California

• Amador County
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  • Alexander Valley
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  • Sonoma Coast
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  • Sonoma Valley
  • Knights Valley

My first time trying this vintage and only second time trying the winery.  Spectacular showing.  This wine was allowed to breathe for about 8 hours and still needed more air.  Some vigorous swirling in the glass allowed it to open, but it really needs more cellar time.  Purple in color, magenta at the rim.  The nose has cassis, blueberries, iodine and sandalwood.  Beautiful.  On the palate, there is some initial warmth but that disappears with air.  Very smooth.  Balance.  medium tannins.

My first time trying this that I can recall.  Very impressed.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose is great with cassis, and slight graphite.  This bottle had been allowed to breathe for the better part of the day and still took some time to open.  It opened nicely in the glass though.  Bright acidity.  Cassis and slight cough drop note especially on the finish where it was joined with a bit of menthol.  Firm tannins.  Probably best to hold these or decant for a few hours at this point.  Some upside here for sure.  

I have had this before and loved it, but this bottle, not so much.  Perhaps an off bottle or shut down at this time?  Just last summer, I scored it 100 points, so this was curious.  Some liked it more than I, but most of the room seemed to comment that it wasn't what they might have been expecting.  It is good, but this should be one of the preeminent California Chardonnays.  It happens, but I can only review the bottle I drank.  Light green/gold in color.  The nose is dusty with tine, clay, spice and oak.  No fruit.  No noticeable TCA or other faults.  On the palate, it has a nice texture.

Rhys Chard's are among my favorite Chardonnay's anywhere.  They often get tagged as "Burgundian" but I think they are a beautiful expression of the grape as grown in Santa Cruz.  This one was pop and pour and it was singing.  Gold/silver in color with slight green.  The nose is great with a lemon-vanilla cream along with a nice mineral base.  On the palate, this is vibrant with great acidity.  Great bright fruit.  Lemon with some vanilla and a nice minerality.  Long finish.  Great with a potato chowder.  Just a beautiful wine.  I think these age well but perhaps shut down at some point only

This is a Cab made especially for Flaming's Steak House.  It is solid if a bit generic.  Purple/ruby in color.  The nose is dusty with cherries and some cassis.  On the palate, this drinks easy.  Light tannins.  Not a lot of complexity.  Cassis fruit.  Slight earth.  

Purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, black olives, white pepper and slight bacon fat.  With air, some slight grilled meats.  On the palate, black raspberries with a bit of bacon fat.  This is ripe but still drink rather Northern Rhone-ish.  Good balance.  Long finish.  worked well with food.  

Purple/ruby in color.  The nose has cassis and dust with a bit of spice.  Warm.  On the palate, this has cassis, tart cherries, a bit of baking spice and slight herbal notes.  It drinks like pretty classic Napa Cab.  Not super ripe but not under ripe either.  I can see this being a bit divisive for those who want a fruit bomb.  This is not that.  Showing a tight layering, it unwinds in the glass.  Has a nice complexity but there is some upside to come.  It was popular at the dinner table with our friends.  

Light golden in color.  The nose has spice and lemons.  On the palate, this has a loose/fat texture but at the same time a crisp acidity.  While a bit more precision is nice, the overall package is very pleasing.  Nice lemons notes on the palate.  Good finish.  Clean and very drinkable Chardonnay.  Worked well with food.  

One of my favorite white Rhones from California. Served a bit too cold, this needed to warm up a bit. Then it was great. Green/gold in color. The nose is lemony with a slight waxy note once warmer. Also a nice mineral streak. On the palate, this is crisp and bright. Lots of energy. Lemons with that mineral streak. Long finish. Worked well with food. Its hard to guess on the ageing trajectory of these wines, but it seems very young now and enjoyable. I will hold at least one to age a bit and see.

Alesia is produced by Rhys with their non-estate fruit.  Alder Springs is one of the idiosyncratic vineyards in California.  North of Sonoma and right on the coast, the vineyard can be drastically different from year to year and they grow a host of different varietals.  Truthfully, I wondered if this fruit got ripe enough in 2011, but now worries.  Not a fruity wine, but enough for sure.