For those with New World palates here's our best from California.

Only small production. Only Californian.

For those with New World palates, we've put together a selection of what's best from California: a structured Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, a rich, sinewed Russian River Chardonnay, an opulent Burgundian Russian River Pinot Noir, and a muscled Cabernet Sauvignon from a mountain vineyard in Sonoma.

2005 Crane Brothers Brodatious Crane Ranch Vineyard Napa Valley

It was the night they figured out the final blend. Also the night they came up with the crazy name. But after hours doing micro-assemblages of tiny lots of estate-bottled Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, finally even a touch of amazing Syrah, the Crane brothers came up with a bit of magic. The 2004 release drew raves from Parker. The 2005 just won the San Francisco Chronicle Gold Medal. The wine was named "Brodatious," a combination of "brother" and "bodacious" -- and maybe just one glass too many of a deep purple, sumptuous Napa Valley red wine that you can't quite put down.

2007 Dutton-Goldfield "Dutton Ranch" Chardonnay

The cooler, foggy climate of the Russian River Valley, has proven especially successful for the cultivation of the two classic Burgundian varietals: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. We've long been huge fans of Dan Goldfield's Dutton Ranch Chardonnay bottlings from the Russian River, but the 2007 was the first time we'd ever tasted it so ready upon release. Why? 2007 was a vintage that will no doubt go down as one of the most luscious of the last decade in the Valley. In fact, there's no better word than "luscious" for this Dutton Ranch Chardonnay, a wine with a deep, rich kernel of ripe pear fruit, the spice that comes only from the old Wente clone, and the length that is just pure Dutton Ranch.

2005 Laurel Glen Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Counterpoint Sonoma Mountain

Patrick Campbell's Sonoma Mountain wines are astonishing for their density, chunkiness and ageworthiness. Particularly when growing seasons are stretched out, this high-elevation vineyard puts out amazingly rich, muscled Cabernet that is as close as these mountains of Napa and Sonoma get to Pauillac. Like fine Left Bank wines, Sonoma Mountain bottles are never "obvious," and unlike most of today's Napa Cabernets, Patrick's Cabs reward the patient. This sensational bottle of mountain Cabernet is just beginning to hit its stride: it's full-bodied and velour-like now, with a decade of high-tone life in front of it.

2007 Dutton-Goldfield Pinot Noir Dutton Ranch Russian River Valley

People ask us why we keep going back to Dan's wines? First, our customers love them. Second, we love the way Dan looks at wine, almost visualizing his releases before he makes them. There's genius to his methodology; going from plot to plot on Dutton Ranch, tasting grapes in the last weeks of harvest, extrapolating the colors of flavor like a painter. Dan told us: "In 2007, the colors were so deep. The berries were small. During that long summer I tasted grapes from every site daily. Each afternoon, they seem to have added a subtle shade, starting with bright cherry, finishing with blackberry, violets, currants and black cherry. Green Valley is a special place for Pinot, but the flavors of 2007 were the most colorful in memory."