A blend of stone and citrus fruits show on the nose. On the palate, minerality shines through, blending with white peach and Meyer lemon. This is a well-crafted bottle of wine at a great price. Drink with simply poached white fish. Recommended. 88 points. DBH WHO: J Vineyards & Winery
The nose shows tremendous florals, honeysuckle and magnolia. Fruits on the palate are soft ad tropical, with guava, mango, and fried plantain. There is enough Meyer Lemon to give an zippy background, but not enough to distract from the exotic fruits. This is a truly lovely wine, soft and exotic,
Blackberries, brambles, herbs, and hints of tarragon flow up on the nose. The palate also leads with blackberries, backed by coffee, unsweetened chocolate, and herbs. Tannins are rigid. This is a dark, chunky, slightly disjointed wine. Drink with lamb. Recommended. 86 points. DBH WHO: Bravdo WHAT: Merlot WHEN: 2013 DESIGNATION:
Aromas of dark chocolate covered cherries and freshly-ground espresso explode from the glass. Black fruit leads on the palate, blackberry and black raspberry, with sweeter cherry making an appearance on the mid-palate. Leafy herbs, coffee, and unsweetened chocolate run through the fruit. Tannins are rigid in this still-young wine. This
The nose shows very ripe, even a little stewed, cherries. Candied cherries and strawberries, with black pepper and vanilla, come through on the palate. This is a soft, round, crowd-pleasing wine that will satisfy the neophytes. Recommended. 85 points. DBH WHO: Prophecy Wines WHAT: Pinot Noir WHEN: 2015 WHERE: California HOW MUCH:
Aromas of honeysuckle, magnolias, and peaches show on the nose. The palate is complex, as peach, nectarine, and tarragon dance around a mineral spine and salinity that will pair beautifully with oysters. Highly Recommended. 91 points. DBH WHO: Troon Vineyard WHAT: Vermentino, Marsanne WHEN: 2016 DESIGNATION: Cuvée Rolle WHERE: Applegate
Aromas of cinnamon-baked apples waft up from the glass. Fresh apples, crisp cucumber, and white grapefruit come out on the palate. Crisp minerality shines through. This is juicy, bright, and layered. Drink with mussels. Highly Recommended. 92 points. DBH WHO: Dutton Goldfield WHAT: Pinot Blanc DESIGNATION: Shop Block WHEN: 2016
The color is not quite opaque, garnet all the way through. Gorgeous black raspberry and vanilla float up on the nose. On the palate it's a bit reductive, and offers plums, raspberry, licorice, and black pepper. Tannins are dusty, acids bright. This is a bit more ripe and a bit