2017 J. Lohr “Gesture” Zinfandel Paso Robles ($25).

If you feel label-triggered to actually pair this wine with steelhead, I wouldn’t even try to talk you out of it. Out of Mendocino County, this red blend contains a wide range of hotter-climate varietals and expresses notes of chocolate and plums, blueberry jam and herbs, tar and baking spice and a blackberry kick that lets you know there’s Zinfandel in there. Related Articles. Pair it with game. Easy, easy, easy. This one’s for drinking now, not holding. Forget all your preconceptions about Chardonnay — that it's rich and buttery and out of fashion.

$10.99, 2015 Louis Martini Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon $15.99, Cambria Tepusquet Vineyard Syrah 2014 $19.99, The Best Places To Buy Large Format Wines Online, The Ultimate Guide To Online Wine Auctions, Winemaker Interview: Two Shepherds Winery. Plush aromas of dark cherries marked by toasty oak, this boasts candied orange peel, Amarena cherries, raspberry coulis, currants, and a hint of raisins simmered with vanilla pod. Baileyana 2016 Chardonnay “Firepeak” Edna Valley ($20). I told the guy in the capacious tasting room I was on a bike and couldn’t carry much of anything with me so not to bother pouring a whole flight. (Courtesy of La Crema Winery), La Follette Pinot Noir Sonoma ($21) In addition to running two wineries, their side projects would be enough to kill a normally hardy entrepreneur. (Courtesy of Decoy Wines), Field Recordings 2017 Verdelho Pomar Junction Vineyard ($25) — This unusual Portuguese varietal has notes of honeydew, lemon cream pie and white roses. Check Vivino to see where you can order it online (starting at $22).

This couple pursues traditional Italian practices, and it shows. Vivid intensity, good bones, a lean but not austere wine with enormous versatility and a high likelihood of making everyone happy. “Yes, that characterization of Zinfandel as super-ripe, etc. Over the course of tasting several dozen Zinfandels for this article, I was struck by the amazing diversity of styles among them all, the excellent value of even the most expressive single-vineyard bottlings, and the ability of my favorites among them to remain balanced and energetic at a broad range of alcohol percentages.

Winemaker Christian Roguenant is a master of aromatics and his wines are full of subtle tensions and intriguing layers. Although we do not pre-screen comments, we reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. F&W editors and contributors tried hundreds of wines to find the 75 best. This stuff is just so easygoing it’s harder to say what not to pair it with. 10 Best Merlots Under $25; A Tale of Two Stags' Leap Cabernet Sauvignons Here's some help with a guide to the best (New World) red wines you'll find for less than $50. The palate shows vermentino’s characteristic vibrant acids, with flavors of key lime, nectarine, and an ocean spray note that lingers on the long, clean, bright finish. The Folie a Deux Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon costs around $24 per bottle, and ratings tend to be around 90 points from wine critics. Pair its brightness with a tray of plump raw oysters.”. A cool-climate Zinfandel from Mendocino County, whose major exports are fog, chilly Pacific wind, and some of my favorite wines. Expect plenty of fruit and dense but well-integrated tannins. Rebecca Robinson, Executive Director of ZAP, Zinfandel Advocates & Producers, stressed both the versatility of Zinfandel as well as its ability to convey a sense of terroir with delicious clarity. It’s got a velvety texture with notes of blackcurrant, chocolate, cloves and licorice. It is a red that will happily hang out with seafood dishes, but I wouldn’t rule out turkey. Cabernet Sauvignon is a cinch in Washington state compared to Napa Valley. Zin is the heritage grape of California and there are plantings that date to the late 19th century that are still making incredible wine.

OK: Honesty time. There is a bit of a marine funk to this wine, and it is highly intriguing. Its defining creaminess is elevated by refreshing acidity and carries the fruity, toasty flavors along its rich finish.”.