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

2013 Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard, USA, California, Napa - Wine Review

Score: 
99
Grade: 
A+

I opened this at 8:00 am for serving about 12 hours later.  It needed more time or a decant.  Still, once in the glass it continued to open up all night.  Just a gorgeous wine.  A bit more time and this probably merits a perfect score.  Purple in color.  The nose has cassis, blueberries, gravel, char and slight cedar.  On the palate, just a wonderful juicy, lush texture.  Almost seamless.  Voluptuous.  Lots of bluieberry and cassis fruit with underlying gravel.  Pinpoint acidity.  Long finish.  Worked great with dinner.  While there is upside for holding it is fantastic right now.  Just an

2007 Seven Stones Cabernet Sauvignon, USA, California, Napa - Wine Review

Score: 
98
Grade: 
A+

Gorgeous.  This wine is sexy and almost seamless.  Although youthful, it is drinking beautifully at age ten with a decade or two left.  Purple in color.  The nose has cassis, sandalwood, blueberries, and cedar.  On the palate, just a great texture.  Deep, it shows nice layering as it unwinds in the glass.  Cassis and blueberries with minerals and char.  Quite smooth.  Long finish.  It is delicious.  Worked great with food as well.  

2015 Kutch Chardonnay Sonoma Coast, USA, California, Sonoma - Wine Review

Score: 
93
Grade: 
A

Light golden in color.  The nose is very nice.  Clean with no overt oak showing.  Green apples, slight lemon cream and slight pineapple.  On the palate, this is again clean with plenty of fruit.  Green apples, slightly tart, slight lemon.  An undetrlying minerality  It worked well with a difficult food match (fried pickle poppers).  Nice finish.  Still very youthful, it wiill be interesting to revisit this.  

2014 Carlisle Syrah Sonoma County, USA, California - Wine Review

Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-

What an outstanding value.  Under $30 for this quality of a Syrah.  It will certainly improve with some cellar time but is great right now.  Purple in color.  The nose has boysenberries, plums, black pepper, slight roasted herbs and hints of grilled meat.  On the palate, this is lush.  Ripe but not over.  Plenty of boysenberry fruit with underlying char.  Nice finish.  Easy drinking but more, this is delicious.  Great job!

2008 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Franc, USA, California, Napa

Score: 
93
Grade: 
A

Drinking well right now.  Not yet at peak but I don't know how much better it will get.  Purple in color.  Wonderful nose of black cherries, green tobacco, cigar box and leather.  On the palate, this is tightly layered.  It opens in the glass.  Black cherries, leather and earth.  Good balance.  Not a huge wine, but not shy either.  Goes well with food.  Outstanding wine.  

2010 Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon Panek Vineyard, USA, California, Napa - Wine Review

Score: 
94
Grade: 
A

Excellent wine.  Still youthful and with upside potential.  Purple in color.  The nose has cassis, spice, cloves and slight crunchy leaves.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Great texture.  Juicy cassis fruit layered with earthiness.  Long finish.  Another one of those wines where each sip makes you want more and then the bottle is emptied.  Beguiling.  

2013 Carlisle Zinfandel Hayne Vineyard, USA, California, Napa - Wine review

Score: 
95
Grade: 
A

This is about as good as Zinfandel gets for me.  It should probably be getting a higher score actually.  Purple in color.  The nose has black cherries, spice, black pepper and slight bramble.  On the palate, this is almost seamless.  Great black chery fruit, slight blueberry.  Great balance.  It has a lightness that is deft while packing a powerful punch.  Delicious.  Will it get better?  I really, really need to try and stock one awy and find out.  Just a fantastic wine and a great value.  

2014 Limerick Lane Zinfandel Estate, USA, California, Napa - Wine Review

Score: 
93
Grade: 
A

I had been hearing good things about this winery so I bought a bottle.  It did not disappoint.  Purple in color.  The nose has raspberries, bramble, spice and black cherries.  Great texture.  Silky yet full bodied.  On the palate, this is juicy with great raspberry and dark cherry fruit.  Firm tannins.  Great acidity.  Nice finish. A delicious bottle of wine with a nice complexity.  Seems like it might have some upside to develop.  

2014 Cattleya Syrah Soberanes Vineyard, USA, California, Santa Lucia Highlands - Wine review

Score: 
94
Grade: 
A

Opened as part of my #BrownsSuckWinesDont program where I punish myself watching the Cleveland Browns and reward myself with interesting wines.  A new discovery for me, this was very good.  Purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, black pepper, and slight black olives.  On the palate, this is juicy with great fruit.  A very lively wine.  Pop and pour it continued to get better until the last glass about 10 hours later.  I would hold these for now as there is good upside potential or at least give it plenty of air.  

2013 Jaffurs Syrah Larner Vineyard, USA, California, Santa Barbara - Wine Review

Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-

Opened while watching the Cleveland Browns lose again.  I needed something strong that wouldn't make me try to hard.  While this fit the bill, in fact, this will be a couple or few points better in a five years.  Purple inc olor.  The nose has black raspberries, white pepper, slight roasted meats and spice.  On the palate, black raspberries and roasted meats carry thru.  A bit of spice.  Deep but tightly packed.  Juicy acidity.  Delicious.  Nice finish.  

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