Hello and welcome to my weekly dig through the pile of wine samples that show up asking to be tasted. I’m pleased to bring you the latest installment of Vinography Unboxed, where I highlight some of the better bottles that have crossed my doorstep recently.

Let’s start with some interesting whites. Merriam Vineyards has been making wine in Sonoma County since 2000, and they make an oak-fermented and aged Sauvignon Blanc that has a nice brightness and zip to balance out the oak. I believe, however that the wine is only available to their club members.

For many of my readers, Massican needs no introduction, as it’s one of my favorite producers of white wines in California. Proprietor Dan Petroski remains one of the most innovative winery owners around. A couple of years ago he decided to begin a collaborative project in which he convinced other winemakers he respected to make a “massican-style” wine but in their own style. Dan pays for everything (grapes, barrels, custom crush fees if necessary) and pays the winemakers for their efforts, but beyond that lets them do what they want. Dan recently passed me a bottle that was a collaboration with Australian winemaker Erin Pooley who makes wine under the brand Little Frances. It’s made in a slightly funkier, natural style, but will still appeal to many.

I’ve got two Chardonnays to recommend this week as well, at opposite ends of the price spectrum. The Trapiche Tesoro Chardonnay is a great value at $15, while the Lavinea single-vineyard Chardonnay from Oregon commands a steeper price and offers a bit more complexity and refinement.

Shall we linger in the hazy zone between white and red for a moment? Let’s.

Two Shepherds sent along their Centime wine, one of my favorites in their portfolio. It’s a skin-fermented white wine (aka orange wine) usually with a heavy dose of Vermentino in it. In 2022 it also contained a bit of Albariño, which was an interesting, if tasty, twist.

I’ve long appreciated the mother-daughter wine brand Lorenza, which began as purely a rosé-focused project. They recently sent along the latest vintage of that rosé, which is lean and mouthwatering. But they also sent along two new wines, an old-vine Carignan, and an ethereal is-it-red-or-is-it-rosé? rendition of Cinsaut, both of which are very tasty.

Moving on to more reds, I was handed a bottle of Hudson Ranch & Vineyards Syrah recently. Many lovers of California wine will recognize the Hudson name, as it is one of the most storied vineyards in the Carneros growing region. The owner, Lee Hudson, is a legendary grower, and has in recent years launched an eponymous wine brand. I loved the nearly explosive acidity of the Syrah, which helped balance out the ripe, lush fruit.

Finally, I’ve got two more reminders for you of what an excellent vintage 2021 was in Napa. These two releases from Acumen, their Cabernet Franc, and their “Mountainside” Cabernet Sauvignon, are both excellent, and will appeal to anyone looking for well-balanced ageworthy Napa reds that don’t hit you over the head with oak and ripeness. I just wish the winery would get with the times and stop using such awful heavy bottles for their wines. They’re horrible for the planet, and suggest to anyone handling them that the winery puts ego above sustainability.

Notes on all these below.

Tasting Notes

2022 Merriam Vineyards “Fumé Blanc – Danielle’s Estate” Sauvignon Blanc, Russian River Valley, Sonoma, California
Pale greenish gold in color, this wine smells of apples and lemon pith. In the mouth, lemony green apple and hints of vanilla have a bright zing thanks to excellent acidity. The oak emerges a little more in the finish but doesn’t hit you over the head. Contains 10% Semillon. Spends 12 months in 35% new French oak. 14.3% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $42.

2022 Massican “Little Frances” White Blend, Australia
Light gold in the glass, this wine smells of yellow flowers, wet chalkboard, and a hint of yogurt. In the mouth, creamy notes of Asian pear, bee pollen, chamomile, and lemon pith have a tangy quality to them and a faint acidophilus note. Definitely on the more natural side of things but not to the point of being objectionable. Excellent acidity. A blend of 40% Vermentino, 29% Pinot Grigio, 29% Friulano. 11.5% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $35. click to buy.

2020 Trapiche “Tesoro” Chardonnay, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina
Light greenish gold in color, this wine smells of lemon curd and melted butter. In the mouth, flavors of lemon curd and butterscotch have a faint salinity with very good acidity and well-integrated oak. There’s a touch of spicy heat in the finish. 13.5% alcohol. Closed with a screwcap. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $15. click to buy.

2021 Lavinea “Elton Vineyard” Chardonnay, Eola-Amity Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Palest greenish gold in color, this wine smells of lemon pith and white flowers. In the mouth, lemon pith, pink grapefruit, and wet pavement flavors have a nice crispness thanks to very good acidity. Missing a bit of a zing here, but the flavors are very nice. 13.1% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $72. click to buy.

2022 Two Shepherds “Centime” White Blend, California
Dark gold in the glass with a hint of amber creeping in, this wine smells of orange peel, yellow plum, and bee pollen. In the mouth, bright citrus peel flavors mix with plum skin and a touch of peach. Juicy and bright with excellent acidity and a faint tannic grip thanks to the skin contact. A blend of Vermentino, Picpoul, and Albariño, skin fermented with native yeasts. 11.8% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $32. click to buy.

2022 Lorenza Rosé, Lodi, California
Palest peachy pink in the glass, this wine smells of citrus peel, underripe strawberries, and a hint of peaches. In the mouth, bright orange peel flavors mix with watermelon rind and very tart raspberries and sour cherries. Very lean, juicy, and bright with excellent acidity. A blend of 38% Carignan, 31% Cinsaut, 18% Grenache, and 13% Mourvèdre. 11.8% alcohol. Closed with a screwcap. Score: around 9. Cost: $25. click to buy.

2022 Lorenza “Bechthold Vineyard” Cinsaut, Lodi, California
So pale to light ruby in the glass you’d be forgiven for thinking this was a rosé, this wine smells of fresh strawberries, flowers, and a touch of licorice root. In the mouth, bright strawberry, ripe fig, and dried aromatic herb flavors have a lovely brightness thanks to excellent acidity. Ghostly tannins barely register. An unusual wine that defies categorization. 11% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $32. click to buy.

2022 Lorenza “Old Vines” Carignane, Mokelumne River, Lodi, California
Light to medium garnet in color, this wine smells of boysenberries and flowers. In the mouth, boysenberry and blueberry flavors mix with dried herbs and dried flowers as faint tannins caress the palate. Excellent acidity and notes of blood orange linger in the finish. 12% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $32. click to buy.

2021 Acumen “PEAK” Cabernet Franc, Atlas Peak, Napa, California
Dark garnet in the glass, this wine smells of cherry, plum, and dried aromatic herbs. In the mouth, wonderfully fresh acidity makes plum, plum skin, and dark cherry fruit lively and brisk, while fleecy tannins envelop the palate but remain soft and plush as the wine finishes with a touch of citrus peel brightness. The oak is very well integrated here, felt as texture not as flavor until just the faintest whiff of wood hits in the finish. 14.5% alcohol. Comes in a nasty heavy bottle weighing 1.65 kg when full. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $125. click to buy.

2021 Acumen “Mountainside” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Napa, California
Dark garnet in color, this wine smells of black cherry and blackcurrant. In the mouth, fresh and brisk flavors of black cherry, cola, and blackcurrant are wrapped in muscular tannins that flex and stiffen as the wine moves across the palate. Excellent acidity. Earthier notes and dried herbs linger in the finish. Still a little brooding at this point in its evolution. I’d let it rest for a couple of years. 14.5% alcohol. Comes in a nasty heavy bottle weighing 1.67 kg when full. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $62. click to buy.

2021 Hudson Syrah, Carneros, Napa, California
Very dark garnet in the glass, this wine smells of white pepper, black cherry, and blackberry. In the mouth, fantastic acidity makes flavors of blackberry and black cherry burst on the palate, as powdery, muscular tannins wrap around the core of bright fruit. Darker earthy notes and licorice emerge on the finish, with a touch of alcoholic heat. 14.8% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $110. click to buy.