syrah pg 77 sauvignon blanc pg 83 merlot pg 88 viognier pg 92 best buys pg 94

march 2012

New World Syrah, whether from Australia or California, has, through the excesses of ripe-ness and the love of that intensity, power and chocolaty richness, become one of the poster children for the “time to back off the overweight, overwrought style” movement. There is no question that too many Syrahs have deserved that kind of lambasting, but it is also true that all Syrahs have been painted with the brush of dismissal, and, if we can stretch a cliché a bit, we have seen lighter, more restrained Syrahs get thrown out with the bath water of the corpulent. Happily, this Issue sees success among more balanced wines.

In the three decades and more that we have been engaged in charting the course of the California wine scene, we have seen many grapes come and go. Chardonnay went from next to non-existent to overwhelming acreage leader. Riesling went in the other direction. Petite Sirah came and went and has come back again. Sauvignon Blanc, on the other hand, just keeps on keeping on. And with the increasing emphasis on wines of restraint and enlivening acidity, it is uniquely situated to maintain its place as the wine we all drink but about which we rarely have cause to jump up and down with unbridled passion. Still, when a wine leads the Good Value parade for years on end, it can’t be all bad.

If we had a nickel for every time that some pundit had announced that Merlot was about to become a latter day version of vinous road kill, we would be very rich writers. It turns out that only the collecting class believed those stories and fancy Merlot became less desirable. But drinkable Merlot never stopped selling, and with the recent vintages that have made a virtue of Merlot’s early-ripening tendencies, the variety is producing very significant, enjoyable wines worthy of your attention.

Here is the problem with Viognier. It is hard to work with, and it produces a lower percent-age of recommendable wines than other varieties. Still, its wines can achieve near noble proportions, and we like them greatly when they do.

With the foci of this Issue on varieties that have had their struggles, we have turned the Best Buys spotlight on those popular grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay.

Viognier

Merlot

Syrah

Sauvignon Blanc

Best Buys

rape variet-ies go in and

out of favor, sometimes for no

reason, and occasionally against our better wishes. Such is the case with all four of the varieties in this Issue. We like each of them, and yet each has had its strug-gles and, in our minds, deserves a better hand than it has been dealt. There is little question that each can and does produce memora-ble wines at times, yet, per-haps because they are less prone to greatness than Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir or Chardonnay, they each have more than their share of detractors. It is, of course, in the nature of wine that not every example of a great variety earns the mantle of majesty and not every example of less grand varieties falls flat. That is where we come in. Separat-ing the wheat from the chaff is our job, and with these varieties, the challenges are substantial.

CONNOISSEURS’ GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA WINE [ISSN 0161-6668] is published monthly at 651 Tarryton Isle, Alameda, California 9450l and is available only by subscription. Periodicals postage has been paid at Alameda, California and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to CONNOISSEURS’ GUIDE, Post Office Box V, Alameda, CA 94501. ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED.

© 2012 by CONNOISSEURS’ GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA WINE, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Publisher/Editor: CHARLES E. OLKEN. Associate Editor: STEPHEN ELIOT. Winery and Subscriber Relations: THERRY L. OLKEN. The Guide is printed at the Pinnacle Press, Hayward, California, on recycled paper. March 2012.

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION: Connoisseurs’ Guide Subscriptions include our complete online data base of past issues and reviews and also provide access to each new issue in print via downloadable pdf from our website. One-year subscriptions are available for $90. Two-year subscriptions are offered for $160.

AVAILABILITY

3 Generally available in most market areas.

1 Limited production and/or limited geographic distribution.

O Very limited availability.

GV Good Value

S Soft and fruity wine. Quaffable by itself or with light foods.

F Crisp white. Medium acid and dry. Fish or delicate flavored foods.

C Mellow white. Dry to slightly sweet. Enough acid for white meats.

l Full and balanced dry White. Try with rich seafood and fowl dishes.

L Light Red and powerhouse White. Fowl, veal and light meats.

B Medium Red. Balanced, good depth, medium tannin. Beef and lamb.

T Robust Red. Full tannin, intense flavors. For highly spiced meat dishes.

d Sweet Dessert wine. Enjoyable by itself or with sweet desserts.

DRINKABILITY

D Drinkable now. Unlikely to improve with further aging.

I Drinkable now. Further bottle aging can improve this wine.

A Cellar for future drinking. Wine will improve with bottle aging.

U Not suitable for drinking.

OUTSTANDING WINES CHARACTERISTICS & TRADITIONAL USE WITH FOOD

Tasting Note Legend

NOTE: Wines not marked with stars are often delightful wines. Each has unique virtues and any of these wines may be the best wine to serve your needs based on value, availability or for your dining and taste preferences. *Prices – Approximately California full retail prices.

Connoisseurs’ Guide tastings are conducted with Stemware.

*** THREE STARS: (95-98 points) An exceptional wine. Worth a special search of the market.

** TWO STARS: (91-94 points) A highly distinctive wine. Likely to be memorable.

* ONE STAR: (87-90 points) Fine example of a type or style of wine. Without notable flaws.

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We find ourselves drinking more Syrah these days than we have for some time. It was certainly not part of the plan. When we drink young wines, it is almost always because we have experienced some-thing in our tastings that calls out to us and we start paying a little more attention. For example, the other day, we put together a stuffed chicken thigh in a Chianti sauce and cooked it until everything had melted together in a rich and tangy sauce with savory proteins everywhere. The dish was wonderful, and it immediately found a place on our “A” list. But, there was a part of us that wanted to see more from the dish, and what we most wanted was a bit of balancing “bite” to the richness of the dish. Ultimately, it turned out that some black pepper and chopped, dried olives were our choices for additions to get the flavors where we wanted them. And the wine we chose for our amended creation was Syrah.

Not just any high-pointed Syrah, mind you. In this case, we had held back what was left in the bottles of the recently tasted, highly successful Ojai bunch and were nicely rewarded for our “penury”. Those wines, and many more like them, are part of the Syrah spectrum that does not seek maximum depth and intensity. And they are wines that have been partially forgotten in the ups and downs of the Syrah marketplace in which increasing power, whether from France, Australia or California, became the single most important point of judgment for some influential critics. When that phase of Syrah appreciation crashed in a sea of alcohol and chocolate, it took down almost all New World Syrahs regardless of the fact that examples like those from The Ojai Vineyard had never practiced the arts of extended extract. And while it is certainly unlikely that well-made wines of high potency like those in this Issue from JC Cellars and Shafer are going to disappear from the landscape, it is time for the more restrained efforts from folks like Testarossa and Joseph Phelps (not wimpy wines by any means) to be appreci-ated for their more overtly mannerly approaches.

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smaller-scaled effort to be a disappointment, and we admit that intense varietal character is not its forte, but its attractive cherry-and-plum fruit and its overall sense of proportion and balance make it an agreeable partner to a wide variety of simply grilled meats all the same. 1 B I $23.00

iq COPAIN “Les Voisins” Yorkville Highlands 2009Mildly fruity in scent with suggestions of minerals and chalk to its essential berry-like themes, this wine starts out well enough in the mouth with a quick burst of berries, but things toughen too soon, and its fruit gets hidden under its mix of acidity and bitter finishing tannins. 1 B I $35.00

iq COWHORN Syrah 74 Applegate Valley 2008Hailing from the Rogue Valley in Southern Oregon, this dense but somewhat wiry wine begins with the promise of brooding young fruit but runs afoul of intrusive acidity and loses its fruity bearings. It will relax with age, but it strikes us as being rather too sparse at its heart. 1 B I $35.00

DESCENDANTS LIEGEOIS DUPONT Les Gosses 2009Cuvée Marcel Dupont. Red Mountain. Very ripe on first sniff with a vague streak of sourness to its slightly chocolaty, dried-grape aromas, this uneasy wine is similarly ripe and sharply tart on the palate, and it lacks a clear fix on Syrah fruit throughout. Its makers at Hedges Family Estate are quite vocal in their belief that their wines should not be subject to “scoring”, and, in this case, we are in complete agreement. 1 B I $27.00

iq DIERBERG Santa Ynez Valley 2008What starts out here as a very ripe and densely extracted Syrah that keys on chocolate and peppery spice is stopped in its tracks by wiry, back-palate acidity that both thins out its flavors while amplifying the effects of its otherwise nominal tannins. Both big and a bit gawky with a poor sense of balance, this one has a small chance of gaining with age. 1 B I $34.00

* is DOGWOOD Dry Creek Valley 200825% Mourvedre. Led in the nose by an attractive mix of black and red berries and sweetened with a deft bit of creamy oak, this bottling flirts here and there with a reedy streak of dried brush yet is fairly sparing in classic Syrah spice. It is supple to start with slightly elevated acidity firming its back palate and finish, but it is not overly tart and looks good to go for three to five years of aging. O B A $30.00

** jo DuMOL Eddie’s Patch Russian River Valley 2009Involving aromas of caramel, cocoa, ripe berries, lavender and white pepper make for a most tantalizing start here, and, once in the mouth, the wine follows with rich, well-composed flavors that are at once both deep and complex. While it is not at all wanting in body and weight, it shows such fine fit and polish that it is bound to tempt early drinking. We would not disagree with the notion that it offers lots to like now but do promise that it will only get better with time. O B I $80.00

ir ALEXANDER VALLEY VINEYARDS 2008Alexander Valley. Mildly woodsy and showing touches of wet earth and roasted meat in the nose, this full-bodied young wine follows with solid, if somewhat rustic, flavors that stay in step. It is not an especially fruity wine, yet there is a core of dark berries at its heart, and, if a bit rough for solo sipping, it will do the job in washing down hunks of beef. 1 B I $20.00* iu ALTA COLINA Estate Toasted Slope Paso Robles 20083% Viognier; 3% Mourvedre; 2% Grenache. If sporting all of the ripeness for which its sunny provenance is known, this gutsy youngster does lose sight of real Syrah character. It is big and burly and solidly set on course governed by spicy blackberry fruit with a sinewy streak of tannin predicting a long cellar life. Allow for at least five years of smoothing, and do not be surprised if it grows for many more. O B A $29.00iq BEDROCK Sonoma Coast 2010Although not without fruit and a smattering of varietal spice, this bottling shows a bias to greenness in both scent and taste that simply does not abate. It runs from firm to downright tart as it crosses the palate, and it comes up a little too threadbare at the end. O B I $25.00

** jm BETZ FAMILY La Serenne Yakima Valley 2009Ripe and mannerly at the same time, spicy and black peppery yet fully fruity and vital, this deep, attractive wine flirts here and there with the flamboyant end of the Syrah spectrum but maintains its decorum from first to last. Full in weight yet fairly light on its feet, it is somewhat supple at this point and is certain to pick up even more polish as it ages, and we would expect it to hold fast to its attractiveness for five to ten years. 1 B I $55.00* it BETZ FAMILY La Côte Rousse Red Mountain 2009Riper in tone than its mate above and edging towards chocolate and dried berries with varietal overlays of black pepper and gamy meats, this wine never fails in its central mission to be Syrah even as it comes up a bit on the heavy side in the process. It is no big surprise, then, that latter palate tannins take over the wine and consign it to the cellar for a decade. 1 T A $55.00in CASAEDA Sonoma Valley 2009By Culler. Precise and pungent with Syrah spice given full play in its quietly fruity aromas, this pinched and decidedly wiry wine fares far less well on the palate. It is so burdened by its stiffening acid as to wind up sour and citric, and it has no hope of finding beauty regardless of age. 1 B I $18.00* is CEP Sonoma Coast 2009Those looking for weighty, highly extracted Syrahs may find this

*** jq DuMOL Jack Robert’s Run Russian River Valley 2009Intensely spicy and very much hewing to the gamy richness and brooding dark fruit that marks top-shelf Syrah, this year’s Jack Robert’s Run bottling is a potent yet well-crafted wine that has all of the polish of its partner from Eddie’s Patch and shows ever so slightly more punch. It, too, is a serious and age-worthy wine that offers lots of near-term temptations, but we recommend a wait of at least three or four years and fully expect it to grow for another five or six beyond that. 1 B A $76.00

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* it ERIC KENT Kalen’s Big Boy Blend 2009Sonoma County. A “Big Boy” indeed, this full-bodied effort has experienced few restraints in its making. Complex, very ripe and high in smoked meat and game influences in its aromas, it relies on weight and a plush, fleshy mouthfeel and sweet-leaning dried grape notes on the palate. It latter palate tannins and its plunge into finishing heat hold it back a bit. O T A $42.00ir FAZELI Yalda Temecula Valley 200841% Syrah; 26% Mourvedre; 25% Grenache; 8% Cinsault. As might be expected given its mixed cepage, it is hard to find any specific varietal (especially Syrah) character here, but the wine is rounded and slightly plush and delivers persistent strawberry-like flavors while remaining well-balanced from front to back. Think of it as a simple, but successful, Côtes du Rhône imitation even if it is too ambitiously priced. 1 B D $48.00ip FAZELI Reserve Shiraz Temecula Valley 200811% Cinsault. Competing themes of high ripeness and blatant herbaceousness set this one out on a confusing path, and real Syrah gets lost in the bargain. If full and fat to begin, the wine is hot and acidy at the finish, and we cannot see its very disparate parts knitting together in time. O B I $56.00

* is GAMBLE Old Vine St. Helena Napa Valley 2007Solidly fruity and favoring raspberries in tone as much as it does blackberries, this medium-full bodied wine is somewhat round at the front of the palate and hints at a bit of fleshiness in texture before picking up a bit of yet-to-be integrated acidy intrusion as it goes. Time in bottle might well be helpful, but there is no sure bet that it will. 1 B I $42.00io GREENWOOD RIDGE Mendocino Ridge 2009Oddly candied, fairly diffuse in fruit and marred by an element of high-toned sharpness in its sweet-and-sour aromas, this thin, citrus-tinged effort wants for varietal definition and substance, but its shallow flavors are clean, and they fail by omission more than by fault. 1 B D $27.00* jl HALTER RANCH Estate Block 22 Paso Robles 2009Very much in the ripe and rich, deep and full-blooded style that works so well for Paso Robles Syrahs, this weighty wine holds its fruit from front to back, and despite suggestions of chocolate in the midst of its expressive personality, the wine stays decently in balance as well. It is gruffly tannic to be sure, and its slightly soft underbelly does suggest that it not be aged overly long, but with its varietal game and spice standing out, the wine would be a happy mate to garlicky legs of lamb. O T I $65.00

* it HIGHFLYER Centerline California 2008 81% Syrah; 12% Petite Sirah; 4% Tempranillo; 3% Zinfandel. It may be a little on the brash side, and, in truth, its drift into latter palate heat is fairly noticeable and entirely in keeping with the high ripeness that helps define the wine’s solid varietal character, but this wine never loses sight of its fruity center and avoids any of the heavy trappings of excess. It can benefit from a few years in the cellar but will serve well now. 1 T I $20.00

** jo JC CELLARS Haley Rockpile Vineyard 2009Rockpile. While sporting the requisite varietal traits of cracked pepper and game, this deeply draughted offering is driven first and foremost by unstinting, optimally ripened fruit. It is a very big, absolutely mouthfilling wine as is the wont of its maker, but, as with Mr. Cohn’s best, it is balanced and never threatens to be too much of a good thing. Its length is impressive as is its unwav-ering focus, and it has the right combination of stuffing and structure to get better and better for at least another half-dozen years. O B A $60.00** jn JC CELLARS Fess Parker’s Vineyard 2009Santa Barbara County. Winemaker Jeff Cohn’s preferences for high ripeness and lavish oak are in full evidence here, but so are loads of very deep fruit and a wealth of rich Syrah spice. The wine runs from blackberries and dark chocolate to caramel and peppered beef, and, while quite full and fleshy it is surprisingly well-balanced. It has so much extract as to make moot its minor heat, and it is sufficiently tannic to prescribe at least four or five years of age. O B A $30.00** jm JC CELLARS Buffalo Hill Rockpile Vineyard 2009Rockpile. This latest version of the winery’s flagship Syrah is a big, juicy, very deep wine with substance to spare. While it is quite ripe in tone and betrays a touch of finishing heat, it pulls back from the brink of being too much. Subtlety is not its forte at the moment and may never be even with age, but we like its swagger and its boldly varietal stance and are certain that very good things lie ahead after its tannins have settled some five to ten years hence. O B A $85.00* jl JC CELLARS Smoke and Mirrors California 2009This happy marriage of Syrah, Petite Sirah and Zinfandel takes a softer, less aggressive stance than its cellarmates and shows a little more tactile polish. Its central motif is that of ripe berries with shadings of pepper, stony soil, graphite and lightly laid-on oak lending interest. It has room for a few years of growth but is very affable now, and those short on patience will find plenty to like in the near term. 1 B I $25.00* is JC CELLARS Time Capsule California 200750% Syrah; 50% Petite Sirah. Here is a wine of mixed messages and minds for, while it starts out with the heady, wonderfully spicy aromas of classic Syrah, it takes a hard turn to sweetness and simple ripeness once in the mouth. Its flavors are those of chocolate and cherries and want for any varietal precision, and, while earning a nod for its richness, it is a wine that is best held for a meal-ending cheese course. O B T $50.00* is JC CELLARS Mosci Vineyard Alexander Valley 2009Hard-charging ripeness and sweet oak conspire to push Syrah

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spice to the wings here while fruit struggles a bit to find a voice. The wine is very full-bodied and musters a fair sense of richness, but it inclines to dryness and ends with a flare of heat. It needs to be saved for service with the very heartiest fare, and time is not likely to change its stripes. O B I $35.00

** jn JOSEPH PHELPS Larry Hyde & Sons Vineyard 2009Napa Valley. This deep and expressive Syrah sourced from one of Napa’s premier growers is a broad, intensely varietal working that offers up layers of blackberries, pepper and smoked-meat complexities. It is uncannily polished for the very deeply stuffed wine that it is, and its continuous flavors keep on coming even as sizeable tannins come into play. Time is a must here, but a very sophisticated Syrah awaits those with the patience to hold it for a half-dozen years. 1 B A $60.00* iu JOSEPH PHELPS Napa Valley 2009Well-ripened blackberry fruit is very much at center stage here, and while fit with a nice bit of sweet oak, the wine underplays the varietal’s spicier side. Fairly full-bodied with ample tannins following hard on the heels of its comparatively rounded and fleshy beginnings, this is one for the cellar, and its rough edges need a few years of smoothing. 1 B A $50.00

** jm LAETITIA Estate Arroyo Grande Valley 2009Ripe and rich and very Syrah-specific in its personality, this full and weighty offering combines concentrated blackberry fruit with hints of black pepper and a certain minerally undertone. It is on the big side in palatal impression but does not get excessively hot or tannic in the process even while leaning more than a touch in that direction, and all in all, this generously constructed Syrah is going to find willing takers for its expressive styling.GOOD VALUE 1 T I $25.00ir LEONESSE Melange de Rêves Temecula Valley 200854% Syrah; 25% Cinsault; 11% Mourvedre; 10% Grenache . A bit reminiscent of cranberries and largely absent of recognizable Syrah spice, this oak-sweetened mix of red Rhône varietals is a tasty, well-balanced wine of middling weight. Like its siblings, it shows a slight tang to its finish, but it has enough fruit to help hide its acid, and it will make useful drinking with simply grilled meats over the next couple of years. 1 B I $28.00iq LEONESSE Temecula Valley 2007Very ripe and sufficiently concentrated that it takes on a syrupy tone where fruit ought to reign, this wine is also both chocolaty and somewhat angular at one and the same time. It is rounded to the point of fleshiness on the palate and here again, it is ripe first and fruity in afterthought. Evident varietal character finds its way into the picture and keeps things in reasonable focus while also lifting the wine from obscurity. O T I $70.00

iq LEONESSE Rock Creek Vineyard Temecula Valley 2008On the plus side of its ledger, this ripe, slightly syrupy working counts a full dose of very rich oak, but it is undercut by slightly souring acids and it takes on a bothersome edge of sharpness as it goes. It heads in two directions at once, and defined Syrah fruit gets lost in the process. O B I $70.00iq LEONESSE California 200811% Grenache; 10% Mourvedre. It is ripe, it is fruity and it is slightly fleshy in feel, but this wine is not varietally convincing. It smacks of strawberries and milk chocolate before taking a turn to finishing tartness, and, while service with food will go a long way in smoothing its edges, it lacks the spice and substance of serious Syrah. 1 B I $34.00

io LEONESSE Vista del Monte Vineyard 2008Temecula Valley. Each of the Leonesse offerings shows a bent to fumey sharpness, but this one goes a little too far down that path. It is full-bodied, quite ripe and lacking in clear Syrah focus, and its steady slide to tooth-tingling sourness puts it well off the track to success. It is not a wine that we would choose to keep for long. 1 B D $44.00

iq LUCIA Garys’ Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands 2009There is much to like about the nicely fruited and gently spicy aromas of this one, but, while showing the body and tannin of a bigger wine, it gets a bit sere and sparse in fruit on the palate, and in the end comes up short on the stuffing required to fill in all of its spaces. 1 B A $40.00io MORGAN Monterey 2009Smelling vaguely of chalk, new leather and a thin bit of berryish fruit, but never strong on spicy specifics, this slightly underfilled middleweight is varietal in name only. It veers to acidy stiffness on the palate, and its tart, relatively thin, green-tasting flavors want for substance and depth. 1 B I $20.00

* jl NEYERS Old Lakeville Road Sonoma Coast 2009Rich, generously fruited, fairly peppery and filled out by a nice bit of caramelly oak in the nose, this muscular Syrah is spot on in varietal character and sports plenty of youthful energy. It is on the tough side just now, but it is not one meant for simple quaff-ing, and it has all the pieces in place to age handsomely for another five to eight years. 1 B A $35.00

* iu NOVY Christensen Family Vineyard 2009Russian River Valley. As we have said more than once, it is balance more than alcohol percentage that makes for a wine’s failure or success, and while claiming 15.1% of the latter, this carefully crafted Syrah makes the point. It is deeply fruited and nicely defined with a keen sense of spice and dark berries, and it never once crosses the line of being overly hot or too ripe in tone. It is solidly structured yet is already easy to taste, and it strikes us a one that needs no more than a few years to grow into peak form. O B I $27.00

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* it NOVY Santa Lucia Highlands 2009Here is a solid and sinewy Syrah that shows little pretense to polish, but it makes up in richness and depth for what it may lack in refinement, and it is never wanting for extracted fruit. Do give it some time, say four or five years, in which to lose a bit of its youthful gruffness, and then match it up to a savory leg of lamb roast. 1 B A $27.00

* is NOVY Susan’s Hill Vineyard 2009Santa Lucia Highlands. Much like its appellation companion from the Santa Lucia Highlands, this single-site working is long on muscle and unstinting in ripeness. Its generous measure of juicy, oak-sweetened, blackberry fruit is underlain by a palpable prickle of heat, and unrestrained tannins come on strong at the finish. Of the 2009 Novys, it is the wine that wants aging the most, and we recommend that it be set aside for a good five or six years. O B A $33.00

* is NOVY Russian River Valley 2009Leaning a bit to the grape’s slightly gamy side and showing a touch of tobacco to its generous, well-ripened fruit, this wine makes a fairly flashy debut, but its acidity gets a bit pushy and lends a marked note of tartness to its compact, undeveloped flavors. That said, the wine is not at all thin or lacking in mass, and two or three years in bottle should allow it to open and find broader expression. 1 B I $24.00

* is NOVY Judge Family Vineyard Bennett Valley 2008Well-defined scents of ripe berries are teamed with plenty of peppery spice in the solidly varietal nose of this aromatic young Syrah, and the compact, still-slightly-tight flavors that follow are like-minded in focus. While the wine is a bit taut and clipped by acidity at the moment, it has enough central extract and fruity stuffing to make aging a relatively risk-free bet, but we do urge a few years of patience. O B A $27.00

** jp OJAI VINEYARD White Hawk Vineyard 2006Santa Barbara County. As rich and outgoing in aroma as any of the winery’s remarkable 2006 Syrahs, the White Hawk leads with very pure blackberry fruit overlain by deft touches of game, pepper and crème brulée sweetness. It is full, fleshy and supple in feel with a fine sense of balance from beginning to end, and its nominal latter-palate astringency does nothing to lessen its fruity persistence. It is not so rough as to require lengthy aging, but we are betting that it will not show its best for another four or five years. O B A $40.00

** jn OJAI VINEYARD Bien Nacido Vineyard 2006Santa Maria Valley. The volume is turned up a notch as far as

both ripeness and spice go here, and while principally driven by a wealth of very vibrant blackberry fruit, this very flashy Syrah smacks of cured meats and pepper and shows a touch of jam at its edges. It is big and it is ripe, but it is also very well-balanced, long on the palate and sacrifices nothing in the way of varietal precision. It is still on the sturdy side, so patience is advised, and it finishes with enough grippy tannin to commend another five years of keeping. O B A $40.00** jm OJAI VINEYARD Thompson Vineyard 2006Santa Barbara County. Rich, well-ripened and appointed with plenty of effusive Syrah spice, this wine combines blackberries and raspberries with distinctive elements of roasted beef and freshly ground pepper. While extracted and fairly full-bodied as are all of the Ojai offerings, it is the least overtly tannic of the bunch. It reminds that power and finesse need not be mutually exclusive, and, despite having a very long life before it, it should reach top form in a few years. O B I $40.00** jm OJAI VINEYARD Melville Vineyards 2006Sta. Rita Hills. This gutsy young wine is long on both extract and ripeness, and its plays to the varietal’s more rustic side. Its combination of dark berries, cola and chocolate is marked more by richness than keen Syrah spice, and, while inclined to fatness and fairly open to start, it is roughed up by a full dose of tannin in back. It will show best if held for a half-dozen years, yet it can be enjoyed sooner as a foil to well-seasoned roasts and slowly braised meats. O B A $44.00* iu OJAI VINEYARD Roll Ranch Vineyard California 2006Elegance and refinement take the lead over sheer power here, and the wine makes a good case that Syrah can, in fact, show a more mannerly stance. Its defined cherry- and berry-like fruit is graced with oak sweetness and a subtle infusion of spice, and it is nicely polished in feel. It is a bit lighter on its feet than its sturdier siblings, but it will age famously by virtue of its proportion and balance rather than sinew. O B I $44.00* is OJAI VINEYARD Santa Barbara County 2008If a bit lesser in muscle and palatal heft than the classic varietal model predicts, this bright and buoyant young wine is seasoned with the grape’s fresh pepper spice and offers up a nice bit of berry-like fruit. It tapers and tightens with acidity highlighting its nominal tannins, and it will find favor with those seeking Syrah that is a bit lighter on stuffing. 1 B I $28.00

* it PORTER CREEK Timbervine Ranch 2009Russian River Valley. While tempered in ripeness and crafted in a slightly lighter style, this pert and mannerly Syrah is keenly

*** jq OJAI VINEYARD Presidio Vineyard 2006Santa Barbara County. A tip of the hat goes to Ojai Vineyard for their very successful lot of 2006 Syrahs, and the one from the Presidio Vineyard is our pick of the bunch. It is complex and wonderfully layered with classic elements of pepper, cured meat, minerals, tobacco and violets as adjuncts to its wonderfully pure fruit, and it is as deep and well-balanced as Syrah is likely to get. Its exceptionally long finish is firmed by perfectly placed tannins, and those lucky enough to find a few bottles should expect it to improve for a good many years. O B A $48.00

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focused on berries and spice and shows a fine sense of balance throughout. Its integral tannins firm without being obvious and afford it a bit of room for growth, but this is a wine that already invites drinking, and we expect that it will reach its best some two or three years hence. O I $30.00* is PROVISOR Dry Creek Valley 2008Drawn along somewhat lighter lines yet still retaining a good sense of essential Syrah fruit, this mildly spicy look at the varietal is a trim, acid-firmed, modestly tannic effort that features a mix of red and black berries. It is measured in ripeness and conveys a nice sense of freshness that makes it a versatile, easy-to-match mate with meals. O B I $20.00

iq REYNVAAN “In The Rocks” Walla Walla Valley 2009There is no questioning the varietal credentials of this effusively gamy, fairly herbal Syrah, yet its modest berry-like fruit seems more of an afterthought than anything else. If silky and smooth, the wine wants for structure and grip, and it is bothered by a little too much bitterness. O B I $55.00* jl ROCKBLOCK SoNo Oregon By Domaine Serene. This non-vintaged effort may not live up to the high standards set by earlier Rockblock Syrahs, but it delivers plenty to like nonetheless in its extracted blackberry fruit scents and in its spicy and creamy overlays. Full in body, supple and on the slightly pudgy side for long-term keeping, this tasty, satisfying bottling sports a spicy peppery overlay by way of living up fully to its varietal name. 1 T D $35.00

** jm ROSENBLUM Kick Ranch Reserve 2008Sonoma County. The Kick Ranch Reserve is the unquestioned star of the current Rosenblum bunch, and it impresses with its keen varietal focus as much as with its richness and potency. It is a big-bodied wine with plenty of flesh on its ample structural bones, and it marries lots of ripe, blackberry fruit to elements of bacon and smoke and peppery spice. It is wonderfully sustained at the finish despite being moderately tannic, and it is a sure bet to improve for many years. 1 B A $45.00* it ROSENBLUM Rominger Vineyard Yolo County 2008Its provenance may not be one that raises high expectations, but Rosenblum’s Reminger Syrah is a ripe and lusty effort that is long on richness. Its ongoing themes of dark berries and plums are infused with sweet oak, coffee and cocoa, and, while fairly tan-nic, it shows plenty of buffering fruit right to the end. It is not now nor ever will be a wine of refinement and polish, but it will get better with age and should be cellared away for at least four or five years. 1 B A $26.00ir ROSENBLUM Abba Vineyard Lodi 2008Unabashed in its ripeness and showing suggestions of jammy sweetness as well as a certain woodsy note, this thick, mouth-filling rendition counts richness rather than acute Syrah spice as its first achievement. It is far from polished, and it is destined to stay that way, but, given a few years of age, it will drink nicely with hearty, well-seasoned stews. 1 T A $25.00iq ROSENBLUM Holbrook-Mitchell Reserve 2008Napa Valley. Fairly oaky, lightly loamy and hinting variously at eucalyptus, chocolate and berries, this bottling starts out with a promise of complexity in the nose, yet its flavors fail to live up to

billing and grow increasingly narrow as hard-charging acidity takes control. Its edges may soften with time, but aging will not make it richer or better filled. 1 B A $45.00iq ROSENBLUM Fran’s Reserve Rockpile 2008Although its ripe and slightly chocolaty aromas might predict a bolder, big-bodied wine, this one proves to be surprisingly mild and a bit hollow, and it does not find the richness that marks the appellation at its best. It is comparatively mute with respect to Syrah specifics, and it pulls up fairly short with a dry and rather lackluster finish. 1 B I $45.00in ROSENBLUM Vintner’s Cuvée California 2009Runaway ripeness substitutes for any recognizable Syrah fruit here, and the wine displays a discordant note of sourness even while being fat and heavy in the mouth. Further aging is not likely to bring needed remedy for its ills and will, in fact, see things get more difficult still. 3 B D $12.00

** jm SHAFER Relentless Napa Valley 200875% Syrah; 25% Petite Sirah. As big and as dramatic as ever, this year’s Relentless is ripe, tannic and tasty with nary a hint of refinement. It is simply brimming with highly extracted fruit and is lavishly oaked, and, as usual, it manages to work in spite of its excesses. It demands patient cellaring and may take a decade or more to plateau, but as tastings of older vintages prove, it is a wine worth waiting for. 1 B A $60.00ip STOLPMAN Santa Ynez Valley 2009A bit tight and withdrawn with respect to fruit in the nose and showing a touch of green herbs right from the start, this loosely varietal bottling is downright rigid on the palate and lacks the essential fruit required to counterbalance its very abrasive, acid-pushed tannins. 1 B A $28.00

** jm TESTAROSSA Garys’ Vineyard 2009 Santa Lucia Highlands. There is a certain polished sophistication about this wine that reminds, in a blind tasting, of some Pinot Noirs, but, that being said, the wine’s central character has no hesitancy at all in showing itself as Syrah. Early scents of raspberry and sweet spice are joined by nuanced notes of black pepper and smoked meats and its underlying tannins and slight but evident finishing heat are naught but varietal. We would allow this one some two to five years of aging to let its backend smooth out and would expect it to last further. O B A $54.00* it VENTANA Arroyo Seco 2008As convincingly spicy as it is long on rich and well-ripened Syrah fruit, Ventana’s deep and defined 2008 Syrah earns a round of encore applause for fine value as well. It is gutsy without being gruff, and its complex, long-lasting flavors of dark berries, dried plums, coffee and cocoa survive a rush of eleventh-hour tannin. It is an honest Syrah that delivers lots to like at the price, and it will only get better with age. GOOD VALUE 1 B I $18.00

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hu ADLER FELS Russian River Valley 2010Little more than an amorphous white wine with a mawkish bit of sweetness, this dull and bitter-edged offering says nothing at all about Sauvignon Blanc, and, while it might be likened to jug wine, it is poor example of that. 1 C D $14.00ir ARTESA Artisan Series Napa Valley 2010If getting good marks for freshness and firm balance, this well-scrubbed wine is something of a minimalist when it comes to fruit. It shows a smattering of varietal grassiness and touches of wet stones and somewhat underripe pears, but it ultimately has more frame than filling, and it does not quite make its way into the recommended ranks. 1 l D $26.00iq BABCOCK Estate Grown Sta. Rita Hills 2009Mixing light notes of fresh grasses with more evident scents of dried hay and whiffs of bark and oak, this medium-full-bodied effort is somewhat round to start and comes with a noticeably coarse underbelly. Clean and presentable in every dimension but not convincingly likeable, it finds its fruit checking out a little too quickly for higher consideration. 1 F D $18.00

iq BARBER Lazarie Dry Creek Valley 2009Mild matchsticky notes invade the lettuce leaf, slightly chlorophyll varietal scents that sit at the heart of this wine’s personality, and they reappear in the background of the nominally varietal flavors as well. A bit of chalky edginess creeps in at the finish, but this one will be right at home with all manner of lighter fishes or as a mate to broiled chicken. 1 F D $15.00io BEAUCANNON Napa Valley 2009This tight and downright rigid wine gives short shrift to fruit and is governed almost in whole by glaring acidity, but rather than being refreshing and vital, it is a wiry, one-note working that is so hard and austere that it seems sure to make even those, who claim to love high acid, wince. 1 F D $22.00io BISHOP’S PEAK Edna Valley 2010By Talley. Although herbaceousness is welcome in Sauvignon, this bottling goes a bit past the brink and lacks the clear fruit to balance its weedy, sour-grass aspects. It flirts with a matchsticky note in the nose and shows an edge of chemical coarseness at the finish that, when combined with its bitterness, makes for a crude, hard-to-like wine. 1 l D $18.00* jl BRANDER Purisima Mountain Santa Ynez Valley 2010The deepest and richest of Brander’s many 2010 Sauvignons, this well-conceived wine is at once lively and keenly focused with a trim touch of grass to its persistent themes of roasted lemons,

green peach and melons. It has enough weight to stand up to poultry and richer fish preparations, and it has the structure to improve for a couple of years. O l D $25.00* is BRANDER Au Naturel Santa Ynez Valley 2010If never an especially intense or outgoing wine, this clean, well-structured offering plays pleasant, mildly citrusy fruit against a proper bit of varietal herbaceousness and conveys a convincing sense of substance while its minerally accents gain in presence. It shows an edge of youthful coarseness at the finish, but a bit of time in the bottle and service with simply grilled fish should set things right. 1 l D $30.00ir BRANDER Cuvée Natalie Santa Ynez Valley 201055% Sauvignon Blanc; 25% Riesling; 20% Pinot Gris. Brander’s mixed-bag blend of white varietals shows a strong imprint of weedy herbaceousness, but plays to the slightly flowery aspects of Riesling as well. While fairly juicy on entry, it steers to citrusy acidity and finishes with a touch of lemon-zest bitterness and a slight chemical bite. We like its singular voice and hope that age will bring a little more polish. 1 F D $18.00ir BRANDER Cuvée Nicholas Santa Ynez Valley 2010Straightforward, simple and as clean as can be from its lightly candied aromas to its juicy flavors, the Cuvée Nicholas is a little less concerned with varietal grassiness than its mates and hints here and there at sweetness. It coarsens somewhat at the finish, but we expect that things should smooth out in time for warm Summer-month drinking. 1 C D $20.00ir BRANDER Santa Ynez Valley 2010Here, again, is a wine that speaks with a quieter voice while still finding defined varietal character. Its subdued themes of fresh pears and citrus are lightly accented with minerals and a wee bit of grass, and, if never one for great reach, it is well-balanced and clean and will do yeoman service with a wide range of lighter, warm-weather dishes. 3 F D $15.00ip BRANDER Mesa Verde Vineyard 2010Santa Ynez Valley. Wispy influences of limes, melons and grass fight their ways past a slight matchsticky mask in the nose and find reiteration in the narrow flavors that follow. So, too, does a slight chemical bite, and the wine winds up rigid and a little too bitter for its own good. 1 F D $22.00

After years of chasing the biggest, boldest wines possible, California winemakers have been forced by the marketplace to cut back. The operative words now in play are balance, lower alcohol, higher acidity and varietal and terroir expressiveness. While we are not the least bit convinced that the majority of California wines should ever have been

tarred with the “excess” brush—as too many commentators have attempted to do in their pandering attempts at proving how “au courant” they are, there is no question that many wines are benefitting from at least a little restraint.

It is also true that California is not a place that has the makings of rafts of lighter wines. Our munificent sunshine likes to ripen grapes fully, and the trick is not so much to make them into low alcohol versions cast according to “the new paradigm” so much as to make them complete, balanced and reflective of place and variety rather than of concentration and power. Still, if there is a grape we make here in any kind of quantity that is amenable to the lower alcohol, higher acidity treatment, it is Sauvignon Blanc. And whether because of cooler vintages hitting the market, or market forces, we do see a very dramatic shift in this handling of the grape. It is a handling that is bringing its wines back to the bright, crisp, often grassy-leaning side of the varietal spectrum. Whether these newly minted wines are “better” is more a matter of argument than provable fact, but, this much is certain. Lovers of the lighter, brisker style are certainly going to be happy with the latest batch of Sauvignon Blancs.

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ip CASTLE ROCK Mendocino County 2010Skinny in its fruit, burdened by a light matchsticky note and on the green and underfilled side throughout, this wine does find a touch of varietal grasses and hints of lemon rind on the positive side of its ledger. Not quite up to being a “good value” but on the serviceable side at the price, it would not be our first choice in value-oriented Sauvignon Blanc. 3 C D $11.00

* jl CAPTURE Tradition 58% Lake County 201042% Sonoma County. Quite keenly focused on the chlorophyll, green grass end of the varietal spectrum and possessed of more than enough lively green melon and kiwi-like fruitiness to make it work, this wine is moderately full in body and leans towards the supple side in feel. It has adequate underlying acidity for balance but will not impress as a crisp, high acid look at the variety and seems better suited to rich fish and chicken dishes than it would be to tangy seafoods. 1 C I $30.00

* is CHATEAU POTELLE VGS Explorer Napa Valley 2009Marked by quiet precision more than by boisterous fruit, this clean, mildly citrusy effort shows a touch of green melon with a subtle overlay of toast and sweet cream. It is slightly rounded in feel with a gentle bias to softness, and it will make an attractive, near-term companion to the likes of mildly seasoned, sautéed chicken breasts. 1 C D $25.00

* it CHATEAU ST. JEAN Fumé Sonoma County 2009Perhaps it is the extra bit of age on this wine compared to the many youthful bottlings being reviewed, but whatever the reason, there is more depth and range here than in anything else at its price point. Notes of lightly honeyed melon are joined by a light toasted nut element and the expected grasses of the variety. Just a touch on the rounded side, again perhaps a gift of its age, the wine is long and balanced in the finish and very inviting.GOOD VALUE 3 F D $13.00

ir CLIF The Climber California 201012% Riesling; 7% Viognier; 1% Muscat. This inexpensive wine is a little more to the grassy varietal point than the winery’s “Rte Blanc” bottling, and, if similarly clean, a bit light on stuffing and hinting at candied lemons, it is also a versatile and very likeable offering that will do the trick in washing down everything from simple seafoods to gently seasoned chicken.GOOD VALUE 3 C D $14.00

iq CLIF Rte Blanc Napa Valley 2010Clean and quiet are the operative words here, and, while the wine might show enough grassy accents to claim the Sauvignon name, it is underplayed and a bit faint of heart. Its latter-palate suggestions of lemon-drop sweetness are balanced by a twist of lemony acid, and it ends with a touch of trailing heat in its not-quite-filled finish. O F D $18.00

** jm CORNERSTONE Napa Valley 2010Fresh and fairly sleek, racy aromas featuring an intriguing mix of lemon peel, pine forest, wisps of honeysuckle and light nuances of smoked tea leaves and fresh herbs separate this wine from the pack, and the supple yet balanced feel on the palate and the bright flavors that follow second the notion. Because this wine is so full of flavor, it suggests that it might also be oversized, but such is not the case and what one gets is depth without the kind of excess that too often accompanies it. Pair this one with richer salmon or lobster dishes. 1 l I $25.00

* is COQUEREL Le Petit Napa Valley 2010Very much a proponent of the grape’s herbal side, this intensely grassy Sauvignon still has room for a bit of green-melon fruit at its heart. It is rounded and ever so slightly oily in feel and steers away from the biting acidity that usually comes with wines so geared to green herbs. Service with food should mask its mild edge of finishing bitterness, and it will drink nicely with meaty white fish napped in herbed butter. 1 l D $22.00iq COQUEREL Terroir Napa Valley 2009It starts out with a touch of candied sweetness to its moderately grassy aromas, but this stiffly structured effort is anything but sweet on the palate. It is, in fact, tight and ungiving with a bare bit of evident fruit, and, while its leaner style supports service with oysters, it is not a Sauvignon we would chose as a match for richer foods. O F D$ 37.00ir COVEY RUN Columbia Valley 2010Here is a nervy, briskly balanced young Sauvignon that captures a fine fruity sense of fresh lime and green melon while showing a trim touch of grass. It drifts a bit to acidy stiffness at the finish and will be better tagged as one to drink with lighter seafoods rather than sipped on its own, and its modest price makes it a wine to be regularly enjoyed without breaking the budget.GOOD VALUE 3 F D $9.00il DAVID ARTHUR Napa Valley 201018% Semillon. Flat, chalky, tight-fisted in fruit and plagued by a nagging sulphitey streak, this hollow wine is made worse by its coarseness, and we see absolutely no way that it can be righted by time in the cellar. 1 l D $25.00* is DARCIE KENT Rava Blackjack Ranch 2010Monterey. Whiffs of juniper, dandelions and lettuce leaf all add their varietal notes to the botanically suggestive aromas wafting from the glass here. The wine is medium-full in body and slightly rounded on the palate to start, then firms up a bit as it goes and finishes with an aftertaste of fresh grasses and sweet lemons. It will benefit from a bit of time in bottle. 1 C I $18.00ir DEEP SEA Coquina Arroyo Grande Valley 2009Ripe enough and slightly herbal at the same time, this wine finds its pear and melon fruit scents accompanied by a touch of sweet oak and notes of dried hay and grasses. Full on the palate and perhaps a bit on the weighty side, it recovers its poise nicely in a burst of latter palate acidity, and while never brisk at any stop, it is decently balanced for the big wine that it is. Its late note of heat is the gift of elevated ripeness. O C D $32.00ip DOGWOOD Hummingbird Hill Vineyards 2010Sonoma Coast. It is hard to look past the matchsticky nose and bitter, overly chalky finish of this hard and briskly acidic wine, and, even if one could, its coarseness and rather minimal fruit-and-herb mix would hold it back from gaining anything more than lukewarm reviews. O l D $25.00

* is DRY CREEK VINEYARD DCV3 Dry Creek Valley 2009Very precise in its grassy, green-leaf herbaceousness and built with a good measure of mildly citrusy fruit at its core, the DCV3 gets the nod over its lesser-priced sibling by dint of its slightly extended reach. It crisps up nicely after a rounded beginning and takes on a light lemony note that will play well with foods served in cream sauce. O l D $25.00

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ir DRY CREEK VINEYARD Dry Creek Valley 2010It may not be among the deeper or more complex Sauvignons to be had, but this clean and well-balanced middleweight is, as always, a pleasant, lightly grassy, easy-to-sip wine. It will be a comfortable companion with dishes running from sand dabs to fried chicken, and it is priced for more than occasional drinking.GOOD VALUE 3 l D $16.00

iq DUCKHORN Napa Valley 2010Disappointment once again accompanies this wine that was not so long ago one of the highest scoring Sauvignon Blancs in our tastings. This version is light and lightly weedy with hints of citrus and lemon grass writ clean and small, and neither in aroma nor in flavor does it do more than glance in the direction of varietal character. Withal, it is without flaw and would make a decent mate to pan-grilled trout or sole. 3 F D $27.00

iq ENOTROPA North Coast 2010By Blacksmith. Somewhat lower on fruit at first sniff and bearing a light matchsticky note upon fresh pour, this somewhat narrow effort finds hints of herbs and grasses in its modest but evident fruit and finishes with sufficient acid to serve nicely as a mate to lighter sole or trout dishes. O F D $12.00

io ESSER Monterey 2010A wine at war with itself, this Sauvignon Blanc is at once high in varietal focus if chlorophyll and herbs set against dried peach and mineral notes earn it that distinction. It is supple at the front of the palate but too limp at the back, and despite its continuing green streak, it never finds enough energy. 3 C D $12.00ir FERRARI-CARANO Fumé Sonoma County 2010Noticeably grassy and smelling of grapefruit with hints of herbs, this medium-full-bodied effort is well-balanced on the palate and comes with a bit of a chalky edge. Its balance is tilted towards the piquant end of the spectrum, and, were it not for a mild but evident bitter note as the wine finishes, it would have competed for higher commendation. 3 F I $15.00

* is GREENWOOD RIDGE Anderson Valley 201024% Semillon. Scents of lettuce leaves and green figs set this one out on a path that is just a bit lean at its heart. Its flavors pick up a grapefruity note and reiterate its focus on varietal grasses before exiting with mild but evident bitterness that is partially offset by fruit and seems likely to diminish further in uses with food. If not quite classic in approach, this wine successfully shows a different view of the variety. O l I $18.00

* iu GRGICH HILLS Essence Napa Valley 2010A bit off the pace set by past incarnations, this year’s Essence is a more wiry, less-refined wine at this point in its life. Its youth, in fact, very much needs noting for it lacks nothing in the way of aggressive, green-leaf herbaceousness and very deep fruit. Its complexing touches of lemons and stones suggest that it will have more to say in time, but it is hard and unpolished just now and will need lengthy aging. 1 l A $48.00

* it GRGICH HILLS Fumé Blanc Napa Valley 2010If near-term enjoyment is a concern, this wine is preferred over its more prestigious cellarmate. While the latter is tighter and deeper and conveys a sense of potential, this one eschews any similar hardness and is fairly outgoing in rich, weedy fruit. It has

a good spine of enlivening acid and can itself take some aging, but it is far less severe and invites near- to mid-term enjoyment with a wide range of foods. 3 l I $30.00iq GROTH Napa Valley 2010Green melons, hints of a sharp note and old straw scents make for a somewhat confused start in this wine’s underfruited aromas. Its rounded opening on the palate is belied by a chalky, almost toothpicky texture that follows. A minerally backnote suggests shellfish as mealtime mates. 1 l I $19.50ir HALL T Bar T Ranch Alexander Valley 20109% Viognier. This solid and somewhat weighty wine impresses as one whose potential is not quite fulfilled. It steers to green melons and pears and away from overt grassiness, yet it is a bit mute and drawn back in flavor. It is also a bit angular and could do with some smoothing, and it just may be that six to twelve months of age will work in its favor. 1 l I $30.00ht HANNAH NICOLE Contra Costa County 2010Candy and chemicals are the two salient traits of this slightly sweet and decidedly muddled working, and if the wine musters a passing suggestion of pears here and there, it never defines itself as Sauvignon Blanc. 1 C D $17.00

ip HERITANCE Napa Valley 20109% Semillon. A fragrant mix of herbs and green melons in the nose sets this one out on a good start, and while its flavors are momentarily in step, their richness is not sustained. Rather, they are challeneged by chalky bitterness at the finish and are cut off summarily by coarseness. 1 l D $18.00* it HILL Napa Valley 2010Strident grassiness is the dominant theme of this fully varietal effort, yet there is ample fruit underneath its herbaceousness to keep things complete. Very clean and very well-balanced with a refreshing, long-lasting finish, it will serve famously in the near term with rosemary-scented steaks of meaty white fish, but it can grow with age and should deepen with a few years of age.GOOD VALUE 1 l I $18.00ir HUNTINGTON Dry Creek Valley 2010Some will like this citrusy, lemon-scented, lightly herbal effort for its frontal fruit and its varietal intimations while others will call it underfilled. We are in the first camp and like both its fragrantly crafted aromas and its ripe yet solid structure. Its vitality shows at every stop, and its bright finish will make it a good foil to tangy seafoods and grilled fish. Its favorable price is also noteworthy.GOOD VALUE 1 F D $14.00* is HUSCH La Ribera Vineyards Mendocino 2010Fairly rich and suggesting a somewhat bigger wine than most in this review, this one turns out to be medium-full in body and on the slightly round side at entry. Its grassy and grapefruit aromas are echoed in the mouth, and if the wine is not overly potent, so too is it not overdone or outsized and leans instead in a slightly grassy, firm direction as it finishes. It is reliable and priceworthy.GOOD VALUE 1 F D $14.00im JOSEPH JEWELL Redwood Ranch Alexander Valley 2009Stinky, somewhat earthy smells add to the woes of this overly vague, thin, directionless effort that has one foot in unpleasant and the other getting there fast. It is soft and dull on the palate with modest candied fruit trailing off into finishing bitterness. It needs to stay on the shelf. 1 C D $22.00** jm JOSEPH PHELPS St. Helena Napa Valley 2010Its Chardonnay at Freestone is breaking new ground in making

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more than willing partner to dishes like roasted chickens or ham croquettes. Fresh and hinting at a touch of sweetness balanced by a citrusy finish, this wine is ready now and decently priced.GOOD VALUE 3 C D $14.00

io MURIETTA’S WELL The Whip Livermore Valley 201031% Sauvignon Blanc; 27% Viognier; 15% Semillon; 11% Pinot Blanc; 8% Orange Muscat; 8% Muscat Canelli. That this singular, unconventional collection of grapes has produced a wine that lacks any clear varietal bearing should come as no surprise, but the failings here are less those of direction and more due to the wine’s prevailing chemical traits. Oddly heavy and tart both at the same time with a finish that is biting and bitter, this murky mix falls well short of success. 1 l D $19.00

* is NAVARRO Cuvée 128 Mendocino 2010If showing scattered hits of fresh grass and herbs, this engaging youngster is principally keyed on direct, slightly juicy melon and pear fruit. It hints here and there at candy but is buoyed by fine acidity, and it is, on the whole, an affable, easy-to-quaff wine that drinks well with or without food. 1 C D $18.00 * is PEJU Napa Valley 2010Here is a wine that will delight those who champion Sauvignons of brightness and crackling acidity, but, whereas some of its ilk are merely stiff, thin and green, this one is as fruity as it is zesty. It is by no means the bottle that we would pull out with more flavorful seafoods such as lobster or salmon in sauce, but it is certain to sparkle when teamed with a platter of fresh oysters served on the half shell. 3 F D $22.00

ip POMELO 2010 California 2010By Mason. It is possible that a short stint in the bottle will put this one right, but, for the moment, it is just enough bothered by an intrusive matchsticky note that extends from first sniff to finishing aftertaste. While we are loathe to recommend it today despite its decent fruit and inviting price, those with an eye to the future and a love of a bargain will stay tuned because the underlying pieces of grassy, lettuce leaf varietal notes and light but evident melony fruit remain in play. 3 F I $10.00

* is PONT DE CHEVALIER Knights Valley 2009There is a certain sense of concentration and intent evident here even if not so much polish, and the wine’s flirtations with fruity richness, minerals and varietal weediness keep it in the game in spite of its ragged edges. As a rule, we do not buy Sauvignon Blancs with an eye to the cellar, but a year or two of patience seems just what this one needs. O l I $40.00

* iu PURETY Napa Valley 2009By PureCru. 52% Sauvignon Blanc; 48% Semillon. Sweet, rife with ripe melons and long on obvious oak, this ambitious wine departs from its brighter, more grassy brethren and successfully goes for richness and size. It starts out full and fleshy, but finds plenty of supportive acidity right away, and, if clearly too much wine for drinking with oysters, it should shine when paired with salmon in rich sauce. 1 l D $25.00

* jl QUIVIRA Fig Tree Vineyard Dry Creek Valley 2010Solidly varietal from the outset, this generously scented bottling blends smoky top notes with citrusy and herbal notes in a wide-ranging, somewhat complex aroma. It is on the taut, structured side in palatal impression and leans towards notes of sage and cucumber by way of greens while being melony and noticeably lime-like in its keenly focused and refined fruit flavors. GOOD VALUE 1 l I $18.00

deep yet lithely balanced versions of that variety, and now comes this lovely 13.5% alcohol Sauvignon Blanc that has left nothing behind save for some latter palate heat. Its inviting aromas offer both the depth and richness of a ripe and extracted bottling, yet they do so within in bright and layered setting in which melons, Meyer lemons, hints of figs and light grasses are all on display. It may not be the boldest wine in the barn, but it earns unreserved kudos for both balance and depth. 1 l I $32.00iq LADERA Howell Mountain Napa Valley 2010Softly fruity under its veneer of dried straw and toasty nuts and grains, this medium-bodied effort is surprisingly quiet and low on energy despite the restrained ripeness that keeps it totally out of the “big boy” camp. Its early flavors of citrus and straw drift off into slight dilution, and if there is an attempt at finesse here, it is undone by the shortfall at its heart. 1 F D $25.00iq LAKE SONOMA Dry Creek Valley 2010While a spry and fairly fresh wine, this faintly lemony offering is sparing in varietal specifics. Its muted, loosely melon-like fruit comes with almost no grass at all, and its tooth-tingling finish sports a certain green pineapple twist. We like its balance, but it could be better filled. 1 F D $14.00io L de LYETH Sonoma County 2010Hints of an earthy component are joined by something akin to baked pears in this wine’s less than on-point aromas, and if the wine is somewhat rounded at entry, it is a touch soft across the palate before finding a bit of firming acidity at the end. Withal, it is the lack of defined fruit that allows this one to lose its way and stumble into dreariness. 1 C D $10.00iq LINCOURT Santa Ynez Valley 2010We like this wine’s brisk balance, and we like its nervy, slightly grassy young fruit. We like both enough to, in fact, forgive its annoying matchsticky smells and mildly chemical finish for now, and we hold out hope that its distractions will lessen given a bit of age in the bottle. Time will tell. 1 l I $18.00

** jn MERRY EDWARDS Russian River Valley 2010It comes as no surprise that a Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc again finds a place at the head of the pack. The latest is a deep and well-focused wine rife with slightly juicy young fruit, and its mix of fresh grasses, dried flowers and subtle oak spice provide far more complexity than is found in most of its cousins. Fleshy, fairly full-bodied and very vital with a lengthy, layered finish, it is too much wine for simple shellfish, and it deserves pairing with richer fare. 3 l D $30.00in MORGAN Monterey 2010Murky and muddled right from the start with annoying hints of earth off to the side of its weedy, close-to-composty traits, this one is a bit too chemically challenged and nowhere finds the fruit to redeem it. 3 l D $16.00ir MURPHY-GOODE The Fumé North Coast 2010Sweet limes and hints of pears and white melons give this nicely inviting, mid-sized wine an easy-drinking aspect that makes it a

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ip RUSTRIDGE Napa Valley 2010A bit dry in nose and smelling more of dried weeds and less of fruit, this wine may convey a reasonable sense of solidity and weight on the palate, but it again comes up scarce on positive fruit. It is pinched off at the finish by heat and a bitter, slightly chemical streak. O l D $25.00

ip SILVERADO Miller Ranch Napa Valley 2010Light, clean, simple and a real minimalist when it comes to focus, depth and range, this medium-bodied bottling offers up vague hints of grasses in aromas that are both dilute and bothered by slight matchstick intrusions. If slightly rounded on the palate and a touch soft to begin before turning towards hardness without much reference to fruit as it finishes, this one is just too short on central character to recommend. 3 F D $22.00

ir TANGENT Edna Valley 2010A quiet touch of toasty spice makes its way into both the nose and flavors of this mild-mannered middleweight, and if a bit shy on volume, the wine is clean, crisp and refreshing with a good grassy streak that is all Sauvignon Blanc. It is not likely to gain in complexity or range over time, but it is just stiff enough that it will benefit from a brief stay in the bottle. GOOD VALUE 3 F D $13.00

* is TUDAL Napa Valley 2010A touch low-keyed when first poured but clean and leaning to grapefruit and dried hay by way of varietal character, this bottling comes on fast in the mouth where its medium-ripeness is played against a firm, almost brisk sensation to its palatefeel. Long and grapefruity at the end with a bow towards the green end of the spectrum, it will show best when paired up with tangy shellfish dishes or lemon-seasoned seafoods. 3 F D $18.00

ir VERMEIL Napa Valley 201015% Semillon. A peculiar note of flowery sweetness emerges in the moderately herbal, roasted-lemon aromas of this somewhat idiosyncratic Sauvignon, but difference here is no liability. The wine’s frontal flavors are very much on the varietal track, yet a marked note of coarseness creeps into the finish and keeps the wine from higher marks. 1 l I $24.00

* it VOSS Napa Valley 2010Nicely fruited and showing a little more volume than most, the latest from Voss is a moderately deep wine whose grassiness is underlain by juicy, well-ripened melons. It runs to a bit of acidy, back-palate coarseness after a fairly fleshy start, but it is still a very young wine, and its pieces will find much better integration with even six months of bottle age. It is a Sauvignon Blanc that is worth waiting for. 1 l I $17.00

* is ZINA HYDE CUNNINGHAM 2010Russian River Valley. Although it is fairly subdued in aroma and only grudgingly gives up a bit of soft, lemon-edged, slightly melony fruit, this bottling surprises with accessible, generously fruited flavors that build on the melon-like themes introduced in the nose. There is not much in the way of grass or herbs to be found here, but the wine is tasty, well-balanced and will drink well with sundry chicken recipes. 1 C D $22.00

** jo ROBERT MONDAVI Fumé Blanc Reserve 2009To Kalon Vineyard. Napa Valley. Mondavi’s To Kalon Fumés are traditionally one of California’s best Sauvignon Blancs, and, in this outing, expectations are met with a deep, keenly focused wine of richness and real complexity. Tight, but substantial with lovely oak accents to its weedy, green-melon fruit, it is polished and impeccably balanced with a finish that goes on and on. If striking now, it is a wine built for keeping and is one that, with proper cellaring, promises to unfold and reveal more and more for years to come. 1 l I $40.00

* is ROBERT MONDAVI Fumé Blanc Napa Valley 2009There is a suggestion of toast to the nominally ripened, melon-like fruit in the nose of this wine, but there is little aromatic hint of the strong bias to dandelion greenness that appears in the boldly varietal flavors that follow. The wine’s late rush of acidity leaves it a little gangly and stiff at the moment, and, if it might find a fit with raw oysters now, it should be better mannered with an extra year of age. 3 l I $20.00

io ROCK HOLLOW Vintner’s Selection 2010Santa Barbara County. By most measures a simple and fairly plain wine that struggles to show a bare bit of grass, this thinly filled bottling lacks the fruity conviction to fight off a vaguely chemical burn, and its otherwise empty finish is defined by heat and bitterness. 1 l D $13.00

* it ROCK WALL Lake County 2010Lime blossoms, green apples and hints of melon combine in the attractive, fairly outgoing aromas here, and the wine repeats its engaging combination of fruits in flavors that are both fresh and bright. If the wine steers away from the green part of the varietal spectrum, it does capture the lively end and it comes with our recommendation for use with grilled sole or sand dabs.GOOD VALUE 1 F D $15.00

iq ROCKWALL Viva La Blanc California 60% Sauvignon Blanc; 40% Chardonnay. This non-vintaged blend teases with suggestions of richness most notably in its impressions of Chardonnay weight, but it never settles into a particularly fruity mode. Sudden acidity at the finish makes its lack of keen fruit more evident yet, and it comes up short on substance and cohesion alike. 1 l D $14.00

ip RODNEY STRONG Charlotte’s Home 2010Northern Sonoma. Less-than-welcome matchsticky notes get in the way of this limited wine’s half-hearted expression of fruit, and the hesitant hints of grass, candy and hay that stand in for varietal character fade away and are replaced by bitterness at the finish. 3 F D $13.50

ip RUED Dry Creek Valley 2010Fairly fuzzy in focus and a bit of a muddle in both aroma and taste, this lesser-scaled effort shows an unwelcome cardboardy aspect at most every stop. Its comparatively pinched flavors hint vaguely at straw and chalk, but they are as abrupt as they are sparing in fruit. 1 l D $16.00

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iq ALEXANDRIA NICOLE Gravity Horse Heaven Hills 2009Destiny Ridge Vineyards. 6% Malbec; 6% Cabernet Franc; 2% other. Straightforward cherry-like fruit is joined by a bit of dried herbaceousness in both the modestly scaled aromas and the like-minded flavors of this mid-sized Merlot. If hinting enough of the right marks to earn its varietal name, it never goes beyond the bare basics, and it winds up a little too astringent and stiff for its own good. 1 B A $24.00

iq ALPHA OMEGA Proprietary Red Wine 2008Napa Valley. 36% Merlot; 33% Cabernet Sauvignon; 12% Cabernet Franc; 19% Petit Verdot. Although this very rich wine is long on intent and ambition with extract to spare and a lavish appointment of rich oak, its omnipresent sharpness cannot be ignored, and any chance for recommendation disappears in its brittle, all-too-souring finish. 1 B D $88.00

iq ANCIENT PEAKS Paso Robles 2009A bright and buoyant mix of fresh cherries and berries makes for an attractive aromatic start here, but, while the wine might have the extract to at least partially counter the exaggerated, almost lemon-like acidity that roars through in the mouth, it is never so fruity that we are comfortable in predicting that age is sure to work in its favor. 1 B I $17.00

iq BENZIGER Sonoma County 2008Fairly direct in its cherryish fruit and showing wisps of varietal herbaceousness, this clean, decently balanced Merlot is wholly without fault other than a certain lack of depth and drive that by omission leaves it just another face in the crowd. It ends with an edgy, acid-pushed pucker, but it will relax with another year or two in the bottle. 3 B I $19.00ir CALLUNA CVC Chalk Hill 200943% Merlot; 41% Cabernet Franc; 10% Cabernet Sauvignon; 4% Petite Verdot; 2% Malbec. If taken as Merlot, this tannin-laced wine is likely to disappoint for it only briefly hints at the plushness and inviting appeal of the grape and is defined right now by its abrasive tannins as much as anything else. It has fruit and it has depth, but it has next to no polish, and whether its incipient richness survives the decade of age it demands is, for now, a question without an answer. 1 B A $33.00

iq CALLUNA Aux Reynauds Chalk Hill 2009Its lightly juicy, fairly frontal aromas of mildly candied cherries might predict a spry and stylish Merlot, but, once in the mouth, this wine is all angles and edges with pushy acidity jumping up and accentuating its very puckery tannins. Balance, or the lack

thereof, raises questions about whether it will ever find beauty with time. O B A $40.00

iq CHATEAU MEROUX Reserve Bennett Valley 2007Sonoma County. Never quite in focus, but also moderately fruity in a somewhat generic red fruit manner, this full-bodied bottling is rounded on the palate and displays a quiet but noticeable bit of fruit. It runs into somewhat blunting tannins in the latter half and finds its voice compromised by both astringency and rising heat in the latter palate. O B I $40.00

* it COLUMBIA CREST Walter Clore Private Reserve 2008Columbia Valley. 52% Merlot; 37% Cabernet Sauvignon; 8% Cabernet Franc; 3% Malbec. A bit of forgiveness for its slightly backward manner is in order here, for, while a fairly tight wine at the moment, this one teases with hints of nascent richness and conveys unmistakable depth. Its structure and stamina are the marks of an ageworthy wine, and we do not expect to see it bloom for another five years. 3 B A $30.00

* it COLUMBIA CREST H3 Horse Heaven Hills 2009Smelling and tasting of ripe cherries, sweet oak and a touch of dry soil, this very well-focused wine is all Merlot in conviction. It is plush and supple in feel with a neatly tailored complement of supportive tannins, and it is sustained and tasty at the finish. It does what the grape does best in terms of being delicious and downright friendly, and it drinks splendidly now.GOOD VALUE 3 B I $15.00

* it COLUMBIA WINERY Columbia Valley 2008There may be deeper and more expressive Merlots to be had, but there are few that rival this one when it comes to achieving such fine varietal expression at the price. Clear and confident in ripe-cherry fruit, gracefully sweetened by a light touch of oak and appropriately rounded in feel, the wine is so easy to taste now that we wonder if anyone will hold it for the three to five years of aging that it so rightfully deserves. GOOD VALUE 3 B I $15.00

A recent editorial in one of the world’s many wine journals proclaimed, “The End of The Sideways Effect”. And while those who chart wine sales insist that there was far less “effect” than bravado in proclaiming Merlot past its prime, it is true that “Sideways” did at least help increase the move into Pinot Noir. It was thus assumed that the losing variety at the time would have been Merlot because

one of the film’s protagonists famously blurts out, “If anyone orders Merlot, I’m leaving. I am NOT drinking any fxxxing Merlot!”

Merlot, of course, always had another idea. It just kept on producing its supple, somewhat rounded red wines, and people kept on buying it. If there was no Sideways effect, however, that did not keep Merlot from losing some of its luster as a collectable. The arrival of Syrah had something to do with that as did the increasing popularity of Pinot Noir and inexorable advances of Cabernet Sauvignon. But good old Merlot just kept trudging along, and with its newest vintages, we see more wine worthy of your attention and your cellars. Merlot may be supple and luscious, but it also can have a stern backbone, sometimes contributed by varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc—as happens in its native Bordeaux. And when it comes to value among highly rated wines, Merlot has the advantage of claret-like structure at lower prices. There may not have been a Sideways effect, but there clearly is a Merlot resurgence in recent vintages.

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ip COQUEREL Calistoga Napa Valley 2009It will no doubt win notice from those who believe that a wine’s first duty is to be low in alcohol, but this tight and wiry offering could do with a little more fruity concentration, and, while it is pert and energetic to start, it gradually narrows and ends on a less-than-ripe note. O B I $35.00

** jm DUCKHORN Stout Vineyard Napa Valley 2008From its very well-focused aromas of caramel, dark cherries and sweet tobacco to its deep, impressively filled flavors, this classy and yet very solid Merlot demonstrates a keen sense of careful composition. It backs up its ample, optimally ripened fruit with good, grippy tannins, yet it always adheres to the imperatives of suppleness that mark fine Merlot. It finishes on the tough and astringent side, and it deserves another five years of cellaring in which to fully come into its own. 1 B A $85.00

* iu DUCKHORN Napa Valley 2009Despite being a touch tight and very much marked by a certain youthful restraint, this solid effort slowly reveals a very deep and well-defined sense of black-cherry fruit and brings a very nice does of sweet oak into play. It is still a fairly tough wine, yet its fruit eases past its ample tannins with a great deal of effort, and we feel safe in predicting a bright future ahead providing it be left alone for at least five or six years. 3 B A $52.00

iq EOS French Connection Paso Robles 200952% Merlot; 32% Cabernet Sauvignon; 11% Petit Verdot; 4% Malbec; 1% Cabernet Franc. Creamy oakiness and a very evident herbal streak break in front of nominal black cherry fruit in the nose here, and, while the three compete equally for attention in its clean, mid-density flavors, the wine simply loses its way as chalky astringency sneaks in to summarily coarsen and dry out its all-too-abrupt finish. 1 B A $25.00

* is FROG’S LEAP Rutherford Napa Valley 2008Pulled back in ripeness, minimally oaked and concerned almost wholly with direct, red cherry fruit, this somewhat underplayed wine gets to the Merlot point and does so without bombast or drama. It is lithe and likeable now with barely noticeable tannin, and, if not yet teetering on old age, it is one to enjoy before too many years have passed. 1 B I $34.00

iq GEYSER PEAK Alexander Valley 2007Nominal notes of cherries and an enriching veneer of vanilla bean oak show up in the decently concentrated aromas of this medium-bodied bottling, and its early supple texture gives room for those same flavors to roam. The wine breaks down a bit in the latter

palate, however, as coarse tannins rush in and dry things out a bit in the process. 3 B I $18.00

iq GREENWOOD RIDGE Mendocino Ridge 2009There is a bit of a disconnect between this wine’s slightly open structure and its fairly intrusive tannins, and what starts out as a softer Merlot keyed of dark cherries and chocolate winds up a tougher one in need of buffering fruit. A few years of age will help in smoothing its finish, but time cannot make it deeper or any better filled. O B A $27.00

ir HANNAH NICOLE Meritage Contra Costa County 200934% Merlot; 26% Petit Verdot; 14% Cabrenet Sauvignon; 13% Cabernet Franc; 13% Malbec. Although the bright, red cherry fruit of young Merlot is framed by the slightly tougher tannins of Cabernet here, this one conveys reasonable depth and has the sense of a wine that will reveal more with time. We would wait for at least a couple of years before pulling its cork and would not be at all surprised if it continued to improve for five or six more. 1 B A $32.00

ip HANNAH NICOLE Contra Costa County 2009Always a wine of limited range and dry and dull in manner, this stolid, vaguely brushy wine never defines itself as Merlot. It is clean, but it is lackluster, a bit heavy and lifeless, and it finishes with far more toughness than fruit. O B I $22.00

* is HILL Napa Valley 2009Hints of herbs and black olives sit just to the side of pert cherry-like fruit in this well-defined, mid-sized Merlot, and fruit stays the course all the way to the wine’s firm,t very slightly stiff finish. While there is nothing unduly tannic or tough at work here, the wine could do with a bit of rounding and should benefit from a few years of age. 1 B I $20.00

* is JASON STEPHENS Estate Santa Clara Valley 2007Moderately rich, well-defined in fruit and sporting a nice note of sweet cherries overlain by a touch of vanilla and hints of forest-floor spice, this supple, medium-full-bodied Merlot is starting to round into form, and, if clipped just a bit by last-minute tannins, it is a wine that can safely be tagged for drinking in the relatively near term. 1 B I $24.00

iq JASON STEPHENS Estate Select Santa Clara Valley 2007The pricier Merlot of the Jason Stephens pair puts a good first foot forward with fairly rich, well-fruited aromas that go right to the cherryish Merlot point. It does not, however, follow through all that well on its promise. It gradually gives ground to a little too much heat, while acidity and tannin conspire to effectively push fruit aside at the finish. O B A $34.00

iq KENWOOD Sonoma County 2009Mild, yet fairly well-defined red cherry fruit is joined in the nose here by a touch of slightly caramelly oak, but, if the wine makes a friendly enough start, it disappoints with lesser-filled flavors and a few more tactile angles and edges than its modest fruity extracts can balance. 3 B I $14.00

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** jm LEDSON Russian River Valley 2008A full serving of ripe Merlot cherries is framed with lots of lovely sweet oak in this deep and well-defined opus, and the wine’s supple, almost silky feel speaks to directly to what the varietal does best. More than being polished and thoroughly charming, the wine has a more serious side, and it promises to develop more reach and range yet if allowed to rest quietly for another four or five years. O B I $46.00

* iu McINTYRE Kimberly Vineyard Arroyo Seco 2009It makes sense that Merlot might thrive in Monterey’s Arroyo Seco district given its comfort with cooler growing regions, and this supple, very well-balanced wine hits all of the right varietal marks with a complementary dollop of sweet oak to its defined and lasting cherryish fruit. It is fairly full-bodied, but it is also as smooth as can be with nicely integrated acidity and tannin, and, as is typically the case with good Merlot, it can be enjoyed early on even though it could use five or six years in the cellar before reaching its best. Its price makes it doubly interesting.GOOD VALUE 1 B I $19.00

* iu MILBRANDT The Estates Wahluke Slope 20099% Cabernet Sauvginon. Here is a very well-focused and nicely crafted wine that goes for precision rather than bombast. It is slightly supple in feel with a fine sense of tactile polish, and it is confidently fixed on pure Merlot cherries from start to finish. Its gentle tannins afford just the right bit of structural spine, and it offers the promise for a few years of growth while being wholly enjoyable right now. 1 B I $25.00

ir NAPA CREEK Napa Valley 2007Light, lithe and nicely focused on distinct red cherry fruit touched up nicely by a dollop of creamy oak, this mid-sized bottling does yeoman’s work in finding both balance and a somewhat open stance on the palate. Late-arriving tannins add some needed grip to the finish and insuring that the wine will work well with food. If capable of holding up in bottle, it does not call for much aging.GOOD VALUE 1 B D $13.00

** jo NORTHSTAR Columbia Valley 2008The more widely available of the Northstar pair, it may be the less flamboyant partner, but if so, it is not by all that much. Indeed, it is arguably a fair bit more approachable than its vintage sibling, and while trodding the same ripe-Merlot ground, it does it with a somewhat clearer look at ripe cherries and creamy oak given its slightly lighter touch. Well-made, long in flavor and ageworthy,

and while it will comfortably reward a quiet wait in bottle before opening, it is not demanding of it. 3 B I $40.00

** jm NORTHSTAR Walla Walla Valley 2008Nominally the riper, deeper wine of the very special brace from Northstar, this one smells of very concentrated Merlot red cherries and adds in notes of toasty oak and dried walnuts for an extra touch of complexity. It is rich, supple and somewhat fleshy in its palatefeel, and despite a background intrusion of heat, is wholly mannerly at every point save for its still youthfully tough, abrupt finishing tannins. Time is on its side, and a half decade or more in the cellar is recommended. 1 B A $50.00

* is NEWTON Claret Napa County 200952% Merlot; 38% Cabernet Sauvignon; 5% Syrah; 3% Petit Verdot; 2% Cabernet Franc. Built along slightly tougher lines and more reflective of its Cabernet content than it is of Merlot, this mildly woodsy, faintly briary blend flirts here and there with both cassis and black cherries. It is not overly tannic, yet it is still a bit blunt and tight, and a few of years in the cellar will certainly bring real benefit. 3 B A $25.00

* is PAHLMEYER Napa Valley 2009Pahlmeyer Merlots are never of the shy and retiring type, and, while this one shows all of the high ripeness that is the winery norm, it is a bit tentative in fruit, skewed to herbs and closed off by abrasive astringency. It is rich enough to raise hope that time is on its side, but it will require some eight to ten years of aging before it lets us know whether or not it has the fruity heart to really be a complete wine. 1 B A $75.00

* it PINE RIDGE Crimson Creek Napa Valley 20097% Cabernet Sauvignon. If a fairly deep and dense wine, this solid, moderately full-bodied effort is still decidedly backward and less than fully forthcoming. It shows a trim of chocolate and a touch of herbs to its themes of ripe cherries, yet it is a little rough and closed off by youthful back-end tannins. Let it sit for three or four years. 1 B A $35.00

ip RED ROCK Winemaker’s Blend Reserve California 201055% Merlot; 22% Cabernet Sauvignon; 18% Petite Sirah; 5% Other. Although clean and vaguely fruity, this rather amorphous red blend is blunt and fairly tannic with a lingering edge of drying astringency that seems totally out of place in a wine of its price and ample distribution. While its evident bitterness might drop out with age, we would not try it. 3 B D $14.00

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ir ROMBAUER Carneros 2007We like this wine’s fruity and well-focused nose of ripe cherries and sweet oak, and we like its classic Merlot plushness on entry. We like its juicy, cherry-like flavors, just as we like its sense of energy. We do not, however, like the unexpected rush of half-sour acidity that intrudes on its finish, and we wonder if age will bring integration or further discord. 3 B I $32.00

* it RUA Red Wine Napa Valley 200967% Merlot; 33% Cabernet Franc. Although rounded and just a touch plump in feel as is Merlot’s habit, this complex wine is not one that heads down to the pathway to emphatic ripeness but instead shows a decidedly herbal bent to its very insistent fruit. It is rich and yet light on its feet at one and the same time, and its trim, well-managed tannins do not require any more than a few years of softening. 1 B A $48.00

ip SARAH’S VINEYARD Santa Cruz Mountains 2007Skewed more to the weedy, faintly vegetal end of the varietal spectrum rather than the one keyed to cherries, this wine never quite gets a firm hold on convincing Merlot fruit, and it drifts to dried herbs and a curious citrusy tang in its slightly rigid, mildly tannic, essentially thin finish. O B I $25.00

* iu SCHUG Sonoma Valley 200810% Cabernet Sauvignon; 10% Cabernet Franc. Ripeness and restraint, as this attractive Merlot so capably shows, need not be mutually exclusive, and, while never a bold or dramatic wine, this one is precise in its fruit and not at all given to thinness or intru-sive acidity. Its obvious polish makes it very likeable now, but its slightly tannic finishing edges could do with a few years of smoothing, and those willing to wait will be rewarded with a more refined wine yet. 1 B I $28.00

ip SCHUG Heritage Reserve Carneros 2007Although each of the Schug Merlots is fairly sedate and cast in a lighter and leaner model, this one is arguably a little too lean, and its fruit wants for more concentration and length. Acidity is an increasingly active player from mid-palate on, and the wine grows ever more tart and tangy as its tentative hold on varietal fruit loosens and lets go. 1 B I $35.00

* it SEBASTIANI Alexander Valley 200917% Cabernet Sauvignon; 4% Petit Verdot. If on the one hand

a wine that tilts to ripeness with suggestions of dark chocolate to its smoky, dark-cherry fruit, this slightly thick and fairly full-bodied Merlot nonetheless winds up a touch tight and narrow at the finish. Near-term service with juicy cuts of beef will help smooth off its edges, and a couple of years in the cellar are sure to do the same. 1 B I $19.00

iq SILVERADO Mt. George Vineyard Napa Valley 2007Drifting towards the herbal end of the varietal spectrum and on the ripe but slightly quiet side in its cherryish fruit, this wine is ripe in cast and surprisingly tannic for a young, broadly available Merlot. Time in bottle is surely going to see a more round face emerge but do not expect miracles; this one is always going to be a tough customer. 3 B I $35.00iq SPRING VALLEY Mule Skinner Walla Walla Valley 2008Medium-ripe cherry scents are joined by notes of dried bark and a pinch of herbs in this wine’s dryish, barely adequately fruited aromas. Full in body and somewhat viscous in palate texture, this one starts with a supple, rounded feel before turning to puckery toughness in the late going. O B I $40.00

* is STAGS’ LEAP WINERY Napa Valley 2008Solidity is emphasized over elegance here, and the wine takes on a bit of the briar and tobacco-leaf qualities and the sinewy stance that we more closely associate with Cabernet Sauvignon. That said, it has enough well-ripened dark-cherry fruit to buffer its very obvious tannins, and it is best left alone in the cellar for at least another five or six years. 1 B A $45.00

ip THREE RIVERS Columbia Valley 200916% Cabernet Sauvignon; 2% Petit Verdot. With a touch of fresh cedar showing in its woodsy, faintly cherry-like aromas and an acidy streak of greenness underlying its narrow, less than well-filled flavors, this decidedly limited wine misses the varietal mark in both focus and feel and is not likely to find its bearings with further aging. 1 B I $19.00iq WENTE Sandstone Livermore Valley 2009This mild and comparatively soft-spoken wine leans to Merlot’s herbal side yet musters a modest measure of clean, somewhat narrow cherry-like fruit. It may loosen up with a brief stay in the bottle, but its limits are clear, and it does not hold great promise for lengthy keeping. 3 B I $15.00

in WENTE The Nth Degree Livermore Valley 2007In spite of its ripe and slightly heavier leanings, this dense and faintly chocolaty wine is undercut by annoying sourness, and, rather than bringing the wine into refreshing balance, its acidity only accentuates its modest tannins and leaves it astringent and overly tart at the end. 1 B D $50.00** jn WORLD’S END Reserve Little Sister 2009Napa Valley. 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. This serious and deeply cast Merlot leads with lovely aromas of black cherries, smoke and sweet oak, and its very rich, fully stuffed flavors meet every expectation. It is at one and the same time substantial and very well-balanced, and, while its ample tannins are not unnoticed, they in no way interfere with its insistent, layered finish. It is a head-turner now, to be sure, but it is also a wine that wants to be cellared, and, what is already a very good thing is certain to get only better for four to six years. 1 B A $45.00

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** jn ADELAIDA The Glenrose Vineyard Paso Robles 2009Rich and wonderfully blossomy with a full measure of Viognier’s distinctive ripe-peach fruitiness, Adelaida’s highly ripened opus is an amazingly well-balanced wine that, while very full and fat on the palate, is lively and vital all the way to the end. There is no disputing that it is a lavish wine and not one to serve with deli-cate dishes, but those who love the grape for its ability to make wines of outgoing richness and real fruity depth need to put it high on their shopping lists. O l D $30.00

* it ALEXANDRIA NICOLE Crawford Columbia Valley 2010Very happily fruited aromas suggestive of juicy peach and plum nectars run to the plump, open side of the spectrum and, if a bit direct and easy to access with little held back, they earn kudos for sheer likeability, and so do the wine’s similarly cast flavors. Light and lively at this writing, the wine will make a fine mate to most simple chicken curries or other Asian dishes that are at once well-seasoned yet restrained in heat. 1 C D $20.00

* iu CHALK HILL WINERY Chalk Hill 2009Russian River Valley. Very rich and impressively concentrated, yet surprisingly balanced for the very weighty and ripe wine that it is, Chalk Hill’s take on Viognier is one that backs away from simple “sweetness” and shows a nice bit of layering to its deep and persistent flavors of peaches, vanilla and subtle spice. It has a fairly fat feel to start but ends on a nice note of firmness, and, while it is quite showy right now, it has the structure to keep for a couple of years. O l D $50.00

* is CHATEAU STE. MICHELLE Midsummer’s White 2010Columbia Valley. 58% Viognier; 33% Gewurztraminer; 5% Muscat Canelli; 4% Riesling. Fresh, mildly peachy and hinting at a touch of wildflowers in the nose, this bright, eminently fruity offering is a buoyant, ever-so-slightly spritzy wine that seems to have been conceived with warm-weather quaffing in mind. It has

just enough spice to verify its Gewurztraminer percentage, and service with food will ameliorate the quiet touch of bitterness that pops up at the finish. 1 S D $20.00

ir CLINE North Coast 2009There is a fair bit of well-defined Viognier fruit at work in this mildly peachy middleweight, and the wine is smooth and fairly well-balanced. It coarsens and dries slightly at the finish, and its fruit wavers as a scant element of last-minute bitterness appears, but this tasty effort hits the mark at a very comfortable price.GOOD VALUE 3 l D $12.00

* is CURTIS Heritage Blanc Santa Barbara County 201060% Viognier; 40% Roussanne. Here is a clean-as-can-be fruit-driven wine that veers away from Viognier’s overt “sweeteness” and instead exhibits a pretty mix of orange rind, nectarines and honeydew melons with a firm bit of underlying acidity. Its lively fruit buoyantly stays the course through to a crisp, moderately lingering finish, and it is marked by irrepressible freshness from front to back. 1 l D $20.00

iq CURTIS Santa Barbara County 2010A brief bit of citrus stands in for the sweeter, slightly tropical fruit that we are used to finding in Viognier, and, if the wine has fairly good weight on the palate, it is also slightly stiff at the edges, sparing in fruit, and it fights to a stalemate with chalky, back-palate bitterness. 1 l D $25.00

iq DEEP SEA Santa Barbara County 2009This clean, modestly filled effort is generally on the right varietal track, but, despite its focus, it wants for a little more confidence and concentration. It tends to dryness and coarseness just a bit at the finish, and its sins of omission diminish any chance it had for higher marks. O l $28.00

Sometimes you just have to tell the truth no matter how much it bothers the winer-ies whose oxen you are about to gore. They don’t like it, of course, and we could spend hours talking about their beliefs that each of their offspring is worthy of 95 points or don’t call me back, but that is a topic for another time. So, let’s talk about Viognier and the weak, unappealing results that are being produced by too many makers under its name.

The rather too simple fact is that Viognier is not an easy variety with which to work. There is a reason why it almost disappeared in its native location, Condrieu, in the northern Rhone. The wineries could not control it. There is a reason why the variety has not spread broadly throughout the world. It does not produce enough fruit of high enough quality to be worth the effort. And despite its occasional great successes here in California, it has not taken hold because even the most casual glance at the notes that follow will reveal the fact that Viognier produces a lower percentage of recommendable wines than almost any other vari-ety that we review.

We wish it were otherwise, but it is not. We wish it were otherwise because we like good Viognier and we keep looking for more of it. For-tunately, some of the wines we like are made in enough quantity so that their finding should be possible. That, at least, is the good news.

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* jl DuMOL lia Russian River Valley 2010Viognier takes on a little more structure here, and, though the wine steers to typical tropical fruit, it is less-candied and shows more solidity than its softer and simpler cousins. It smacks a bit of sweet barrel spice and coarsens up with scant heat coming on at the finish, but this is no simple, light-hearted quaffer and will do just fine when it is teamed up with comparatively rich foods such as garlicky chicken braised in white wine or a classic Mar-seilles Bouillabaisse. 1 l D $54.00

** jm EBERLE Mill Road Vineyard Paso Robles 2010Intensely fragrant with a more than generous measure of juicy, tropical fruit at its heart, this flowery, wonderfully-well focused Viognier is weighty and rounded but is always fresh and alive. It gets high scores for its definition, precision, balance and length, but sheer likeability is first on its list of achievements. Viognier is not always a wine that takes to aging, and this one may not get that much better over time, but it is so well put together that it will be absolutely delicious for several years to come. GOOD VALUE 1 l D $21.00

io HANNAH NICOLE Contra Costa County 2010From its flat, slightly watery and somewhat papery aromas to its confusing flavors of candy and peach-pit, this awkward and ill-focused offering wanders wide of any clear varietal mark, and its combination of bitterness and sugary fruit will not increase the ranks of new Viognier fans 1 C D $22.00

in LOREDONA Lodi 2009Candied, confected and sparing in fruit, this soft, dull, vaguely apple-like wine flattens out quickly once in the mouth. It never finds much in the way of convincing varietal character, and its frontal suggestions of candy give way to unwelcome bitterness on the latter palate. 3 C D $13.00

ir McMANIS California 2010Lightly honeyed, moderately fruity and never less than wholly varietal in focus, the latest from McManis is a comfortably round, easily likeable effort that flirts with a faint hint of sweetness. Its juicy kiwi and pineapple flavors are underscored by slightly pushy edge of acidity, and, while hardly a wine that promises years of growth, it could benefit from another six months of smoothing.GOOD VALUE 3 C D $12.00

iq MICHAEL & DAVID Incognito Lodi 201063% Viognier; 21% Chardonnay; 7% Muscat; 5% Sauvignon Blanc; 4% Riesling. While its aromas show a bit of the peachy, mildly flowery aspects that define Viognier, this soft-centered,

slightly slick-feeling wine is vague and unfocused in taste, and it settles straightaway into heavy-footed dullness. It is one to drink up in the short term. 3 C D $18.00

im MONTEMAGGIORE 3 Divas Russian River Valley 201034% Viognier; 33% Marsanne; 33% Roussanne. Fruit is more than a little hard to find here as, in fact, are any positive traits at all. The wine is thin and coarse with an odd and unpleasant mix of sulphites, plastic and last-week’s oranges, and it comes to an abrupt and bitter halt. O l D $25.00io NADIA Santa Barbara Highlands Vineyard 2008Santa Barbara County. 56% Viognier; 33% Grenache Blanc; 11% Roussanne. Absent of any semblance of fruit and already a bit dry and faded, this soft and gasping wine can barely keep its head above water, and its empty, vaguely cardboardy flavors have grown so tired that nothing good can possibly come from further keeping. O l D $30.00

ip NOVY Russian River Valley 2010The broad success enjoyed by the winery (Siduri) notwithstanding, this wine is underfilled at every stop, and what modest peach-like fruit that does show itself in the nose and on the palate is then undone by late-arriving bitterness that holds the wine back and suggests that one look elsewhere. O F D $19.50

* is ROSENBLUM Kathy’s Cuvée California 2009Comfortably fixed on ripe peaches, honey and a hint of brown sugar, this full and fleshy look at Viognier carries its light touch of sweetness gracefully, and it is both viscous and well-balanced at once. It is as juicy at the finish as it is at the start, and, while never an especially nuanced wine, it is rich, ready and accessible with lots of up-front appeal. 1 l D $18.00

in ROSENBLUM Bay Blend California 200980% Viognier; 10% Roussanne; 10% Marsanne. Sweet and far too heavy with a diffuse syrupy quality that smacks of sugary canned peaches but is wholly foreign to Viognier, this thick and sluggish working reminds most of all of sweet jug wine and is well on its way to an early demise. O C D $30.00

im SARAH’S VINEYARD Estate Santa Clara Valley 2009This unappealing wine starts out with stale, slightly cardboardy smells, and it ends with dissuasive bitterness. It fails to find even a hint of helpful fruit along the way, and its shaky varietal aim is nowhere near to being on target. 1 l D $25.00

iq STORYBOOK MOUNTAIN VINEYARD 2010Napa Valley. We are second to none in our appreciation and praise of this estate’s beautifully made Zinfandels, but this wine leaves us wondering just where Viognier’s juicy fruit might have gone. Dry and slightly brushy in scent, then slightly hot and a bit harsh on the palate after a quick burst of peaches, it is coarse and incomplete now, and it makes no guarantees that age will set everything right. O l D $35.00

hq URSA Sierra Foothills 2009From its too fumy, patently unfruity aromas to its decidedly sour flavors, this sharp and acetic wine is plagued by spoilage, and it is one best left on the shelf. U $17.00

in VINA ROBLES White 4 Paso Robles 201029% Viognier; 28% Verdelho; 27% Sauvignon Blanc; 16% Ver-mentino. Pinched and parsimonious in positive fruit, coarse in feel and wholly lacking in charm, this bitter-edged wine is, from its acrid aromas to its burning finish, driven irretrievably off course by insistent chemical failings. 1 l D $16.00

Best Buys in the Market

Connoisseurs’ Series

94

** Jarvis Cabernet Franc “Will Jarvis Science Project” Napa Valley 2008, *** Terre Rouge Syrah “Ascent” Sierra Foothils 2007 and ** Marimar Estate Pinot Noir Mas Cavalls Sonoma Coast 2007.

Created by the California Wine Club exclusively for Connoisseurs’

Guide readers, and featuring only our two-star and three-star

selections, the CONNOISSEURS’ SERIES wine-of-the month club

makes hard to get wines available for you. Featured this month are:

Good Pinot Noir has never been cheap, and there never quite seems to be enough it. Prices of late have started

to rival those of collectable Cabernet, but a close look at the market will always find as few top values at every

price level. The ** LUCIA Santa Lucia Highlands 2010 ($40.00) is a deep and generously filled effort that

outperforms at the price, and the ripe, fully fleshed ** RODNEY STRONG Reserve Russian River Valley

2009 ($40.00) similarly gets the nod for its abundant, well-defined Pinot fruit. The refined ** BJØRNS-

TAD Hellenthal Vineyard Sonoma Coast 2008 ($40.00) remains high on our list of top ** Pinot buys, as do

both the very well-crafted ** MERRYVALE Carneros 2009 ($35.00) and the energetic ** DELOACH

Marin County 2009 ($30.00). The polished, surprisingly layered * STEELHEAD Sonoma County 2009

($15.00) and the supple and oh-so-inviting * BROPHY CLARK Santa Barbara County 2009 ($16.00) prove

the very good Pinot can actually be four for $20.00 or less, and, while not quite winning one-star recommen-

dation, the soft-spoken and graceful CASTLE ROCK Willamette Valley 2010 ($13.00), the supple, cherry-like CUPCAKE Central Coast 2010

($14.00), the snappy, briskly balanced PARDUCCI Small Lots Blend California 2009 ($12.00) and the easy-to-quaff CONCANNON Select-

ed Vineyards Central Coast 2009 ($10.00) are all nicely made Pinots that come with the bonus of being in wide distribution.

Sales of Pinot Gris have been on the upswing of late, and, while there is an ocean of characterless versions

flooding the market, there are also some tasty, pleasantly refreshing examples that hit the target in terms of

excellent value. The well-balanced * CARMEL ROAD Monterey 2009 ($18.00) is rife with vibrant young fruit,

and the buoyant * J California 2010 ($16.00) is ideal for springtime sipping. The wonderfully fresh and

fruity * OAK KNOLL Willamette Valley 2008 ($12.00) shows off Oregon’s winning ways with the grape, as

does the more delicate * ELK COVE Willamatte Valley 2010 ($15.00), the light, yet flavorful, * ARCACHON

Willamette Valley 2008 ($11.00) and the spry, palate-cleansing A to Z Oregon 2010 ($12.00). All earn easy “Best

Buy” endorsement and rate high on our roster of very affordable, thirst-quenching, warm-weather whites.

Next month the CGCW spotlight shines on new Cabernet releases, and there are exciting new wines to be

had, but a few recent good-value standouts remain on retailer’s shelves and should not be missed. The precise,

deeply fruited * MIRO Silverwood Vineyard Alexander Valley 2009 ($30.00), the rich and substantial * NEW-

TON Red Label Napa County 2008 ($28.00) and the sturdy * CROZE De Coninck Vineyards Napa Valley 2008

($35.00) are all serious 90-point efforts that shame a good many of their high-ticket cousins, while the vital,

brightly fruited * FUSE Napa valley 2009 ($25.00) and the complex * CONN CREEK Herrick Red Napa Valley

2008 ($18.00) earn high praise at the price. The * ANCIENT PEAKS Paso Robles 2009 ($17.00) delivers lots of

honest Cabernet character for the money, and Washington’s very well-polished * COLUMBIA CREST H3 Les

Cheveaux Horse Heaven Hills 2009 ($15.00) reminds that good Cabernet can be had without breaking the bank,

and LOUIS M. MARTINI checks in with two notable values, the restrained, keenly focused * Napa Valley 2008 ($25.00) and the firm 86-point

Sonoma County 2009 ($18.00), and both are sure to satisfy the discerning Cabernet lover with an eye on a budget

PINOT NOIR

CABERNET SAUVIGNON

PINOT GRIS

Write to us at PO Box V, Alameda, CA 94501. Our phone is 510-865-3150. Fax: 510-865-4843. Email: cgcw@aol.com. Web: www.cgcw.com.

March 2012 Index

iq ALEXANDRIANICOLEGravity 2009 iq ALPHAOMEGAProprietaryRedWine2008 iq ANCIENTPEAKSPasoRobles 2009 iq BENZIGERSonomaCounty 2008 ir CALLUNACVCChalkHill 2009 iq CALLUNAAuxReynaudsChalkHill 2009 iq CHATEAUMEROUXReserve 2007* it COLUMBIACRESTWalterClorePriRes 2008*GVit COLUMBIACRESTH3HorseHeavenHl 2009*GVit COLUMBIAWINERYColumbiaValley 2008 ip COQUERELCalistogaNapaValley 2009** jm DUCKHORNStoutVineyard 2008* iu DUCKHORNNapaValley 2009 iq EOSFrenchConnectionPasoRobles 2009* is FROG’SLEAPRutherfordNapaValley 2008 iq GEYSERPEAKAlexanderValley 2007

** jn ADELAIDATheGlenroseVineyard 2009* it ALEXANDRIANICOLECrawford 2010* iu CHALKHILLWINERYChalkHill 2009* is CH.STE.MICHELLEMidsummerWhite 2010GV ir CLINENorthCoast 2009* is CURTISHeritageBlancSantaBarbara 2010 iq CURTISSantaBarbaraCounty 2010 iq DEEPSEASantaBarbaraCounty 2009

hu ADLERFELSRussianRiverValley 2010 ir ARTESAArtisanSeriesNapaValley 2010 iq BABCOCKEstateGrownSta.RitaHills 2009 iq BARBERLazarieDryCreekValley 2009 io BEAUCANNONNapaValley 2009 io BISHOP’SPEAKEdnaValley 2010* jl BRANDERPurisimaMountain 2010* is BRANDERAuNaturel 2010 ir BRANDERCuvéeNatalie 2010 ir BRANDERCuvéeNicholas 2010 ir BRANDERSantaYnezValley 2010 ip BRANDERMesaVerdeVineyard 2010 ip CASTLEROCKMendocinoCounty 2010* jl CAPTURETradition58%LakeCounty 2010* is CHATEAUPOTELLEVGSExplorerNapa 2009*GVit CHATEAUST.JEANFuméSonoma 2009 GV ir CLIFTheClimberCalifornia 2010 iq CLIFRteBlancNapaValley 2010** jm CORNERSTONENapaValley 2010* is COQUERELLePetitNapaValley 2010 iq COQUERELTerroirNapaValley 2009GV ir COVEYRUNColumbiaValley 2010 il DAVIDARTHURNapaValley 2010* is DARCIEKENTRavaBlackjackRanch 2010 ir DEEPSEACoquinaArroyoGrandeVly 2009

iq GREENWOODRIDGEMendocinoRidge 2009 ir HANNAHNICOLEMeritage 2009 ip HANNAHNICOLEContraCostaCounty 2009* is HILLNapaValley 2009* is JASONSTEPHENSEstateSantaClara 2007 iq JASONSTEPHENSEstateSelect 2007 iq KENWOODSonomaCounty 2009** jm LEDSONRussianRiverValley 2008*GViu McINTYREKimberlyVineyard 2009* iu MILBRANDTTheEstatesWahlukeSlope 2009GV ir NAPACREEKNapaValley 2007** jo NORTHSTARColumbiaValley 2008** jm NORTHSTARWallaWallaValley 2008* is NEWTONClaretNapaCounty 2009* is PAHLMEYERNapaValley 2009* it PINERIDGECrimsonCreekNapaValley 2009

* jl DuMOLliaRussianRiverValley 2010** jm EBERLEMillRoadVineyard 2010 io HANNAHNICOLEContraCostaCounty 2010 in LOREDONALodi 2009GVir McMANISCalifornia 2010 iq MICHAEL&DAVIDIncognitoLodi 2010 im MONTEMAGGIORE3Divas 2010 io NADIASta.BarbaraHighlandsVineyard 2008

ip DOGWOODHummingbirdHill 2010* is DRYCREEKVYDDCV3DryCreekValley 2009GV ir DRYCREEKVYDDryCreekValley 2010 iq DUCKHORNNapaValley 2010 iq ENOTROPANorthCoast 2010 io ESSERMonterey 2010 ir FERRARI-CARANOFuméSonoma 2010* is GREENWOODRIDGEAndersonValley2010* iu GRGICHHILLSEssenceNapaValley 2010* it GRGICHHILLSFuméBlancNapaValley2010 iq GROTHNapaValley 2010 ir HALLTBarTRanchAlexanderValley 2010 ht HANNAHNICOLEContraCostaCounty 2010 ip HERITANCENapaValley 2010*GVit HILLNapaValley 2010GV ir HUNTINGTONDryCreekValley 2010* is HUSCHLaRiberaVineyardsMendocino 2010 im JOSEPHJEWELLRedwoodRanch 2009** jm JOSEPHPHELPSSt.HelenaNapaValley 2010 iq LADERAHowellMountainNapaValley 2010 iq LAKESONOMADryCreekValley 2010 io LdeLYETHSonomaCounty 2010 iq LINCOURTSantaYnezValley 2010** jn MERRYEDWARDSRussianRiverValley 2010 in MORGANMonterey 2010

ir ROMBAUERCarneros 2007* it RUARedWineNapaValley 2009 ip REDROCKWinemaker’sBlendReserve 2010 ip SARAH’SVINEYARDSantaCruzMtns 2007* iu SCHUGSonomaValley 2008 ip SCHUGHeritageReserveCarneros 2007* it SEBASTIANIAlexanderValley 2009 iq SILVERADOMt.GeorgeVineyard 2007 iq SPRINGVALLEYMuleSkinner 2008* is STAGS’LEAPWINERYNapaValley 2008 ip THREERIVERSColumbiaValley 2009 iq WENTESandstoneLivermoreValley 2009 in WENTETheNthDegreeLivermore 2007** jn WORLD’SENDReserveLittleSister 2009

ip NOVYRussianRiverValley 2010* is ROSENBLUMKathy’sCuvéeCalifornia 2009 in ROSENBLUMBayBlendCalifornia 2009 im SARAH’SVINEYARDEstateSantaClara2009 iq STORYBOOKMOUNTAINVINEYARD 2010 hq URSASierraFoothills 2009 in VINAROBLESWhite4PasoRobles 2010

GV ir MURPHY-GOODETheFuméN.Coast 2010 io MURIETTA’SWELLTheWhipLivermore 2010* is NAVARROCuvée128Mendocino 2010* is PEJUNapaValley 2010 ip POMELO2010California 2010* is PONTDECHEVALIERKnightsValley 2009* iu PURETYNapaValley 2009*GVjl QUIVIRAFigTreeVineyardDryCreek 2010** jo ROBERTMONDAVIFuméBlancReserve 2009* is ROBERTMONDAVIFuméBlanc 2009 io ROCKHOLLOWVintner’sSelection 2010*GVit ROCKWALLLakeCounty 2010 iq ROCKWALLVivaLaBlancCalifornia —— ip RODNEYSTRONGCharlotte’sHome 2010 ip RUEDDryCreekValley 2010 ip RUSTRIDGENapaValley 2010 ip SILVERADOMillerRanchNapaValley 2010 GV ir TANGENTEdnaValley 2010* is TUDALNapaValley 2010 ir VERMEILNapaValley 2010* it VOSSNapaValley 2010* is ZINAHYDECUNNINGHAM 2010

SYRAH

MERLOT

SAUVIGNON BLANC

VIOGNIER

95

irALEXANDERVALLEYVINEYARDS 2008* iuALTACOLINAEstateToastedSlope 2008 iqBEDROCKSonomaCoast 2010** jmBETZFAMILYLaSerenneYakimaValley 2009* itBETZFAMILYLaCôteRousse 2009 inCASAEDASonomaValley 2009* isCEPSonomaCoast 2009 iqCOPAIN“LesVoisins”YorkvilleHlnds 2009 iqCOWHORNSyrah74ApplegateValley 2008 DESCENDANTSLIEGEOISDUPONT 2009 iqDIERBERGSantaYnezValley 2008* isDOGWOODDryCreekValley 2008***jqDuMOLJackRobert’sRun 2009** joDuMOLEddie’sPatch 2009* itERICKENTKalen’sBigBoyBlend 2009 irFAZELIYaldaTemeculaValley 2008 ipFAZELIReserveShirazTemeculaValley 2008* isGAMBLEOldVineSt.Helena 2007 ioGREENWOODRIDGEMendocinoRidge 2009* jlHALTERRANCHEstateBlock22 2009* itHIGHFLYERCenterlineCalifornia 2008** joJCCELLARSHaleyRockpileVineyard 2009

** jnJCCELLARSFessParker’sVineyard 2009** jmJCCELLARSBuffaloHill 2009* jlJCCELLARSSmokeandMirrors 2009* isJCCELLARSTimeCapsuleCalifornia 2007* isJCCELLARSMosciVineyard 2009** jnJOSEPHPHELPSLarryHyde&SonsVyd 2009* iuJOSEPHPHELPSNapaValley 2009** jmLAETITIAEstateArroyoGrandeValley 2009 irLEONESSEMelangedeRêves 2008 iqLEONESSETemeculaValley 2007 iqLEONESSERockCreekVineyard 2008 iqLEONESSECalifornia 2008 ioLEONESSEVistadelMonteVineyard 2008 iqLUCIAGarys’Vineyard 2009 ioMORGANMonterey 2009* jlNEYERSOldLakevilleRoad 2009* iuNOVYChristensenFamilyVineyard 2009* itNOVYSantaLuciaHighlands 2009* isNOVYSusan’sHillVineyard 2009* isNOVYRussianRiverValley 2009* isNOVYJudgeFamilyVineyard 2008***jqOJAIVINEYARDPresidioVineyard 2006

** jpOJAIVINEYARDWhiteHawkVineyard 2006** jnOJAIVINEYARDBienNacidoVineyard 2006** jmOJAIVINEYARDThompsonVineyard 2006** jmOJAIVINEYARDMelvilleVineyards 2006* iuOJAIVINEYARDRollRanchVineyard 2006* isOJAIVINEYARDSantaBarbaraCounty 2008* itPORTERCREEKTimbervineRanch 2009* isPROVISORDryCreekValley 2008 iqREYNVAAN“InTheRocks” 2009* jlROCKBLOCKSoNoOregon ——** jmROSENBLUMKickRanchReserve 2008* itROSENBLUMRomingerVineyard 2008 irROSENBLUMAbbaVineyardLodi 2008 iqROSENBLUMHolbrook-MitchellRes 2008 iqROSENBLUMFran’sReserveRockpile 2008 inROSENBLUMVintner’sCuvée 2009** jmSHAFERRelentlessNapaValley 2008 ipSTOLPMANSantaYnezValley 2009** jmTESTAROSSAGarys’Vineyard 2009*GVitVENTANAArroyoSeco 2008