California wines for the Olympics

Paris in April, setting up for the games.

The Summer Olympics kicked off today in France and I am stoked. My family and I look forward to cheering on the athletes during gymnastics, swimming, and – since my daughter and I both follow and love it – climbing.

But I also look forward to watching the best of the best at other events, discovering and following new-to-me sports and the experts who compete in them. I appreciate excellence in all its forms.

I apply that similar attitude to wine, as I’m always looking for new producers, regions, grapes, and getting excited about all sorts of different styles.

In the Spring, my family spent a few days in Paris and saw the preparation for the games underway. We enjoyed all the food, culture, and views, and talked about how we would watch the Olympics and try to recognize all the places we had visited.

So, to celebrate the start of the games, I’m highlighting some American wines because, well, I’m American. But I’m also a Francophile, so I decided to highlight some California wines with something of an Old World, French inspiration. They’re pure California goodness, but some could also make great ringers in blind tastings of their French counterparts.

Cormorant Cellars has delivered some unique wines since they kicked off in 2018. This Sonoma-based producer makes an amazing lees-aged Sauvignon Blanc that I can’t recommend enough, but I was happy to taste through some new-to-me wines for this report. Winemaker Charlie Gilmore is clearly skilled and has some great talent and inspiration. Fans of Mediterranean Vermentino be alert – there’s something really cool here. And Beaujolais fans should really check out their Gamay.

Three Sticks makes phenomenal Chards and Pinots from Sonoma, and the wines in this report speak for themselves. This producer was founded in 2002 by Bill Price and Prema Kerollis, and they own and farm estate vineyards in Sonoma County. The wines are precise, thrilling, age-worthy, and should be on your radar if you like nuanced Sonoma Pinot.

I also have a few voluptuous but balanced Chardonnays from Juggernaut and Crossbarn that would really hit the spot during this late Summer timeframe.

These wines were received as samples and tasted sighted.

2021 Three Sticks Pinot Noir Gap's Pinnacle Gap's Crown Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
SRP: $95
Dark ruby color. The nose opens to show a well-arranged display of red plums, black cherries, raspberry, strawberry, with these deeper tones of violets, charcoal, toffee, some earth and coffee grounds tones. The palate combines grippy but fine-grained tannins, zesty acidity, with a core of fresh but vibrant raspberries, black cherries, and plums. All sorts of nuances here, with graphite, dusty earth, black tea, tobacco, sage. So much going on here, and I’d love to bury a few of these for five to eight years plus. A beautiful interpretation of this grape and site. (95 points)

2021 Three Sticks Pinot Noir One Sky Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Mountain
SRP: $85
Deep ruby color. Wow, what a beautiful nose, with pretty strawberry, raspberries, with spice, herbal, and earthy tones (tobacco, dried rose petals, tilled earth, clay, white pepper). Air coaxes out all sorts of exciting nuanced. Juicy and suave on the palate with dusty tannins and lively acidity that keeps it fresh. Flavors of red plums and currants, tangy strawberries and raspberries, and the fruit is backed up with all sorts of earth, paprika, rhubarb, clay, and white pepper. Nuanced, pretty, spicy, complex, elegant, with a long life ahead of it. (93 points)

2023 Cormorant Cellars Vermentino - USA, California, Sierra Foothills, El Dorado County

SRP: $24
Pale lemon color. A pleasantly salty aroma, with lemon, quince, ruby red grapefruit, backed up with scents of basil, limestone dust, and chalk. On the palate this shows delicious yellow pears, lemon zest, pineapple, and green apple sliced, mixed with ocean spray, minerals, shells, white flowers. Crisp and punchy, juicy but balanced, this is an awesome value and a fascinating iteration of this grape. (91 points)

2023 Cormorant Cellars Gamay Noir Zabala Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Arroyo Seco
SRP: $27
Pale ruby color. Aromas of tart cranberries, juicy strawberries, raspberries, tossed with cool tones of rose petals, tobacco, sage, yet stays airy and bright. The palate shows crisp, lip-smacking acidity with a juicy frame and pleasantly dusty tannins. Loving the fruit – cranberry relish, raspberries, strawberry-rhubarb pie. There are a lot of interesting non-fruit elements to enjoy here as well: clay, dried violets, black pepper, tobacco, clove. So fun and fresh but complex and savory as well and even has a Morgon-esque mineral and graphite element on the finish. (92 points)

2021 CrossBarn (Paul Hobbs) Chardonnay - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
SRP: $30
Light yellow color. Bright and inviting on the nose with chalky, flinty notes, nettle, white and yellow flowers, over top of quince, yellow apples, and some almond and shaved ginger. Smooth and plush on the palate with lively acidity and a balanced frame. Lemons, yellow pears, green apples, the fruit is topped in minerals, seashells, chalk dust, with almond skin, cinnamon, and honeycomb. Juicy but fresh, with a tangy, complex finish. (90 points)

2022 Juggernaut Wine Company Chardonnay - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
SRP: $20
Bright yellow color. The aromas pop with white peach, kiwi, bruised yellow apple, mixed with honeyed white tea, peanut brittle, with saline and some shells. Racy and tangy on the palate, a surprising oceanic briskness, matched with depth of texture. White peaches, lemon curd, yellow apples, the fruit blends well with tones of ocean spray, limestone, honeyed tea, and some basil, flinty tones. This has a lot of complexity and vibrancy for a wine at this price point. (90 points)