Here are four bottles with plenty of boutique pedigree but none of
the we'll-put-you-on-the-waiting-list frustration. All are quality
benchmarks in their categories, and none are too over-the-top for
most tasters.
Chardonnay: Ferrari-Carano, California, $30*. This wine highlights
California Chardonnay's signature succulent tropical-fruit flavor.
Merlot: St. Francis, California, $26. For a masterful Merlot at an
apprentice price, you can't do better than this wine. It has a
berry lushness and a coconut scent.
Cabernet Sauvignon: Franciscan, California, $28. With this wine,
taste the style that made "Napa Cab" justly famous: deep
blackberry flavor, full body, and a complex scent (cedar, roasted
coffee, even mint).
Cabernet/Shiraz: Penfolds Bin 389, Australia, $25. Blended with
Cabernet, spicy Shiraz yields a fig-flavored wine.
*Manufacturers' suggested retail prices
