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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.  

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.  

This is a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, and 7% Petit Verdot from the Eisele vineyard in Calistoga.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, black cherries, cigar box, cloves and dust.  Firm tannins.  Good acidity.  On the palate, this has cassis, cedar with an underlying char.  Long finish.  This is young and will still get better but it is delicious today.  Maybe about five to eight more years until peak.  It will drink well for the next fifteen to twenty years.  Great on its own or with food, lamb chops would be a nice choice.  

Shafer Hillside Select is quite simply a First Growth of Napa Cabernets.  Every vintage is always one of the top releases from Napa.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with cassis, smoke, cedar, graphite and dust.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, there is cassis with layers of graphite, cedar and smoke.  Nice complexity. This is just about fully mature at this point. Long finish.  This is delicious on its own and will work well with roasted meats and veggies.  Drink over the next ten to twelve years.