California

• Amador County
  • Shenandoah Valley
• Carmel Valley
• Carneros
• Central Coast
  • Edna Valley
  • Mt. Harlan
  • Paso Robles
• Contra Costa County
• El Dorado County
• Lake County
• Lodi
• Mendocino
  • Anderson Valley
  • Yorkville Highlands
• Monterey
• 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
• North Coast
• Santa Barbara
  • Santa Lucia Highlands
  • Santa Rita Hills
  • Santa Ynez Valley
• Santa Cruz
• Santa Maria Valley
• Sierra Foothills
• Sonoma County
  • Alexander Valley
  • Bennett Valley
  • Best of Sonoma
  • Dry Creek Valley
  • Fort Ross/Seaview
  • Moon Mountain
  • Pine Mountain - Cloverdale Peak
  • Russian River Valley
  • Sonoma Coast
  • Sonoma Mountain
  • Sonoma Valley
  • Knights Valley

Light ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose is lovely with cherries, cinnamon, and slight spice notes.  Medium to full bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, cherries, some rhubarb and slight cloves.  Long finish.  This has some depth and complexity.  Still on the younger side of peak but getting there.  Nice on its own but better with food.  Cheese worked well, but this would be nice with roasted duck or chicken.  Drink over the next eight to twelve years. 

A couple  of steps up from the basic Sonoma Coast Chardonnay.  Light golden in color with some silvery hues, clear and bright.  The nose is great with lemon curd, slight pear, vanilla and spice.  Medium to full bodied.  Crisp acidity.  On the palate, this is concentrated but has some elegance.  Lemons, slight vanilla, a bit of toast and spice.  Complex.  Long finish.  For my tastes, one of the top Chardonnays out there.  It should easily drink well for ten to fifteen more years.  Great on its own, but better with food.  This would be excellent with grilled Salmon.  

Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The  nose is nice with limes, vanilla, and spice.  It has a leaner texture with crisp acidity.  On the palate, more lemon than lime along with a nice minerality and spice.  Clean finish.  This sees no new oak but certainly has a perception of some oak which is interesting.  It should work well with seafood or vegetarian fare.  Pad Thai would might be nice.  Drink over the next five to eight years.  

Grenache seems to be one of the more difficult grapes to make wine with in California.  So many  are overdone and taste roasted while others are thin and insipid.  It is a grape that gets very ripe and matching that to the California sunshine is not easy.  Andremily is one winery that seems to achieve that balance.  They are big wines but not roasted or hot, but full of flavor and texture.  A blend of 80% Grenache, 14% Mourvedre and 6% Syrah.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The  nose has black cherries, black raspberries, dark chocolate and spice.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Great

This is a blend of 67% Chenin Blanc and 33% Semillon from Napa Valley.  Very pale golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with a touch of red apples, orange rind and minerality.  Also a bit of wax.  Good balance.  On the palate, the minerality stands out.  Some apple notes.  Good finish.  This is a nice, lighter styled white wine that works well with lighter foods.  A nice wine with a Quiche.  Drink over the next five to eight years.  

This is 100% Syrah.  Torrin wines are big, bold wines that really need at least a decade in most vintages to really come around for my tastes.  That said, at age 9, this was singing.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, smoked meats, slight bacon fat, black pepper and violets.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Great energy.  On the palate, black raspberries, char, some blueberries and some minerality.  Long finish.  This is great on its own, but even at age 9 will be a difficult food pairing.  A nice BBQ Brisket would work.  Drink over the next ten to fif

Kite Tail has always been a very expressive Chardonnay and this iteration is no exception. It deviates from traditional Chardonnay and delves into richer, more mature elements. What’s surprising then is that this iteration has less oak and less malolactic time than previous versions. Yet this still retails a wonderful acidity, character and aroma, not to mention a palate experience that brings in oak-like notes, without the cumbersome oak heaviness. All estate grown, all Chardonnay, this offers a nose of soft muted lemon, resin and butterscotch/gardenia.

Deep golden in color and cloudy but bright.  That is typical appearance for Aubert.  The nose is a bit different with pineapples, baked apples, lemon curd and vanilla bean.  Full bodied.  Good acidity.  On the palate, there is a lot going on.  The pineapple carries thru along with apples, slight vanilla, spice and some lemon curd on the long finish. This is complex and deep.  It is great/contemplative on its own but will work well with food.  It went very well with Veggie Flat Breads, but would also be great with clams.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  

Probably my favorite in the excellent lineup of Rivers Marie Chardonnays and this vintage is no exception.  Light golden/silver/green in color, clear and bright.  The nose is deep and strong with green apples, lemon peel, minerality with slight chalk, slight spice and vanilla.  Full bodied.  Crisp but rounded edges.  Great racy texture.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Flavors of green apples, lemon juice and minerals.  Long finish.  This is drinking beautifully, if young on its own but will work well with the right food.  Calamari would be a great choice.  Drink over the next ten to fif

This is their basic offering (not a single vineyard) that is supposed to be a bit more approachable in its youth.  Light golden in color with some green hues, clear and bright.  The nose has apples, slight lemon citrus, spice and salinity.  Nice texture.  Good balance.  On the palate, this is round with no hard edges.  Good minerality.  Apples with some spice.  Good finish.  It is drinking well now and should be for another seven to ten more years.  Good on its own, this would be nice with baked Trout.