California

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This is a reasonably priced Chardonnay.  It does have a fair amount of oak on it, but is still on the crisper style.  Golden in color.  The nose has lemon vanilla cream with some raw cut lumber.  It has a nice oily texture.  Plenty of fresh oak on the palate as well but also some lemon and orange peel.  Slightly bitter on the finish.  For the price (around $16), this is a nice Chardonnay for drinking over the first few years.  

My favorite Chardonnay producer (not my favorite vineyard) but the house style is unmistakable.  Light golden in color.  The nose has a lovely lemon vanilla creme quality to it with nice minerality.  This vineyard also seems to have a slight pine quality which while good is a bit harder to match with food.  Nice balance.  Good acidity.  The palate has the same flavors with the vanilla less in the foreground and the minerals more prominent.  This bottle was paired with Japanese foods and it worked very well.  

This is an outstanding Napa Cab.  It is, however, also quite expensive and while that doesn't figure into the tasting note, it does enter into buying decisions.  Purple in color, to the rim.  Opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, cedar, dust and slight salinity.  On the palate, the flavors all carry thru.  This is a bigger wine but not a monster.  It is deep and will need another five to ten years to unwind.  Quite delicious now however.  It went great with homemade Vegetable soup and homemade bread but will easily stand up to bigger foods.  I have a lone bottle left and will try to reme

This is a big and brawny wine from California's central coast.  Or, at least it was on release.  It seems to have really settled down and is in a great place right now but still has years left.  Inky purple in color with a thin ruby line at the rim.  On the nose this has black raspberries, black pepper, slight floral notes and roasted meats.  Thick and juicy with light tannins.  Good acidity.  Lots of black raspberry fruit intertwined with a scorched earthiness.  Nice finish.  This went well with spicy foods but also would work well with roasts and stews.  

This was an outstanding Napa Cabernet.  It might be hard to find, but this bottle was purchased recently for $53 and it's a shame we didn't buy more.  Deep purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is classic with cassis, slight blueberries, dust and cedar.  On the palate, this has silky tannins.  It is young but delicious.  Cassis fruit mostly but some blueberries.  Nice ripeness without being over the top.  Good balance.  This should continue to get better over the next five to seven years and be good for at least a decade after that.  It will need bigger and heavier foods or drink on

Always a pleasure to try on of the older stalwarts of Napa Valley.  While this might not have the cache it had 30 years ago, it still is one of the best wineries in Napa.  And this is one of the better values for Napa Cabernet.  Purple in color.  The nose is lovely with cassis, dust, slight tobacco and spice.  On the palate, this is full bodied with nice lush fruit.  Firm tannins still, this probably could have used a decant.  Nice cassis fruit over spice and slight charred earth on the palate.  Good balance.  Nice finish.  Will work with bigger or bolder foods.  Perhaps some upside to cell

Purple in color.  The nose has nice cassis, dust, cherries and slight green bell pepper.  On the palate, this has medium tannins.  Good cassis fruit over a dry earthiness.  Light tannins.  The bell pepper is only on the nose.  This has some complexity at this point.  Good finish.  Not uber ripe but certainly not under ripe either.  Drinking well, it may possibly still improve with further cellaring.  Will work better with bigger or spicy foods but is ok on its own.  64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 7% Merlot, 5% Malbec, 4% Petit Verdot

This is the "second" label for Scarecrow wine.   It is a blend of blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, 6% Malbec and 3% Merlot.  What a fabulous wine.  Inky purple in color.  The nose has cassis, black cherries, some tobacco and slight graphite.  This is young of course but already delicious.  It kept opening all night but even the first sip was delicious.  Full bodied.  14.9% Alc.  Not a fruit bomb but lots of California sunshine and ripeness.  On the palate, cassis and black cherries with firm tannins.  An underlying forest floor quality.  It coats the mouth but has the acidi

Is there a more iconic wine made anywhere?  Arguably no and certainly not in the USA.  This is the wine that defines "Cult Wine".  The release price has closed in on $1,000 per bottle and the aftermarket is double for starters.  So, it is nice to actually open a bottle and see what the fuss is all about.  The first question is whether it is worth it.  That answer all depends on so much more than wine.  One pays for the rarity.  One pays for the status.  One pays for the experience.  Still, at the end of the day, how is the wine.  As Napa Cabs go, this is not a huge wine.  It is more about e

This bottle is doing well and while not quite up to the level of a bottle a couple years ago, that seems more bottle variation or just a different day.  Purple in color.  The nose is deep with cassis, and spice.  Perhaps a bit more air would have allowed the wine to open more.  On the palate, this has a nice energy.  Cassis, a roasted herbal note and slight tannins.  Worked well with food.  This still seems like it easily could coast for another decade.  A nice way to get a great Cab in the house style without paying for the Monte Bello.