a mission to create age-worthy, cool climate California Pinot Noir. They settled in the coastal appellation of Mendocino Ridge and planted their own estate in what was once an orchard, at 1250ft elevation.  This bottling is a blend of fruit from their organically farmed estate and lots from like-minded farmers at the Valenti, Fashauer, Perli, and Wendling vineyards. The grapes are fermented with 20% whole-cluster bunches and aged in 10% new French oak, with the rest in neutral oak barrels. The nose is fully ripe, wild cherry, with a bit of stewed red fruit, licorice and dried herbs. The proximity to the coast and the abundance of fog keep the acidity well balanced with the richness of the fruit and that kiss of new French oak. MichelleDeWyngaert  

Eyrie Vineyards 2016 Willamette Valley Roland Green Pinot Noir

Drinking a Pinot Noir from Eyrie Vineyards is all the proof you need that these wines of the Willamette Valley deserve a place on the world's list of the most expressive and age-worthy wines. This single vineyard bottling from Roland Green stuck out the most to me in a tasting of five different Eyrie Pinots for its intense and captivating aromas. The Roland Green vineyard is positioned at about 550ft elevation planted over 30 years ago on rich volcanic soils, and like all their vineyards, the vines are own-rooted, non-irrigated, and certified organic. The nose is a powerful blend of ripe red and black cherry, tree bark and damp moss, a bit of salt and on returning to the wine, a touch of something smoky, like peat. The palate is concentrated with flavor and acidity. A beautiful wine that I cannot wait to revisit! Michelle DeWyngaert 

Eyrie Vineyards 2017 Dundee Hills Trousseau

Inspired by the wines of the Jura, Jason Lett decided to plant the first Trousseau vines in the Willamette Valley in 2012 and has farmed them organically ever since. The result is this beautiful, delicate and earth-driven wine. The grapes are destemmed and the juice is aged in 500L neutral puncheons, and then left unfined, unfiltered, and without sulfur at  bottling. I love the light, coppery rose color of this wine and the nose of fresh soil, geranium and river rocks. The palate is lean and refreshing, but gentle tannins give the wine just enough structure. Michelle DeWyngaert

Folk Machine 2018 Central Coast Pinot Noir

Folk Machine is a project from winemaker Kenny Likitprakong devoted to fun, food friendly wines from the Central Coast of California.This Pinot Noir is where Folk Machine all began and is composed from fruit from Mission Ranch and Ceder Lane Vineyard in Arroyo seco,   Brosseau Vineyard  from Chalone, and the Tom Ritchie Vineyard from the Sonoma Coast. The coastal influence that unites them all makes for a lighter, fresher style of Pinot Noir, clocking in at ~13% ABV. The wine is fermented spontaneously and kept on the lees for extra creaminess and then aged in oak barrels at least two years old for nine months. Pleasurable and easy-drinking, this Pinot Noir shows notes of bing cherry, ripe raspberry, and bit of soft, fresh herbs. Michelle DeWyngaert

Folk Machine 2019 Central Coast Gamay Noir Rose

This is the 4th vintage of the Gamay Noir Rosé from Kenny Likitprakong as he waits for these young vines to mature enough to make red wine. Harvested early to maintain the brightness of the grapes, and then pressed with very little time on the skins before aging in stainless steel. The result is a beautifully pale, almost lavender color to the wine with a nose of white cherry, peach, and a bouquet of roses and violets. The palate is crisp and lean with notes of barely ripe strawberry and a stony, savory finish. It will be much too easy to drink a bottle of this low ABV rosé throughout the summer, and on days I wish it was warmer. Michelle DeWyngaert

Franchere 2017 Willamette Valley Havlin Vineyard Syrah

I can't say that I've had much Syrah from Willamette, and indeed the Havlin Vineyard is relatively young (planted in 2009), but I'm already intrigued to find more. The vineyard is 100% dry-farmed and LIVE sustainable certified. The soil here is silt loam over ironstone bedrock, which not only helps keep the yields low on these younger vines, but also imparts a distinct mineral backbone to this wine. 20% whole cluster in the fermentation, aged for 18 months in neutral French oak, and then bottled with just a bit of SO2 in accordance with Mike Hinds' minimalist philosophy. The nose is rich with a touch of dark, bitter chocolate, and the palate presents a really beautiful, concentrated texture with black pepper and dried herbs. Perfectly savory, this wine is calling to be paired with something roasted. Michelle DeWyngaert

Frenchtown Farms 2018 Sierra Foothills David Girard Vineyard - Cotill

The 'Cotillon' red blend is the Frenchtown Farms' ode to classic Cotes du Rhone wines. Sourced from the organically farmed David Girard Vineyards at 1400ft elevation in the Sierra Foothills on well-draining volcanic soil. This wine displays the benefits of the extreme diurnal temperature shifts by being both beautifully ripe, and also full of vibrant acidity. The blend is 70% Mourvedre, 20% Grenache, and 10% Syrah all left whole-cluster, then foot-stomped and aged in old French barrels for 8 months. The nose is a an enticing mix of bright, maraschino cherry, juicy, red plum, and a savory meatiness with soft, fresh herbs. This will be perfect with Mediterranean fare or anything stewed with herbs de Provence! Michelle DeWyngaert

Ghostwriter 2014 Santa Cruz Mountains Bates Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon

This Cabernet is sourced from a single block of the Bates Ranch Vineyard located above 1000 feet on the eastern flank of Mt. Madonna at the very southern extremity of the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA. Farmed exclusively by winemaker Kenny Likitprakong, this dry-farmed block was planted in 1973 by local wine legends Val and Dexter Ahlgren. As with much of the Cabernet from this region, the emphasis is on structural tension. Not quite as histrionically robust or extracted as Cabernet from other parts of California, this wine has some muted cassis scarved in layers of dusty tannin and spice.  This is a style of Cabernet that would have been much easier to find in these hills back in the 1970s. 207 cases produced, with shorter extraction time, 10% whole cluster fermentation, and 25% new oak. Andrew Farquhar

Ghostwriter 2016 Santa Cruz County Pinot Noir

This cuvée is meant to be an overview of what the Santa Cruz Mountains have to offer, and is sourced from three different vineyards: 40% Upper Block Amaya Ridge,  35% Aptos Creek, and 25% Smith Road. While the blend varies a little vintage to vintage, the wine shows consistency in its expression of classic Santa Cruz restraint. Fine cranberry fruit with a hint of some baking and savory spices, this Pinot is finely structured, with delicate tannins and a fine acid backbone. Open and inviting now, this wine will also benefit from a few years of cellaring. Excellent with roast chicken, lobster rolls, or miso-broth ramen, this will work just as well without food, as it is aromatic and mesmerizing as a standalone experience. 600 cases produced. Andrew Farquhar

Hirsch Vineyards 2017 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir San Andreas

Hirsch Vineyards was established in 1980 on the true Sonoma Coast. These were some of the first vines planted this far West in what is now the Fort Ross-Seaview AVA. These vineyards run along the San Andreas Fault which means an abundance of different soil types contribute to complexity of these vines. This is the bottling that founder, David Hirsch, calls 'the Hirsch Hirsch' as he believes is it most representative of their unique terroir. Because of the diversity of soil types and aspects, each vineyard block is farmed and vinified separately, though all using biodynamic practices since 2014.

Hope Well 2018 Amity Hills Pinot Noir

It is Mimi Casteel's incredible dedication to 'regenerative agriculture' that makes this wine from the  Willamette Valley so special and sought-after. Her farming practices go beyond organics and work to actively restore the health of the soil and the land surrounding the vineyard, creating a living, breathing ecosystem. She believes, and I can't help but agree, that this unlocks more flavor and complexity in the grapes because more nutrients and biodiversity is available to the vines. Positioned along an east-facing slope of the Eola-Amity Hills, the Hope Well vineyard experiences an intense diurnal shift that helps maintain freshness even in this warmer vintage. This year she destemmed the grapes completely, with very gentle extraction, and then aged the wine in 10% new French oak, with the rest in neutral barrels for 10 months. Michelle DeWyngaert

Kelley Fox 2018 Dundee Hills Maresh Vineyard - Royal Ann Block

I am really enamored with this single-block bottling from Kelley Fox! The Maresh vineyard was planted in 1970 and is prized for its biodiversity; home to several kinds of fruit trees, an array of wildlife, and an abundance of cover crops. The Royal Ann block runs along a row of 100 year-old Royal Ann cherry trees and borders the Star of Bethlehem Flower block. Fermented ~50% whole cluster, and then aged in neutral French oak for about a year.  This wine seems to defy physics by being both rich and opulent and also crystalline and vibrant. It has a beautiful floral quality on the nose, with notes of pomegranate and white cherries, intertwined with fresh rosemary and crushed rock. The palate is a bit riper with silky texture and notes of bitter-sweet amaro on the finish. This is a definitely a bottle to cellar, but pretty captivating already. Michelle DeWyngaert

La Clarine Farm 2018 Sierra Foothills Alors! Rosé

Before becoming winemakers, Hank and Carole were enamored with the wines of the Southern Rhône and Provence, especially of Domaine Tempier in Bandol. This 100% Mourvèdre rosé feels like a love letter to Tempier. Grown organically on volcanic soil from the Sumu Kaw vineyard, there is a beautiful balance of intense minerality and a mouth-coating silkiness to these sun-kissed grapes. This is a very Provencal style rosé with notes of ripe strawberry, bright cherry, and fleur du sel. A great pairing for grilled prawns, a giant bowl of mussels, and dreams about sitting along the Mediterranean in a wide-brimmed hat. Michelle DeWyngaert

Living Wines Collective (Populis) 2014 Mendocino County Wabi Sabi Red Blend

'Wabi-Sabi' refers to the creation of something beautiful from things that are imperfect in some way. This red blend from Populis is an attempt to do just that with an unconventional mix from Mendocino of Carignane, Syrah, and Zinfandel made from 20-70 year-old vines. The grapes are partially destemmed and then aged in a mixture of polyethelene tanks and neutral oak barrels. Eben described this wine as "cheerful, a touch spicy, medium bodied and smooth with just a slight bit of tannins. Good with a slight chill but not too cold."

Maître de Chai 2017 Lodi Stampede Vineyard Zinfandel

One of the first wines I ever loved was old-vine California Zinfandel, so I was very excited to taste this expression from Maître de Chai. The Stampede Vineyard was planted in the early 1920s with own-rooted Zinfandel on decomposed granite. Inspired by the wines of the famous Ridge Vineyards, this bottling is a field blend of mainly Zinfandel, with a bit of Mission and Carignan. The fermentation is done with 50% whole cluster bunches in open-top neutral oak and then aged for one year. The wine is a classic Zinfandel mix of fresh, ripe, and also dried red plum and raspberry. The tannins are present and driving, but not aggressive, well balanced by its fresh acidity, and a peppery finish. This wine will be excellent with flavorful game meats, and I look forward to trying it again in several years to see how it has progressed. Michelle DeWyngaert

Margins Wine 2018 Santa Clara Valley Sattler's Vineyard Mourvedre

Margins Wine is a really exciting project from Megan Bell in Northern and Central California. Megan's mission is to find vineyards who are close to, or working towards becoming fully organic and create incentives for their transition. This bottling is 100% Mourvedre from the Sattler's Vineyard in Santa Clara Valley. Though there was one pass of Roundup used during this growing season, the Sattler's have committed to fully transitioning to organic farming by 2020 because of their agreement with Margins Wine. The wine is bright and juicy, pleasantly candied on the nose, but surprisingly more savory on the palate with notes of umami, salted plum and dried herbs. As it was a cool growing season in 2018 the grapes retained significant acidity and the wine fermented to a pleasant 10.4% ABV making this a perfectly chillable red and a great food pairing. Michelle DeWyngaert

Matthiasson 2016 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Dollar per ounce this is one of the best values for Napa Valley fruit that you can find! Steve Matthiasson is a dedicated organic farmer and low-intervention winemaker. This is old-school California Cabernet Sauvignon at its finest. The blend for 2016 is from six different Napa vineyards; 85-90% Cabernet Sauvignon with a small percentage of Petit Verdot, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. The wine is gently extracted with minimal pump-overs and fermented at a low temperatures. It is aged for 20 months in mostly used and less than 20% new French oak which adds just a touch of baking spice to the aroma and a silky texture to the tannins. This wine has a beautiful nose of freshly cut cedar, ripe purple plums, a touch of graphite and black tea, and the palate brings just a squeeze of lemon, fresh potting soil, savory herbs and raspberry. All signs lead to this being incredibly age worthy, but if you can't wait to open it, I recommend decanting for at least an hour. Michelle DeWyngaert

Matthiasson 2018 Napa Valley Red Wine "Tendu"

This is the ultimate bistro wine! Pour yourself a glass, close your eyes, and you're suddenly in a little French, or perhaps based on this blend, Italian bistro. This years "Tendu" is 47% Aglianco, 42% Montepulciano, and 11% Barbera from the Windmill Vineyard in the Dunnigan Hills AVA. Fermented in stainless steel, aged in neutral barrels, and then bottled with no additives and no sulfur, just pure, juicy goodness. Super pretty on the nose with violets, dried and fresh raspberry and purple plum. On the palate is a just the right balance of acidity, structure, and concentration with a dark, rocky finish. This is will be an excellent pairing for a wide range of savory fare from burgers, to stews, to roasted veggies! Michelle DeWyngaert

Minor, Sean 2018 Central Coast Pinot Noir

Sean Minor is a negociant production working with high quality vineyards throughout the central and north coast of California to create fresh, easy drinking, great value wines like this classic California Pinot Noir. Fermented with 100% de-stemmed grapes to emphasize the ripe fruit and aged in oak barrels to give it those quintessential sweet oak spices. 

Pied a Terre 2015 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon

Richard Luftig, one of New York's best sommeliers, has made a Cabernet known for phenomenal quality and price: Pied a Terre Cabernet! Always one of our best-selling American reds, 2015 is a deep, ripe, and focused vintage for Pied a Terre. This is a fantastic Cabernet Sauvignon that has classic California character but more structure and reserve than a lot of riper wine. The tannic structure is tightly woven, with fine acid backbone and lush cassis, blackberry, and slightly redder berry fruit. This is a California Cabernet meant to be consumed with food, and will pear excellently with New York strip steak, pork loin, or coq au vin. Andrew Farquhar

Porter Creek 2015 Mendocino Carignane Old Vines

This bright, ripe, juicy old-vine Carignane is sourced from biodynamically farmed grapes from Mendocino County. Rich, rustic, and juicy, this is a perfect barbecue wine, as it has the tannins to compete with chargrilled meats but clocking in at only 13.3% alcohol. Quite plush, this wine has the extraordinary fruit concntration unique to old-vine Carignane. Carignane is traditionally considered to be a lighter grape, but in fact, at about fifty years of age it begins to concentrate rapidly, and these super-old vines create wines of stunning depth. This quixotic wine works just as well with a slight chill in the sun as with hearty beef stews. Enjoy! Andrew Farquhar

Porter Creek 2016 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

Porter Creek offers the best of the Russian River Valley and proves why this AVA became so popular. The Estate bottling of Pinot Noir comes from their steep hillside vineyards farmed biodynamically by Alex Davis and family. The grapes are left about 20% whole cluster and then gently pressed, with punchdowns by hand, and then aged in oak barrels, ~25% new barrels are used to add a little "salt and pepper" as Alex would say. Though the nose is beautiful, it's all about the texture with this wine; silky and sensuous, with concentrated flavors of stewed cherry and blackberry, dried herbs, and forest floor, seasoned with clove and finishing with a lick of salty licorice. Drink this with roasted or seared salmon, or wild mushrooms to bring out the umami qualities of the wine! Michelle DeWyngaert

Porter Creek 2016 Sonoma County Old Vine Zinfandel (3/12)

A classic example of Sonoma County Zinfandel. Aromatically, it has explosive cherries and berries, and on the palate it is rich and textured on the finish. Produced from hillside grown vines and blended with 5% Carignane for texture and overall harmony

Porter Creek 2018 North Coast Rosé (Zinfandel/Carignane)

80% old vine Carignan from the Trimble vineyard in Mendocino and 20% Zinfandel from Porter Creek's own vineyards, this dry rose is one of my favorites of the summer. Crackling with acidity, bright fruit and a lovely seam of minerality on the nose, this wine is complex and hefty enough to pair with grilled meats and barbecue, while also having the snappy mouthwatering agility to be drunk as an aperitif. Winemaker Alex Porter always creates balanced wines, and this is no exception. All the fruit is dry-farmed, whole cluster pressed, and aged in neutral oak before bottling. Andrew Farquhar

Ruth Lewandowski 2018 Mendocino Rose

This darker, more savory rosé from Ruth Lewandowski is made from a blend of Portuguese grape varities: Tinta Roriz, Souzão, Touriga Nacional from the Fox Hill Vineyard in Mendocino. The grapes are direct-pressed and the juice is fermented and aged in polyethylene tanks. The wine is bottled unfined, unfiltered, and with no SO2 added to showcase the purity of the fruit from this special vineyard. Fox Hill is situated on the upper banks of the Russian River and sits on predominately rocky sandstone soil. This is a favorite rosé for many, and it tends to go quickly!

Sky 2014 Napa Valley Zinfandel Mt. Veeder

This is a truly unique expression of Zinfandel. It's not flashy, or bold, it embodies freshness and minerality (not words we generally associate with this grape). The Sky vineyards sit way up at 2100ft elevation on Mt. Veeder with 14 acres of Zinfandel, and a few of Syrah, on red clay soils. The vines are tended with only organic treatments, an abundance of cover crops, and no irrigation. Everything in the cellar is done by hand, fermented in open-top bins with native yeasts, punched down three times per day, pressed through an old basket press and aged in neutral oak barrels. All of that cool mountain air brings plenty of bright acidity to this wine with notes of fresh raspberry and blackberry, a touch of fresh herbs and white pepper. The palate has a beautiful, powdery texture from the clay soils, lifted by the wild, brambly fruit. Michelle DeWyngaert

Stolpman Vineyards 2017 Santa Barbara Ballard Canyon Estate Syrah

The Estate bottling from Stolpman showcases a blend from each of the vineyard blocks. It's a real blessing to have complete control over their fruit each year and continue their commitment to dry-farming even in drought-ridden California. Their aim is to create a rich, concentrated wine without becoming jammy or viscous. The grapes are vinified 50% whole cluster in open-top fermenters and then aged in neutral barrels. The nose is unmistakably California Syrah with classic notes of cracked black pepper, fresh violets and rosemary, laid over stewed plums and ripe black cherries. The palate is rich with silky tannins giving it a gentle but firm backbone and a peppery finish. Michelle DeWyngaert

Taken From Granite 1999 North Yuba Sierra Foothills Cabernet

A relic from the time winemaker Guideon Bienstock worked the famed Renaissance Vineyard in Oregon House, California. Guideon helped plant Renaissance in the 1970's and was responsible for this incredible Cabernet Sauvignon blend. After leaving to start his own vineyard/winery, Clos Saron, he recently had an opportunity to release a handful of cuvées from Renaissance that have been perfectly cellar-aged for the last 20 years. The 'Village' bottling is a blend of three different slopes on the vineyard to create this balanced, rather Bordeaux-esque style wine; mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with a bit of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The development is starting to show nicely with notes of leather, coffee grounds, and dried and ripe black cherry. The tannins are silky and well-integrated, with still some luscious ripe fruit on the palate, and a lingering, gravelly stone finish. We had the pleasure of tasting this with Guideon recently and I believe it is in the peak drinking window from now until 2025. Michelle DeWyngaert

Turley 2018 Zinfandel Juvenile

The 'Juvenile' is a great way to taste the classic and enduring style of Turley Zinfadel without paying a fortune for one of the single vineyard bottlings. This is a blend of grapes from the youngest vines on 18 different vineyards.