Expert articles and wine tasting videos profiling wines from California, California wine regions, Napa Valley, Sonoma County, & more.
Davis Bynum has a long history in Sonoma, dating back to the early 1970s and has long promoted Sonoma wine before Sonoma was known for its dynamic wines it is today. This 2022 uses six different Chardonnay clones from various blocks on their property to craft a classic Sonoma Chardonnay. You’ll find lemon curd, light resin, apricot, honeysuckle and white peach where the acidity supports the fruit.
One of the best 20`17 Napa Cabs I have tried. Inky purple in color, opaque and shimmering bright. The nose has cassis, cedar, tobacco, char and spice. Full bodied. Firm tannins. Great balance. On the palate, this is delicious. Flavors of cassis, some black cherries, with a nice earthiness and a touch of char. Long finish. This has a nice depth and complexity and unwinds in the glass. It will still gain more with further cellaring. Drink over the next ten to fifteen years. Great on its own, this will work with meat, fowl or veggies. A nice wine with a grilled steak off the grill
With vineyards in both Santa Cruz and Mendocino counties, Rhys can pull from a variety of sources to make a variety of Pinot Noir. With Bearwallow, their vineyard in the Anderson Valley, there is a delicate and quite lovely feel to this – something as smooth as silk. The softness texturally belies its layered complexity. Yes there is the requisite black cherry, boysenberry, loganberry and light strawberry, but there is also black tea leaf, light resin and sandalwood.
As Pinot Noir goes, this is quite simply a very pretty wine. Sure, that’s not the sort of descriptor that most reviews use, but it is accurate. Subtle, soft, almost subversive, this is a Pinot that doesn’t announce itself, it doesn’t brag, it simply waits in the glass for you to try it. There is noticeable but subdued fruit; black cherry, pomegranate, Rainer cherry, light strawberry, pomegranate but they are wonderfully melded together so that nothing stands out – except for the quality of the wine in your glass at that moment.
California is making some very nice Albarinos these days. At four years from vintage it might be worrying but this was sealed with a screw cap and the wine inside from fresh and bright. Light green/gold in color, clear and bright. The nose is nice with apples, peach and a stony minerality. Medium bodied. Slightly oily texture. On the palate, this is more about fruit and some minerality than its crisper Spanish siblings. It is filled with ripeness and body. Flavors of red apples and peaches. Good finish. This works very nice on its own and would work well with lighter foods. A nic
This is a blend of 86% Zinfandel with 14% other varietals from the Russian River Valley in Sonoma. Of course, it is Mike Officer and Carlisle's home vineyard. Purple in color with some ruby hues, mostly opaque and bright. The nose is energetic with black raspberries, black cherries, bramble, black pepper and spice (cloves?). Medium bodied. Light tannins. Great balance. On the palate, this is young but really opens with an hour or two air. Plenty of depth. Flavors of black raspberries, black cherries, char and spice. Juicy. Long finish. This is delicious on its own and will work
The Santa Cruz Mountains are the home to many of my favorite Chardonnays and this is definitely one of them. Light gold in color with some hay yellow swirls, clear and bright. The nose is big but lovely with lemon peel, slight lime, slight apples, vanilla, spice and char. Full bodied. Creamy texture countered with crisp acidity. On the palate, this is crisp, satisfying and delicious. Deep and complex, it unwinds with a bit of air in the glass. Flavors of lemon peel, slight vanilla, spice and char. Long finish. This is great on its own but better with food. This would work so well
