Pure Chardonnay, 2006 ($10.99) - The X Winery is one of those California concepts that leave the rest of us scratching our heads. It is actually two wineries in one: X Winery and Amicus Cellars. The latter makes expensive Napa Valley wines, while the former makes value wines under several different labels from numerous sources. The back label reports that they are made by the Underground Winery. Go figure! The offerings under the Pure label are pure values. The Sauvignon Blanc is a tasty New Zealand-style wine with varietal character and good acidity. The Chardonnay is a bit dull with muted crispness, but it is better than most in this price range.

Wyatt Chardonnay, 2004 ($10.99) - This is made by the husband and wife team who bring us Burrton Sauvignon Blanc. She is the marketing manager for several cult wineries. Through her contacts she is able to source some top quality grapes. He is the wine maker. Wyatt Chardonnay has surprising depth, complexity, and character for its price range. It’s lightly oaked.

Purple Mountain Chardonnay, Sonoma, 2004 ($13.99) - The “skinny” on this wine is that the grapes come from a famous winery with "Chalk" in the name. It tastes more tropical than is typical for Sonoma County. Rounded and mellow, with good body and some malo-lactic character, this is an appealing and well-made crowd pleaser.

High Note Chardonnay, Santa Barbara, 2005 ($14.99) - An attractive, reasonably well-balanced, rounded wine with medium fruit and just enough oak to give it some complexity. Made by Alison Crowe.  Alison has been both a custom crush provider and client winemaker with California’s Bonny Doon Vineyard and Byington Vineyard & Winery, and Bodegas Salentein in Argentina. Alison is currently the winemaker for Plata Wine Partners, LLC and provides consulting and custom winemaking services to nationally distributed wineries as well as hot startup brands.

Lion’s Ridge Unoaked Chardonnay ($15.99) -  Just when you thought all California Chards are too oaky, along comes one that never saw a barrel or an oak chip. Medium-bodied, with pleasing crispness, this charming wine was made at Clos La Chance.

Moon Mountain Chardonnay, Sonoma, 2005 ($15.99) - This very serious Chardonnay tastes like a baby Sonoma Cutrer, which is not too surprising for most of the grapes for this wine come from the Russian River Valley. Big in size, rich in fruit, and slightly oaked, this is remarkably good for its price and is one of the best Chards available under $20. Moon Mountain - These superb values come from the old Carmenet winery which is located nearly 2000 feet up on the Sonoma side of Mount Veeder. The winery, part of the Chalone Wine Group, was sold to Diageo (a huge wine and spirits concern that owns Hennessy, Tanqueray, Gordon’s, Baileys, Sambuca Romana, Smirnoff, Jose Cuervo, Captain Morgan, Moet, BV, and Sterling among many other brands) last year. This wine, made from purchased fruit from sustainably farmed Sonoma vineyards, is still made at the winery, but the Carmenet label no longer exists.

Moondance Cellars Chardonnay, Napa, 2004 ($16.35) - Despite recent vineyard expansion in California, the glut of excess grapes appears to be over. Prices have been rising. It's been hard for brokers who age and bottle wines purchased on the “spot” market or from reliable sources to find juice that is still a good value. But we and a few other stores in the metropolitan area recently tasted through 10 different cuvées that were available to us and thought this one was the best value, so we purchased it and chose the Moondance Cellars label. This is as good as the $20 Chardonnays that are on the market. Its fruit and oak are in good balance, and the wine shows depth and a solid finish.

Ventana Chardonnay "Gold Stripe," 2001 ($15.99) - Founded back in 1978, this Monterey winery has experienced numerous financial challenges, but the quality and pricing of its wines (especially the Chardonnay) have always earned its respect. Owner and winemaker Doug Meador’s 300-acre vineyard is the home of much vineyard research and the source of grapes for many wineries. This 2001 Chardonnay is approaching full maturity. As its name implies, it has a deep gold color and has developed complexity and some lovely butterscotch notes. This is not your typical fruity-oaky, low acid, boring California Chardonnay; it has real character!

Norton Ridge Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast, 2003 ($18.99) - Joe Briggs (of August Briggs Vineyards) should be jailed for making this wine. The only way to make wine this good at this price is to steal high quality grapes! Unusual in any Chardonnay under $35, it has the fat, viscous, oily texture that is only obtained by restricting grape yields to tiny amounts. Although it hasn’t yet developed the maturity and complexity of the Ventana Chardonnay, it is a well-balanced wine with enormous fruit, a touch of oak, and sufficient acidity. Shockingly good for a young, moderately priced Chardonnay! I think I hear a 1-1/4 pound lobster calling to me.

Sauvignon Blanc
Pedroncelli Sauvignon Blanc “East Side Vineyard,” Dry Creek, 2006 ($9.99) -  One of the few old time, family-owned wineries left, Pedroncelli began in 1927 when John Pedroncelli, Sr. purchased a vineyard and small winery in Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley. Today the third generation is in charge and the fourth generation is learning the business. The old-fashioned label on this well-priced wine belies its clean, modern character. It avoids the aggressive notes of many Sauv Blancs, but it shows fresh cut hay and honey aromas along with honeydew melon, apple, and citrus flavors on the palate. It saw neither a stave nor a chip of oak.

Pure Sauvignon Blanc, 2006 ($10.99) - The X Winery is one of those California concepts that leave the rest of us scratching our heads. It is actually two wineries in one: X Winery and Amicus Cellars. The latter makes expensive Napa Valley wines, while the former makes value wines under several different labels from numerous sources. The back label reports that they are made by the Underground Winery. Go figure! The offerings under the Pure label are pure values. The Sauvignon Blanc is a tasty New Zealand-style wine with varietal character and good acidity. The Chardonnay is a bit dull with muted crispness, but it is better than most in this price range.

Bliss Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc, 2005 ($10.99) - My favorite of the group, it shows fresh, bright, and very clean fruit. No points or medals; just darned good wine. Bliss Vineyards - Good California wines at this price are rare. These are real wines from a specific winery and a specific AVA (Mendocino); they are not generic “California” wines! In 1943 Irv Bliss bought a 450-acre Mendocino property consisting of 60 acres of grapes and figs, but most of the land was used for raising livestock. By the 1970s, Irv was harvesting over 100 acres of mostly Cabernet and Zinfandel. He purchased more land and planted Chardonnay, Petite Sirah, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chenin Blanc, as well as additional acreage of Cab and Zin. Today, the property totals almost 600 acres of grapes. Marriage brought the Brutocao and Bliss families together, and Brutocao Cellars began making wine in 1991. The majority of the grapes are sold to major Sonoma and Napa wineries such as Sterling, Sebastiani, Honig, and Hess!   Lockwood Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, 2005 ($11.99) - Lockwood consists of 1850 acres of contiguous vineyards in the southern extremities of Monterey County. The parcel was planted in 1981 under the direction of founding partners Paul Toeppen, Phil Johnson, and Butch Lindley. The vineyard is one of the largest premium estate vineyards in the world. In the early years all the grapes were sold to other wineries, but in 1989 Lockwood began making its own wines from a small portion of its grapes. Nestled at the base of the Santa Lucia mountains, the vineyard consists of “Lockwood Shaley Loam,” a well-drained, calcareous “chalk-rock” that is low in nutrients and minerals. The restrained vines must work hard for survival. Influenced by both the Monterey Bay and warm range land to the south, Lockwood’s climate features dramatic temperature swings; mornings can be 50 F with midday temperatures rising to 110 F! As a result of the unique growing conditions, Lockwood is uniquely successful with both warm climate (Cabernet, Malbec, Syrah, and Petite Sirah) and cool climate (Chardonnay, Riesling, and Pinot Noir) grapes. Winemaker Larry Gomez previously worked at J.Lohr and Wild Horse. No oak was used in the making of this wine, and it was bottled as soon as possible to preserve the freshness from the vineyard. Melon rind and green pear fruit are accompanied by aromas of ripe ruby grapefruit. This delicious expression of Sauvignon Blanc is a terrific value.

High Note Sauvignon Blanc, 2006 ($11.99) - You just can't ask for a better wine at this price. The grassy/grapefruit/melon character is present in a pleasing style without being aggressive. It carries a "California" designation, but most of the fruit came from Monterey. Made by Alison Crowe. Alison has been both a custom crush provider and client winemaker with California’s Bonny Doon Vineyard and Byington Vineyard & Winery, and Bodegas Salentein in Argentina. Alison is currently the winemaker for Plata Wine Partners, LLC and provides consulting and custom winemaking services to nationally distributed wineries as well as hot startup brands.

Ventana Sauvignon Blanc, 2003 ($14.99) - Ventana's Arroyo Seco (Monterey) Sauvignon is every bit as good as its delicious Chardonnay. With refined varietal character and a rounded texture, this is a fabulous Sauvignon Blanc value.

Emmolo Sauvignon Blanc, Napa, 2006 ($16.99) – Caymus Vineyards made a wonderful Sauvignon Blanc many years ago, but in an amicable divorce Chuck Wagner’s ex-wife, Cheryl, came away with the Sauvignon Blanc vineyard. She now makes the wine under her maiden name at the Caymus winery. Many wonderful Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc vineyards have been grafted over to red varietals which command a much higher price, but Cheryl is adamant about maintaining the Sauvignon Blanc tradition. The 2006 vintage has just been released, and it is delicious. The grassy and grapefruit components that some find too aggressive in Sauvignon Blanc are well restrained here, and the rich mouthfeel is especially impressive. Delightfully well balanced, this wine sports a modest alcohol level of 12.8%. It is very good juice!  

Other Whites
California Cellars Viognier, 2006 ($11.99) – Viognier is a highly aromatic varietal with a flavor profile of peach, apricot, nectarine, lichee, musk, and flower blossom. The heady perfume of this varietal is one of its trademarks, although its flavors are sometimes problematic in matching with food; however, it does well with lobster, crab, moderately flavored fish, and as an apéritif. The origin of the Viognier grape is murky, but experts agree that it is an ancient grape that may have arisen in Dalmatia and was brought to the Rhône by the Romans. Viognier is a difficult grape to grow because it is prone to powdery mildew, has low and unpredictable yields, and has a narrow window for harvesting. If picked too early, it lacks aroma and flavor; when picked too late the grape produces wine that is oily and lacking perfume. Viognier fell out of favor and was an endangered species (only eight acres survived in the Rhône in the early 1960s) until its recent revival. Rhône plantings now total 740 acres! California  has jumped on the Viognier bandwagon. There are many good ones, but they are typically high in alcohol and typically expensive. This one is quite a find. The alcohol is a relatively modest 14.12%, and the ripe, varietal fruit sits comfortably atop a soft and silky texture. Very pleasing and a great value.

Vixen Blonde Lot 4 ($13.99) - The X Winery is one of those California concepts that leave the rest of us scratching our heads. It is actually two wineries in one: X Winery and Amicus Cellars. The latter makes expensive Napa Valley wines, while the former makes value wines under several different labels from numerous sources. The wines bottled under the Vixen label are terrific. The Blonde is a nicely balanced melange of varietals, but Sauvignon Blanc dominates. The Cabernet shows good varietal character in a surprisingly full-bodied style. The Brunette is also a wine with a lot of fruit and some obvious oak. It is a very solid blend of Cabernet, Syrah, Merlot, Petit Sirah, and Grenache.

TuTu Pinot Grigio, Napa Valley, 2005 ($15.99) - Weird name, pretty label, pretty wine! This is a venture by partners Rob Lawson (winemaker) and Jeff Smith (Hourglass Winery). Production was 1500 cases. The label was designed by local Napa artist Jeff Ellsworth. The wine shows delicious and ripe fruit flavors along with a surprisingly good finish. With the exception of Italy, most wineries label this grape Pinot Gris. A mutation of Pinot Noir, it comes in numerous styles depending on climate, soil, viticultural practices, and winery techniques.

Rosenblum Viognier ‘Kathy’s Vineyard,’ 2005 ($18.99) - Rosenblum is best known for their Zinfandel-based reds, but this is one of the best American Viogniers we have tasted, and it is priced well below most others.

Angels’ Share: Hundred Acre “California Gold,” 2005 ($31.99) - Proprietor Jayson Woodbridge and winemaker Philippe Melka get mid-90 ratings for their stunning (and very expensive) Cabernet. They also make this wonderful white wine from Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, and Viognier. Philippe blends them to make a wine that is reminiscent of Caymus Conundrum, only much better! Unlike Conundrum, it sees no oak or malolactic fermentation, so you enjoy fresh, clean, pure, and elegant fruit flavors. It is highly aromatic, barely off-dry, and wonderfully expressive on the palate with freshness and acidity. And the small amount of 24K gold flakes floating in the bottle makes this a conversation piece. Truly yummy stuff!