This week's Grapevine Wine Pick of the Week are wines from Icon Estate Wines, Estancia & Franciscan.

These delicious wines are great by the glass, paired with a meal, and perfect for any special occasion. Pick up a bottle for your Valentine's Day celebration with your sweetie, relax and enjoy!!! Available at area fine wine shops and grocers.

Estancia Pinot Grigio
Tasting notes - Estancia California Pinot Grigio – ‘Not your ordinary pinot grigio”

Estancia is a Spanish word that means “estate”. They gave it that name because Estancia farms nearly 2,000 acres of estate-vineyards in Monterey and Paso Robles – both right on California’s coast just south of San Francisco. This is Estancia’s 21-st vintage, and that makes the a clear pioneer in this prestige growing region.

There are great wines, big muscular kinds of wines in Napa and Sonoma. But what distinguishes Estancia is delivery of pure fruit, intense varietal character that you can’t miss in the glass. These whites leap out of the glass with an explosiveness of fruit and finish with the crisp acidity…all characteristic Monterey coastal flavors that Estancia masters.

Looking for a truly surprising glass of wine in a Pinot Grigio – you must try Estancia. This is tier third vintage. When it was first released in 2002, Wine Spectator called it the best-ever Pinot Grigio EVER out of California. This wine is crisp, refreshing…but its fruit intensity is tremendous. It’s perfect with spicy Thai food, light salads or just on its own.

Franciscan - 2005 Chardonnay, Napa Valley
Tasting notes - The 2005 Franciscan Oakville Estate Chardonnay beautifully showcases the expressive Chardonnay fruit from our Napa Valley vineyards. Lush, ripe and exotic, it emphasizes a balance between ripe fruit and hints of sweet oak from barrel fermentation and extended barrel age. Sur lie aging and wild yeast fermentation add layers of complexity to this rich and lively Chardonnay.

Appearance is Straw Yellow. Citrus aromas accented by generous peach, pineapple, creamy lemon and pear notes with a touch of vanilla and a hint of honey and toasted oak.

Flavor - Notes of crisp fruit and sweet spices complement hints of vivid honey, rich lemon tart, green apple and pears. Supple vanilla notes on the finish accompany a lively and creamy texture.

Franciscan - 2005 Merlot Napa Valley
Tasting Notes - Franciscan’s Merlot grows in the cooler half of Napa Valley, from the winery’s estate in the heart of the Oakville District on south to vineyards in Carneros. These cooler vineyards give more vibrant flavors and denser structure to the wine—two qualities that are critical to growing outstanding Merlot. In the winery, each vineyard block is kept separate through the winemaking process, allowing each lot the time and care necessary to reach its full expression, like a collection of limited release wines. Finally, each small lot is carefully blended to craft Franciscan’s signature style—plush, rich and vibrant, yet with supple tannins and texture.

The 2005 growing season began early, with an unusually warm March, followed with a cool and wet spring delaying bloom until June. The summer temperatures were steady and moderate, without any of the normal heat spikes of late summer. The grapes had optimal ripening and maturity conditions, maintaining deep color and vibrant fruit character. The Merlot harvest didn’t begin until late September, the latest on record.

Appearance is deep ruby red intensity with crimson accents. Aroma is complex and layered with black plum and currants, vanilla, sage, and peppercorn, and sweet notes of toasty oak. Flavors are round, full-bodied palate with vibrant dark cherry fruit, sweet herbs and silky mouthfeel. Very supple and elegant, the finely knit tannins highlight bold fruit and sweet tobacco notes, giving a velvety finish.

These fine wines are available at area fine wine shops and a grocer near you.