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

From Magnum.  This bottle was opened and allowed to breather for six hours prior to serving.  It needed every bit of that and more.  Inky purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, black pepper, roasted herbs, slight earthiness and slight floral qualities.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, lot of black raspberry fruit with a bit of roasted meats and black pepper.  Though there is a lot of fruit, this is not over ripe at all.  Juicy acidity works well with the food.  This is still young and will likely improve over the next five years.  The wine has already improved since t

So, I am in Chicago on vacation and stop by a local wine store.  This is on sale and having never tried it, bought a bottle.  Good move as this is a really nice Zin.  While it seems like it will age and get more claret like, it was delicious and accessible now.  Deep ruby in color.  The nose has black cherries, some bramble, a bit of dark chocolate and cherries.  On the palate, this has a nice texture.

My first time trying this and it was excellent.  Pop and pour and enjoyed with a shishito pepper dish that worked quite well.  Pale silvery/gold in color.  The nose has a salinity that is nice with minerals and slight green apples.  On the palate, this is not as austere as I had been led to believe.  In fact, it is very round and full bodied.  Nice apple fruit with underlying minerality.  Great acidity.  Long finish.  Delicious wine that is drinking well today but probably has a decade left.  It seems like it has the stuffing to mature and gain in complexity so probably still some upside.  

This is a bigger styled RRV Pinot Noir but the fruit seems a bit less ripe.  It makes for an interesting wine.  Deep ruby in color.  The nose shows rhubarb, slight cherries, a hint of cola and plenty of oak/spice.  On the palate, this is full bodied.  It feels high in alcohol without having any heat.  It is smooth and easy drinking with a ton of rhubarb and some cherry flavors.  Slight tannins.  This probably makes a better drink on the deck than at the dinner table.  Probably best drunk over the next couple of years.  

This is a blend of grapes from Napa (Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Malbec and Petite Sirah) combined with Syrah from Sonoma.  It is a pretty big and jammy style of red wine.  The nose has black raspberries, black cherries, graphite, baking spices and a bit of chocolate.  Rich texture.  A nice varietal complexity.  Light tannins.  This is ready to drink now.  Lots of purple and dark red fruits.  Tasty.  Probably better served as a glass on the deck but it will work with bolder foods.  Probably best if drunk in the next year or two as the exuberance and energy are what this wine is all about

Rivers Marie is more known for their Pinot's and Cab's but they make a tremendous Chardonnay as well.  It does have some oak showing but its use is deft and all but the most oakaphobes among us should LOVE this wine.  The 2016 is still a bit young but is drinking very well.  These wines seem to age pretty well, but the truth is, i rarely am disciplined enough to let mine age.  Yellow gold in color.  The nose has lemons, vanilla and slight sawdust.  On the palate, this is like a slightly sweet/sour lemon candy with a touch of vanilla.  Great acidity.  Long finish.  This particular bottle was

This is a mostly Grenache wine (87%) with the rest Syrah from Dry Stack Vineyard.  It is a delicious and charming wine that is drinking well right now and for the next five years or so.  Deep ruby in color.  The nose has black raspberries, slight saw dust, black pepper and slight sour cherries.  On the palate, this is soft with a nice complexity.  Good acidity.  Black raspberry fruit and a bit of oak.  Light tannins.  Nice finish.  This drinks easy but has enough depth to get your attention.  It works well on its own or with medium or hearty fare.  

This was a worrisome bottle.  The top was sticky due to a leaking cork.  On opening, the cork was a mess and had leaked and apparently self sealed at some point.  Still, the underlying wine was excellent.  Light golden in color.  The nose has green apples, slight lemon custard and hints of vanilla.  On the palate, this has a creamy texture but sharp acidity.  Nice lemon fruit with some vanilla.  Slight tannins.  Long finish.  Drinks like a wine I would expect from the Sonoma Coast.  No idea how the leaking cork affected the development of this wine.  Will work great with veggies and spicy f

A great value int eh world of Zinfandel.  This is a very good wine year in and year out and 2017 is no exception.  These will probably last for a decade but they are so good young and it is easy to just keep popping the corks never seeing how well they age.  Purple in color.  The nose is peppery with black cherries and some raspberries.  Also some char.  On the palate, this has a wonderful texture.  Thick but juicy.  Lots of black cherry fruit and spice.  Nice finish.  Not a monster by any means but great fruit.  Will work with all but the lightest of foods.  

This wine took a long time to open up and was still improving four hours later when retasted at the end of the night.  The first impression score was maybe a 90 and eventually it got up to 99.  Really impressive but if opening, give it air or time.  Medium deep golden in color.  The nose has oak, vanilla and lemon.  With air a metallic not comes and goes.  Then a buttery quality which stays although moves more into the background.  Eventually, some orange citrus and floral notes with a great underlying minerality.  The palate also goes thru a wild ride starting off tight and oak driven, the