On numerous occasions, discovering an exceptional bottle of wine comes when we least expect it.

It may happen at a dinner party when the host pops the cork on a bottle of an unknown brand, or perhaps a wine from a part of the world we’ve only begun to explore.

Then there’s the restaurant sommelier with a twinkle in his or her eye, eager to taste you on a new release sure to tickle the diner’s fancy.

There’s that tip from a friend who’s into wine discoveries, or even a quick note or call from a PR pro who knows how to get your attention.

Leading off with a wine that gives a lot of bang for the buck, here’s a few recommendations for your cellar, wines we tasted in the past few weeks that deserve your attention.

Benessere Vineyards 2004 Costa Del Sol ($15): A new blend from consummate winemaker Chris Dearden of sangiovese, merlot and zinfandel. Production was just shy of 1,500 cases. It’s a bright, fruit forward blend with a lingering red berry finish. While it works as a pleasing sipper, Costa Del Sol also pairs with a variety of dishes, like grilled chicken (or that exceptional vinegar chicken you can order up at Napa’s BarbersQ), barbecued ribs, even a plate of spicy bucatini or spaghetti all’amatriciana topped with grated pecorino Romano. At $15, it’s a real bargain. Call the winery at 963-5853 to find out where you can buy it besides the winery, located on Big Tree Road in St. Helena.

Dominus Estate 2004 Napanook ($40): It’s not often you get to taste a choice Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon for a pair of Andrew Jacksons. Made to be consumed young, this wine from the historic Napanook vineyard (first released by owner Christian Moueix in 1996) is a traditional blend in that all five Bordeaux grape varieties are included — 83 percent cabernet sauvignon, 9 percent cabernet franc, 4 percent petit verdot, 3 percent merlot and 1 percent malbec. With concentrated, ripe fruit that carries through from entry to finish, this is a finesse wine rife with black cherries that drinks well now but should age for a decade – if you can keep your hands off it that long.

Round Pond 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon ($60): Selling fruit to other top-notch cellars around the valley since the ’80s, the MacDonnell family decided it was the right time to launch its wine brand. Now, after making olive oil fanciers sit up and take notice, Ryan and Miles MacDonnell are tempting our palates with outstanding cabernet sauvignon from their family’s 350 acres of Rutherford vineyards. This smoky, velvety, spicy, absolutely delicious cab is the handiwork of one of the valley’s savvy winemakers, Cary Gott, who’s helped launch a number of outstanding brands in recent years (Pillar Rock and D.R. Stephens, to name but two). It’s a polished lip-smacking wine some friends and I enjoyed with tasty Texas-style barbecue at Ad Hoc earlier in the week. Just learned Round Pond also has made some nebbiolo, the exotic  Italian varietal used for those intense Barolos and Barbarescos. If it’s as tasty as the 2004 cab, then I’ve got to get some.

Oakville Ranch Vineyards 2003 Oakville Ranch Robert’s Blend ($80): “Get some” is also the operative phrase for this outstanding  Bordeaux blend from vintner Mary Miner and winemaker Ashley Heisey. I can always count on Paula Kornell (who was weaned from milk bottle to wine bottle at an early age) to turn me onto a choice bottling. She might be a little prejudiced since she’s general manager of Oakville Ranch, but her eye is always on the prize. Here it’s an inky cabernet franc-focused blend coming from the rocky, rusty-red soils of the family’s vineyard plateau east of the valley floor. Nearly two-thirds of this harvest’s blend comes from cabernet franc, which accounts for the rich color and earthy notes, with the fruit and complexities traced to the ripe cabernet sauvignon that rounds out the wine. A wine for roasted meats, stews and braises, like meaty osso buco. 

Dominus Estate 2004 Dominus ($125): Another complex, earthy wine from Christian Mouiex and winemaker Boris Champy. This is the classic Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon Moueix intended when he scoured the Napa Valley for a vineyard site. The Dominus team believes the wine is made in the vineyard, not in the cellar. That attention to detail in the vineyard is more than evident in the bottle. Not as ripe as the Napanook from another part of the estate, this is an elegant, round, aromatic wine smelling and tasting of intense blackberries, finishing with ripe, soft tannins on the finish. A blend of cabernet sauvignon (85 percent), cabernet franc (8 percent) and petit verdot (7 percent), this is a lovely expression of a dry-farmed vineyard, a wine that should age for a couple of decades or more.