Expert articles and wine tasting videos profiling wines from California, California wine regions, Napa Valley, Sonoma County, & more.
This is a $10 bottle of Zinfandel. It is just about exactly what one would expect (in a good way). Purple/ruby in color. The nose has cherries with some alcohol. Slightly candied. On the palate, cherries with some heat. A bit dusty. No complexity but nothing really off either. This would make a nice choice at a large party.
Deep ruby in color. The nose has cherries, slight bramble, and a bit of pepper. On the palate, this is lighter in style. Cherry fruit. Some warmth. It doesn't seem like this will improve but it makes for enjoyable drinking. Works better especially well with spicy Indian food. Probably should be drink in the next few years.
This was surprisingly open and drinking well if still youthful. Purple in color. The nose has boysenberries, char, and black pepper. On the palate, this has a nice texture. Boysenberry fruit with some pepper. Nice complexity. Good finish. This should improve for the next five years. Needs big food.
Purple in color. The nose is great with black raspberries, roasted meats, some black pepper and hints of violets. On the palate, this has a great texture. Lush and almost seamless. Black raspberries layered with spice and slight roasted meats. Good balance. Nice finish. This would work great with heartier foods or spicy ones too. Drinking quite well though not yet at peak. It might have some more upside as it continues to develop. A real crowd pleaser but if drinking soon, give it some air. Probably will peak in five years and be good for a decade or more after that.
Purple in color. The nose is nice with black raspberries, some char and a bit of leather. On the palate, this is nice with black raspberry fruit. Some complexity. It doesn't seem like this will improve. It is a very good wine but, this is from perhaps the best Syrah vineyard in California. The expectations were high and this did not meet up to those expectations. That may be unfair, but there it is. This sold for around $50 on release.
Light golden in color. The nose is clean with slight lemon notes. There is some lumber on the nose too. On the palate, this has little fruit but some. There is a bitterness. Decent acidity. At around $8, it drinks ok with or without food. No obvious faults but nothing amazing either.
From Magnum. Consumed over 4 days, it was probably best on day 3 and day 4. 100% Grenache. 16.4% Alcohol and not noticeable. Purple in color. The nose has cherries, dark cherries, some coffee grounds, spice and slight floral notes. On the palate, this is not as big of a wine as expected. Wonderful seamless texture. Delicious. Dark cherries, cherries, spice along with light tannins. Long finish. Will work with a wide variety of foods. This is still quite young and has a few more years until maturity and a good decade or more after that. One of the top examples of California Gren
81% Syrah, 8% Petite Sirah, 6% Mourvèdre, 4% Touriga Nacional and 1% Graciano. Inky purple in color. This is very different for an SQN wine. It does have 15.8% Alc but there is no sign of that. The nose has black raspberries, blueberries, some roasted meats and herbs and black pepper. On the palate, this is almost elegant. It has a refined quality but also the intensity and concentration one expects. Black raspberry and blueberry fruit on the palate with underlying coffee grounds and char. Great texture. Long finish. This is still quite young and has some upside even as good as it
Purple in color, ruby at the rim. The nose is nice with cherries, cassis and chocolate. Also some dustiness. On the palate, this is very elegant. Not the big fruit bomb I was expecting. Cassis, layered with chocolate and char. Great texture. Nice balance. Good finish. Will work with a wide variety of foods. Seems to still be youthful. There might be some upside but it is delicious now.
62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Cabernet Franc. Purple in color. The nose is dusty with cassis, tobacco, and slight cherries. On the palate, this has cassis and cedar over some tobacco and clay. Nicely layered, this wine is drinking great right now. Another Napa Cab that drinks like older Bordeaux with some years. If you like mature wines, this is at peak, if you like fruit powerhouses, this is past. It is balanced and very food friendly. Drink up.
