Expert articles and wine tasting videos profiling wines from California, California wine regions, Napa Valley, Sonoma County, & more.
2010 Jaffurs Syrah Larner Vineyard, USA, California, Santa Barbara, Wine Review
From Magnum. Purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose is great with black raspberries, black pepper, slight roasted meats and herbs and spice. Full bodied. Medium tannins. Great balance. Plenty of depth. Flavors of black raspberries, black pepper and char. Nice acidity. Long finish. This is drinking well now and even from a 750ml should have a decade left. It is great on its own and went great with a vegetable Lasagna.
2019 Dakota Shy Cabernet Sauvignon Moulds Family Vineyard, USA, California, Napa, Oak Knoll, Wine Review
Gorgeous Napa Cab. Inky purple in color, opaque and shimmering bright. The nose is deep and concentrated with cassis, graphite, cedar, spice and slight tobacco. Full bodied. Great balance. Firm tannins. On the palate, this is delicious with a great texture. Concentrated. Flavors of cassis, earthiness and spice. Long finish. This is very young but quite accessible. It should drink well for twenty years. Nice on its own, this would work well with bigger foods that can stand up to the tannins. Of course, a steak, but also Roasted Root Vegetables.
2022 Bedrock Wine Co. Sauvignon Blanc Judge Family Vineyard, USA, California, Sonoma, Bennett Valley, Wine Review
One of the best Sauvignon Blanc vineyards in California. Definitely a step up from the regular Bedrock Sauvignon Blanc bottling. Green gold in color, clear and bright. The nose is very nice with some tropical fruit, slight citrus and some minerality. Medium bodied. Good balance and acidity. Nice texture. On the palate, this is tasty with mango, lemons and some minerality. Depth. Long finish. This is delicious on its own and will work well with many foods. This worked well with a Roasted Eggplant and Goat Cheese dish. Drink over the next eight to twelve years.
2021 Becklyn Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review
Becklyn wines are consistently excellent. This is their basic cabernet. Purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose is great with cassis, slight cedar, dust and saddle leather. Full bodied. Firm tannins. Good balance. On the palate, this is deep and delicious. Flavors of cassis with some earthiness and char. Long finish. Drinking well already, it will probably still improve a bit. Great on its own, this will work well with a grilled Ribeye but also a Pizza. Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.