Expert articles and wine tasting videos profiling wines from California, California wine regions, Napa Valley, Sonoma County, & more.
This was opened and allowed to slowly oxidize for 12 hours prior to serving, but that was not enough. It needed more air/time. It took over night to really open and was better on day 2. Despite this being a Robert Parker 100 point wine, this is not what people think of when talking about "Parkerized" wines.
What a beautiful showing for this red wine. This has aged beautifully despite having 15.5% abv. Another in a long line of high alcohol Napa Wines that have stood the test of time. It is a blend of 75% cabernet sauvignon, 22% merlot, and 1% of each cabernet franc, petit verdot and malbec. Purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose has cassis, black cherries, leather, spice and slight cedar. Full bodied. On the palate, this is vibrant with layers of fruit over a nice earthy/leathery base. Cassis and black cherries. Medium tannins. This is mature but not old by any means. This sho
I am a huge fans of the many wineries that Thomas Rivers Brown makes wine from and this is one more. A delicious, modern but not over the top Napa Cabernet. Purple in color with a thin ruby rim. Opaque and bright. The nose is great with cassis, slight char, and baking spices. Full bodied. Nice acidity. Lively energy. The palate has a very nice cassis with underlying char. Long finish.
One of my favorite Zinfandels. This is a robust Zin, but not over the top. It is quite concentrated and delicious. Purple in color with some ruby swirls. The nose has black raspberries, bramble, and slight pepper. Full bodied. Great, almost silky texture. On the palate, juicy black raspberries, black cherries over a slight gravel base. A bit candied but very concentrated. Long finish. This is so good now, but will continue to evolve a bit. It depends on what you like in Zins as to how long to hold. This should drink well for at least fifteen years, but that energy and robust qua
This is a blend of 72% Cabernet Franc and 28% Cabernet Sauvignon. It is really in a nice place right now. Purple/ruby in color. The nose has black cherries, cherries, slight tobacco, spices and slight dried floral notes. Full bodied. On the palate, this has a nice backbone of acidity. Cherries and black cherries with some underlying forest floor/tobacco. It unwinds in the glass to show a nice complexity. Good finish. This won't get better but should be outstanding drinking for the next ten to fifteen years. It drinks well on its own but is better with food. Roasted poultry would
This is one wine that I almost never open this young. But, you know what? It was great! Sure, it might improve. Probably will, but this is delicious right now. Inky purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose is great with boysenberries, slight black raspberries, slight floral notes, and a bit of asphalt. Full bodied with firm tannins. That said, they are a great example of polished tannins despite being mouth coating, they are inviting. Layers of boysenberry fruit over gravel with slight crushed fall leaves. Long finish. This probably will continue to develop over the next ten
Normally, I like to let these wines rest for ten years or so prior to opening, but sometimes, it can't be helped. For me, the Hearstone opens a bit earlier than the others (along with the Paderewski). This is a blend of 54% Syrah, 35% Grenache, and 11% Mourvedre. Pop and pour, this took a while to open and the last glass was the best. Inky purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose has black raspberries, black pepper, roasted meats, slight black olives and a bit of black cherries. Full bodied. Medium tannins. On the palate, this has a great juicy, muscular texture. Powerful Load
This is a blend of the grapes that didn't make it into the single varietal expressions consisting of 44% Syrah, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Petite Sirah, with the remainder made up from Petit Verdot, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc.
This is the entry level Pinot Noir from the home vineyard of winemaker Thomas Rivers-Brown. At age 11, this is doing quite well. Deep ruby in color, mostly clear and bright. The nose is great with cherries, sour cherries, and a bit of spice. Full bodied. On the palate, the sour cherries dominate with some underlying spice and a touch of earthiness. Lots of lively energy. Delicious. Long finish. Yes, this is a big Pinot, but for California, it has some restraint to it. Lots of sunshine and verve. Just starting to hit its sweet spot, this should drink well for another twelve to fif
This is a nice value play from Raymond. It retails for around $20, but can often be found for less. There is 1% Merlot in the wine. Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright. The nose has plums, black raspberries and slight spice. On the palate, this is medium bodied. Easy to drink. Light tannins. Good balance. Probably should be consumed over the next few years. Good on its own, a nice match with a burger.
