100 Amazing Wines 2022: 16 Bordeaux-style red varietals & blends

Aldina Vineyards

2018 Fountaingrove Cabernet Sauvignon ($72)

Al and Dina Lopez lost their home in the 2017 Tubbs Fire, though the vineyard surrounding the hilltop house largely survived. The Lopezes and their adult children, Monica and Francisco Lopez, not only continued to produce this cabernet sauvignon after the fire, they also opened Bacchus Landing in 2021, a multi-winery tasting room and event center in Healdsburg. Aldina cabs are typically tight and somewhat tannic on release and open up with another year or two in the bottle. However, the 2018 vintage is more generous, with midpalate lushness and hints of chocolate and toast. The 2021 Los Carneros Sonoma Chardonnay ($38) is sleek and pure, meant for those who enjoy high-acid, minerally, low-oak-impact chardonnays.

Annadel Estate Winery

2019 Sonoma Valley Merlot ($72)

Drew Damskey is beyond the point of being considered a rising star winemaker. He’s well-established, with his family’s Palmeri brand and as a consulting winemaker for a handful of wineries including Annadel Estate. He captured merlot at its juiciest, jolt-of-energy best here. The wine is generous, with mouth-filling black cherry and red plum flavor. It’s solidly structured and has a lingering, fresh finish. Hints of semisweet chocolate and toast add interest.

Aperture Cellars

2019 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($75)

Jesse Katz has done a lot of winemaking in his short 38 years, for such world-renowned wineries as Petrus in Bordeaux, Screaming Eagle in Napa Valley, Viña Cobos in Argentina and Lancaster Estate and its sister label, Roth, in Sonoma County. He went on to found his own labels, Devil Proof for malbec and Aperture Cellars for cabernet sauvignon. The malbecs are difficult to find unless you’re on the mailing list. But Aperture cabs are more readily available, particularly this flagship Alexander Valley bottling, which is polished and incredibly balanced. Single-vineyard and block-designated cabernets are made in small amounts and come at higher prices ($150). The 2020 Aperture Bordeaux Red Blend ($60) was recently released and is only one tick behind the Alexander Valley cabernet sauvignon in terms of character.

Armida Winery

2019 Block 8 Stuhlmuller Vineyard Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($75)

Winemaker Brandon Lapides produces just one cabernet sauvignon at his Dry Creek Valley winery and looks to Alexander Valley for it. There is a pleasing, savory cedar and dried herb complexity to this wine — an Alexander Valley signature — and juicy black cherry and berry. Despite its tender age, it’s silky, polished and ready to drink now, or in 10 years.

Bricoleur Vineyards

2019 Kick Ranch Vineyard Fountaingrove Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon ($85)

The Hanson family’s tasting and event center on Starr Road in Windsor, in the Russian River Valley, calls for the production of chardonnay and pinot noir, and they produce these varietals. Yet this Fountaingrove cabernet sauvignon, from the Hansons’ Kick Ranch Vineyard, will knock off your socks and put them back in the drawer. The Fountaingrove AVA doesn’t get the credit it deserves for producing fine cabernet, even though individual wineries within the region, such as Pride Mountain, Cornell and Fisher Vineyards, are on most wine lovers’ radars. Bricoleur’s 2019 cab — its first vintage of the varietal — strikes a keen balance of richness and tannic structure, so savor it now or cellar it for five years. Cassis, black cherry, pipe tobacco, silky texture and a beam of bright acidity make for a complete and compelling wine.

Ehret Family Winery

2018 Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($75)

Those flying down Highway 128 through Knights Valley might glimpse the modest sign for Bavarian Lion Vineyards. What they don’t see is a 1,800-acre estate, with 500 acres of grapevines, belonging to German-born motorsports driver Pierre Ehret, his wife, Susan, and their children. After first selling their Bordeaux-variety grapes to others, the Ehrets launched their brand in 2005, with veteran Erin Green (Pahlmeyer, Colgin, Bryant Family) as consulting winemaker. The red wines are powerful and concentrated, illustrated by this one. There’s also a Hillside Reserve ($120), though the “regular” Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (with 13% cabernet franc and 3% petit verdot) is more accessible now, with slightly dusty tannins, prominent French oak and vanilla and loads of dark cherry and black currant fruit.

Flambeaux Wine

2018 Flambeaux Estate Vineyard Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($70)

The Miller family, based in New Orleans, found wine-growing bliss in Dry Creek Valley and bought an existing vineyard planted to cabernet sauvignon and zinfandel. In a Sonoma County world of dense dark-fruit cabs, this one shines for its red-fruit profile (raspberry, red currant and a hint of cranberry), spice, background vanillin oak and liveliness on the palate. Also excellent are the 2018 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($75) and 2019 Sangiacomo Vineyard Sonoma Coast Chardonnay ($50).

Imagery Estate

2019 Sonoma County Cabernet Franc ($49)

This Best of Class winner in the 2022 Press Democrat North Coast Wine Challenge bursts with energy, with vivid raspberry and boysenberry aromas and flavors and fine balance. Jamie Benziger, following in the footsteps of her winemaker father, Joe Benziger, produces a dazzling array of wines from both conventional and unusual varieties for Sonoma County. Her 2019 Upper Ridge Malbec ($45) from the Pine Mountain-Cloverdale Peak AVA is another solid choice.

Hamel Family Wines

2019 Isthmus Sonoma Valley ($90)

Hamel’s red-wine blends certainly are expensive for Sonoma County, although similar stylish, concentrated and luscious Napa Valley versions can cost much more than the $120 price of the Hamel Family Ranch and Hamel Nuns Canyon red wines. Isthmus, a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc and petite verdot, is an introduction to the Hamel style, at $30 less, and it delivers plush texture; well-ripened black currant, raspberry and dark cherry fruit; tobacco and sage notes; and a soft, long finish.

Jordan Winery

2018 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($60)

Happy 50th anniversary to John Jordan’s Alexander Valley winery, established by his parents, Tom and Sally Jordan, in 1972. Founding winemaker Rob Davis retired in 2019, leaving Maggie Kruse in control of the cellar. So the 2018 is vintage is technically Davis’ wine, though with Kruse’s hands are all over it. It’s classic Jordan: medium-bodied, understated, elegant, lively and age-worthy.

Longboard Vineyards

2019 DaKine Vineyard Russian River Valley Merlot ($45)

Owner/winemaker Oded Shakked developed his DaKine Vineyard off Westside Road in Russian River Valley in 2000. He planted pinot noir, of course, but also merlot, cabernet sauvignon and syrah, not content to put all his eggs in one viticultural basket. Shakked, a crazy-mad surfer and former sparkling winemaker at J Vineyards & Winery, shows that not only can merlot have the tannin and acid structure to age beautifully for a decade or more, it can be generous and mouth-filling when young. Also highly recommended are the yeasty, marvelously dry “Z” Brut Late Disgorged sparkling wine ($75) and DaKine Vineyard Russian River Valley Syrah ($55).

Meeker Vineyards

2018 Winemaker's Handprint Sonoma County Merlot ($55)

The winemaker’s imprint is on every bottle of Meeker merlot, a reminder that craftsmanship still has a role in producing wine. These days, the bottle imprint duties belong to Lucas Meeker, son of founders Molly and the late Charlie Meeker. Lucas and Charlie shared the responsibility until the elder Meeker’s death in 2021. While Lucas honors tradition and shares many of his dad’s winemaking philosophies, he also will try anything in the cellar at least once. His swings at pétillant naturel sparklers, rosés and verdelho have largely connected, particularly with younger drinkers. Yet when it comes to merlot, Meeker leans toward old school/Old World. He’s not afraid to bottle wines such as this one that are firmly structured, high in acidity and low in pH (for long-term cellaring), with more time in barrel and bottle before a vintage is released.

Robert Young Estate Winery

2018 Scion Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($75)

In 1935 and at the tender age of 16, Robert inherited his family’s Alexander Valley ranch after the death of his father, Silas, and began replacing plum trees with wine grapes. In 1963, Robert cultivated cabernet sauvignon and followed with chardonnay. His son, Fred, and his siblings founded Robert Young Estate Winery in 1997. Scion is a tribute to Robert; it’s a broad-shouldered, solidly structured cabernet sauvignon built to age for a decade or more. The 2018 Estate Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($62) is more accessible now. It’s rich in blackberry fruit and accented with cedar, cigar box and vanillin notes.

Roth Estate Winery

2019 Sonoma County Heritage Red ($30)

Wine competition judges love it when a wine they choose as Best of Show — Best of the Best, in this case, in the 2022 Press Democrat North Coast Wine Challenge — turns out to be affordable. This Bordeaux-style blend of cabernet sauvignon, malbec, petit verdot and merlot dazzled the North Coast Wine Challenge judges in the sweepstakes round and was mistaken by some (me, at least) to be a full-bodied red in the $50-and-up range. “Brilliant. Rugged yet handsome. Deep, dense, pleasurable. Male movie star with a chiseled chin” were some of the judges’ comments. Roth Estate, an Alexander Valley winery flying the Foley Family Wines ownership flag, also scored another win for consumers with its Best of Class, 2019 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($34).

Sebastiani Vineyards & Winery

2019 Cherryblock Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($150)

The Cherryblock Vineyard, planted in 1961 north of the Sebastiani winery near downtown Sonoma, contributed 61% of the grapes for this wine. It comes at a hefty price — historical value can command this — and it’s Sebastiani’s flagship wine. It also reminds that cabernet doesn’t have to be grown on hillsides and mountaintops to deserve praise; farming on slopes wasn’t a thing 60 years ago. Appreciate Cherryblock for its drinkability, medium body, ripe tannins, juicy black cherry and dark plum fruit, balance and refreshing acidity.

Serres Ranch Wine

2018 Buchanan Estate Grown Sonoma Valley Merlot ($65)

John P. Serres came to San Francisco in 1872 before moving his family to Sonoma County. Since 1924, six generations of Serres have operated the ranch, which includes livestock and blueberry farming in Mendocino County and wine grape growing. Taylor Serres and other fifth-generation members introduced winemaking in 2017, with three wines: this merlot and two other Bordeaux-style red blends. Buchanan is decadently rich and concentrated; its 20% cabernet sauvignon component makes a big impact. The ripe black currant and Damson plum fruit, chocolate-covered cherry and mocha and creamy vanillin are enlivened by bright acidity. There’s also Bleusé, a sparkling blend of blueberry fruit and aleatico wine sold in cans.