Here are Dan's picks for you drinking pleasure. Enjoy...
Château Lassègue Les Cadrans de Lassègue 2012 ($35)
I’m a long-time fan of vigneron Pierre Seillan, who has spent decades 
crafting delightful wines in California, Italy and France. Seillan espouses a “micro-cru” philosophy, in which vineyard blocks are divvied up into smaller sections based on differing soil types and terroir. The vineyards in Saint-Émilion that yield Les Cadrans de Lassègue feature upwards of 12 different soil types, and each micro-cru produces fruit of varying complexity and elegance. The 2012 blend contains 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and just a hint of Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine boasts bold dark berry flavors seasoned with licorice that lingers a long time on the finish. This is a beautiful wine priced to sell. Get some while it lasts.
http://www.chateau-lassegue.com/en
Ash & Ivory Red Blend 2013 ($24)
This Bordeaux blend, a newcomer from California’s Central Coast, is available exclusively through online retailer Club W. The Ash & Ivory differs from a traditional Bordeaux blend in that Malbec is the dominant varietal, something seldom found in southwestern France, where that thin-skinned grape often struggles to thrive. What the A&I lacks in tannic structure — frankly, I was expecting more oomph! from a Malbec-driven blend — it makes up for in drinkability. Indeed, it goes down easier than a French prizefighter. It’s not a wine that’s going to challenge sophisticated palates, nor will it offend them either. It’s a good deal at $17 or $18. For $24, however, I’m not entirely sold.
http://bit.ly/1O02ESG
Love & Hope Rosé ($120/ half case)
Paso Robles winemaker Austin Hope and celebrity chef Tim Love have teamed up to encourage the wine-buying masses to “have hope, make love, and drink pink.” Cute, right? If only they hadn’t nicknamed their new oenophilic venture “brosé,” which is not cute at all, just douchey. It’s egregiously annoying marketing mumbo-jumbo on par with the term “summer sipper” which, natch, was also used in the promotional material I received. It was enough to drive me to drink. And when I did, HOPE and LOVE were restored. For what’s inside the bottle is a tasty combo of Mourvèdre, Grenache and Syrah, a quarter of which was fermented in oak to impart a creaminess that complements the lively fruit flavors — cherry, strawberry, some tangy blood-orange... there’s a little bit of everything going on. The wine’s got good balance — not too dry, not too sweet. Available online in half-case increments
http://www.loveandhopewines.com/
Travieso El Rey Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 ($36)
Travieso is a funky-cool winery that opened for business in 2003 in Campbell, a small city in California’s Silicon Valley that is far better known for being the birthplace of eBay than it is for wine production. Travieso’s impish founders Ray Sliter and Mats Hagström buy their fruit from select growers around California and produce stellar wines that have caught the attention of luminaries such as Robert Parker, who has awarded them several 90-plus scores over the years. The ‘09 El Rey is made with cabernet grapes sourced from old vines at Dashe Cellars Louvau Vineyard in Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley. Nothing shy about this red. The powerful fruit flavors, led by cherry and blackberry, come right at you, trailed by some smokiness. The tannins are not to be trifled with either — the wine has spine. Throw a steak and the grill pop the cork. You won’t be disappointed.
http://traviesowinery.com/wines.html
Head High North Coast Rosé 2015 ($18)
This surf-inspired, sustainable wine brand is barely a year old, but it’s already riding a wave of success. (Sorry, couldn’t help myself). Head High may be a spring chicken, but founders Bill Price and Sam Spencer are old birds with decades of experience in the wine business, which they’re putting to good use. The 2015 North Coast Rosé achieves great balance between crisp acidity and yummy fruit flavors like plum and cherry. It’s an ideal wine to kick back and enjoy on a warm summer’s day, and in so doing make the world a better place — for every two bottles of wine purchased Head High donates a buck to support social and environmental organizations. That’s a wave worth catching.
http://www.headhighwines.com/wines/
Want to be considered for one of Dan's wine picks? Contact us editor@californiawineryadvisor.com.
Dan’s latest book, "American Wino: A Tale of Reds, Whites and One Man’s Blues” is available online and in stores now. Find it at Amazon.com, Harpercollins.com and other online retailers. Follow him on Twitter @TheImbiber
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