California Wine between $25 and $50

Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2009 Rutherford Cabernet spent 14 months in a combination 50% French oak, 30% American oak, and 30% Hungarian oak, 40% new barrels and 60% used. Although drinking beautifully right now, this wine has the potential to age gracefully for several years.

Comprised of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, our Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is crafted from grapes grown on our estate hillside vineyards (30%) in conjunction with grapes from other mature, high-quality, low-yielding Napa Valley Cabernet vineyards located on the valley floor. We've found the resulting blend to produce a wine that displays a broad spectrum of aromas, flavors, and textures that Cabernet can show in the Napa Valley.

The wine shows off dense Cabernet Sauvignon character accented with vanilla, balancing spices and toasty oak from traditional barrel aging.

Our 2011 Napa Valley Chardonnay opens with fresh, creamy aromas of ripe pear, apple and citrus, with light butter, yeast and spicy oak tones adding complexity. The wine’s rich, focused, green apple, melon and guava flavors are nicely balanced by fresh acidity and a piquant mineral tone. Both mouthfilling and elegant, this quintessential Napa Valley Chardonnay is delectable now, but it will develop even greater complexity with another 5-8 years’ bottle age.

Our 2011 Sauvignon Blanc reflects all the positive attributes of a cool growing season. It’s wonderfully fresh and aromatic, with bright scents of pink grapefruit, gooseberry, melon and green apple. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied with rich, vibrant citrus (grapefruit and kiwi), honeydew melon, spice and mineral flavors balanced by excellent acidity and a long, refreshing, mineral/chalky finish reminiscent of a fine White Bordeaux. A superb apèritif wine, our 2011 Sauvignon Blanc is also wonderfully versatile with food, especially salads and lighter seafood, poultry and pasta dishes.

A big, mouth filling wine, the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, shows the personality of the vintage in its intense fruit. There is plenty of underlying structure in this deep, resonant Cabernet Sauvignon. Mint, flowers and sweet red berries are some of the nuances that are woven into the finish. This is far from an easygoing Napa Cabernet. Although delicious today, it should drink well for a number of years. Another year or so in bottle should help the elements come together even more fully. The 2010 is 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024.

In the glass, this wine has a classic Chardonnay hue of pale golden straw. The bouquet draws you in with delicate nuances of wet stones, lichee, white peach, orange blossoms, and a slight hint of toasted almonds. The palate is soft and fleshy and loaded with bright citrus tones of sweet mandarin and Meyer lemon, white nectarine and rich tropical notes of guava, pineapple, and lichee – all complemented by subtle sweet oak. There is a delicate smoothness to this Chardonnay and fantastic weight throughout. This is the wine you’ll want to bring to the next big dinner party or business lunch– get ready to accept the kudos.

Sonoma County is a diverse growing region with a complex terrain of small valleys, benchlands and hillsides. A coastal appellation, it is favored with fog in the morning and sunny afternoons cooled by maritime breezes. From the cool Carneros area in the south to the more moderate Russian River and Alexander Valleys further north, a wide variety of grapes can enjoy the optimum climate to achieve rich varietal flavor.

A lovely Merlot, this is pure, vibrant and elegant. It has classic cherry, red-currant and cedar flavors, and while there's a sweetness at the core, the finish is thoroughly dry. Wonderful to drink now with steak or lamb.