Expert articles and wine tasting videos profiling wines from California, California wine regions, Napa Valley, Sonoma County, & more.
The wines from Lagier Meredith are some of the best Syrahs from anywhere. The fruit is grown on their vineyard way up on Mt.
This could still use a bit more time in the cellar. Corison makes some classic Napa Cabs but they need some bottle age to reach peak. Purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose has black currants, slight smoke, minerals and just a hint of tarragon. On the palate, this is lean but strong. With air it puts on weight. The black currants come thru with an underlying minerality. Nice acidity. Good finish. This is deep with a tight complexity. If opening soon, give it some air. A nice match for a roast. Definitely some upside on the score as this matures more. Another three to five
This is drinking very well these days. It is a blend of 82% Syrah and 18% Mourvèdre. Inky purple in color. The nose is great with black raspberries, roasted meats, slight violets and a bit of earthiness. Full bodied. On the palate, this has a lush structure. Juicy black raspberry fruit over a bit of smoke and earth. Nice energy. Long finish. This may still improve a bit. It will make great drinking over the next ten to twelve years. A nice match for ribs on the grill or roasted veggies.
Another great Syrah from Campesino. This is in the vein of the Northern Rhone but with lots of good California sunshine. Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright. The nose is very nice with black raspberries, black olives, slight dried lavender and a hint of moist turned earth. On the palate, this is smooth and easy to drink. But, there is also nice depth with good acidity. It opens beautifully in the glass showing black raspberry fruit and underlying earthiness. Nice finish. This may still improve but it will make nice drinking for another ten to twelve years. A great match for f
Petite Sirah is a very interesting grape. Some wines are made to be consumed young but most need a little to a long time. This one is not quite there but almost. It is a grape that might be better suited to blending although its fans are strong (of which I am one). The flavors are deep and intense but not boisterous. This one is deep purple in color. The nose has boysenberries, slight plums, dark chocolate and tarragon. With air, a bit of black pepper. On the palate, this is medium bodied. The boysenberries and plums come thru with an underlying gravelly note. Nice balance. It re
Bonterra uses organically grown grapes to make their wines. The wines are very good to great and priced reasonably. Their Rosé is always a favorite. As Memorial Day approaches, this year will be a bit different with Social Distancing still appropriate. Finally, however, we had a nice weather day, and it was a great time to try the latest vintage. The wine is screw topped which is a great thing. This vine is mostly Grenache. It will keep the wine fresher. It has a very pretty color. Sort of a deep, ruby/pink in color. Clear and bright. Upon opening, notes of Rhubarb with some cher
This is a nice value in under $20 California Cabernet. A blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Deep ruby in color. The nose has black cherries, some cassis, a bit of spice and slight herbal note. Medium bodied. On the palate, the black cherries dominate with light tannins. This drinks easy right now on its own and will work well with burgers and grilled foods. This won't get better but should last, if well stored, for another four to six years.
This is the second vintage for a Red Wine Blend and I far prefer this to the 2015 version. it is a blend of 42% Zinfandel, 21% Petite Sirah, 19% "Port Grapes, and 18% Syrah. Yes, Port wine grapes can be a wide variety but I have no idea what they used and that the grapes are from Mendocino. But, for $20 retail, no need to get hung up on that. Right now it seems the Zinfandel and to a lesser extent the Syrah dominate the blend although that might change with time. It is made by Rich Parducci. This utilizes a cork (unlike the Chardonnay) Ruby in color with purple swirls. The nose has
This is a label created by golfer Ben Curtis and Rich Parducci. The wines are meant to be affordable (full retail is about $20). This Chardonnay was made in steel and uses no oak. Screw capped. Golden in color, with a bit of a copper hue. The nose is tight but with some air, it opens to show lemon balm, lemon grass, and just a hint of LemonHeads candy. On the palate, the texture is slightly oily. There is an interesting chalkiness to it and the lemon balm comes thru. It is steely and easy drinking. This drinks well on its own. Very refreshing. It has enough acidity to work well w
This is a surprisingly big and bold Pinot Noir. The surprise is more that it is from the Santa Lucia Highlands. The vines were planted in 2008. Although 2017 wasa bit lighter of a vintage in Sonoma/Napa, it would appear that down in Monterey, there was no issue in getting fruit ripe. Certainly not for this wine. It has a very pretty ruby/garnet color. Clear and bright. The nose shows coffee, black cherries, and a slight rhubarb. With air a bit of brown sugar emerges. On the palate, this is full bodied with light tannins. It has juicy red berries. There is some oak coming thru as
