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

This is one wine that I almost never open this young.  But, you know what?  It was great!  Sure, it might improve.  Probably will, but this is delicious right now.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with boysenberries, slight black raspberries, slight floral notes, and a bit of asphalt.  Full bodied with firm tannins.  That said, they are a great example of polished tannins despite being mouth coating, they are inviting.  Layers of boysenberry fruit over gravel with slight crushed fall leaves.  Long finish.  This probably will continue to develop over the next ten

Dunn wines have a reputation for taking a long time to come around.  This one is just getting there.  The cork crumbled on opening.  Decanted for sediment (and cork bits) and served.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is very nice with leather, cassis, slight tobacco and earthiness.  The nose is mature but not past.  On the palate, this has a wonderful texture.  Lush but silky.  The palate tastes great, not young but not quite at maturity.  Cassis with underlying tobacco and earth.  Deep.  Great balance.  Nice finish.  Delicious.  This drinks great on its own and should work wel

Another consistent vintage for this wine.  It is one of those wines that wine snobs love to bash but wine drinkers enjoy very much.  It is big and fresh and exuberant and delicious.  Inky purple in color, magenta at the rim.  Opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black cherries, baking spices and slight bramble notes.  Full bodied with a juicy texture.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, the black raspberries come thru along with some char and anise on the finish.  Long finish that does have some warmth to it.  This drinks great on its own and will work well with big foods.  It s

Certainly one of the more iconic names in Cabernet and in Napa.  And, 2018 was a stellar vintage in Napa.  This Cab proves you don't need to spend a ton of money to get a high quality Cab if you buy from good producers and in good vintages.  Purple in color with some ruby hues, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, cedar, spic and chocolate.  Full bodied.  On the palate, cassis, black raspberries and oak.  This is young and the oak will integrate with time.  It is ripe but not overdone.  The bottle list 14.5% but some promotional information lists 15.1% abv.  Firm tannins.  Nice finish. 

One typically doesn't think of Pinot Noir and Napa, but the district of Carneros spans into both Napa and Sonoma and is the home of many excellent Pinot Noirs.  This is a very pretty, elegantly styled Pinot.  Ruby in color, clear and bright and a touch lighter.  The nose is nice with bright cherries, macerated cherries, sandalwood and a touch of chervil.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, this has cherries and cherry cough drop notes with a touch of anise.  Light tannins.  Very smooth and easy to sip.  Nice finish.  This drinks great on its own and would work well with salmon or roasted fowl. 

This bottle is drinking quite well at age 18 despite not being stored immaculately.  A friend brought this over and had been keeping since buying at the winery.  She does not have a wine cellar and has moved a couple of times, so our hopes were guarded.  It drank very well.  Purple in color with ruby swirls, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, graphite, and a bit of chocolate.  On the palate, this is full bodied.  Tannins are all resolved.  Layers of black cherry fruit with some dark chocolate and slight earthiness.  Good finish.  These probably should be consumed over the next

This is a Bordeaux blend from Napa.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, black cherries, licorice, and spice.  Very nice.  Full bodied.  On the palate, there is black cherries and spice.  Moderate tannins.  A slight hint of mint on the finish.  This is drinking well now but may get a point or two better.  It drinks nicely on its own and would work well with a steak or roast.  

This is a pretty classic Napa Cab more in the old school style.  The label lists 14.3% ABV.  Not the wine if you are looking for a big fruit bomb, it is much more restrained.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  Mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, minerality, slight herbal notes and coffee.  On the palate, this is medium to full bodied.  Cassis fruit over roasted herbs with slight char.  Nice finish.  This is young and might improve a bit with some ageing.  It should continue to mature for another five to seven years and be good for another five to seven more after that.  It will

Another winner from this stalwart Napa producer.  White gold/silvery in color.  The nose has seltzer, minerality, pears and white floral notes.  Pretty.  Medium bodied.  On the palate there is a sort of copper minerality that is very interesting along with the more usual notes of lemon peel, and melon.  Good acidity.  Fresh.  Long finish.  This is delicious and refreshing on its own but would work great with chicken salad or other lighter fare/salads.  Best to drink in the next few years to enjoy the vibrancy.  

This is an exceptional California Merlot.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has cherries, slight plums, chocolate, cedar and spice.  Full bodied.  On the palate, cherries, milk chocolate, smoke and spice.  Medium tannins.  Still very primary, this should continue to mature for the next five to ten years and be good for another ten after that.  Drinks great on its own, it would work well with a burger or roast.