Another great Thomas Rivers Brown cabernet.  This is their basic Cabernet which has unfortunately gone up in price recently.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, cedar, with nice minerality.  Medium to firm tannins.  Nice balance.  On the palate, this is concentrated with cassis, some black cherries, spice and char.  Long finish.  This is still youthful but drinking well.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  Great on its own, this is in a great place to take to a steak house.  

I don't think this vineyard is in production any longer which is a shame as they were the source of some great Pinot Noir.  Luckily, there is still some out there and it is beautiful.  Deep garnet in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, sour cherries, and spice.  Great texture.  Good balance.  On the palate, this is deep.  Flavors of sour cherries and slight cranberries.  Long finish.  This is at peak at age 17 but still has about five to seven years at this level if well stored.  Nice on its own but better with food.  It would go well with pasta in a mushroom sauce.  

As the name implies, the grapes for this wine were fermented (five months) in Amphora and bottled with minimal sulfur.  Medium golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is very aromatic with quince, dried flowers and slight honeyed note.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, citrus and quince with some minerality.  Good finish.  An interesting take on Riesling.  It should drink well for another ten years or so.  Food friendly, this would work with Wiener Schnitzel.   

This is a blend of 43% Syrah, 41% Grenache, and 16% Mourvedre.  15.1% abv.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is complex and strong with black raspberries, blueberries, black cherries, roasted meats and herbs, and char.  Full bodied.  Plush texture.  Great acidity.  On the palate, this is still young at age 12.  Juicy black raspberries with blueberries and black pepper.  Long finish.  Delicious.  This is great on its own and will require bigger foods.  It would be great with a hearty beef or vegetable stew.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  

Bedrock makes some of the best values in California wines.  Sometimes it seems though that the whites don't get the attention.  This is an excellent Sauvignon Blanc and great value.  Light gold with some green hues in color, clear and bright.  The nose is clean with good minerality along with a bit of lemon.  Medium bodied.  Nice texture.  Good acidity.  On the palate, this is crisp with minerality and citrus.  Long finish.  This is great on its own and will work with many foods.  It would be great with Tuna Salad.  

Sandlands is one of the premier producers of Chenin Blanc in California.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has red apples, minerality and slight orange citrus.  Medium bodied.  Good acidity.  Nice mouthfeel.  On the palate, this is crisp and mineral driven with some apples.  Long finish.  Very food friendly.  This will work well with pork chops.  Drink over the next seven to ten years.  

One of the best vintages yet for this wine and one of the more affordable reds in the Realm portfolio.  It is a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot and 5% Petite Verdot.  Purple in color, opaque and shimmering bright.  The nose is great with cassis, blueberries, chocolate, graphite, and spice.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Cassis, blueberries, some dark cherries with spice and slight char.  Long finish.  This is young and would benefit from additional cellaring.  It should drink well for another twenty years.  Great on its own, this would be great

Iced tea/ orange in color, clear and bright.  The nose is great with honey, peaches, and some citrus.  Viscous texture.  Medium bodied.  Good acidity.  On the palate, this is tasty.  Flavors of peaches with some honey.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  This is drinking well.  A bit more mature than expected but still with life left.  Drink over the next five to ten years.  It drinks well on its own and would work nicely with not too sweet, dry cookies, and of course, foie gras.

Cuvaison’s Small Lot program (typically wines produced under 300 cases) has been a goldmine for Cuviason and winemaker Steve Rogstad who shows his deft touch with nearly every wine in this portfolio. Using Pinot Noir heirloom clones (including Swan, a personal favorite of mine) this is clearly a step away from most Pinot Noir on the market. This drinks more Burgundian than California. The fruit is rather muted but more macerated (Steve calls it “elegant intensity”) and the support comes from the green tea leaf, light tobacco, earthy morel, dried thyme and spice notes.

Obviously young, this needs some time but will be great.  Inky purple in color, shimmering bright and opaque.  The nose has cassis, roasted herbs, graphite and slight chocolate.  Full bodied.  Very firm tannins.  Good balance.  On the palate, this is concentrated and tight.  Cassis, char and slight chocolate.  Long finish.  This needs another three to five years and then should drink well for twenty after that.  No doubt its score will improve by a few points at least.  Better on its own at his point, but it would work with a grilled steak.