Bottle #5041.  In contrast to the regular 2018, this one is drinking great.  Such is the nature of the vintage.  While perhaps not a top vintage, it was better than many people say and the wines are so much more accessible young while still being delicious and complex.  That seems to be even more true with mountain fruit that is typically more concentrated than valley floor fruit.  The label lists 14.5%abv.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, spice, clay and chocolate.  Firm tannins.  Good acidity.  On the palate, this is very drinkable.  Cassis, chocolate and some sp

Consumed over three nights, I much preferred it on night 3.  On opening this showed a lot of oak and some heat.  By night three, the oak had integrated, the heat mellowed and it was a delicious Napa Cabernet.  This is made from a combination of Howell Mountain fruit and Rutherford Dust Vineyard Cabernet.  Purple in color with some ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is initially cedar and spice, but by night 3 there is cassis, cocoa powder, some cedar and a slight saddle leather note.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  Moderate acidity.  On the palate, by night 3, the tannins had integ

What a beautiful take on Vermentino.  Decidedly California in style, but the wine bears some resemblance to the classic Italian versions.  Light golden in color with some green hues.  Medium bodied.  The nose has a bit of citrus (tangerine) along with slight guava notes.  Slightly viscous.  Excellent cut.  On the palate, more lemon than tangerine with nice underlying minerality.  Lively acidity but no sharp edges makes this very easy to drink.  The acidity and minerality set this apart from so many Napa whites.  Nice finish.  Consumed over two nights, this was even better on night 2.  This

Silvery in color with some very pale gold.  Very tight at the beginning, it slowly opened after a few hours.  Minerals and saline, and eventually some grapefruits.  Medium to full bodied.  Very interesting on the palate.  Tight at first, slowly it shows some minerality and eventually some grapefruits and finally a bit of lime.  Also a hint of maybe chalk.  Very refreshing.  This drinks great with or without food.  It really would work well with oysters.  Drink over the next five years.  

This is a more "serious" take on Sauvignon Blanc which can sometimes be too much, but it works here.  Yellow gold in color, slightly cloudy.  On the nose there is some grapefruit, spice/oak, and a bit of honey.  Medium to full bodied.  Good acidity but still round at the edges.  On the palate, grapefruit, peach, ginger and spice.  A bit of lemons on the finish.  This drinks well on its own but can hold up to quite a bit of foods.  Grilled trout would be a nice match.  

What a fantastic value in Sauvignon Blanc.  Made from grapes grown 15km from the Pacific.  Silvery/green/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has peaches, grapefruits and salinity.  Medium bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, grapefruits with underlying minerality.  Peaches come out on the mid-palate.  A hint of menthol on the long finish.  Light tannins.  This is nice on its own but will work well with food too.  Shrimp off the grill would be great.  Screwcapped.  

This is made utilizing organic grapes.  At 12.5%abv, it is clean and lean.  Yellow gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has a nice combination of peach and ginger.  Light to medium bodied with a slight viscosity.  The overall effect is a nice mouthfeel.  On the palate, grapefruit and lemons.  Good acidity.  Long finish with grapefruits.  This drinks well on its own and should be very food friendly with lighter foods.  A nice pick for sushi.  Drink over the next two to four years.  

Another interesting Sauvignon Blanc from coastal chile.  This is one of the more "expensive" ones, but even at $25, its is an excellent value.  Silvery/ gold in color, with just the slightest bit of cloudiness.  Lots on minerality and salinity on the nose with some lime and the slightest note of tropical fruits.  Light bodied but concentrated.  Slightly oily texture.  On the palate, understated grapefruit that gets more pronounced as it moves toward the finish.  Also limes and minerality.  The is not too dissimilar to many New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs in its price range, but perhaps a bit m

This is from the coastal region of Chile.  Pale silvery/gold in color with some green swirls.  The nose has lime, salinity and smoke.  A very lovely slightly oily texture.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, there is an interesting minerality with slight lime and slighter tropical fruits.  Some complexity.  Moderate acidity.  Good finish.  This is very nice on its own and very food friendly.  Roasted turkey or chicken would be a nice match.  Screw capped.  While there is some fruit to this, the minerality is the thing that makes it very interesting.  Excellent value.

This is made utilizing organic grapes from a vineyard, Valle Hermoso, just 13km from the ocean.  Yellow/silver/gold in color, clear and bright.  There is a very expressive nose featuring lemon, lime, lemon verbena, and an almost minty quality.  Medium bodied.  Dry as a bone.  On the palate lots of minerals and herbs with again, nice sort of pepperminty note.  Moderate acidity.  Nice mouthfeel.  This is nice on its own but even better with food.  A Quinoa and Roasted Pepper salad would be perfect.  Screwcapped.  This should drink nicely over the next three to four years.