California

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Another gorgeous California Cabernet.  They are blessed in Napa.  This one is drinking very well right now.  Cassis, pencil lead and cedar on the nose.  With air a slight cigar box emerges.  On the palate, this is ripe but not over ripe.  A classic example of Napa without being too far to the extreme.  Cassis with some tobacco and fresh turned earth.  Nice balance.  The layers unwind in the glass; cassis, tobacco and cedar.  Medium tannins still.  This will certainly mature more over the next five years.  Not sure it gets better.  No hurry though, this has a decade left and likely more.  It

One of the great wines of the world.  This was tasted right after a huge Aussie Shiraz and it took a sip or two to re-calibrate, but once that was accomplished, this wines class shown thru.  Still a young wine, this has a long future ahead.  A blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has cassis, cedar, an herbal note (in a good way), spice and slight forest floor.  On the palate, this has a wonderful texture.  Full bodied but by no means brawny or a fruit bomb.  Nice purity of cassis fruit over some roas

This a blend of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petite Verdot.  A Napa version of a Right Bank Bordeaux wine but this is really a pretty big wine.  Purple in color.  The nose has black cherries, plums, slight spice and char.  On the palate, the black cherries continue.  There are firm tannins.  Low acidity.  A bit of underlying forest floor comes out with air.  Medium finish.  This makes a nice drink on its own.  It should continue to evolve and become more food friendly with age.  Another five years to peak and then another seven to ten after that.  This was around $80 on releas

This is a blend of 58% Mourvedre and 42% Grenache.  Purple in color.  Opaque.  The nose has black cherries, plums, cedar, and roasted meats.  On the palate, the Grenache seems to dominate at this point, but with age that should change.  Black cherry fruit intertwined with smoke and slight earthiness.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  This seems young but not a ton of tannins.  It will be interesting to watch this age.  It should go well with spicy Asian cuisine of stews and chili.  Drinking well now, I don't think it gets better but should morph over the next decade or more.  

Perhaps its a style thing, but this one was not up my alley.  Maybe it just hasn't held up well or not optimally stored.  Ruby in color.  The nose is ok, with cherries and cherry juice.  On the palate, this is sweet.  Has to be some residual sugar I would think.  Candied cherries.  Not much depth.  Not much acidity.  Frankly, I couldn't wait for the finish to end.  I know some people would love this wine, but I am not one of them.  YMMV.  Given that I just don't like this style it doesn't seem fair to score it.  

This is one of the gems in the Kendall Jackson portfolio.  This is a world class Cabernet.  Purple in color.  The nose has cassis, cedar, milk chocolate, and a bit of char.  On the palate, this has a wonderful muscular texture.  Firm tannins.  Lots of cassis fruit.  Deep and complex if still tight.  Lively with great balance and precision.  Long finish.  This is delicious but grabs your attention.  It still has some upside as it ages and probably at least seven to ten years from peak.  It should easily last two more decades, plus.  It should be versatile to go well with most medium and heav

This is a wine from Pahlmeyer.  I first tried it back in 2012 before it was released, but had not seen it since.  So when a friend put this on the table I was excited to revisit it.  An excellent wine and not your typical California Chardonnay.  Light gold with some green swirls.  The nose explodes from the glass with peaches, marzipan, some citrus and even a touch of green apple.  With air, a waxy quality come thru.  On the palate, this is just as vibrant.  Oranges, peaches with an under subtle oak.  A bit of salinity right at the end.  This is drinking very well right now and it would be

From the producers of Sine Qua Non, this is the 7th edition of this wine.  The label says 15.8% but there is no hint of heat.  This vintage is a blend of 45% Syrah, 29% Grenache, 15% Petite Sirah, 5% Mourvèdre, 4.5% Touriga Nacional and 1.5% Roussanne.  Inky purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, red licorice, black pepper, baking spices with a bit of leather/earth.  On the palate, this is rich.  Almost seamless.  It took quite a while to really open up suggesting that this wine still needs about five years depending on your tastes.  Delicious with flavors of black raspberries an

Halcon wines are some of the best values in California wine.  They are top quality cooler climate Syrahs being made at lower alcohol levels in a deliberate style.  At the same time, they are not short on fruit or deliciousness.  They really do take some time to develop though and cellaring or air is highly recommended.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has boysenberries, slight black pepper, slight fried bacon, and a bit of charred earth.  On the palate, this has a medium body.  Tightly layered, it unwinds in the glass.  Nice boysenberry fruit with an underlying minerality.  It s

This is a very nice value for those looking for a reasonably priced California Cabernet.  It is from Paso Robles, an area generally not known for its Cabs.  Dark ruby in color.  The nose has cherries and slight kirsch notes along with some baking spice and a bit of vanilla.  On the palate, this is medium bodied with good acidity.  Cherries with some oak.  Medium finish.  This will improve over the next couple of years as it integrates and should be good for five to seven after that.  A nice with with grilled burgers.