| Winery | Special Designation | Vintage | Varietal | Rating | DateTasted | Notes | Buy Again? |
| Chateau Ste Michelle | Indian Wells, Columbia Valley | 2020 | Chardonnay | 87 | 11/10/2025 | The nose shows grass (as in Sauv Blanc grassiness), caramel, sour lemon, toasted oak, green apple and melon.
High acid helps to balance out the oaky caramel on the palate. The wine is fairly simple but has some great flavors. The finish, intensity, body are all in the medium range. Where is has some muscle is in the concentration of fruit.
Yah, a nice Chardonnay for under $30 bucks. And this should be widely available. | n |
| Omnia | Rotem & Mounir Saouma | 2018 | Chateauneuf-du-Pape | 96 | 11/10/2025 | At 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre, and having never been racked, pumped, fined or filtered, this whole cluster wine is really juicy and rich. And it has a thick, dirtiness to it. It is rough, unhewn and super intense.
The nose and flavors are rich, dried plum, raspberry, wet soil, dried herbs, peach pits, cinnamon and a touch of Brettanomyces.
Thankfully, this has high acid and the rich fruit balances well with the acidity. It keeps the wine from feeling like a dessert wine on the palate. The aged notes are lovely. This is a very fine, juice-forward Chateauneuf. | y |
| Cline Family Cellars | Mendocino County, Sonoma County | 2023 | Chardonnay | 88 | 11/9/2025 | I love these wineries that seem to be everywhere. They seem to be producing so many varietals. Cline has surprised us in the past with some great Zins, Syrahs and Pinots.
This chardonnay has the minerality of Mendocino, tart lemon curd, a touch of butter and oak, pear, green melon and all spice.
The body is medium, along with intensity and finish. But the concentration of fruit and lemon curd is almost high, and the balance is well done. And it just brings this wine along for a flavorful ride. And it is perfect for a quick stop at the store to grab a decent bottle to take along to a party. | n |
| Failla | Sonoma Coast | 2023 | Pinot Noir | 92 | 11/9/2025 | This wine is a bit tight. It has strawberry and cherry notes, classic for Sonoma Coast. It has a tart cranberry nose as well. But the scent is only available on a narrow band until it has time to get some air.
The palate is medium bodied, full of tart berry. It has high acid, medium concentration, intensity and finish.
The wine is curious. It needs time to breathe. And after 45 minutes it really opens up. The palate notes expand to completely fill the mouth. It becomes very pleasant. But it seems like a lot of work! | n |
| Oyster Bay | Marlborough, New Zealand | 2024 | Sauvignon Blanc | 89 | 11/9/2025 | We were looking at what to try next, stopped by Raleys and took one look at the white wine selection. Oyster Bay stood out like a sore thumb. This wine finds its way into all the store here in California.
And of course, you hear about NZ Sauv Blanc. And this one is textbook. Think unripe pineapple, grass, lemon curd, green apple, pear, tropical fruit and stony flint.
The acidity is high, of course, due to the cool climate in which it is produced. The intensity is med+, the alcohol is low, the body medium and the pineapple finish goes on for a good 30 seconds. It has great intensity of fruit notes.
And dang it, this is a really nice wine. If you have only had US made sauv blancs, open up your horizons with this gem. Whether you get it for your wine education or you need a great white for seafood, youll not feel disappointed. Really, well done, Oyster Bay! | n |
| Trader Joes | Reserve Paso Robles Lot# 276 | 2023 | Meritage | 93 | 11/9/2025 | Ok, TJs has been putting out some pretty nice stuff lately. So, we are thinking, can they continue their streak!? Check it out . . .
Overview: this is a nice Bordeaux blend from Paso. 56% Cab Sauv, 28% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, 4% Cab Franc, 2% Carmenere, 2% Malbec. Give this some time to open up. The nose is peevish at first but starts to give it up after about a half hour.
Starts out with rose floral notes, and then you get this crazy cocoa flavored brioche bun with a raspberry filling. You get cassis, anise, burnt brown sugar and lime leaf. The intensity is med+ after it opens up.
So, on to the palate. High acidity, med+ body, long finish, high alcohol, firm tannins, high concentration of flavors. The tannins are super. They are not overly firm leaving socks on your teeth, but they add to the body. This wine fills your mouth with rich cocoa and berry notes. No off notes here. Another win for TJs! We gave it a 92 on the nose and 94 on the palate. | y |
| Franciscan Estate | California | 2022 | Cabernet Sauvignon | 89 | 11/3/2025 | A California cab. These grapes could come from anywhere in the state. But they put together a pretty nice wine! It has notes of warm blackberry, blueberry, cinnamon, clove and red plum. It has medium intensity on the nose.
The palate is soft with tannins, medium body, finish and concentration. But the intensity on the palate is nice, lifting this wine up. It has a high acidity that freshens the flavors.
Franciscan is one of those labels you see all the time at the big stores. And due to its wide-reaching availability, this would be a great wine to grab if youre out of town and need a few glasses in the evening. Keep this one in your back pocket. | n |
| Trader Joes | Reserve, Brut Rose, Sparkling Wine, North Coast, Methode Champenoise | NV | Sparkling Wine | 88 | 11/2/2025 | If you are looking for a crowd pleaser on Thanksgiving Day or New Years, this is a great wine. It has finer bubbles than some inexpensive sparkling wines. It will pair well with things that are salty. Think charcuterie board, crackers and cheese, salty nuts. Perfect with appetizers.
This wine is made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Blanc. It isnt overly acidic but has a lot of fruit on the nose and the palate. There is a touch sweet on the palate with strawberry and raspberry notes. And it has nice minerality. If you like a touch of sweet (and just a touch) with lots of fruit, youll be in heaven. | n |
| Trader Joes | Reserve, Brut, Sparkling Wine, North Coast, Methode Champenoise | NV | Sparkling Wine | 91 | 11/2/2025 | Oh, dang. This wine has apple, pear, lemon peel, walnut and butter. The zesty bubbles are really appealing.
The palate his high acid, medium bubbles, has a lovely finish, low alcohol (12.5%) and nicely dry. And after a little air, you start to get salted caramel flavor (not the sweetness) on the palate.
This wine is an instant pleaser. The palate has amazing Gravenstein apple, pear notes. But the acidity balances it out wonderfully. It is not a classic sparkler, but it is so interesting that we ended up really liking it. Pair with sesame seed oil infused Asian foods, pear tart or pear and goat cheese salad, carbonara or oysters.
If you are looking for a great sparkling wine for a wedding toast that wont break the bank, this is it! My co-taster said 91 points immediately. | y |
| Trader Joes | Reserve, Sonoma Coast, Lot# 278 | 2024 | Chardonnay | 89 | 11/2/2025 | Lime peel, green melon, pear, unripe stone fruit, dried herbs, touch of cream and light oak.
Nice high acid on the palate, long finish, med+ body, firm concentration, med intensity and high alcohol.
This is a very nice, concentrated Chard with a pleasant nose and textbook tart, mineral Sonoma Coast flavors. | n |
| Trader Joes | Grand Reserve, Carneros, Lot# 20 | 2024 | Chardonnay | 93 | 11/2/2025 | Honey dew melon and ambrosia melon nose, peach, a touch of butter, toast, pear, lemon drop and sweet apple.
High acid, full body, long, pleasant finish, concentrated flavors, full intensity and high alcohol. It has a great dry caramel note on the palate that is very enticing.
Here we go! This is a lovely Chardonnay. It is not overly oaked, nor too impacted by malolactic. It has a fresher, steel cask nose and flavor. It has great fruit, minerality and balanced acid.
At this price point, this is a great wine for a glass while making dinner, taking to parties and drinking with just about any seafood dish. Another hit from Trader Joes. | y |
| Banshee | Sonoma Country | 2023 | Pinot Noir | 88 | 10/30/2025 | We actually picked this up at Trader Joes. It was recommended by a staff member. It has a nice plum, strawberry, cherry nose. It has nice earthy, dried herb nose.
The palate has a hint of a harsh flavor, but other than that it has high acid and is balanced with the fruit. All in all, for the price, this is a fun wine to try. We see this everywhere. | n |
| Trader Joes | Platinum Reserve, Russian River Valley, Sonoma Valley, Sonoma County, Lot# 129 | 2024 | Pinot Noir | 91 | 10/30/2025 | The nose on this has cherry kirsch, forest floor, strawberry, forest floor, lake water notes and key lime.
The palate is where this wine shines. It has great intensity, decent flavors, high acid, long finish, light tannins and medium body.
Yet another really nice pinot from Trader Joes. It has fingerprint notes that we have experienced in other Russian River wines. But for this price, this is a wine to check out. | y |
| Siduri Wines | Van der Camp Vineyard Sonoma Mountain | 2023 | Pinot Noir | 93 | 10/25/2025 | | y |
| Siduri Wines | Zena Crown Vineyard Willamette Valley | 2023 | Pinot Noir | 93 | 10/25/2025 | | y |
| Siduri Wines | John Sebastiano Vineyard, Santa Rita Hills | 2021 | Pinot Noir | 95 | 10/25/2025 | | y |
| Siduri Wines | Skycrest Vineyard Anderson Valley | 2023 | Pinot Noir | 94 | 10/25/2025 | | y |
| Siduri Wines | Gran Moraine Vineyards, Yamhill-Carlton, Oregon | 2018 | Pinot Noir | 95 | 10/25/2025 | | y |
| Siduri Wines | Hapgood Vineyard Santa Rita highlands | 2022 | Pinot Noir | 97 | 10/25/2025 | | y |
| Siduri Wines | Van Der Kamp Vineyard, Sonoma Mountain | 2018 | Pinot Noir | 93 | 10/25/2025 | | y |
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