The Turn of the Season is the Best Reason to Open Something Great
September 2026 | Curated Wines for the Turn of the Season
Sonoma County • Alexander Valley • Russian River Valley • Pine Mountain
September marks the turn. The frenetic heat of harvest approaches, mornings take on a different quality, and the wines that belong in the glass shift with it. This month's selections lean into that transition — reaching for wines with structure, depth, and the kind of character that carries through an evening around the table. From a mineral-driven Alexander Valley Chardonnay to a historically rooted Sonoma Valley Syrah, these six bottles represent some of the most interesting winemaking across Northern California right now. Each was chosen for quality in the glass, the integrity of the producer behind it, and the story worth telling to your guests.
2022 Dutcher Crossing Winery Stuhlmuller Vineyard Chardonnay | $47
Alexander Valley, Sonoma County | Stuhlmuller Vineyard
WHY WE CHOSE THIS WINE
Dutcher Crossing is one of Dry Creek Valley's most respected small producers, and their Stuhlmuller Vineyard Chardonnay has long been a standout in their portfolio. Winemaker Kerry Damskey has worked with Stuhlmuller for years, identifying a choice block along a cooler gravel bed area adjacent to the Russian River — a site that introduces a mineral thread uncommon in Alexander Valley Chardonnay. The vineyard sits at 1,100 feet on the eastern slopes overlooking Geyserville, where natural cooling and smaller berries yield wines of greater structure and longevity. The result is an Alexander Valley Chardonnay that trades tropical weight for elegance — exactly the right bottle as the season shifts from summer heat to September's cooler evenings.
TASTING NOTES
Tropical fruit flavors typical of Alexander Valley harmonize with a distinctive river-rock minerality drawn from the block's gravel bed soils. Subtle oak frames the fruit without dominating, while the vineyard's elevation delivers an underlying freshness and structure that lingers on the finish. Elegant, poised, and built to hold.
Note: No confirmed critic score found for this specific bottling. The Stuhlmuller estate Chardonnay regularly scores 91–92 pts with Wine Enthusiast across vintages.
2024 Three Sticks Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir | $50
Sonoma Coast, California | Price Family Estates Blend
93 pts — USA Wine Ratings | Best Wine of the Year & Pinot Noir of the Year (2023 vintage)
WHY WE CHOSE THIS WINE
Three Sticks is one of Sonoma's most celebrated estate producers — deeply rooted in six Grand Cru vineyards including Durell, Gap's Crown, and Walala, all of which contribute to this Price Family Estates blend. The winery has earned consistent recognition from Wine Enthusiast, Wine Spectator, and Vinous. The 2024 vintage represents back-to-back strong years for Sonoma Coast Pinot — Vinous's Antonio Galloni noted both 2023 and 2024 are superb, with contrasting characters from diametrically different growing seasons. The Price Family Estates bottling is a winemaker's exercise in balance: pulling the best from six distinct estate sites into a single seamless expression. At $50, it delivers well above its price point.
TASTING NOTES
Ripe yet structured, with blue fruits and rose petals on the nose, underpinned by pine sap and subtle eucalyptus. The palate is concentrated with black and blue fruit, a creamy mid-palate texture, and notes of hibiscus and mint. Vibrant acidity and a plush, textural finish. Benefits from four to five more years in the cellar but drinks beautifully now.
2022 Limerick Lane Cellars Russian River Valley Zinfandel | $46
Russian River Valley, Sonoma County | 53-Acre Estate
93 pts — CellarTracker Community Average
WHY WE CHOSE THIS WINE
Limerick Lane is a 53-acre estate in the northeast corner of the Russian River Valley — an appellation far better known for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay — that has quietly built one of California's most compelling Zinfandel programs. The estate's position, where soil, water levels, rocks, sunshine, wind, and fog converge with rare precision, creates conditions the winery describes as so distinctive it could be its own sub-appellation. The 2022 Russian River Valley Zinfandel blends estate fruit from Squatters Hill with old-vine selections from Maffei, Monto Rosso, and Banfield — a blend-first approach that showcases the whole of the region. Bottled after 11 months, it is the quintessential Russian River Valley Zinfandel: darker-fruited and balanced, without the jamminess that undermines lesser examples.
TASTING NOTES
Gentle red currant and stony minerality on the nose, with notes of red plum, black pepper, cedar, and black tea. The palate is focused and food-friendly, with lively acidity and dusty tannins that linger on a clean, dry finish. A Zinfandel built for the table — grilled lamb, smoked brisket, or a September evening around an outdoor fire.
2018 Azzaro Cellars Pine Mountain Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon | $45
Pine Mountain-Cloverdale Peak AVA, Mendocino/Sonoma | High-Altitude Estate
WHY WE CHOSE THIS WINE
The Azzaro family's Pine Mountain Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon comes from one of California's most compelling — and least-known — mountain appellations: the Pine Mountain-Cloverdale Peak AVA, straddling the Mendocino-Sonoma county border at elevations approaching 2,600 feet. At that altitude, temperature inversions produce smaller, thick-skinned berries with concentrated flavors, softer tannins, and a depth of color rarely seen at valley-floor prices. The Azzaro family approached winemaking as a passion project — small production, labor-intensive farming, and a focus on letting the mountain site speak for itself. The 2018 vintage represents peak ripeness and structure from an excellent North Coast growing season, and at $45, this is the kind of discovery that rewards guests who look beyond familiar appellations.
TASTING NOTES
Deep color and expressive dark fruit — wild blackberries, plum, and black licorice — with the mineral spine and firm structure typical of high-altitude Cabernet. The nose shows cedar and concentrated berry; the palate is rich but focused, with intensity that comes from vine stress and elevation-driven concentration. Ready now, with years ahead.
Note: No confirmed critic score found for this bottling. Azzaro has limited critical coverage given the small-production nature of the project.
2022 Lambert Bridge Winery Sonoma County Cabernet Franc | $90
Sonoma County, California | Five Vineyards, Four Appellations
WHY WE CHOSE THIS WINE
Lambert Bridge is one of Dry Creek Valley's most intentional producers — farming their 37-acre Chambers Vineyard in the foothills of the Mayacamas Mountains on volcanic soil with a maritime-influenced climate that slows ripening and concentrates flavor. The 2022 Cabernet Franc is drawn from five vineyards across four appellations and represents VP/Winemaker Jennifer Higgins's most ambitious blending project yet. As she noted at release: "When we tasted the 2022 Bordeaux reds for the first time, the Cabernet Francs on the table were already standouts. Sometimes the growing season aligns and favors a varietal and our job is to take all that promise and deliver." Lambert Bridge allocates almost entirely to their Liquid Assets membership — placing this wine in outside channels makes it a genuine find. Cabernet Franc at this quality level from Sonoma County is rarely available outside a wine club.
TASTING NOTES
Beautiful ruby in the glass with inviting aromatics of ripe fruits, bourbon cherry, anise, and clove. On the palate, elegant layers of red fruit, dried cranberry, and dark cherry unfold, supported by lively acidity and present, refined tannins. Complex and balanced with a long finish. Stunning with duck, lamb, or a September harvest dinner.
Note: No confirmed critic score found for the 2022 vintage. Lambert Bridge wines are allocated primarily to members and see limited critical coverage in trade publications.
2022 Bartholomew Estate Viviano's Block Sonoma Valley Syrah | $48
Sonoma Valley, California | Bartholomew Park Estate
Double Gold — 2023 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
Wine Enthusiast — reviewed and recommended (2022 vintage, Tom R. Capo)
WHY WE CHOSE THIS WINE
Bartholomew Estate sits within Bartholomew Park — one of the most historically significant wine properties in California. The site traces winemaking roots to the 1850s as the first privately owned vineyard in Sonoma, restored by Frank Bartholomew in 1943 after decades of dormancy. The Viviano's Block Syrah draws from this very estate vineyard — a single-block expression with a pedigree that few California producers can match. The 2022 earned Double Gold at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, and Wine Enthusiast praised its depth and character. Total estate production is kept deliberately small — between 3,000 and 5,000 cases annually — which means every bottle carries weight beyond what the label advertises. As September deepens into harvest season, this is the Syrah that feels most appropriate: rooted in history, built for the table, and priced well below its category.
TASTING NOTES
The nose bursts with juicy blueberry, plum, and freshly chopped herb. On the palate, savory roasted meat notes balance generous blue and black fruit, before a rich, tannic finish that rewards patience. Inky garnet in the glass with excellent acidity and a dark earthiness that speaks directly to the historic estate from which it comes.
These wines are available in limited quantities. Please contact your sales representative to place an order or request samples.