Expert articles and wine tasting videos profiling wines from California, California wine regions, Napa Valley, Sonoma County, & more.
Having had the 2006 just a few days prior to this, it was surprising how much younger and tighter this was. It does seem like there was a bit of a style shift starting in 2007 and rather than the wines really opening up at age 5, it is now closer to 10. This one took a few hours to really open and then was singing if still on the youthful side. Inky purple in color.
Light golden in color. The nose has minerals, oranges, slight apricot. On the palate, this has a really interesting texture. Dry but some heaviness to it. Minerals and orange peel. Enough if not great acidity, it drinks better with some food. Actually would work with a wide range of foods. Good finish. Well priced at around $25. Certainly one of the better and more interesting expressions of California Chenin Blanc.
Perfect on a hot day. Light golden in color. The nose is great. Fresh with slight tropical fruit, melons, a bit of grass and minerals. Really clean. On the palate, the melons and minerals carry thru. Also a tart note that is interesting. Nice texture. Good acidity. Long finish. Food friendly. This is the kind of wine that is (too) easy to drink an entire bottle of. Refreshing but also with some depth. Fairly priced at $35.
Golden/green in color. The nose has honey and slight apricots. Thick and viscous. Slightly cloying. Not a lot of acidity. This is a solid dessert wine, but it really was much more impressive with an assortment of cheeses. A stinky blue worked quite well. 12% Alcohol. A nice finish to a meal. This is in a great place but should last for a long time.
Great showing for this wine and in a great place. Probably not yet at peak though. Who says these wines won't age? Inky purple in color. The nose has black raspberries, roasted meats, slight roasted herbs and char. Not a super ripe wine, but certainly plenty of bold black raspberry fruit on the palate. Deep and complex. Tightly layered, it unwinds in the glass. Fruit, char and grilled herbs. Smooth. Long finish. Plenty of alcohol, the label lists 16.6%, but no heat. It is noticeable in the lush texture and of course, standing up. Just a gorgeous wine. Not sure that this will g
Inky purple in color. The nose is bright black raspberry fruit with some char. Medium bodied. Good acidity. Black raspberry fruit. Works well with food. This is an outstanding wine, but at age 9, it is not showing the depth and complexity that might have been expected. The question is whether it will develop. 2009 had heavy rains at harvest and pick dates often separated the great from the almost great. It will be interesting to see where this goes over the next five to ten years. Regardless, this is at a minimum, still a great wine.
Purple in color, ruby at the rim. The nose has black raspberries, char and black pepper. With air, a chalky quality emerges along with more concentrated black raspberries. Good acidity. Deep, still young and complex on the palate. At ten years of age, this is ageing quite slowly. Delicious and complex. It slowly unwinds in the glass. Still plenty of fruit and firm tannins suggesting much more room for development. Long finish. Worked great with hearty food.
Light golden in color. The nose is clean with lemon peel, and slightly herbal notes (in a good way). This is lean but persistent. Tart green apples on the palate had me thinking of Chablis. Although this is tight, it seems more open, especially with air, than a prior bottle. Long finish. This still needs more time to develop. Very crisp and worked well with food.
Light gold green in color. Great nose of lemon cream with integrated streaks of vanilla. Slightly oily texture. The lemon cream and vanilla carry thru. Great acidity works in balance. This is a big wine but so deft it handles the oak wonderfully. Great with a wide variety of foods. Plus, it is delicious. One of my favorite Cal Chards.
This is the Costco home brand. My first time trying this and it was served to a group of people blind. Everyone enjoyed this and for $17, there is some real value here. Purple in color. The nose has black cherries, bramble and spice. On the palate, this is middle of the road in style. A nice backbone of acidity should make it friendly with a wide variety of foods. Good finish. Is this amazing? No. But it is quite solid and as good as quite a few California Zins costing twice as much.
