Expert articles and wine tasting videos profiling wines from California, California wine regions, Napa Valley, Sonoma County, & more.

2013 Kutch Pinot Noir McDougall Ranch, USA, California, Sonoma Coast, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2013
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A

Jamie Kutch makes some of the best values in top quality (expensive) Pinot Noir.  Purple/ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is good with cherries, char and spice.  Medium to full bodied.  Tannins seems fully integrated.  On the palate, cherries, black cherries and just a bit of char.  Good balance.  Long finish with a slight green herbal note.  Delicious. This is still young but closing in on maturity.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  Great on its own, this will work well with fowl or pork.  It would also go great with Vietnamese food.  

2014 Littorai Pinot Noir The Pivot Vineyard, USA, California, Sonoma Coast, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2014
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A

The definition of a feminine Pinot Noir.  Light ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose is beautiful with cherries, slight strawberry, char and earthiness.  Medium bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, this is complex and layered.  Almost delicate but too persistent.  Cherries, slight black cherries, with spice and forest floor.  Long finish.  This is near maturity but may have a bit more to go.  it should drink well for another eight to twelve years.  Nice on its own, probably better with food.  Pan Roasted duck with wild mushrooms would be perfect.  

2014 Sojourn Pinot Noir Gap's Crown Vineyard Sonoma Coast, USA, California, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2014
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$65.00USD

Deep ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose is tight at first but opens with air.  Sweaty with a burnt note along with cherries and slight cola.  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate, sweet black cherry fruit.  Deep.  This drinks very easy but it has a complexity that should come out with age.  This drinks well today and should continue for another ten to twelve years.  Nice on its own, this will work well with food.  Mushroom pizza would be a great match.  

2013 Boars' View Pinot Noir The Coast, USA, California, Sonoma Coast, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2013
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$150.00USD

My first time trying this winery.  Very impressive.  In a blind tasting of Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, this was the runaway winner for the group.  Ruby in color, purple at the core.  The nose has smoke, cherries, black cherries, slight cola and a nice earthiness to it.  Lovely velvety texture.  On the palate black cherries and slight anise.  Long finish.  This is still youthful but approaching maturity.  Drinks great on its own and will work well with food.  Mushroom Risotto would be great.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  

2016 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Occidental Ridge Vineyard, USA, California, Sonoma Coast, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+
Current Price: 
$80.00USD

This is a bigger wine than many of the Sonoma Coast Pinots, as such, it will perhaps, take a bit longer to mature.  Purple in color with ruby swirls, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is very tight.  Spice.  With air, black cherries and slight sour cherries emerge.  Great, lush texture.  On the palate, cherries, coffee and slight sour cherries.  This is either ripe or has a bit of residual sugar as it does come off almost sweet.  Nice finish.  These needs another seven to ten years in the cellar and it should come together beautifully.  Right now, this is a Pinot for those who like them t

2013 Soliste Cellars Pinot Noir Renaissance, USA, California, Sonoma Coast, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2013
Score: 
89
Grade: 
B+

Light ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose has black cherries, cola, spice along with a slight earthy funk.  Medium bodied.  Soft texture.  Flavors of cherries, slight root beer and spice.  Light tannins.  Nice finish with a hint of mint.  This is drinking well now although just a bit shy of maturity.  Drink over the next seven to ten years.  Better with food, this would be a nice match with Tandoori Chicken.  

2014 Anthill Farms Pinot Noir Campbell Ranch Vineyard, USA, California, Sonoma Coast, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2014
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$40.00USD

Light ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, dust, iodine and slight spice.  Medium bodied.  Tart acidity.  Light tannins.  On the palate cherries with some spice.  A bit of cherry cough drop on the finish.  This seems to be just getting to peak.  Drink over the next seven to ten years.  It will work better with food due to the acidity.  It would be a nice match with Roasted Duck.  

2017 Ceritas Chardonnay Porter-Bass Vineyard, USA, California, Sonoma Coast, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A

One of my favorite Chardonnays (both the winery and this vineyard).  Light golden in color with some green hues, clear and bright.  The nose is smoky with minerality, slight vanilla and grapefruits.  Medium to full bodied.  Slightly oily texture.  Good acidity.  On the palate, minerality and slight grapefruit.  Lemon candy on the long finish.  12.9% abv.  This is still drinking youthfully.  It should drink well for another ten to fifteen more years.  Great on its own, this will work well with lighter foods but also seafood and even fried chicken.  

2019 Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$105.00USD

This is the basic Cab from winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown's home winery.  At $75, it is expensive but at the same time, a great value  in high end Napa Cabs.  Purple in color with a thin ruby rim, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, chocolate, char, slight graphite and slight cedar.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, this is young but delicious.  Cassis and slight black cherries with underlying char and slight spice.  Long finish.  This could use another five years in the cellar but drinking well now with some air.  This has twenty years of great drinking left and the score sh

2018 Andremily EABA, USA, California, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
96
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$115.00USD

This is a blend of 59% Syrah, 23% Mourvedre, 15% Grenache and 3% Viognier coming from California's Central Coast.  The EABA means it got extra barrel ageing than their regular release wines.  In fact, it saw 22 months in French Oak (50% new).  Typically, extended ageing wines seem to need more time in bottle to come around as well.  This one does.  That said, it is a ripe, delicious, hedonistic wine right now.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose needs some air, then shows black raspberries, blueberries, plums and black cherries along with spice, roasted meats, slight floral

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