Expert articles and wine tasting videos profiling wines from California, California wine regions, Napa Valley, Sonoma County, & more.
This is Cabernet Sauvignon from Mt. Veeder and St.
Cole Ranch AVA is the smallest AVA in the United States. It is west of Ukiah in Mendocino County. The vineyard was planted in 1973. It is a very interesting take on Riesling and certainly one of the better ones tasted from California (yes, that is a bit of a back handed compliment). Light golden in color, clear and bright. The nose has peach, some ginger and plenty of minerality. Medium bodied. Good acidity. On the palate, this is dry. Minerality dominates but also some ginger and slight peach. Good finish. It is nice on its own, but really, better with good. It was perfect with
Yes, this is young and will improve. But you know what? Some days you just want your wine to do the talking. This perfect after one of those days. Inky purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose has black raspberries, black pepper, roasted meats and roasted herbs. Full bodied. High energy. Great balance. Firm tannins. On the palate, this is deep and delicious. Black raspberries, char and black pepper. Long finish. This will get even better but was great. Drink over the next twenty to thirty years. We had it on its own, but this would be just fine with a steak or (veggie) Bu
This is a conglomeration of the remaining barrels after the single varietal wines have been bottled. And, like those, this keeps getting better every year. It is a blend of 57% Syrah, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petite Sirah, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Misc.
if Napa had First Growth designations, this would be on the list. The Lafite of Napa. Long history, Great wines, and a Reasonably large production. Such consistency. At age 22, this is cruising along without showing any old age. Purple in color, garnet at the rim, opaque and bright. The nose has cassis, pencil lead, cedar, smoke and just a hint of leather. Full bodied. Medium tannins. Great balance. On the palate, this is deep and complex. Flavors of cassis, slight earthiness, char and just a bit of leather. Long finish. Delicious. Great on its own, this would be classic with
This is what used to be Terry Hoage Winery. It is 98% Syrah and 2% Mourvedre. Inky purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose has black raspberries, roasted meats, black pepper and char. Full bodied. Medium to firm tannins. On the palate, this is a big wine. Full throttle. Flavors of black raspberries with some black pepper and char. Good finish. This is nice on its own but will take big food. Roasted or grilled meats and/or veggies would work. Drink over the next eight to twelve years.
Another great value from Bedrock. This is their basic Syrah and it is excellent and reasonably priced. Purple in color with some ruby hues, mostly opaque and bright. The nose has black raspberries, char, slight black pepper and roasted herbs. Medium to full bodied. Medium tannins. Good acidity. On the palate, this is delicious. Black raspberry fruit with some black pepper and char. It should drink well for another ten years. Nice on its own, a great choice for a mid week burger.
This is the basic Jaffur's Syrah. One of the better value is the fine wine world. Normally, these get consumed early on, so it was fun to taste one with some age. Purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose is great with black raspberries, slight char, black pepper and roasted meats. Also, a bit earthy. Full bodied. Mild tannins. Nice balance. On the palate, this seems mature. Drinking well. Nice depth with a bit of complexity. Flavors of black raspberries, with char and a nice earthiness. Drink over the next five to eight years. It went very well with Indian takeout.
Beautiful bottle. Inky purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose has cassis, blueberries, dark chocolate, slight graphite and spice. Full bodied. Firm tannins. On the palate, this is delicious. Great balance. Flavors of cassis, blueberries, dark chocolate and spice. Long finish. This is young but drinks nicely with a bit of air. It will get better. Drink over the next twenty to thirty years. Great on its own, for now, stick to rich or fatty meats, but also roasted vegies will work.
From a half bottle. This is a blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. It is a late harvest dessert wine. Light gold in color, clear and bright. The nose has honey along with a touch of peach. Medium bodied. Slightly viscous. On the palate, this has some sweetness but that has probably faded since release. Some honeyed notes. Moderate finish. These need to be drunk up at this point. It works better with some food. Cheese or less sweet pastries would work.
