Expert articles and wine tasting videos profiling wines from California, California wine regions, Napa Valley, Sonoma County, & more.
This is an easy drinking red. It is uncertain what varietals. Deep ruby in color. The nose shows some cherries, black cherries with slight milk chocolate. On the palate, the same flavors come thru. This probably should be consumed in the next few years. it drinks well on its own but would be fine with burgers.
The cork crumbled on opening and the wine was decanted. Purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose has boysenberries, char, slight ink scent and a bit of blueberries. Full bodied. Light tannins. On the palate, the blueberries are more pronounced and plenty of boysenberries with underlying char. Still has youthful energy. Good finish. This is drinking well now but still young. No harm opening or letting it age another ten to fifteen years. It probably won't get much better. It will work well with pizza, burger but also roasts and grilled foods.
This is the second release of the Orin Swift project now that Dave Phinney's non-compete with Prisoner Wine Company is over. It was nice to get a chance to try this. This is a very solid wine. Purple in color.
This is a non-vintage blend. It was bottled in 2016. Although it carries a Napa Valley designation, as it is mostly Mt. Veeder grapes, it has grapes from all over California. A blend of 41% Cabernet Sauvignon,36% Cabernet Franc, and 23% Merlot. Purple in color. The nose has a mushroom note to it along with black cherry fruit and baking spices. Warm. On the palate, this is medium bodied. Light tannins. Nice black cherry fruit. Some depth. Easy drinking. This probably should be consumed in the next five to seven years. It will work well with stews and casseroles.
This is blend of 46% Mourvedre, 31% Syrah, 18% Grenache, and 5% Counoise grapes. Tasted from a 375ml bottle. In a full bottle, these will age wonderfully. In this format, they should still age well, but this was a great chance to check in on the wine. Deep ruby in color. The nose has plums, black raspberries, black cherries, spice and char. On the palate, this has a lovely texture. Energetic. Medium tannins. Right now, the black cherries dominate but that will change as it ages. Delicious. Good finish. This should be versatile with food and go well with fowl or meat dishes and r
This is from the southern portion of the Hudson Vineyard in Carneros. 98% Syrah and 2% Viognier. At age 10, this is just starting to open up and will still improve. Inky purple in color with a thin ruby rim. The nose has black raspberries, black pepper, smoke, slight bacon fat and roasted meats. On the palate, this is medium to full bodied. Cooler climate in profile. Black cherries and black raspberries with underlying char and a bit of pepperyness. Good energy once it opens. Drinks well now but should be about five years until peak and then be good for ten to fifteen more. It wil
Nice to revisit this wine. It is still young but has opened up a bit (as have many 2013's). Inky purple in color. The nose has cassis, spice, slight hay note and a bit of toast. On the palate, this took about an hour or so and then was drinking well. Cassis with underlying dry earth. Good balance. Long finish. This may still improve a bit more. It has fifteen to twenty years of great drinking. Think grilled foods or roasts, but also drinks well on its own.
This was interesting. Pop and pour and there were light notes of what might have been TCA. Very intermittent. I decided to let the bottle sit over night (closed with a neutral cork) and check back the next day. If the bottle was off with TCA, it would be worse the next day. On the other hand, the next day, this bottle was clean as a whistle and drinking quite well. Not sure what was going on, but glad I waited and gave it a chance. Dark purple in color, ruby at the rim. The nose had cassis, char, and spice. Just a hint of pencil lead and slight earthiness. On the palate, this has
A blend of 57% Mourvèdre, 29% Grenache and 14% Syrah. Deeper ruby in color, purple at the core. The nose has black cherries, cherries, some floral notes, black pepper and spice. On the palate, this is medium bodied. Black cherry fruit with some black raspberries over a slight char and a slight dried lavender note. Good balance. Lots of energy. Good finish. This is drinking well now and while it might not get better it should morph a bit darker with age. It will work well with stews and casseroles. It should drink well for the next seven to ten years.
Very solid Napa Cab that is drinking quite well. Purple in color. The nose has black cherries, slight cassis, baking spice and slight cedar. On the palate, this has light tannins. The black cherry fruit comes thru over the oak/spice. Nice balance. This is very food friendly but not for the lightest of foods. It worked great with some spicy chili. This should continue to drink well for the next five to seven years at least.
