Over the past few weeks, we've been trying some French and California wines in between the wines we've been tasting for the Review of Washington Wines. Here are our notes and scores.

French Wines

We love the Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs of Burgundy. Here are some fine examples.

2018 Louis Jadot Pouilly Fuissé ($27.99 - Safeway) - Pouilly-Fuissé in the Maconnais, is a beautiful expression of Chardonnay. This one shows a brilliant gold color and lovely aromas of pear, peach, citrus, pear tree blossoms, acacia flowers and white incense. The flavors are vivacious, marked by notes of pear and grape skins and granitic minerals. The back picks up poire and pêche liqueurs and a twist of lemon zest on the way to a persistently minerally finish. 18.5/20 points.

2018 Regis Bouvier Marsannay, "Les Longeroies," Vieilles Vignes ($34.99 - wine.com) - Marsannay is located at the north end of the Côte d'Or. This wine, produced from Pinot Noir, shows a brick red color and a seductive nose of fraises de bois, cherries, black currants, black roses, tobacco leaf, orange peel and incense. The flavors are velvety yet vigorous, with notes of licorice root, cocoa powder, French roast and granitic minerals. The back picks up fraise and cassis liqueurs, followed by a luscious moderate tannin finish. 18.5/20 points.

2017 Regis Bouvier Bourgogne "En Montre Cul" ($34.99 - Esquin) - This comes from a vineyard just outside Marsannay and features a scantily clad woman picking grapes. It displays a brick red color and attractive aromas of strawberries, cherries and cassis with scents of crushed roses, tobacco, lilac and pink incense. The flavors are deliciously supple yet substantial, with considerable Pinot character, marked by notes of red licorice, coca and earth. The back reveals sensations of pressed berries, crème de cassis and nougat. follows by a sensuous, ripe moderate tannin finish. 18.5/20 points.

2016 Domaine Faiveley Mercurey 1er Cru, Clos des Myglands ($53.99 - Esquin) - This Faviley Monopole is situated in the heart of the Côte Chalonnais south of the Côte d'Or. It shows a deep ruby color and seductive aromas of wild strawberries, cherries, black currants, black roses, sweet tobacco and oriental incense. The flavors are thick, almost massive, yet elegant, with layers of dark fruits that are intermixed with licorice, dark chocolate, French roast and Sâone Valley minerals. The penetration continues on the back with macerated berries, roasted pecans, mocha, crème de cassis, pencil shavings and sweet oak followed by a long sweetish tannin finish. 19+/20 points.

California Wines

Here are some wines from iconic wineries in Sonoma County and the Napa Valley that we have been following for decades.

2017 Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast ($17.99 - Safeway) - Sonoma-Cutrer was a trailblazer of Sonoma Chardonnay in the 1980s. This one shows a brilliant gold color and attractive aromas of apple, peach, cirrus, apple blossoms, acacia flowers and whiffs of vanilla and white incense. The flavors are nicely balanced and true to variety, with notes of pear skin, peach stone and coastal minerals. The back picks up Calvados and pêche liqueurs and touches of creme fraiche and lemon zest, followed by a pleasingly fruited finish. 18+/20 points.

2016 Segeshio Zinfandel, Sonoma County ($23.99 - Safeway) - Seghesio has been family-owned since 1895. This Zin shows a ruby color and rich aromas of raspberry, Loganberry and plum with scents of rosebuds, tobacco and spiced wood smoke. On the palate, the flavors are generous and jammy, yet focused, with notes of licorice, cocoa powder and earth. The chewy textured yet supple back reveals macerated berries, roasted nuts, toffee and charcoal, followed by a ripe, spiced moderate tannin finish. 18+/20 points.

2016 Frog's Leap Zinfandel, Napa Valley ($29.99 - Safeway) - Napa Valley Zinfandels are a bit more structured than those of Sonoma. This one displays a deep ruby color and a rich, smoky nose of wild blackberries, cherries, Damson plums, rosebuds, sweet tobacco, brambles and spiced incense. The flavors are generous and chewy yet focused, with notes of licorice, dark chocolate, espresso and scorched earth. The saturation continues on the back with macerated berries, roasted nuts, spiced cherries and burnt charcoal, followed by a ripe, slightly grainy tannin finish. 18.5/20 points.

2016 Stag's Leap Winery Petite Sirah, Napa Valley ($37.99 - Safeway) - Petite Sirah has been grown in Napa since 1893. This is a striking version. Opaque purple-crimson colored, it emits intense, smoky aromas of wild blackberries, mountain blueberries, brambly currants, black roses, maduro wrapper, purple lilac, lavender and smoldering incense. The dark fruit flavors are bold and intense, infused with licorice, dark cocoa, French press and scorched earth. The saturation continues on the back with sensations of roasted berries and nuts, and burnt charcoal (a trait of Petite Sirah) followed by a grainy ripe tannin finish. 19/20 points.

2015 Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley ($34.99 - Safeway) - Louis Martini was a legend in the Napa Valley. This wine t shows a deep ruby-garnet color and rich aromas of blackberry, cherry, plum, crushed roses, tobacco, cedar and incense. The ripe, fleshy yet structured flavors are typical of the Alexander Valley on the other side of the Sonoma Mountains from the Napa Valley, replete with licorice, chocolate, roasted coffee beans and loamy earth. The back picks up macerated berries, roasted nuts, mocha and pencil lead, followed by a pleasing moderate tannin and acid finish. 18.5/20 points.