42 of Our Favorite Under-the-Radar California Reds

California's mainstream red grape varieties — Zinfandel, Merlot, the stalwart Cabernet Sauvignon — have maintained a tight grip on power. Indeed, Cabernet's tenure as California's supreme wine grape has outlived even the length of the FDR presidency.

Still, the Golden State boasts an abundance of revolutionary-minded winemakers who are willing to exploit the potential of the vast array of grape varieties available for cultivation. Some look to lesser-known ones like Counoise, while others experiment with the widely popular Malbec, occasionally blending it with Cabernet Sauvignon to offer a novel take on both.

"Sometimes it's necessary to go a long distance out of the way in order to come back a short distance correctly," says Jerry, the main character in Edward Albee's play The Zoo Story. It's one of my favorite quotes of all time, and when it comes to red wine from California, truer words have never been spoken. California harbors some off-the-beaten-path red wine gems that are worth going out of the way for.

Be honest: On your last trip to California wine country, how far off the main arteries of Napa did you veer? Could you still see the Silverado Trail or Highway 29 from the tasting room? If you went to Sonoma, could you see the ocean from where you parked the car? If your trip was to the Central Coast, did you stick to downtown Santa Barbara's buzzing tasting rooms, or did you venture out into the stunning landscapes of Ballard Canyon, Sta. Rita Hills, and Santa Ynez?

California offers so much more than its most familiar areas, grape varieties, and blends: the elegant spiciness of a well-made Cabernet Franc; the finesse-driven, red-toned vibrato of a juicy Mourvèdre; lively examples of Carignan, Syrah, and Grenache. All of these and more offer a spate of off-the-beaten-path reds worth seeking out.

These wines showcase the abundance of unique reds that California is capable of producing, along with a few under-the-radar classics, too.

It's time to go out of your way.

2020 Turning Tide Red Blend Santa Ynez Valley ($26)

Winemaker Alisa Jacobson helped usher the Joel Gott wine label from obscurity to the globally-recognized and iconic brand it is today. She recently passed the baton back to Joel and Sarah Gott, and set out to forge her own path with a renewed and passionate focus on making wine from sustainably farmed vineyards in coastal regions. An avid diver, her personal Instagram account chronicles up-close, intimate encounters with a wealth of underwater sea life. As for this red blend, it's a combination of Grenache and Mourvèdre from a vineyard she co-owns outside Los Olivos in the Santa Ynez AVA. Scrumptious and juicy, with black and red berry fruit and loads of heady baking spices that offer a deep dive into the realm of the delicious.

2019 Lang & Reed Cabernet Franc California ($28)

The king of California Cabernet Franc, anthropologist-turned-winemaker John Skupny has done it again with his 2019 release. Comprised entirely of the tiny-berried Cab Franc sourced from sites in the Central Coast and all the way up to northern Sonoma, it offers a unified snapshot of the great vintage. Fragrant red berry fruit and floral notes open to wild crushed herbs, while savory minerality underscores gentle tannins and juicy acidity. Enjoy it with your favorite charcuterie platter. And if you're cruising through St. Helena in Napa Valley, stop off at the new Lang & Reed Tasting Salon on Main Street for indoor and outdoor experiences.

2018 Qupe Grenache Santa Barbara County ($29)

Mostly known for its lemon-kissed, candied-ginger-tinged Chardonnays, this red offers a welcome departure for the iconic Qupé label, and it's only the second vintage of this Grenache from the winery. Give it a few big swirls (so long as you're not wearing white), and let the delicate red florals and heady oak spices entice the nose. Take a sip and discover a silky-smooth red that unfolds in waves of cherries, plus, and pomegranates, and becomes richer on the finish with savory baking spices and salty dark chocolate flourishes.

2019 Minus Tide Feliz Creek Vineyard Carignan ($32)

Get ready for a trip to the south of France, told through the eyes of Kyle Jeffrey, Brad Jonas, and Miriam Jonas, co-owners of the uber-small production Minus Tide wines, including this Carignan. Jeffrey says that Carignan is one of the heritage varieties of Mendocino County, and their grape source at Feliz Creek Vineyard is among the oldest, with vines dating back to 1908. Florals such as rose petals and violets join thinly sliced saucisson sec, black olives, and white pepper. Soft, silken dark fruit rides along a salty finish. Pair this with cured meats and a hearty cassoulet.

2020 Kings Carey Mourvèdre Dogged Vine Vineyard Los Olivos District ($38)

Though best known for producing the highly sought-after Liquid Farm Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, James Sparks shows another gifted side of his winemaking chops under his own Kings Carey line. But even the mesmerizing artwork on the label can't distract from the utterly delicious Mourvèdre sourced from an exciting new vineyard in Santa Barbara County called Dogged Vine, owned by Ike Zekaria and his wife, Lara. This is an unexpectedly elegant, red-berry-driven take on the typically muscular and deeply colored style of Mourvèdre that is more common in the Central Coast and Santa Barbara. The only caveat is you have to become a wine club member, but it's worth the modest price of admission.

2018 Materra Midnight Red Wine Napa Valley ($35)

The Cunat family has conjured an anomaly in Napa's typically Cabernet-focused Oak Knoll District. This "Midnight" blend leverages Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Merlot, and is expertly crafted by an all-star winemaking team that includes Chelsea Barrett, the talented daughter of winemakers Heidi and Bo Barrett, who is working with consulting winemaker Michael Trujillo. Together, they have made diamonds out of grapes, only less angular and more redolent of spiced plums, red currants, fine tobacco, and vanilla bean. Blueberries and cherries mingle with cedar and earth to create a seamless experience.

2018 Dutcher Crossing Winemakers' Cellar Testa Reserve Carignane ($40)

Not easy to find, but worth the hunt (hint: call the winery — they are based in Dry Creek Valley). This Carignane (the American spelling of Carignan) is a classic variety of Spain (spelled there as Cariñena) but is widely planted in France's southern Languedoc-Roussillon region. Owner Debra Mathy's rendition comes from the Testa vineyard in Mendocino County, north of the town of Ukiah. It offers a heady mix of bright red berry fruit, pine forest, and cedar spices. Tart red fruit on the palate is supported by firm, dusty tannins, and a rich cocoa-powder finish. This calls for a bowl of Sunday sauce with pork-beef-and-veal meatballs, just like grandma makes 'em.

2020 The Language of Yes En Passerillage Grenache Santa Maria Valley ($41)

A new creation from Bonny Doon icon Randall Grahm, the winemaker trying to cultivate entire vineyards from seeds. "La Lenga d'Oc" (The Language of Yes) is a phrase dating back to medieval France, according to Grahm, and this namesake wine is all too easy to drink. "En Passerillage" refers to the post-harvest drying of grapes, which concentrates flavors. This wine, then, should really just be called "The Language of Empty Bottles" because of its sultry, plump take on Grenache. Tangy cranberry and blood-orange flavors ride a wave of brown spices into the language of gushing emojis and inspirational TikTok dance routines.

2019 Covenant Landsman Cabernet Franc Dry Creek Valley Sonoma County ($45)

What do you get when you cross a former saxophonist and bandleader of the Grand Casino at Monte Carlo with a longtime professional wine writer turned winemaker and cookbook author? None other than Jeff Morgan, winemaker and co-owner of Covenant Wines, based in Berkeley, California. Morgan is one of the most underrated talents in Northern California, capable of producing a wide range of wines from classic Napa Cabernet to seriously off-the-beaten-track reds like this Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Franc, grown smack in prime Zinfandel territory. The result is a fresh, vibrant, and spicy red with a satiny texture, oozing with blackberries and plums, and a classic herbaceous core — sage and thyme come to mind — finishing with salted dark chocolate. Look for a dynamite pairing in any one of the cookbooks penned by Morgan, and co-authored by his wife Jodie, an expert gardener.

2019 Cass Rockin' One Red Paso Robles ($67)

The wines of Steve Cass, co-owner of Cass Winery, are perennial favorites at the Central Coast Wine Competition, where wines are judged blind. Cass — who has an uncanny resemblance to Sir Richard Branson — manages to take home the bulk of medals year after year, cementing their status as local favorites. That success, however, means that his wines rarely travel far outside of California's Central Coast. Your best bet is to call the winery to get your hands on his Rockin' One, an opulent blend of Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, and Petite Sirah, revealing almost brooding layers of deep dark fruit, savory smoked herbs, cherry liqueur, and a blueberry compote finish marked by toasty cedar.

2019 Belden Barns Pinot Noir Sonoma Mountain ($40)

Husband and wife Nate and Lauren Belden have created a true wine-lover's haven at their family-friendly Santa Rosa farmstead on Sonoma Mountain. The stunning property is home to a working farm helmed by Jenny and Vince Trotter. Small production lots of still wine are crafted along with a sparkler and a cider from heirloom apple varieties. There's even a wishing tree on-site. For "Serendipity," nine clones of Pinot are whole-cluster fermented and aged in neutral oak, delivering a dynamic and complex wine with grippy textures and flavors of nuanced red berries, black tea, brown spices, and underbrush.

2016 Fort Ross Vineyard Pinotage Fort Ross-Seaview Sonoma Coast ($62)

Lester and Linda Schwartz planted a vineyard in the early 1990s on a ridge about a mile from the ocean in Fort Ross, north of Jenner, California — the extreme Sonoma Coast. Eventually, they helped define and create the Fort Ross-Seaview AVA. Known for their vivid, electric, ocean-spray-kissed Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays, they also planted some Pinotage — a grape typical to South Africa — as an homage to their days at the University of Cape Town. There are just over 50 acres of Pinotage planted in the entire state, and this particular one is made in minuscule quantities…less than 10 barrels. It's sumptuously earthy, boasting silky dark cherries, blackberries, and firm, grippy tannins, with lavish baking spices rounding it all out.

2019 Tablas Creek Esprit de Tablas Rouge Adelaida District, Paso Robles ($65)

Even though Esprit de Tablas is the flagship red blend of this Paso Robles staple, it manages to elude entire swaths of wine drinkers. If you're one of those oenophiles, it's time to get acquainted. Consider this: Tablas Creek founders the Haas family partnered up with the Perrin family, owners of Château de Beaucastel, one of the most famous estates in France's Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The Perrins selected some of their best vines, took cuttings from them, and planted them on the Tablas Creek estate in Paso. It was a lot of work, but the results speak for themselves: This is a lush, heady, delectable red that teems with currants and cinnamon, and boasts a creamy mouthfeel rife with boysenberry fruit, sagebrush, speck, and mocha, all resolving with a long, spicy finish.

2017 Native9 Pinot Noir Rancho Ontiveros Vineyard Santa Maria Valley ($63)

James Rey Ontiveros is a name to put on your short-list of "must-watch" vintners. A ninth-generation farmer who works lands established by his family in the early-1780s, Ontiveros decided to plant vines on the property in 1997, after which he studied at Cal Poly, worked in Sonoma, and soaked up the secrets of the Pinot trade during visits to legendary Burgundy estates like Domaine Dujac and Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Today, Justin Willett works with James to produce Native9 wines, and they are destined to become vinous commodities to stockpile. Out-of-this-world aromatics of savory wild herbs, leather, and tobacco leaf are complimented by red currants and juicy cherries, all lingering through a long, mineral finish.

2018 Priest Ranch Double Barrel Red Napa Valley ($75)

In the positively picturesque town of Yountville is the Priest Ranch tasting room, all high ceilings and stately charm. Helmed by Craig Becker and the winegrowing team at Somerston Estate, Priest Ranch wines are named after James Joshua Priest, an original settler of the 1,600-plus-acre ranch. Although Priest isn't around to savor the remarkable wines from Becker and his team, you are, and you should zero in on the Double Barrel Red, a smokin' blend of half Cabernet Sauvignon and half Malbec. This resembles some sort of hypothetical yet delicious Napa red by way of Australia: Powerful and expressive oak notes mingle with dried rose petals, lofty dried wild herbs, cocoa, and vanilla bean. Thick and unctuous, each sip is punctuated by Cabernet's crème de cassis and blackberries as well as Malbec's florality and baking spices.

2018 Sixmilebridge Estate Cuvee Paso Robles Adelaida District ($85)

Anytime Anthony Yount attaches his name to a project, it's like Tom Brady has joined your team, and it's a guarantee that a Super Bowl victory is in the offing. His handiwork with Denner Vineyards and Kinero Cellars (his label) is something to behold — wines full in body, deeply layered, and made with Yount's characteristically mineral-driven style. He has brought the same approach to Six Mile Bridge, a new estate owned by Jim and Barbara Moroney. Vines planted on the West Side of Paso at high elevations grapple with extreme weather to deliver an Adelaida District AVA cuvée of immense proportions: This is inky black and ruby-purple in color, and offers up lavish oak aromas as well as blackberries and violets. Silky and framed with robust tannins, it's a wine to enjoy now and later, so stock up and forget about some for a rainy day. You'll just need to join the no-obligation, allocation waiting list to make your purchase from the winery.

2016 Troubador Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($125)

Suppose you're a tried-and-true California Pinot Noir lover. In that case, you might know the name Bob Cabral — or at least the wines he has had a hand in producing, like the iconic bottles of Williams Selyem Winery or the drop-dead gorgeous Pinots and Chards from Sonoma-based Three Sticks. Troubadour is a new label that Cabral started to reconnect with vineyards he loves and to raise funds for local charities in his hometown of Healdsburg and around Sonoma County. Priced for rarity and charity, get it if you can and enjoy a bottle on a special occasion. Elegant wild berry fruit, plums, candied black cherries, and cloves join expansive layers of silken strawberry compote, rhubarb, and cola, as well as the kind of fresh, racy acidity that you get from biting into a crunchy Red Delicious apple. Add to all that a panoply of lifted brown spice aromatics, and you have the recipe for an unforgettable Pinot.

2015 Scattered Peaks Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley ($52)

Veteran winemaker Joel Aiken, the longtime guiding force behind Beaulieu Vineyard Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, is the co-founder and winemaker for Scattered Peaks. The 2015 vintage was their inaugural release. Gorgeous black cherry and cassis aromas abound. That dark-berry theme continues throughout the palate with robes of dark fruit unfolding with notes of black licorice, olives, and turkish coffee. Plush tannins round out the savory finish. A savvy pickup for the cellar.

2015 A Tribute to Grace Grenache Santa Barbara County ($42)

New Zealand born winemaker, Angela Osborne, sources Grenache from some of the most unique sites along California's Central Coast and the Sierra Foothills. This Santa Barbara County bottling showcases select parcels from the Highlands, Santa Ynez, Ballard Canyon and Sta. Rita Hills. Neutral barrel aging allows for a stunning purity of fruit to shine through, giving way to vibrant raspberry, tar, licorice, white pepper, and pronounced red floral notes that sing on another level with perfect harmony.

2015 Band of Vintners "Consortium" Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley ($46)

The "Band of Vintners" is back together for their second release. The "band" is an all-star team of some of Napa's hottest winemakers. Led by 100-point winemaker Dan Petroski (Massican, Larkmead), Stéphane Vivier of Hyde de Villaine, and Master Sommelier and Harlan alumnus Just beJason Heller — this Cabernet Sauvignon combines Merlot for suppleness and a dash of Cabernet Franc for added aromatics and savoriness. Dominated by black fruit aromas with mocha and crushed-rock minerality. Generous on the palate, with mouth-filling blackberry, blueberry compote, and dark chocolate-covered cherries tinged with cassis, plush and long.

2015 Banshee "Mordecai" Red Blend, California ($23)

This is one of your best bets for a food-friendly, bright, and focused red for imbibing all summer and into the fall. Varying year to year, the blend breakdown combines Bordeaux and Rhône varieties, with Zinfandel playing a leading role. Lip-smackingly delicious with heady notes of cracked pepper and violets follow gobs of cassis and black fruit seasoned with roasted meat and savory herbs. You see "barbecue" written all over that, right?

2014 Calluna Vineyards “CVC” Calluna Vineyards Cuvée Chalk Hill Sonoma ($40)

For those who crave a well-balanced Bordeaux-inspired red blend, the tiny Chalk Hill AVA just northwest of Santa Rosa is the place of origin for you. Calluna is a breathtaking estate on the western exposure of the Mayacamas Mountain range. Had this fruit been planted over the county line in Napa it would equate to a wine costing double the price. This true Bordeaux blend is Merlot-dominant with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. Black currants and black cherry fruit meet plum notes, tinged with savory crushed bay leaf, tobacco, cedar-spice, dried violets, cassis, and cocoa.

2016 Stolpman Vineyards “Combe” Trousseau, Ballard Canyon ($37)

Superstar sommelier and co-author of Secrets of the Sommeliers and Sommelier's Atlas of Taste , Rajat Parr, teamed up with Pete Stolpman, one of California's most respected Central Coast winemakers, to craft this one-of-a-kind red. "Combe" is a French word that describes a small sheltered valley within a vineyard — in this case, the area of Trousseau grapes that Parr convinced Stolpman to plant on the limestone soils of Stolpman Vineyards. This effort is an ode to the grape's origins in the French Jura with a light to medium-bodied concentration accentuated with high-tone fruit notes of sour cherry and red currants with heaps of beguiling spice notes. The perfect afternoon picnic red.

2016 Cruse Wine Co. Syrah Charles Heintz Vineyard Sonoma County ($36)

Proprietor and winemaker, Michael Cruse, is making wine in the town of Petaluma with ultra-cool-climate Syrah from the area's highly prized Charles Heintz Vineyard. The site is planted in the nearby town of Occidental, and is more known for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but this tiny 170-case production of Syrah is a showstopper. A delicious blue-black-fruited stunner, rounded off with crushed violets, and a hint of white-pepper and cured meat.

2015 Dancing Crow Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Red Hills Lake County ($23)

The Red Hills AVA of Lake County has emerged as top-notch territory for affordable California Cabernet. Strikingly red volcanic-rich soils marked by black obsidian and quartz crystals combined with extremely high elevations (most vineyards here are planted between 2,000 to 2,400 feet), makes the perfect medium for concentrated, mountain-grown Cabernet. This is a real steal, packed with juicy plum and black cherry, buttressed by polished tannins and hints of brown spice seasoning.

2016 Donkey & Goat “The Gallivanter” California Red Wine ($22)

Kudos to owners/winemakers Tracy and Jared Brandt for leading the California natural wine movement from their urban facility in Berkeley. The Gallivanter Red Blend changes every vintage, but always relies on low-yielding sites. The 2016 Gallivanter is comprised of Merlot, Grenache, and Mourvèdre from the Anderson Valley and boasts teeth-staining mountain berry fruit, dusty earth undercurrents, and uplifting minerality.

2014 Idlewild Nebbiolo Fox Hill Vineyard Mendocino ($42)

Bringing Italy's Piedmont region to the hills of Mendocino County was Sam Bilbro's vision with the Idlewild brand. Piedmont's star grape variety — Nebbiolo — delivers a North Coast California rendition that hits it on the head with a textbook nose of crushed roses, tar, and sandalwood spice. Bing cherry and crushed-stone notes are met with black tea tannin in one of finest New World renditions of Nebbiolo out there.

2015 Jolie-Laide Rossi Ranch Grenache-Syrah Sonoma County ($50)

When he's not working his day job as assistant winemaker at Wind Gap, owner and winemaker Scott Schultz produces roughly 500 cases per year of Jolie-Laide wines. This classic Rhône blend from the historic Rossi Ranch in Sonoma Valley brings Grenache and Syrah into one tank, where they co-ferment along with a small percentage of white Viognier and Muscat grapes that grow amongst the rows. The white varieties add a wild perfume note to the final blend. And the grapes are actually crushed by foot! After a whole-cluster ferment, the wine is pressed off into neutral oak barrels for another 10 months. The result is an elegant red with a dark-fruited core of sumptuous Grenache that melds harmoniously with the sauvage- and peppercorn-scented character of Syrah. Bold and masculine, but charming and playful.

2015 Wind Gap "Soif" Red Wine North Coast ($20)

"Soif" is French for "thirst" and this bottling calls to mind the rustic reds popular in French bistros that boast a refreshing balance, heady spice, and relatively low alcohol. It's a kitchen-sink-old-vine blend that fully undergoes carbonic maceration — a winemaking technique made famous by France's Beaujolais region that preserves bright and pure berry-flavors. Sometimes you'll hear sommeliers refer to "bubble gum" notes — that's carbonic. Here, bright berry aromas meet darker blackberries laced with brown spice and violets. Preserve its liveliness by putting a good chill on the bottle.

2015 Ryme Wine Cellars Alegria Vineyard Cabernet Franc Russian River Valley ($34)

Proprietors Ryan and Megan Glaab have sourced a winner in this 100% Cabernet Franc from the Alegria Vineyard on the southern end of Healdsburg. This is a cooler site that reveals the more floral side of Cabernet Franc — lovely purple and blue florals combine with lofty white pepper spice. Bright red berry notes are accented by olive, dried herbs, and more dried floral notes on a lengthy finish. Ryme has an esoteric portfolio that includes Vermentino and Aglianico, two Italian varieties rarely grown in California — not only an under-the-radar red, but a great source of discovery of unique California blends.

2015 Forlorn Hope “Suspiro del Moro” Silvaspoons Vineyard Alvarelhão Alta Mesa AVA Lodi ($28)

Winemaker Matthew Rorick looked to one of California's far-flung, relatively unknown appellations, then harvested the truly uncommon Alvarelhão grape (native to Northern Portugal) from 17-year-old vines. The result is an intensely aromatic beauty. One hundred percent whole-cluster fermented, kicked off by local native yeasts, this wine has an irresistible softness bolstered by mouthwatering acidity. No oak aging means this is all pure, with bright berry-flavors marked by subtle hints of wild herbs.

2015 Le P'tit Paysan "Le P'tit Pape" San Benito County ($27)

Winemaker Ian Brand created this second label to complement his family label, I. Brand & Family. In French, "Le p'tit payson" refers to "a country man or woman; peasant; clown; in a country fashion," according to Brand's website. My best reading of this moniker is that Ian considers himself a country gentleman, with a good sense of humor, out to make a splash — not a posh and city-like splash, but one in which the country man impresses with his intimate knowledge, and access to quality wine country grapes — well off the beaten path. And in this ode to Châteauneuf-du-Pape, this Le P'tit Pape ("little pope") is dominated by Grenache and rounded out with Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cunoise, and Cinsault from San Benito County in California's Central Coast. Wherein the massive swatch of San Benito? Only Brand knows. But it's a zinger of spicy dried cherry and cured meat with dried savory herbs and worn leather, all supported by a medium-bodied mouthfeel. Hard to resist the whimsical label.

2019 Lioco Carignon Sativa ($40)

Lioco co-founders Matt Licklider and Kevin O'Connor are behind this sommelier favorite. They're known for their cool-climate, site-specific Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Mendocino, Santa Cruz, and Sonoma County. But their "Sativa" Carignan maybe be their most versatile food pairing-red. Sourced from 70-year-old head-pruned Carignan vines rooted on the remote, rocky slopes of Pine Mountain at 2,400 feet elevation, far above the town of Cloverdale. Good old-fashioned foot-stomping gives way to 100% whole cluster fermentation, yielding a full-throttle red, bursting with blackberry and cassis notes, accented by subtle tar and candied violets.

2020 Edmund's St. John Bone-Jolly Gamay ($24)

The most senior winemaker out of this lineup, Steve Edmunds, is one of the original Rhône Rangers, and his wines are beloved in the San Francisco Bay Area. Even with his long track record of making wines, however, some of his labels — like this El Dorado County "Bone-Jolly" Gamay — still maintain a low profile. Edmunds was one of the first California vintners to consistently work with the Gamay grape. It's amazingly fresh and pure, with plenty of bright red fruit adorning the palate and streaks of cracked pepper and mouthwatering minerality. Bring on the grilled sausages.

2015 Vermillion Red ($37)

Helen Keplinger sits in the pantheon of great female California winemakers. She was a Food & Wine Winemaker of the Year in 2012 and has worked alongside Heidi Barrett, Michel Rolland, and David Abreu, overseeing uber high-end projects like Bryant Family, Grace Family Vineyards, and Kenzo Estate. Vermillion is her California ode to Rhône Valley red. For me, it's a classy Rhône-inspired party in a bottle — the kind of wine to drink at the start of a meal in one of Lyon's famous Brasseries. Grenache grapes plucked off vines from Sonoma County to the Sierra Foothills deliver a menagerie of dark berry deliciousness, packed with a ton of viscosity, but that's poised on the mid-palate with subtle undertones of roasted coffee, licorice, dried thyme, and rosemary. Soft and creamy tannins make this red wonderfully approachable.

2016 Folk Machine "Parts & Labor" Red Wine ($18)

Folk Machine is one of the ever-expanding labels of the Hobo Wine Company. This blend, comprised of Mendocino Carignane and Syrah with some Grenache from the Central Coast and a dollop of Barbera, boasts a terrific fruit-to-acid balance, with gobs of red cherry and black raspberry fruit tinged with brown spices, cracked pepper, and warm earth overtones.

2018 Ernest Pinot Noir ($51)

Started in 2012, Ernest is one of the hottest Sonoma Pinot Noir labels presently on the scene. Small-lot sourcing led them to Cleary Ranch in the cool Freestone subregion of West Sonoma County. Here, the Pinot grapes experience extended "hang time" as flavors develop, all while enjoying the cool mornings and evenings of Sonoma, which aid in keeping natural acids firmly in check. Crushed rose petal aromas lead the way with juicy bing cherry and dried plum notes on a silken finish.

2014 Galerie “Latro” Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Valley ($43)

Beringer and Peter Michael put Knights Valley on the map, but it's this Galerie "Latro" offering that will remind enthusiasts and collectors alike that you can still pickup quality mountain Cabernet for under $50. The "Latro" is dark and opulent with an herbal and mineral edge that conjures a broad-shouldered but balanced Left Bank Bordeaux. Beautiful blackberry and blackcurrant adorn the mid-palate with a contrast of graphite and crushed rocks that adds depth to the finish.

2014 Arietta Quartet Cabernet ($61)

Here's a label for the music aficionados. In 1996, longtime famous Zachys wine auctioneer Fritz Hatton, and his wife Caren, partnered with John and Maggy Kongsgaard to produce the first vintage of Arietta. Today, the Hattons are sole owners and Andy Erickson of Screaming Eagle fame makes the wines. Look closely at this "Quartet" label and you'll see that behind the four instruments are a few lines of sheet music from the manuscript of the "Cavatina" movement from the Beethoven String Quartet Opus 130. A Cabernet Sauvignon dominant Bordeaux blend, it is a masterful creation, creamy and plush, dripping with dark black fruit, savory tobacco spice, creme de cassis, and gorgeously integrated oak notes.

2015 The Withers "Mr. Burgess" Syrah Blend El Dorado ($43)

Founded by Andrew Tow in 2013, The Withers Winery sources from sustainable vineyards throughout Sonoma, Mendocino, El Dorado, and Sierra Foothills. A mere 168 cases were produced of the 2015 "Mr. Burgess," comprised primarily of Syrah with a splash of Mourvèdre. The grapes were harvested off five sites, including Fenaughty and Wylie Vineyards, which Steve Edmunds help put on the map back in the 1990s. This is a Northern Rhône lookalike with seductive aromas of white pepper, violets, and sea breeze. Black currants are seasoned with pulverized rocks, giving way to black pepper and worn leather notes.

2015 Teeter Totter Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley ($81)

French-born winemaker Benoit Touquette cut his teeth in the U.S. working alongside the venerable Andy Erickson, sharing responsibilities in the famed cellars of Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle, Arietta, and Ovid. Touquette has produced a bevy of terrific Napa Cabernet wines for Realm, Kata, and Hartwell, and under his own labels Fait-Main and Teeter-Totter. This 2015 Teeter Totter is hedonism in the bottle. Full-bodied and opulent, generous black fruits, graphite, chocolate, and toasty oak notes are supported by silky tannins and flavor-filled finish that resonates 45-60 seconds.

2015 Carbone Red Wine Napa Valley ($73)

Together, proprietors Andy Erickson and Annie Favia are one of Napa's great power couples. Annie's viticultural work spans some of Napa's top sites for Harlan, Screaming Eagle, Ovid, Sloan, and Bryant. Erickson (mentioned above) has a glowing resume of his own. And this Carbone label pays homage to the original owners of their home in Coombsville, which has been fully restored. The one-room ground floor cellar, where all of the couple's Favia wines are produced, is the original winery that the Carbone's used. The 2016 vintage of Carbone will soon hit select retailers, but the inaugural release 2015 is still out there. This is your entry-level ticket to one of California's truly great under-the-radar reds. It's all blackberry, black cherry, and blueberry fruit, peeling away complex notes of clove, allspice, and crushed violets. It's densely concentrated, but light on its feet, with a generous mouthfeel, grace and poise, and plush tannins on a sustained finish. Delicious.