This is a blend of Howell Mountain (70%) and Mt. Veeder (30%) grapes with Cabernet Franc (52%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (38%) and the rest Malbec, Petite Verdot and Merlot.  The team at Dagmar are negociants for California wines.  Garnet in color with purple swirls, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has black cherries, tobacco, dust and slight sage notes.  Long finish.  This is drinking well now and should drink well for another seven to ten years.  It works well on its own and would work well with hearty foods such as lamb stew.  

This is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the best grapes of the original estate vineyard planted in the late 1990's by Jean Bousquet.  Purple in color, ruby at the rime, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is tight and takes about an hour to open.  Cassis, figs, cedar and spice.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, cassis, anise, slight tobacco.  Well balanced.  Long finish with firm tannins.  Made from organic grapes.  This is drinking well but will improve with good cellaring.  Wait a few years then drink over the next eight to twelve years.  A nice match with grilled steak or ribs. 

And now for something completely different...

This is made from 100% Frappato grapes.  The winemaker at Planeta, Patricia Toth, has been at Planeta since 2005.  This wine is a beauty.  Ruby in color with some purple hues, clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, salinity and wild Thyme.  With air, just a hint of smoke.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Light acidity.  On the palate, cherries, minerals, slight balsamic with a slight candied finish.  There is some depth.  This drinks nicely on its own, but would be even better with food.  It would be awesome with a Vegetarian Lasagna.  Drink over the next three to five years.  

Great showing for this wine.  it is made from the Nero d'Avola grape.  Garnet in color, darker at the core, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has black cherries, cherries, sandalwood, nutmeg, and slight dark chocolate notes.  It is tight at first but opens after an hour or so.  Medium bodied.  Medium tannins.  Nice acidity.  On the palate, this is delivering right away.  Black cherries, sour cherries, and ash.  Complex and deep.  Delicious.  Long finish.  At age 9, this is in a great spot and should be at or close to peak.  It is great on its own, but should work well with meat or fowl.  A

I thought this was a step or two better than the 2019.  Either way, both are very nice values in Pinot Noir.  Very light ruby in color, clear and bright.  As an aside, I love Pinots that look so watery and wimpy and then, Boom.  Delicious.  The nose has cherries, slight cinnamon, Chervil.  Medium to full bodied.  Nice texture.  Light tannins.  On the palate, tart cherries and slight rhubarb.  This is still quite tight and just starting to open after 5 hours.  It could use a few years of cellaring or a six hour decant.  Drink over the next seven to ten years (probably more).  Nice on its own

A blend of 35% Malbec, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Cabernet Franc grown at 4,000 feet.  This is an organic wine with no additional sulfites added.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries.  Medium bodied.  Nice texture.  Little or no tannins.  On the palate, black cherries with a slight cough drop note which carries thru to the finish.  Also a slight root beer note at the finish.  This is an easy drinking wine that drinks well on its own and would be great with (veggie) Burgers.  Since this is made with no added sulfites, storage is critic

This is a sparkling wine made from 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay.  It utilized the Charmat method (trapping the bubbles in steel tanks) to make a lovely yet inexpensive sparkling wine.  Salmon pink in color with a steady stream of small bubbles.  The nose is nice with strawberries, rhubarb and slight cherries.  Full bodied with good acidity.  On the palate, this has tangy red fruit including cherries and strawberries.  Some depth.  Long finish.  At this price, a terrific value.  A nice wine for celebrations or for just enjoying.  Nice on its own, this is very food friendly and would go

This comes in a cute 175ml package with a plastic stopper, screw top and glass bottle.  A nice size for someone who wants one large or two smaller servings.  There is no indication about what varietals are in the wine other than the grapes are organic.  There are many options available from this winery which gets grapes from all over the world.  The wine has a pale green gold color, clear and bright.  The nose features peaches and Meyer lemons.  Light bodied.  On the palate, peaches with good acidity.  Nice finish with a bit of (bitter) almonds.  These would work well for a picnic.  Drink o

A fifth generation family winery in Sicily that gets the whole family on board.  From Aurelio and Barbara Di Giovanna, Gunther Di Giovanna, Gunther Di Giovanna, and Klaus Di Giovanna, the co-owners to Melissa Di Giovanna, the Sales and Marketing Manager.  The winemaker is Gianfranco Zito.