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.

MacRostie Winery and Vineyards Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2018, California

Light yellow in color with a golden tint.

Nose of citrus, lemons, apples, spices, toasted oak, light vegetables and earth.

Medium bodied with medium acidity and smooth.

Dry on the palate with limes, grapefruits, citrus, green apples, river rocks, bitter herbs, spices, black pepper and light oak.

Spicy finish with limes.

This is a very nice Chardonnay from Russian River Valley. Spicy and interesting. Nicely balanced and elegant, with soft earth notes.

Good right out of the bottle, and gets more complex as it opens up.

A little high in alcohol, but not noticeable at all. Good by itself and with food.

I paired it with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses by the lake.

14.2% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$36.

Maritana Vineyards Dutton Ranch Chardonnay 2017, Russian River Valley, California

Light yellow in color with a golden hue.

Light nose of citrus, vanilla, light oak, spices and yellow apples.

Full bodied, buttery and soft, with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with light oak and vanilla, citrus, lemons, grapefruits, herbs, earth, spices and white pepper.

Medium plus on the finish with bitter almonds and black pepper.

This is a very nice and elegant Chardonnay from Russian River Valley. Showing nice complexity with a soft mouthfeel.

This oaky Chardonnay, is not the “in your face” kind of wine, and even better with food.

This Single Vineyard is a good quality wine, that will age nicely in the next 5 years.

I paired it with cheeses, and it worked very nicely with the Swiss cheese and the double cream Brie cheese.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$90.

Maritana Vineyards Le Russe Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2018, California

Ruby in color with a wide reddish/ cloudy rim and medium-plus intensity.

Strong nose of bing cherry, oak, licorice, blueberries, light earth, chocolates, tobacco and black pepper.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with cherries, strawberries, red currants, oak, smoke, licorice, spices, light vanilla, tobacco, earth, milk chocolate and black pepper.

Nice finish with spices and tangy cherries.

This is a good quality Pinot Noir from Russian River Valley. Very enjoyable on its own.

Showing nice complexity with a soft mouthfeel. Exactly what you expect from a good Russian River Valley Pinot Noir.

Well balanced with nice complexity and mouthfeel.

Good right out of the bottle and good by itself or with food.

Easy drinking with high alcohol, so watch out. Soft and elegant yet rich and engaging.

Would benefit from a few more years of bottle time.

Wine Enthusiasts 92 points.

I preferred it with a light chill, and paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$55.

Maritana Vineyards Russian River Valley La Riviere Chardonnay 2018, California

Pale straw in color with a golden hue.

Strong nose of citrus, vanilla, spices, oak, yellow apples, pears and white pepper.

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

Dry on the palate with citrus, melons, apples, light grapefruits, spices, hazelnuts, oak, vanilla and peppercorn.

Nice length on the finish with spices and almonds.

This is a very tasty Chardonnay from Russian River Valley.

Spicy and intriguing. Interesting with a buttery, smooth mouthfeel. Nicely balanced and Oaky.

Right out of the bottle, it is in your face kind of wine, but as it opens up, it calms down a bit with less oak and vanilla notes, so give it 20 minutes.

Will be nice to see how this evolves in 5 to 7 years.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with a cheese plate.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$55.

Notre Vue Estate Musque Chardonnay 2019, Russian River Valley, California

Pale lemon in color.

On the nose limes, grapefruits, green apples, light oak, vanilla, bitter herbs, melons and earth.

Medium bodied with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with grapefruits, limes, lemons, bitter vegetables, green apples, spices, herbs, light wood and white pepper.

Short finish with limes and bitter almonds.

This is a nice Chardonnay from Russian River Valley, California. Crisp and refreshing.

Nicely balanced with mild complexity. A good quality wine and better when properly chilled.

Will be interesting to see how it evolves in the next couple of years.

A nice food wine that I paired with fried Calamari.

14.3% alcohol by volume.

87 Points.

$36.

Oakwild Ranch Winery Toboni Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2016, California

Reddish in color with a wide reddish rim and medium plus intensity. Very pretty.

On the nose bing cherries, blueberries, spices, light oak, light red candy, earth and black pepper.

Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with bing cherries, raspberries, blueberries, light wood, light earth, spices and peppercorn.

Medium plus on the finish with soft tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 4 year old Pinot Noir from Sonoma County is drinking very nicely now. Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel.

Fruit forward and easy drinking with a spicy finish. Fun wine and very tasty now. Alcohol is nicely integrated by now.

Will continue to drink nicely in the next 3 to 5 years.

Good right out of the bottle. I gave it a light chill and had it by the pool. Paired nicely with a Double cream Brie cheese.

100% Pinot Noir grapes from a Single Vineyard. A small production of only 92 cases. Aged in 30% new oak barrels.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$45.

Oakwild Ranch Winery Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2018, California

Ruby in color with medium intensity.

On the nose bing cherries, raspberries, light earth, light spices and black pepper.

Medium bodied with medium-plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with cherries, strawberries, red currants, spices, tobacco, earth, herbs, dark coffee and peppercorn.

Medium finish with soft tannins and red chili pepper.

This is a nice Pinot Noir from Russian River Valley. Easy drinking and bright. Fruit forward with nice acidity. I gave it a light chill and had it by the pool.

Needs 20 minutes to open up, as it is a bit young. Spicy and tangy.

A good wine to pair with food. I paired it with Brie cheese and olives.

100% Pinot Noir grapes were aged in 20% new oak barrels.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

88 points.

$40.

Oakwild Ranch Winery Driscoll Chardonnay 2018, Russian River Valley, California

Light straw in color with a yellowish tint.

Strong nose of citrus, oak, spices, vanilla, lemons, yellow apples, white pepper and light tropical fruits.

Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with lemons, citrus, apples, pears, pineapples, light oak, herbs, light vegetables, spices, vanilla and peppercorn.

Nice spicy finish with limes and almonds.

This is a nice Chardonnay from Russian River Valley. Easy-drinking and nicely balanced, with enough oak notes for those who enjoy that.

A good wine to sip by the pool or to have with food. Showing mild complexity with a nice mouthfeel.

Not too oaky nor too bitter. Just right, and a little spicier than I expected.

Has high alcohol, but not too noticeable, so watch out.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$28.