Topel Winery Orsa Rosé of Pinot Noir 2020, Russian River Valley, California

Pale salmon in color.

Light nose of limes, grapefruits, earth, river rocks, raspberries, minerals and spices.

Light to medium in body with medium plus acidity. Crisp and refreshing.

Dry on the palate with light strawberries, cranberries, limes, grapefruits, green apples, earth and bitter herbs.

Tangy finish with bitter almonds.

This is a nice and refreshing Rosé from Russian River Valley. Tangy and spicy.

Earthier than I expected, and feels like a Rosé from Southern France.

Easy drinking and good for the pool. Good by itself and better with food.

12.8% alcohol by volume.

88 points.

$22.

Maritana Vineyards Russian River Valley Hansen Hill Vineyard Chardonnay 2017 Sonoma County, California

Light golden in color.

On the nose ripe lemons, yellow apples, oak, light butter, citrus, vanilla, Indian spices, light honeysuckle and light tangerines.

Full bodied, creamy and bold, with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with red apples, oak, vanilla, citrus, spices, sea salt, white pepper and light earth.

Nice length on the finish with lemons and almonds.

This is a very tasty Chardonnay from Russian River Valley. Showing nice complexity, especially on the nose. I really enjoyed the nose more than the palate.

This four year old is drinking very nicely now with lots of oak and vanilla notes. Still very fresh.

Good right out of the bottle, and much better after 30 minutes of airtime.

This Single Vineyard Chardonnay is a good quality wine, that will continue to age nicely in the next five years. I’ve had this vintage a year ago, and it is much better now.

Nicely balanced with a great mouth feel. Buttery and creamy, and better when not very cold.

Aged in French oak barrels. A small production of only 350 cases.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$90.

Rubia Wine Cellars Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay 2019 Russian River Valley, California

Light golden in color.

On the nose citrus, yellow apples, lemons, light oak and vanilla, spices and white pepper.

Full bodied, smooth and lightly creamy, with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with apples, melons, pears, spices, light oak, vanilla, earth, light herbs and white pepper.

Nice length on the finish with spices and light almonds.

This is a delicious Chardonnay from Russian River Valley. Well-balanced with a great mouth feel. Elegant and rich.

Good by itself right out of the bottle, and better when not too cold, when the complexity shows up.

The light oak notes are very intertwined and give a luxury feel to the wine.

A good quality wine that would be nice to revisit in 3 years.

I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

100% Chardonnay grapes were barrel fermented and aged in French oak barrels for 16 months on lees. A very small production of only 6 barrels were made.

12.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$65.

Castello di Amorosa Cresta d’Oro Vineyard Rosato di Pinot Noir 2020, California

Pale salmon in color.

Light nose of lemons, light strawberries, citrus, limes, river rocks, green apples, sea salt and earth.

Light to medium in body with medium plus acidity. Crisp and refreshing.

Dry on the palate with raspberries, strawberries, limes, grapefruits, bitter herbs, spices, light earth, green apples and minerals.

Nice length on the finish with limes.

This is a very enjoyable Rosé from Russian River Valley. Nicely balanced, crisp and refreshing. Light and engaging without being bitter nor tart.

This Single Vineyard is showing nice complexity already. Easy drinking and good by itself.

Gets earthier as it opens up with an old world feel (30 minutes).

Good by itself or with food. A tasty wine that I enjoyed all by itself by the pool.

12.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$35.

Notre Vue Estate Winery Balverne Russian River Valley Forever Wild Chardonnay 2019, California

Pale lemon in color with a green/ golden hue.

Nice nose of lemons, cedar, vanilla, toast, limes, grapefruits, honeysuckle, apples, honeydew, earth, minerals, sea salt and light river rocks.

Full bodied, buttery and smooth, with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with citrus, green apples, grapefruits, bitter herbs, spices, oak, vanilla, peppercorn, wet leaves and earth.

Nice tangy finish with almonds.

This is a very enjoyable Chardonnay from Russian River Valley. Elegant, fruity and interesting.

Loved the nose here. Showing nice complexity with a great mouthfeel.  Would be nice to revisit it in 3 years.

Good right out of the bottle, and better with airtime (20 minutes).

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with cheeses, crackers and olives.

100% Chardonnay grapes were aged for 5 months in French Oak barrels (20% new).

14.2% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$35.

Smith Devereux Winery M Vino Rosé 2020, Russian River Valley, California

A very pretty color of light salmon with a peach hue.

Fruity nose of sweet raspberries, limes, red apples, melons, flowers, red candy, rose pedals, earth and herbs.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity, crisp and refreshing.

Dry on the palate with raspberries, strawberries, limes, grapefruits, bitter herbs, earth and light vegetables.

Nice tangy finish with limes and almonds.

This is a very tasty Rosé from Russian River Valley. Smooth and nicely balanced. Elegant with pretty legs.

This Single Vineyard is showing a great mouthfeel with nice acidity. Really enjoyed the nose.

Good right out of the bottle and good by itself. A great party wine that everyone would love.

100% Pinot Noir grapes. A very small production of only 125 cases.

13.6% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$36.

Castello di Amorosa Cresta D’Oro Vineyard Rosato 2019, Russian River Valley, California

Pretty color of light peach with a touch of pink.

Strong nose of light strawberries, wild flowers, rose pedals, peaches, raspberries, limes, citrus, green apples, minerals, white pepper and light grapefruits.

Medium bodied with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with green apples, lemons, limes, grapefruits, river rocks, light raspberries and light earth.

Crisp finish with limes and almonds.

This is a very tasty Rosé from Russian River Valley. Nice and refreshing. Elegant and fruity, with a really pretty nose.

Easy drinking with a nice mouthfeel. Nicely balanced with nice complexity. Fresh and lively.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with cheeses and crackers.

100% Pinot Noir grapes from a Single Vineyard, were aged in egg shaped concrete vessels.

13.6% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$39.

Kukeri Wines Russian River Valley Cuvée Ivonne Pinot Noir 2019, California

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Ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Fruity nose of cherries, raspberries, spices, light oak, chocolates, vanilla, licorice and black pepper.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity. Soft and smooth.

Dry on the palate with bing cherries, strawberries, raspberries, spices, light chocolates, oak, black pepper, licorice and light vanilla.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a tasty Pinot Noir from Russian River Valley. Easy drinking with mild complexity. Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel. Light and airy.

Still young, but already enjoyable, even by itself. Would be nice to see how this evolves in 3 to 5 years.

Good right out of the bottle. I gave it a light chill and paired it with a beautiful view.

100% Pinot Noir grapes were hand picked and aged for 12 months in French oak barrels (30% new). A small production of only 5 barrels made.

14.2% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$42.

Notre Vue Estate Balverne Forever Wild Pinot Noir 2019, Russian River Valley, California

Reddish in color with light to medium intensity.

Fruity nose of bing cherries, blueberries, strawberries, vanilla, light oak, light vegetables and spices.

Light to medium in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with cherries, blueberries, light wood, bitter herbs, earth, light vegetables and peppercorn.

Nice finish with fine grained tannins (after an hour of airtime) and strawberries.

This is an easy drinking Pinot Noir from Russian River Valley. Fresh and fruity. Light and engaging.

Still young, but already enjoyable, even by itself. A good pool or porch wine. Tangy and spicy.

Better after an hour of airtime, when tannins show up, but good right out of the bottle, too.

Would be nice to revisit it in 3 years. A nice good quality wine.

14.2% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$45.

Williams Selyem Papera Vineyard Zinfandel 2015, Russian River Valley, California

Light ruby in color with a wide reddish rim and medium intensity.

Fruity nose of strawberries, raspberries, sweet cherries, light wood, spices, earth, herbs, light vegetables and peppercorn.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with cherries, sweet strawberries, currants, oak, light vanilla, spices, dark chocolates, earth, light vegetables, tobacco leaf and peppercorn.

Medium finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a very tasty and elegant Zinfandel from Russian River Valley. Nicely balanced and tangy.

Needs a couple of hours to open up properly, and remove some of the acidity. Worth the wait.

This Single Vineyard Zinfandel from the great 2015 vintage is starting to drink nicely now. Still young, and needs 3 to 5 years of bottle time, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.

Good by itself, once it opens up. Showing nice complexity with a soft mouthfeel. Elegant and rich.

Thank you Wendy for sharing this with me.

I paired it with dried meats and olives.

Aged in French oak barrels for 14 months (23% new).

14.8% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$75.