Spring Picks from Modern Wine

Martin Ray 2016 Rose of Pinot Noir Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, CA ($25) Pinot Noir makes some of the best rose in the world, and this is a lusty coastal California example with pretty rose petal, melon and citrus aromas, zesty strawberry and lemon-lime flavors. It goes down real easy, I'll tell ya. (91 Points) 

Pedroncelli 2016 Sauvignon Blanc East Side Vineyard Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, CA ($15) Pedroncelli is famous for making down-to-earth, sunny, likeable wines. I shouldn't be surprised that I like this as much as I do, because I love Sauvignon Blanc from Dry Creek Valley, but this is a really lovely wine with a lot of personality for $15. It has vibrant passion fruit, grass and mint flavors with good intensity of flavor, great, perky acid and a juicy, fruity finish. (90 Points)

Martin Ray 2015 Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, CA ($20) A little less aggressive than a typical New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, it has a more sunny, plump, California disposition with grass, clover and lime notes that finish bright, clean and refreshing (89 Points)

Van Duzer 2016 Pinot Gris Willamette Valley, OR ($18) I just adore how un-fussy and direct this zesty, crisp, white wine is. The best Pinot Gris from Oregon are following this lead - dry, racy and unoaked. This wine's beauty lies in its simplicity and the class of the fruit. As it warms up from refrigerator temperature the subtle, complex green apple skin, lavender, lemon, lime blossom and melon flavors gradually unravel, exposing a versatile, exciting new world white. (91 Points)