Sonoma County

• Alexander Valley
• Bennett Valley
• Best of Sonoma
• Dry Creek Valley
• Fort Ross/Seaview
• Moon Mountain
• Pine Mountain - Cloverdale Peak
• Russian River Valley
• Sonoma Coast
• Sonoma Mountain
• Sonoma Valley
• Knights Valley

This is the kind of wine that makes sense to buy more than a few bottles of if you see it on sale. It might be a stretch, it might be an everyday drinker depending on your budget, but either way it is priced very fairly for the quality. Purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose has cassis, char, spice and slight coffee. Full bodied. Medium tannins. On the palate, this is a cooler climate styled Cab but no issues with ripeness. Plenty of depth, this is still young and should gain in complexity with some age. Cassis, some black cherries, char and spice in a delicious Cabernet.

This is a white field blend of 41% Muscadelle, 39% Sémillon, 11% Colombard and 1% Palomino.  Yellow gold in color with slight green hues.  The nose has minerals and slight lime.  Medium bodied.  Slightly oily.  On the palate, limes with tangerine peel.  Good acidity.  The finish is really interesting lemons, almonds and a slight bitter note. This is mature but should drink well for another five years.  It would be great with sea food or lighter pasta dishes.  

Purple in color, opaque but flat.  The nose is dusty with cassis.  With air some dark cherries come out.  A slight minty note on the end.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, black cherries, some cassis with a velvety lush texture.  The nose full mature and a probably a bit past prime.  Good balance.  Still drinking well.  Drink up.  This will work better with food.  Roast chicken is a nice choice.  

There are lots of reviews for Maybach Cabs on this site, but not as many for other varietals so it was nice to get a chance to enjoy this Chardonnay.  At age 5, this is still young, but showing a bit of maturity and very enjoyable.  Golden in color with slight green hues, clear and bright.  On the nose, this is a big wine.  Lots of red apples, some grapefruit, with lots of vanilla and oak and some floral notes.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this has a great, viscous texture.  Flavors of lemons, lemon candy and baking spice.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  If you like oak, this is your wine, b

This is 95% Zinfandel with 5% Petite Sirah from Sonoma County.  15,3% abv.  Garnet in color, clear and bright.  The nose has raspberries, black raspberries, slight bramble, and smoke.  Full bodied.  On the palate, raspberries, black raspberries and black pepper with some char.  As Zins go, this is middle of the road in style.  Delicious.  This drinks nicely on its own and will work well with a burger or pizza.  Drink over the next couple years.  

Green gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has slight grapefruits and baking spices.  Light bodied.  Thin.  On the palate, slight grapefruits with no oak showing.  Clean.  Refreshing.  A bit clipped on the finish.  This is solid with no faults but not particularly exciting.  However, an RRV Chardonnay at this price point is rare.  It drinks better on its own.  Drink over the next year.  

This was a new wine for me.  Purple in color, magenta at the rim, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is cassis, char and dist.  Light tannins.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, cassis with slight herbs.  This is an easy drinking Cab that seems to be at peak.  It drinks well on its own and would work well with pulled pork.  Drink over the next five years.  

This was a couple of steps better than the 2017.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with black cherries, some raspberries, a bit of bramble and spice.  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate, this is drinking youthfully but delicious.  Light tannins.  Black cherries and some cherry fruit with a bit of baking spice and a bit of black pepper on the finish.  Great on it own, this would work well with grilled meats or fowl.  Drink over the next seven to ten years.  

Ruby with  purple swirls.  The nose is peppery with black cherries, and char.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, black cherries and char.  Some warmth on the finish.  This is a very nice, easy drinking Zin that is middle of the road (between Claret and Fruit Bomb) in style.  Drink over the next seven to ten years.  This will work well with ribs or a burger.  

This is a 100% Pinot Noir from California's Russian River Valley.  It is designated as a "Reserve" although there doesn't appear to be any such designation on the label.  The way to tell is that it does say Russian River Valley on the label.  Either way, this is an outstanding Pinot Noir and more than fairly priced for the quality.  Deep ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose has fresh cherries with slight cherry pie filling, licorice and slight cola notes.  While not a delicately styled Pinot, it is also not huge.  More middle of the road for a California Pinot.  Medium to full bodied.