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Wente Vineyards was founded in 1883.  This Cab is from an estate owned vineyard in the southern part of Livermore Valley.  A somewhat unique blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Petit Verdot, 9% Petite Sirah, and 4% Barbara.  Purple in color with ruby swirls, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is interesting with cassis, black cherries, pomegranate, and some light chocolate and spice.  Medium bodied.  Medium tannins.  Nice texture.  Juicy acidity.  On the palate, cassis and blueberries with some underlying spice.  Long finish with a slight warmth to it.  This is drinking well now and shoul

This is a very nice Chardonnay from Wente, a long time producer in California (founded in 1883).  This particular Chardonnay is grown from a single vineyard, Riva Ranch, in Arroyo Grande.  Yellow gold in color, clear and shimmering bright.  The nose is a bit chalky with grapefruit and slight baking spice.  With air, a bit of pineapple comes out.  It has a really nice voluptuous texture.  On the palate, more lemon chiffon with nice underlying minerality and some spice.  Moderate acidity.  Good finish.  This is tasty and drinks nicely on its own but will work well with all but the heaviest of

Trilogy is one of the more famous blends made in Napa and this represents the 35th vintage!  This vintage is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 7% Malbec.  Deep garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, cassis, char, and slight milk chocolate and spices.  Medium to full bodied.  Medium plus tannins.  Tingly acidity.  On the palate, raspberries, cassis and some underlying char.  Long finish with some chocolate notes.  This is still young but should be good drinking over the next fifteen to twenty years.  Nice on its own,

This is one of the best Sauvignon Blancs made in Napa.  Luckily, the grapes for this were made before the smoke from the fires tainted the grapes.  In fact, this may be the best Soliloquy yet!  It is a blend based on their proprietary clone of Sauvignon Blanc with some Chardonnay and Malvasia.  Silvery green-gold in color, clear and bright.  A very expressive nose.  Slightly grassy with spice and a ton of tropical fruits (papaya, guava, some pineapple), and some orange zest.  Light to medium bodied.  Smooth and silky texture.  Good acidity.  On the palate, plenty of grapefruit, a slight cha

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.

Another great wine from winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown.  Inky purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, cedar, leather, char and black olives.  Full bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, there is cassis, spice, cedar and some warmth.  Long finish.  This is about at peak but should drink well for another ten to twelve more years.  It is great on its own and will work well with roast beef.  

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.  

This is a blend of 88% Petite Sirah, 10% Syrah and 2% Viognier.  Inky purple in color with a thin ruby rim, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, leather, roasted meats and black pepper.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, black raspberries, plums with some alcohol notes on the long finish.  This is an excellent wine that is just entering its peak phase.  Drink over the next ten years.  Great on its own, this works great with Indian food.  

This is an easy drinking Napa Cabernet.  Purple in color with some garnet swirls, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with cassis, black cherries, roasted herbs and a hint of cedar.  Full bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, the black cherries move to the forefront.  Nice texture.  Some depth.  Clean.  Moderate acidity.  Solid finish.  This is drinking well right now and will work on its own or with food.  It went well with potato filled pierogis.  Drink over the next five to eight years.  

Nice to revisit this with some age.  It is doing fine.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, dust and spice.  Full bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, this is still a bit youthful.  Plenty of cassis and oak showing.  Deep.  It probably needs another five years until fully mature.  Still drinks great today with some air.  Drink over the next ten to twelve years.  It drinks great on its own and will work well with a grilled steak.