Russian River Valley

What a pretty Zinfandel.  Not a monster in any way.  Ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  Rather light looking, just on appearance I would not have guessed Zinfandel.  On the nose, this has raspberries, slight cherries, a bit of bramble, black pepper and vanilla.  The label lists this as 17.3% Alcohol.  Whoa.  Not a trace on the nose or palate though.  Even the texture, which can be bolstered by alcohol, doesn't reveal the high level.  The palate does give cherries, slight Framboise, with underlying char.  There is depth and complexity here.  And deliciousness.  I would guess that this

Pop and pour, this never really showed as much as hoped for.  Solid but not more.  Maybe just in a weird phase right now.  Purple in color.  The nose has nice cassis with a bit of baking spice.  Full bodied.  The cassis carries thru to the palate.  Clean.  No hard edges.  Nice finish.  Not a lot of complexity at this point.  Light tannins.  Moderate finish.  Worked well with some Italian food.  No signs of age, it might be better to wait a few years on this and check back in.  

This is a medium bodied, very accessible Pinot Noit that seemed to be a crowd favorite.  It is ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, raspberries and is a bit candied.  With air, a bit of sour cherries come thru.  This has a lot of ripe fruit.  Cherries and black cherries, raspberries all coat the palate.  This is easy drinking and enjoyable.  Not about complexity or contemplation.  Good finish.  This is probably better on its own but should work with roasted fowl.  It should be consumed in the next few years.  

Treasure Hunter is a winery that searches for declassified juice (I am not sure if they also buy grapes) from wineries and restaurants that have unsold barrels at a large discount.  They maintain the integrity  of the winery by not divulging their sources.  In some years, this can be better than others.  It all depends on whether there is a grape glut or scarceness, though it should be said, that these wines are for the most part of top quality for their respective price points.  Which brings us to this wine.  This is a very nice, bigger, RRV Chardonnay.  Golden in color with a slight coppe

Light golden in color.  The nose has pears, yeast, and baking spice.  Full bodied.  On the palate, the pears come thru with underlying toast.  Nice mouthfeel.  A bit warm.  Long finish.  This is very nice with oak showing but not overwhelming.  It will work with seafoods or fowl.  Drink over the next few years. 

Limerick lane is making some of the best Zinfandels.  They are world class red wines.  This is a big, intense Zinfandel at the moment that is delicious to drink.  It should calm down for those who prefer more of a claret style.  Deep ruby in color.  The nose has black raspberries, blueberries, black pepper and char.  On the palate, this has a lush texture.  Juicy black raspberry fruit.  Underlying char.  Deep and complex.  Long finish.  This drinks great on its own or will work well with ribs or grilled meats.  

Light ruby in color.  The nose has bright cherries and a slight earthiness.  On the palate, this is light bodied.  Thin with tart cherry fruit.  There is some earthiness on the palate as well.  Long finish.  This is easy drinking and refreshing.  Drinks fine without food.  It will work with light foods too.  Drink over the next couple of years.  

For those who like a buttery, plenty of oak style California Chardonnay, this is a great option.  It can sometimes be found for less than $20!  Green gold in color.  The nose has fresh lumber, slight vanilla, butter and slight lemons.  On the palate, the lemon, oak and vanilla carry thru.  Nice texture.  Persistent oak on the finish.  It will be kind of wine that is divisive; love or not.  More for sipping on its own though it will work with roasted fowl quite well.  I admit this is not my personal favorite style, so your mileage may vary.  

This reminded me of a "classic" Russian River Valley Pinot Noir from twenty years ago.  Deep ruby in color.  The nose has black cherries, a bit of cola,, spice and a slight funk.  Pretty.  On the palate, this has sweet black cherry fruits.  Moderate tannins.  Good acidity.  Some depth and complexity.  Lot of energy.  This is in a great place right now.  It should be at this level for another 5 to ten years.  It will go well with roasted fowl or meats.