Napa Valley

• Atlas Peak
• Best of Napa
• Calistoga
• Conn Valley
• Diamond Mountain
• Howell Mountain
• Mt. Veeder
• Oak Knoll
• Oakville
• Pope Valley
• Rutherford
• Spring Mountain
• St. Helena
• Stags Leap
• Yountville

Detert is more known for it Cab Franc, but this was excellent as well.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with cassis, spice, coffee, and slight earthiness.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  good balance.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Cassis, baking spice and slight tobacco.  Deep.  Long finish.  Ripe but not a fruit bomb.  Drinking well now, it will get better over the next five years.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  Nice on its own, this will work well with pork chops.

Luna made some nice wines.  This was certainly one.  Purple in color with some ruby swirls, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cherries, milk chocolate, spice, and slight plums.  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate, this is easy drinking but also has some depth.  Chocolate covered cherries with a slight bit of undergrowth.  Good finish.  Nice on its own, this is a classic burger wine as well.  Drink over the next ten years.  

This winery recently sold.  While the former owners, Napa legends Carole Meredith and Steve Lagier, are entitled to work a bit less, the wines will be missed.  Quality Syrah (and others) at very fair pricing.  This one is no exception.  2009 was a good vintage provided the grapes were harvested before the early fall rains.  It would appear these were.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with black raspberries, black pepper, slight gamey meats.  Medium to full bodied.  Very concentrated.  On the palate, light tannins.  Plenty of black raspberry fruit with some black pepper

Wow.  Stunning wine.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with coffee, cassis, blueberries, spice and graphite.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  This is a really big wine, but it has that lightness and deftness that belie its size.  Great velvety texture.  On the palate, cassis, coffee, blueberries and spice.  Long finish.  Delicious.  It is still young and will no doubt be a 100 point wine in a few years.  No harm opening now, but waiting three or four years will be rewarded.  Drink over the next twenty years.  It will need big food to match with such as Standing Rib R

This is a riper Cab especially for 2012.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with cassis, baking spices, char, and slight blueberries.  Full bodied.  Tannic.  Great balance and texture.  On the palate coffee and cassis with underlying char.  Long finish.  Delicious.  This is drinking well now but should continue to mature.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  A nice match with Filet Mignon.

There’s a certain comfort in knowing that when you open a Spottswoode Sauvignon Blanc, regardless of vintage, it will always be excellent. I have had many vintages of this wine and the consistency of its excellence is borderline improbable – and yet they nail it year after year. The ’21 offers that beautiful crisp nose of lemon meringue, lime kefir, honeysuckle, guava and red delicious apple. That follows through on the palate along with light plum, crème brulee, toasted brioche and Asian pear.

Great showing for this wine.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, black olives, smoke and spice.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Great texture.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Black raspberries, black cherries, slight chocolate, spice and slight underlying forest floor.  Not yet at peak but getting there.  A slight bitter cherry note on the finish is interesting.  This is great on its own and very food friendly for heavier foods.  This would go great with Lamb Chops but also grilled Portobellos.  Drink over the next fifteen years.  

This is a blend of 42% Cabernet Franc, 42% Merlot, and 16% Cabernet Sauvignon.  Impressive showing.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is tight at first but opens to show black cherries, cherries, chocolate, and brown tobacco.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Wonderful velvety texture.  On the palate, this is delicious with black cherries, iodine, blueberries and crushed leaves.  Complex.  Still not fully mature but getting there.  Long finish.  No harm opening now, but another five to eight years and this might get a 100 score.  Great on its own, it will take big food right

This is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot.  It was given some air prior to serving and double decanted back into the bottle which seemed about right.  Ruby/purple in color, opaque if a bit flat.  The nose is nice with black cherries, cassis, slight cigar box and a bit of spice.  The tannins are all resolved.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, cherries and black cherries.  Some depth.

Tasted blind. This is a blend of 97% To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% To Kalon Cabernet Franc. Purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose is very nice with cassis, coffee and slight bell pepper. Full bodied. Not super ripe but not unripe. Full bodied. Medium tannins. On the palate, cherries, black cherries, slightly bitter with some underlying char. Moderate depth and complexity. This is drinking well now and should continue for ten to twelve years. It drinks well on its own and will work nicely with roasted meat or fowl.