Stones | Wine, $10 to $20

"Classic Merlot aromas of dark cherries, cedar, pipe tobacco. Anise, stone and cherry blossoms. Yeah, believe it! Super smooth....a true Velvet Devil."

"The 2011 is a classic Malbec, but undoubtedly Layer Cake. Big, brooding, black fruit, then rich earth, truffles and dark cocoa are at the front. The Sea of Stones vineyard is at its core, always evident with the thread of minerality that the deep alluvial cobblestones lend. This wine is so elegant in the mouth with fresh-picked blackberries, simmering chocolate sauce on the stove, and somewhere someone's cooking bacon … so many layers, so little time. Drinking a bottle of this wine will certainly lead to, well, opening another. So get it fast and get a lot while you can. We can never make enough to satisfy everyone."

"Intense aromatics of lime blossom, nectarine, tangerine, melon, wet stone and guava that build into aromatics of nutmeg, Bing cherries and kiwi. The palate is concentrated, ripe and succulent with wonderful lush fruit and mineral notes. The concentration is framed by ripe acidity that gives lift to the wine as it moves to the mid-palate. The flavors on the mid-palate echo the aromas with a deeper not of honey. The wine moves seamlessly into a finish that goes on for some time before finishing crisply. The lasting impression of the wine is great purity and intensity balanced by wonderful juiciness and succulence."

"An elegant palate of fresh stone fruit and juicy peach gives way to floral notes of honeysuckle and jasmine."

"Golden in color with aromas of tropical fruit, peach, vanilla and hints of sweet oak. Medium bodied and complex with a well balanced mouth feel offering tropical & stone fruit, mineral and citrus flavors. Ending with a satisfying creamy finish."

"Nicely integrates arbor vita, piquant fruit pit, and stone or pencil lead elements into a satisfyingly sappy matrix of sweetly ripe mulberry and purple plum. A hint of salt offers welcome saliva inducement to what after bottling ought to be worth following 2-3 years."

"Full yellow-gold color. Aromas of peach, apricot, tangerine, honey and brown spices show an exotic character suggesting a bit of botrytis. Juicy and concentrated but a bit aggressively oaky on the palate, showing ripe stone fruit flavors and a slight umami saline character. Finishes with a bit of alcoholic burn."

"A rich bouquet of peach pie and kumquats, a full mouthful of flavor with ripe stone fruit, bright Bartlett pear and crème fraîche. The texture is soft, round, smooth and succulent with hints of sweet oak, and a nice, long, beckoning finish."

"Ripe tropical fruits—pineapple and ripe melon—with hints of butterscotch. An approachable and full-bodied Chardonnay that shows great length and persistence. Ripe stone fruit, butterscotch, and citrus characters show through well, in a style uncluttered by oak. A great match for seafood, white meats, and fusion cuisine."