Expert articles and wine tasting videos profiling wines from California, California wine regions, Napa Valley, Sonoma County, & more.
While this is good every year (and I don't know if it is always the same blend), this vintage might be the best yet. According to the web site, it appears that it is a blend of mostly Semillon from Rossi Ranch with some Muscadelle from Pagani vineyard. Light to medium yellow/gold in color, clear and bright. The nose is great with slight tropical fruit (Pineapple and Guava?) along with slight almonds and a bit of minerality. Medium bodied.
This Pinot Noir drinks like Santa Barbara with a little bit of Oregon. The cool climate of the Santa Rita Hills allows for the development of pomegranate, rhubarb, black cherry, and green and black tea leaves, while its earthiness and minerality are the best attributes of Oregon Pinot Noir. Here the Southing, which has matured greatly over the years, stands apart of the run of the mill Pinot Noir. If you’ve ever been to Santa Barbara you can see the layer of clouds that hug the mountains like a blanket. Underneath that blanket are the Sea Smoke vineyards that were planted 25 years ago.
This is a field blend of mostly Zinfandel but also a large amount of Carignan, Valdigue, and Putzscheere (aka Green Hungarian). This is one of my favorite Zinfandel vineyards for the texture of the wines. Purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose has black raspberries, black cherries, spice, bramble and slight char. Medium to full bodied. Light to medium tannins. Great energy and balance. Plush, vibrant texture. On the palate, this is tasty. Flavors of black raspberries and black cherries with spice and char. Long finish. This is still young but drinking well. Drink over the
This is a blend of 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 31% Cabernet Franc from Howell Mountain in Napa. Inky purple in color, ruby rim, opaque and bright. The nose has cassis, black cherries, blueberries, tobacco, chocolate and spice. Full bodied. Firm tannins. Great energy. On the palate, this is very concentrated. It opens in the glass over time to show cassis, black cherries, and slight blueberries with tobacco, char and spice. Long finish. This needs a bit more time or air, but should drink well for the next twenty years. Great on its own but a bit better with big food righ
Decanted for four hours prior to serving. This is Cabernet Sauvignon from Mt. Veeder and St. Helena. Purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose has cassis, dark chocolate, slight cedar, coffee beans, and spice. Full bodied. Firm tannins. Nice balance. On the palate, there is cassis, chocolate, coffee and char. Long finish. The longer decant made this wine much better than a prior bottle. This is a twenty year wine so don't be afraid to give it lost of air if opening in the next few years. It is nice on its own and will work well with roasted meats, fowl or veggies.
Inky purple, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright. The nose deep. Cassis, graphite, leather, cedar and spice. Full bodied. Firm tannins. Great balance. On the palate, this complex and delicious. Flavors of cassis, some black cherries, graphite, spice and char. Long finish. This is drinking well now but will improve. Drink over the next twenty years. Great on its own, this will work well with meat or fowl or roasted veggies.
This is the other wine from Scarecrow (second wine doesn't do it justice). It is a blend of 84% Cab Sauvignon, 8% Malbec, 5% Petit Verdot, and 3% Merlot. Purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose is great. It could pass for young left bank. Cassis, plums, chocolate, spice, cigar box and slight graphite. Full bodied. Medium tannins. Great energy. On the palate, this is drinking well. Nice complexity. Flavors of cassis, black cherries, plums, spice, chocolate and char. Still young but starting to evolve. Long finish. This drinks great on its own and would work well with meat
