Napa Valley

There are a lot of people who would love this wine for $20.  Ruby/purple in color.  The nose has sweet cassis with slight coffee.  On the palate, the sweet cassis continues.  Slight tannins.  To some, this wine will be delicious, slightly sweet and great on the back deck.  For others, this will be goopy and cloying and not a wine made for cellaring.  Both sides are probably correct.  

This is another label from Cathy Corison who is known for making old school Napa Cabs and other wines.  Despite the coolness of the vintage, this wine manages to not show under ripe qualities and yet be consistent with the Corison style.  Ruby/purple in color.  The nose has black cherries, cherries, cigar tobacco and slight dustiness.  On the palate, this has a nice complexity.  Drinks a bit older than it is but that is more profile than age.  Dust, tobacco, dried and fresh cherries.  Good balance.  Food friendly.  Nice finish.  $53.  This is a nice change of pace for Napa and easily has an

Really great showing for this wine.  Purple in color, slight line of ruby at the rim.  The nose has cassis, coffee, and cedar.  Complex.  On the palate, this is awesome.  It is a big wine but with a nice elegance at this point.  Cassis layered with coffee and earth.  Long finish.  This is delicious and while it is the kind of wine that borders on excessive, as it matures it has calmed down and is integrating nicely.  Still young, this  needs another decade until maturity and has a couple more at the top after that.  It is delicious now and worked quite well with an assortment of cheeses (an

Wow.  Great wine.  Inky purple in color.  The nose has cassis, coffee, slight floral note and graphite.  Its big and gorgeous.  On the palate, this has an amazing texture.  Lush but precise.  Great balance and acidity.  Tons of fruit but also depth.  Tight layering that unwinds in the glass.  Black raspberries, graphite and underlying char.  This wine is very intense but also quite delicious.  It works with big foods.  Still young and will continue to improve for a decade and be good for another decade or two after that. 

This was from Magnum.  Most anyone who has been drinking Cabernet for any time has run into this wine.  It is a reasonably priced, classic Napa Cab that sells for around $35.  Of course, Magnums often taste better, but maybe that's because there is probably a party going on.  This is a really solid wine that is fairly priced.  It worked well with a wide variety of foods and drank quite easy.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose is dusty with cassis and spice.  On the palate, this is medium bodied with medium tannins.  A fine texture.  Cassis with some depth.  Some spice/oak as well.

Purple in color.  The nose is deep with black raspberries, blood and grilled meats.  Some vanilla and spice and black pepper.  On the palate, this is deep and tight.  Delicious.  Black raspberries.  Plenty of tannins.  Long finish.  This is quite young and tight but it has bold black raspberry fruit.  Probably should hold for a few more years and then drink over the next decade plus.  Impressive.  This retails for around $55 which is a fair price.  

Perfect on a hot day.  Light golden in color.  The nose is great.  Fresh with slight tropical fruit, melons, a bit of grass and minerals.  Really clean.  On the palate, the melons and minerals carry thru.  Also a tart note that is interesting.  Nice texture.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  Food friendly.  This is the kind of wine that is (too) easy to drink an entire bottle of.  Refreshing but also with some depth.  Fairly priced at $35.  

Golden/green in color.  The nose has honey and slight apricots.  Thick and viscous.  Slightly cloying.  Not a lot of acidity. This is a solid dessert wine, but it really was much more impressive with an assortment of cheeses.  A stinky blue worked quite well.  12% Alcohol.  A nice finish to a meal.  This is in a great place but should last for a long time. 

Light gold green in color.  Great nose of lemon cream with integrated streaks of vanilla.  Slightly oily texture.  The lemon cream and vanilla carry thru.  Great acidity works in balance.  This is a big wine but so deft it handles the oak wonderfully.  Great with a wide variety of foods.  Plus, it is delicious.   One of my favorite Cal Chards.

This is a big, forward style Zinfandel but stays just shy of being over the top for that style.  Purple in color.  The nose has blueberry pie, slight fruitcake spice and black pepper.  With air roasted herbs come out with a bit of bramble.  On the palate, this is delicious with black raspberries, blueberries and cherries.  Deep and complex.  Long finish.  Would go well with bold flavored food especially cooked over a grill.