This month's edition of Connoisseurs' Guide touches a good many varietal bases with a bevy of satisfying, seasonally well-timed Sauvignon Blancs as well as new Cabernet Sauvignons, more than a few of which are very serious offerings from some of the best names in the business, and is filled out by a selected small lot of attractive Semillons and a couple of dozen recently arrived Chardonnays that include many earning enthusiastic recommendation.

Too often viewed as a second-tier variety, wonderfully food-worthy Sauvignon Blanc takes its turn in the spotlight this month and once again convincingly proves that it is deserving of far more respect than it typically receives.

Several perennially multiple star-winning wineries make an appearance on August's roster of recently arrived Cabernets, and, overall, those from the extraordinarily successful 2016 harvest continue to shine, while another handful of new bottlings from 2017 bode well for a vintage that met with what looks to be overly harsh criticism early on.

Pretty much overlooked when the topic turns to interesting white wines and rarely seen in California, Semillon is nonetheless likely to surprise those unaware of just how good well-made examples can be.

Outstanding efforts from Black Kite, Ron Noble and Seavey earn top honors among new Chardonnays this month and are joined by a fair number of tasty offerings that check in with very easy-to-like prices.

Zinfandel continues to be the source of some of the very best values in red wine around and is teamed up in our latest installment of Best Buys with a long list of Rosés that will be especially welcome during the dog days of summer.