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

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.  

I am always looking for reasonably priced wines and this one sells for around $25 locally.   It is a very nice wine that is worth picking up a bottle or two of if you like Sonoma Cabs.  Purple in color.  The nose has black cherries, slight cassis, slight tobacco and spice.  On the palate, this is ready to drink now.  The black cherry fruit carries thru.  Light tannins.  Some depth and complexity.  Solid finish.  It will work well with burgers or grilled foods.  It should be consumed in the next five years.  

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

This is a nice Sauvignon Blanc.  Light golden in color.  The nose has nice minerality with a touch of grapefruits.  On the palate, the taste is consistent.  The best thing about this is the somewhat oily texture.  It is refreshing.  Worked well with some Shihito peppers.  It should probably be consumed in the next few years.  

Tynan makes a top cab for which he is probably better known for.  This was my first time trying this wine and it is impressive.  Inky purple in color.  Opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, white pepper, slight bacon fat and roasted herbs.  With air, a slight lavender/violet comes out.  Wonderful lush but energetic texture.  Delicious.  Firm tannins.  This is still young but drinking wonderfully on its own.  Black raspberries layered with pepper and charred earth.  Great acidity.  Long finish.  This will continue to improve for the next five to seven years and be at peak for a

Rafanelli followers are some of the most devoted in the Zin world, and rightly so.  They make some of the best Zins.  In style, the wines are middle of the road.  They have a lot of fruit, but are not bombastic.  They have an elegance but are not in a claret style.  They also age nicely.  This one is purple in color.  The nose has raspberries, black raspberries, black cherries, slight bramble and spice.  On the palate, this has a lot of energy.  Good acidity.  Plenty of black cherry fruit with a bit of raspberries over a char/smoke and spice.  Medium bodied with a lovely texture.  Good fini

This is a fairly priced Chardonnay from the Sonoma Coast.  Msrp is $25 but can often be found for less.  Light golden in color.  The nose is nice with vanilla, slight lemons and baking spice.  Creamy texture.  Moderate acidity.  On the palate, the vanilla and slight lemons come thru.  Good finish.  This drinks easily on its own.  It will work well with heavier sea foods, pasta or fowl.  Drink over the next few years.  

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.