It is time for another edition of “Random Samples”–I occasionally get samples from marketing agencies and/or producers. These can often be grouped together into some sort of over-arching theme: Drink Them and It Will Come, Summer is Here, So That Means (More) Rosé, If It Doesn’t Sparkle, It Doesn’t Matter.

Other times, I get just a bottle or two that do not have any apparent connection or link. Instead of holding on to those bottles until the “right” combination comes along, I decided to link all these “random” bottles together, making their own category (and, being the math geek that I am, “random sample” has a bit of a double entendre).

2023 Copain P2, Sonoma Coast, CA: Retail $42. Very Responsible Bottle (457g; 16.1oz). No foil. 50% Pinot Noir, 50% Pinot Gris. When I saw the blend on this wine, I honestly had to do a double-take; I could count on one hand, not using many fingers, the number of Pinot Noir blends I have seen outside of sparkling wines. And Pinot Gris? This has to be a first. The first day, this was pretty closed up, not offering much fruit, but plenty of acidity in this light, translucent, cofermented wine. On day two, however, there was much more activity on both the nose and the palate, though still firmly in the “subtle” zone. Cherry and raspberry are the dominant elements here, with the slightest hint of spice. While darker than a rosé, this is one of those reds that should be consumed with at least a slight chill on it. A very nice summer red, for sure. Excellent. 91 Points.

2024 Caves d’Esclans Whispering Angel, Côtes de Provence, France: Retail $25. Responsible Bottle (507g; 17.9oz). That bottle weight is pretty exciting; it’s 100 grams lighter than the 2023! I am trying hard not to take credit for that…. Grenache, Cinsault, Rolle, (Vermentino), Syrah, Tibouren. We have been drinking the Angel for years. Years. And we have always been a fan, big fans. And this might be the best vintage that we have tried. Gorgeous red fruit on the nose and the palate– strawberry and cherry at the helm. The palate is demure, but also luscious, quite tart, and pretty darned luxurious. Yes, this wine is sold just about everywhere, and yes, that irks a few people (or maybe more than a few), but that does not make it a bad wine. At. All. People need to get over it. Outstanding. 94 Points.

2018 Pasqua Amarone della Valpolicella. Veneto, Italy: Retail $60. Heavy Bottle (652g; 22.9oz). 65% Corvina, 25% Rondinella, 10% Corvinone. I do not drink much Amarone even though I like the style; it’s just that the style does not like me. Perhaps it is the higher alcohol, or maybe the sugar, but I often get the worst hangovers of my life after consuming even the smallest glass of Amarone. I have had this Pasqua before and I have been enamored. This vintage is no different. Plenty of dark, juicy, and stewed fruit on the nose with a touch of anise, violet, and earth. The palate is also close to glorious, with all of that fruit, a mocha aspect, and a lingering acidity that does its darnedest to keep up with all that fruit (and alcohol; 15.5% ABV). Rich, unctuous, and layered, and this wine, for whatever reason, did not produce a regrettable morning! Excellent. 92 Points.

2020 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, CA: Retail $200. Responsible Bottle (574g; 20.2oz). Under cork. 81.6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.8% Merlot, 1.8% Petit Verdot, 1.4% Cabernet Franc, 0.4% Malbec. So there are two Silver Oaks, one from Alexander Valley in Sonoma County, and this one, from Napa Valley. The latter being more than twice the price of the former. More cards on the table: I do not drink a ton of Silver Oak since it is a bit above my pay grade, but this was provided as a sample for review. The last tidbit? The website says that this wine, given proper cellaring, “should age beautifully through 2042.” So I can’t help but feel that I am committing a bit of infanticide here, but that is the nature of the wine reviewing “game” so here we go. Inky dark in the glass, really dark, with oodles of black and blue fruit: blackberry, plum, cassis, blueberry. But the nose is far from a one-trick pony with plenty of spice–cinnamon, nutmeg, maybe a hint of ginger–and just a smidge of dark earth. The palate is all about the fruit, particularly initially, as one might expect from a very young modern Cabernet. But the acidity is plentiful and plays well with all of that fruit from the mid palate through to the finish, which is above-average and exhibits silky, integrated tannins. While I would love to revisit this wine in a dozen years, it is pretty tasty now. Outstanding. 94 Points.

2023 Stonestreet White Blend, Alexander Valley, CA: Retail $55. Heavy Bottle (655g; 23.0oz). Under cork. 74% Assyrtiko, 24% Semillon, 2% Malvasia Bianca. Under cork. When the friendly folks at Jackson Family sent me a few wines to try, I am not gonna lie, I was excited. Sure, the breadth of their holdings is fairly broad, but they have always been super nice to me and many of their wines are among the best in their respective categories. Like this Stonestreet. Long a respected brand in Sonoma County, but more for red than white, so I was intrigued by this bottle. Popped, poured, and tasted before even reading the back label. Bright, with citrus and tree fruit (tart pear) on the nose, with hints of salinity and crushed seashell. Whoa. Then I read the label. 74% Assyrtiko? Sémillon? Whaaaa? I never would have guessed since I have no idea where it might be planted in the valley. Outstanding. 93 Points.