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

2017 CrossBarn (Paul Hobbs) Chardonnay Sonoma Coast, USA, California, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$22.00USD

Purchased off a restaurant list which is a great place for this if priced fairly.  It is ready to go and provides good drinking for the money.  Light green/gold in color.  The nose is more about tropical fruits than expected; mango and melons.  Maybe some peaches as well.  On the palate, this is big but not oaky.  Peaches with slight acidity.  Worked well with sushi.  This should probably be drunk up by 2022.  

2009 Bedrock Wine Co. Syrah Old Lakeville Vineyard, USA, California, Sonoma Coast, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2009
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$30.00USD

Nice to revisit this at age 10.  Mature and drinking well.  Purple in color with some ruby swirls.  The nose has black raspberries, black olives, charcoal and black pepper.  On the palate, this is clean with black raspberry fruit.  Some depth and complexity.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  This won't get better but should hold for a decade more.  It goes great with food or on its own.  

2015 Keplinger Lithic, USA, California, Amador County, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$70.00USD

This is a blend of 40% Mourvèdre, 34% Grenache, and 26% Syrah.  It is a big wine that is ripe and delicious.  The nose has black raspberries, blue berries, roasted meat and herbs, black pepper and some cherries.  On the palate, this is big.  Firm tannins.  Juicy black raspberry and blueberry fruit with an underlying minerality.  It softens a bit in the glass.  It is great on its own but a difficult food match at present.  It will most certainly evolve and gain integration over the next five to ten years at which time it will be great with cassoulets and roasted foods.  No regrets about open

2008 Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Reserve, USA, California, Napa, Conn Valley, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2008
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$120.00USD

Conn Valley is slightly out of the way in the Napa Valley, but this winery continues to make great wines at fair prices.  It was nice to be able to try one with a bit of age on it.  I had last tried this wine on release and from Magnum when it was more about potential.  That potential has been (mostly) realized.  There will be further development but it is close to maturity.  Purple in color.  The nose has cassis, slight black raspberries, a bit of cedar and spice.  On the palate, this is very concentrated.  Not a fruit bomb, but certainly of Napa.  Lots of cassis and black raspberries over

2005 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2005
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$100.00USD

This is just starting to get where it is going but should easily have two decades left.  Deep ruby in color with some purple swirls.  The nose is great with cassis, tobacco, dark chocolate and slight pencil lead.  On the palate, this has a wonderful texture.  Juicy cassis flavors intertwined with a slight earthiness a char.  It unwinds in the glass.  Pop and pour, it would be better served with a slow ox or decant.  It will go well with a wide range of food.  

2010 Roy Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2010
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$150.00USD

My first time trying this wine.  It is made by Philippe Melka.  93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot.   2010 was a hit or miss vintage but this is quite good.  Inky purple in color.  The nose has cassis, blueberries, and coffee.  On the palate, this is drinking well.  Plenty of black raspberries and blueberries.  Lush texture.  Not a lot of acidity but enough to work with food.  Good finish.  This is not a fruit bomb and its not intense, more middle of the road in style.  Very enjoyable.  It should probably be consumed in the next five to seven years though it undoubtedly will still be d

2018 Campesino Grenache Isa, USA, California, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
91
Grade: 
Current Price: 
$20.00USD

Campesino is a winery that makes excellent Rhone varietal wines for fair prices.  It is a list that people should be signing up for if the wines are not available in the local marketplace.  This is one of the better, more refreshing Rose's on the market made from mostly Grenache.

2017 Artezin Zinfandel Mendocino County, USA, California, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+
Current Price: 
$16.00USD

This is an inexpensive wine made from 85% Zinfandel and 15% Petite Sirah.  It is aged in one and two year old French oak barrels.  This is a nice wine to serve at parties and cook outs.  It will be popular with people who enjoy a nice glass of red.  Purple/ruby in color.  The nose has black raspberries, raspberries, some black cherries along with a bit of cola and spice.  On the palate, black cherries, black raspberries and a bit of black pepper.  Easy drinking.  Nothing harsh.  Not a lot of acidity.  Ripe fruit.  This is a wine to drink now.  

2018 Bonterra Young Red, USA, California, Mendocino, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
89
Grade: 
B+
Current Price: 
$16.00USD

This is an unusual wine.  It takes some of the Rose this winery produces and hard presses the grapes (presumably after the juice intended for the Rose is separated).  Hard pressing is basically squeezing to get a bit more juice.  This is typically tannic.  The difference is they then adds in Malbec juice to the wine.  The wine is barrel fermented and then aged for a bit in stainless steel.  The result is a young, lighter wine that is not too unlike a Beaujolais.  It proved quite popular at our www.Intowine.com tasting.  We liked this a bi

2018 Flora Springs Sauvignon Blanc Soliloquy, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$50.00USD

This is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc (44%), Chardonnay (41%), Malvasia (10%), and Pinot Gris(5%).  The name comes from a proprietary clone of Sauvignon Blanc that Flora Springs utilizes in the Crossroads vineyard.   It is an interesting white that really needs some air when opening.  Silvery/green in color with pale yellow/gold.  On opening the oak is dominant and that did not work well.  Of course, this is just being released and that will cure itself.  In any event, patience is rewarded.  After about an hour of breathing the tropical fruit came out.  A slight bit of grassiness, in a good wa

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