DRINK: Spring means lighter fare — and lighter, aromatic wines. Here are seven lovely sipping options.
Now that our dinner plates are filled with spring asparagus, fava beans, strawberries and lamb, it’s time to pour more aromatic wines. Here are seven whose fragrant floral and fruit notes capture the season. CHAPPELLET 2015 SIGNATURE CHENIN
BLANC, NAPA VALLEY ($32): The label bears Molly Chappellet’s signature, which is fitting for this floral bouquet in a wine bottle. Chappellet is a passionate gardener who developed the winery’s extensive gardens. The chenin blanc comes from the Chappellet estate vineyard high on Pritchard Hill in St. Helena. Orange blossom and jasmine aromas beckon, and rich peach, nectarine, melon and pineapple notes fill your mouth. www.chappellet.com
SANS WINE CO. 2016 SAUVIGNON BLANC, FINLEY ROAD VINEYARD, LAKE COUNTY AND 2016 ROSE OF CARIGNAN, POOR RANCH VINEYARDS, MENDOCINO ($10 EACH FOR
375 ML CAN): Pop the top on these new canned wines from newbie vintners Gina Schobe, an El Sobrante native, and fiance Jake Stover, who are elevating the canned wine experience by sourcing higher quality, single vineyard grapes. Sans means “without” in French, a nod to these natural wines made without additives and chemicals. And the label states, “sans pretense” as well. One can equals a half bottle, or about two glasses. The light-bodied, slightly fizzy, refreshing sauv blanc has pretty, tangy citrus — grapefruit and Meyer lemon — and soft tropical fruit aromas and flavors. The rose-hued rosé has lovely strawberry jam and blood orange notes, with a hint of spice. Note: Online orders have a $60 minimum; www.sanswineco.com LONGEVITY WINES 2015 PINOT BLANC, LIVERMORE VALLEY ($24): Phil and Debra Long make a variety of Livermore wines, including this beauty. Pinot blanc, an aromatic variety from France’s Alsace region, is a light golden, medium-bodied wine. In the Longs’ hands, perfumed stone fruit and honey aromas fill the glass. You can smell a little flinty minerality, too. www.longevitywines.com SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAIN VINEYARD 2014
BORDEN RANCH GRENACHE BLANC, CLAY
STATION VINEYARD, LODI ($20): While the winery is best known for soulful, age-worthy pinot noir, winemaker Jeff Emery’s grenache blanc, made from a French Rhone Valley varietal grown organically in Lodi, is a beautiful spring wine. Completely dry, the rich-bodied wine has an intense pear, peach, pineapple, vanilla and white floral bouquet. Those flavors are in the wine too, along with honey and orange zest and a pleasant, nutty finish. www.santacruzmountainvineyard.com TESSIER WINERY 2016 VIOGNIER, CATIE’S CORNER VINEYARDS, RUSSIAN RIVER
VALLEY ($32): This wine’s label art may look like a modern play on bubbles, but it’s actually wine yeasts under a microscope. Winemaker Kristie Tacey worked in biotech research science until the wine bug bit. Instead of looking at proteins, she’s looking at yeast strains and malolactic bacteria. Tacey launched Tessier — the French version of her last name (she has roots in the Loire Valley) — in Alameda in 2009. Now she makes her wine in Sonoma County. Tessier’s mouthcoating, full-bodied viognier is redolent with heady peach, apricot and honeysuckle notes. It’s luscious, but with enough acidity and minerality to avoid cloying sweetness. www.tessierwinery.com
TRES SABORES 2016 TRES SABORES “INGRID & JULIA” ROSÉ, RUTHERFORD ($28): We were smitten with this wine from the first sip. Winemaker Julie Johnson crafts this rosé of zinfandel with a dash of petite sirah from her dry-farmed Rutherford estate vineyard. The lovely, pale coppery pink wine is super dry, with soft rose petal aromas and a spicy finish. Drinking this is like biting into a perfectly ripe strawberry. As for the name, it’s a nod to Johnson’s favorite rose varieties, Ingrid Bergman and Julia Child. www. tressabores.com