Gundlach Bundschu Mountain Cuvee 2018 Sonoma County, California

It’s time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday.

Inky in color with a reddish rim.

Simple nose of plums, cherries, light wood, spices and coffee.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry and fruity on the palate with black plums, cooked cherries, oak, vanilla, licorice, spices, cloves, herbs, dark chocolates, coffee and peppercorn.

Short finish with soft tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a nice Merlot based Bordeaux blend from Sonoma County. Fruit forward with mild complexity.

A little “fake” on the nose, in the sense that something was definitely added to the wine.

Good right out of the bottle and better after some airtime.

A little hot, but smooth and elegant. Spicy and easy drinking.

A blend of 77% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec and 3% Cabernet Franc.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

88 points.

$20.

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.

Belden Barns Wines Sonoma Mountain Pinot Noir 2019, California

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim, and medium plus intensity.

Fruity nose of bing cherries, strawberries, raspberries, spices, oak, light barnyard, earth, vegetables, herbs and tobacco leaf.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with raspberries, cherries, oak, spices, chocolates, vegetables, bitter herbs and peppercorn.

Spicy finish with soft tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a very enjoyable Pinot Noir from Sonoma. Easy drinking and good by itself or with food.

Nicely balanced with a soft mouthfeel. Spicy and fruit forward.

Would be nice to revisit it in a couple of years.

Good right out of the bottle and gets earthier as it opens up. A good wine to sip on by the porch.

I paired it with cheeses, nuts and olives.

14.4% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$40.

Belden Barns Wines Sonoma Mountain Sauvignon Blanc 2020, California

Light yellow in color with a golden hue.

Fruity nose with gooseberries, grapefruits, lemons, limes, light spices and minerals.

Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with grapefruit juice, lemons, citrus, apples, spices and white pepper.

Spicy finish with tangy limes.

This is a very enjoyable Sauvignon Blanc from Sonoma Mountain. Easy drinking, crisp and refreshing. Fruit-forward and enjoyable by itself, with nice length on the finish.

A great porch wine. Nicely balanced with a touch of RS to balance the acidity.

13.7% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$30.

Krill Family Vineyards Pellet Estate Sunchase Vineyard Chardonnay 2017 Petaluma Gap, California

Deep golden in color, with a yellow tint.

On the nose citrus, limes, yellow apples, spices, light oak, vanilla and black pepper.

Medium bodied with medium plus acidity and long fat legs.

Dry on the palate with limes, grapefruits, citrus, red apples, pears, light vegetables, spices, oak, light vanilla, light herbs and black pepper.

Tangy finish with bitter almonds.

This is a nice Oaky Chardonnay from Sonoma County. Rich and fierce, yet elegant. Tangy, spicy and interesting.

Needs 30 minutes to open up properly and relax. Good by itself as a sipping wine, or with food. Spicy with nice complexity. The high alcohol is not noticeable, so you better watch out.

This 4 year old Single Vineyard still feels fresh and young, and will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 7 years.

Barrel fermented and aged in French oak barrels for 16 months.

14.6% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$68.

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.

Kukeri Wines Pentaluma Gap Lakeville Vineyard Pinot Noir 2019, Sonoma County, California

Reddish in color with medium intensity.

Fruity nose with cherries, ripe strawberries, raspberries, light oak, vegetables, earth and spices.

Medium-bodied with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with raspberries, strawberries, bing cherries, oak, wild flowers, light vanilla, spices, dark chocolates, herbs and peppercorn.

Medium finish with soft tannins and tangy raspberries.

This young Pinot Noir from Sonoma Coast is drinking nicely already. Fruit forward and easy drinking. Light and approachable.

This Single Vineyard is showing mild complexity with a nice mouthfeel.

After after an hour of airtime, it gets earthier, with some bitter herb notes. Would be nice to revisit it in 2 years.

Good right out of the bottle and good with food. I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

A very small production of only 5 barrels.

14.2% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$42.

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.

Bee Hunter Wines Elevate Pinot Noir 2017, California

A very pretty ruby in color with a wide brick/ reddish rim.

Fruity nose with cherries, blueberries, vanilla, licorice, oak, spices, light vegetables, herbs and black pepper.

Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate and fruit forward with cherries, strawberries, raspberries, light chocolates, spices, light oak, rose pedals, herbs and peppercorn.

Long finish with soft tannins and tangy cranberries.

This is a very nice Pinot Noir from California. Easy drinking and well-balanced with a soft mouthfeel.

Good by itself as a sipping wine, and good right out of the bottle.

Tangy and fruit forward. Rich and elegant with nice complexity.

I love the fact that it is relatively low in alcohol. A great porch wine.

A good quality wine that will age nicely in the next 5 years.

Grapes are from Mendocino County (68%) and the rest from Sonoma County.

13.2% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$50.