WINEMAG.COM | 13192
Merryvale 2017 Chardonnay (Carneros).
Expansive tones of tangerine and green
apple are balanced by bright acidity and stone-
like minerality on the palate. The tannins are well
integrated and supportive, as is the integrated oak,
making this a well-balanced offering. —V.B.
abv: 13.9% Price: $3592
Neyers 2017 Roberts Road Pinot Noir
( Sonoma Coast). Stemmy and earthy, this
wine offers intense cranberry and tea tones. The
midpalate has a velvety lining of soft tannins that
lengthens the finish. —V.B.
abv: 13.4% Price: $4592
Parvaneh 2016 Estate Reserve Petite Sirah
(Paso Robles). Lavish aromas of cassis, lav-
ender and cocoa make for a deep and thorough nose
in this estate bottling. Cohesive flavors of roasted
beef, boysenberry jam, peppercorn and flower petals
make for a complex and smooth experience. —M.K.
abv: 14.8% Price: $7592
Shafer 2017 Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonnay
(Carneros). A perennial powerhouse white,
this delivers gorgeously constructed layers of rich
pineapple, guava and mango, complemented by
vanilla and baking spice from the oak. A steely mid-
palate shows bright acidity that lifts the concentra-
tion. —V.B.
abv: 14.9% Price: $5292
Skinner 2017 Grenache (El Dorado). Attractive
but subtle spices brighten the red cherry
and black plum notes in this full-bodied and firmly
structured wine. Hints of cinnamon, allspice and
nutmeg emerge in the aromas and stay buzzing
through the concentrated palate and on to the fin-
ish. Editors’ Choice. —J.G.
abv: 14.2% Price: $3092
Skinner 2016 Eighteen Sixty-One (El Dorado).
Intricately woven, complex flavors are
braced by firm tannins and bright acidity in this
Rhône-style red blend. It is full in body without
being fat, blending earthy, meaty flavors with black
pepper, blackberry and roasted plum for a subtle
but compelling outcome. —J.G.
abv: 14.4% Price: $3292
Westerly 2017 Sauvignon Blanc (Happy
Canyon of Santa Barbara). The slightest bit
cloudy in the glass, this bottling shows a wondrous
combination of grassy aromas and fruity tones of
passion fruit and guava on the full nose. The palate
is flavorful in ripe tropical fruits as well as strong
grass and wet stone accents. —M.K.
abv: 14.5% Price: $2491
2Hawk 2018 Sauvignon Blanc (Rogue Valley).
A turnabout in style from the previous vin-
tage, this is a rich, dense wine, with a mix of Meyer
lemon, apricot and mango fruit. This sees time in
40% neutral oak and 60% stainless steel, the for-
mer of which has aided in rounding out the palate.
Editors’ Choice. —P.G.
abv: 13.3% Price: $2691
Aver Family Vineyards 2016 Family Album
Petite Sirah (Santa Clara Valley). Aromas of
violet, lilac, black plum, tar and wood spice arise
on the nose of this dense and powerful wine. The
palate shows hints of tar and asphalt at first, but
it opens into peppercorn spice and purple fruits,
with sticky tannins that rise up on the finish. Cellar
Selection. —M.K.
abv: 15% Price: $43