Below you'll find our picks of the month.

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RED AND WHITE WINES OF THE MONTH

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WHITE WINE OF THE MONTH

92 points

2006 Rutherford Ranch, Napa Valley, Chardonnay
For a couple of decades Chardonnay (particularly from California, Chile and Australia) has been maligned for an excess of oak and alcohol. Nevertheless, Chardonnay is one of the world's great white wines, and I'm always thrilled to come across one as well balanced as this rendition. Rutherford Ranch's 2006 Chardonnay has layers of tart fruit — lemon, peach and nectarine — as well as mineral notes and muted oak flavors of vanilla, butter and green olive. Everything is in excellent balance, the texture is silky and the pleasant finish lingers for minutes. This was a big favorite of our consumer tasting panel and I'm astonished by the value. $15

RED WINE OF THE MONTH

95 points

2004 Ironstone Vineyards, California, Cabernet Franc
Instead of the usual high alcohol, late harvest nonsense that passes for table wine these days, Ironstone has released a number of wines with a reasonable 13.5% alcohol, great balance and unusual complexity. This Cabernet Franc is one of the finest I've ever encountered. It's a multi-faceted wine with bright fruit flavors, and layers of mineral and spice. The fruit tends toward intense blueberry, pomegranate and loganberry, backed by racy minerality, vibrant acidity and understated spices (nutmeg, cardamom, a hint of vanilla). The finish lingers for minutes. The negligible tannin steps aside, making this a wine to enjoy now and for the next 5 to 7 years. And it's an unbelievable bargain! $10