Warren Bogle is the president and vineyard director, Jody Bogle is director of public relations and Ryan Bogle is VP and CFO, so when you are dealing with Bogle Vineyards in Clarksburg, California you are talking to the family.

They own 1,200 acres in Clarksburg and another 400 in the Lodi appellation and, although they have been farmers since the mid-1800s, it was not until 1968 that they planted their first 20 acres of grapes.

Although I have been familiar with these wines for many years, it is only this month that we have started to introduce them to our three Burrows Lightbourn stores. I would like to tell you about some of their reds as we may be looking in that direction as the heat of summer starts to abate a bit.

I should mention that they do purchase fruit from other family growers as they believe that by blending it with their own, they can create special attributes in their wines. For instance their Bogle 2014 Pinot Noir uses grapes from the cool Russian River Valley and Monterey to add complexity to its Clarksburg grapes.

Here is how they see it: “Heady scents of ripe summer strawberries make a lovely first impression, while hints of crushed violets and sweet dried herbs resonate on the nose. Refined and nuanced, the mouthfeel softens as layers of cherry fruit are wrapped in a comforting blanket of pipe tobacco and worn leather.” To keep it simple let me say that all the wines mentioned today sell for $20.85.

In the 1960s, petite sirah was the very first varietal that the family planted and it is probably fair to say that it used to be one of the leading varietals in California. A French man, Dr Francois Durif, managed to cross syrah with peloursin (I’ve never heard of it either) and out popped petite sirah. Bogle 2014 Petite Sirah takes a quantum leap from delicate pinot noir to dark purple, glass-staining intensity along with inky, succulent blueberries and blackberries as well as roasted, savoury earthy tones. If that is not enough, let us add some dark chocolate. Rich cheese or a steak on the grill — that is something that I could really enjoy. This is not a wimpy wine and I confess to be a fan, for sure.

In this year of the red blends, let me introduce you to the Bogle 2014 Essential Red Blend where they create a very mouth-filling wine by artfully combining old vine zinfandel, syrah, cabernet sauvignon and petite sirah. Richly textured fruit of dark berries and black plums is nuanced by the flavours of juniper and dried herbs. The juicy, jammy fruit is framed with spicy cedar and hints of pipe tobacco and cocoa as the American oak lingers through the ageing of 12 long months. Luscious from start to finish which, in my opinion, American oak is often a contributor.

I’m thinking rib-eye steak with blue cheese butter for a start and ending with dark chocolate mousse and fresh berries and all the while I am sipping on Bogle 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes have been selected from Lodi, Monterey and Clarksburg. The wine will wrap the palate with richness of cherries and plums that is followed by tanned leather and dark chocolate.

If I was about to enjoy a delicious Margherita pizza, I can just imagine how scrumptious and appropriate a bottle of Bogle 2015 Merlot would be. This grape is quite a bit larger than cabernet sauvignon and so the ration of pulp to skin is far more — the resulting wine is therefore softer, due to less tannin from the skin. This merlot caresses with a silky and smooth mouthfeel. Baking spices and mocha lead to a soft and lingering finish.

There are other Bogle wines to chose from, including whites. They are all well made and it is my belief that you will find them all good values.

• This column is an advertorial for Burrows Lightbourn Ltd. E-mail mrobinson@bll.bm or 295-0176. Burrows Lightbourn has stores in Hamilton (Front Street East, 295-1554), Paget (Harbour Road, 236-0355) and St George’s (York Street, 297-0409). Visit www.wineonline.bm.