California's most exciting capital "C" variety? Not Chardonnay, though it's capable of the same balance of round texture and inviting acidity; it isn't Chenin Blanc, despite offering a similar balance of orchard fruits and delicate aromatics. It's Colombard, traditionally distilled to make Cognac, and for too long overlooked in California as a grape capable of producing elegant, serious wines. Commune - a project from our friend Tyler Stacey - makes theirs from 40 year-old vines in West Sacramento county, ferments and ages in old oak barrels, and blends it with equally old vine Sauvignon Blanc from a small parcel in the same vineyard. The result is strikingly balanced, marked by pineapple guava, green apple, lilacs, and dense minerality.