Expert articles and wine tasting videos profiling wines from California, California wine regions, Napa Valley, Sonoma County, & more.
Excellent wine. Purple in color. The nose has cassis, chocolate and spice. On the palate, slight tannins. Really delicious. Deep. Plenty of cassis fruit, some dark cherries and a bit of milk chocolate. Nice finish. Has a decade or two of life left.
Revisited on 10/26/18. This is singing along. Notes consistent with a year ago. Still tannic and tight but with a lot of potential.
Purple in color. The nose shows cassis and chocolate but also some green bell pepper. On the palate, it comes across as a Bordeaux. If that bell pepper quality is an issue, then you will not like this. For me, however, I don't mind it if there is still good fruit and depth. This has that. Medium tannins. 14.5% on the label. This wine seems like it will improve with a few years in the cellar.
An old friend. It had been years since I have had this vintage. saxum has only made Rocket Block a few times and this was the first. 50% Grenach, 40% Mourvedre, and 10% Syrah. The label says 16.6% alcohol. Those people who said these won't last can take hike. This bottle is still young and amazing. Of course, if you didn't like the style young, you might not like it older although this is not the hedonistic bomb it was in its youth. It still packs a punch though. Purple in color. The nose has black cherries, black raspberries, black pepper, slight earthiness, violets and char. On
Forman Cabs often fly under the radar for some reason. This was quite good. At 13 years from vintage, it still has a long life left. The bottle was opened and allowed to breath for ten hours. It was decanted for sediment and served. Purple in color. The nose has cassis, char, slight spice and a bit of plums and tobacco. With air, a bit of anise emerged. On the palate, this is, at this stage, neither powerful nor elegant but somewhere in the middle. Really good cassis and dark cherry fruit layered with tobacco and slight tannins. Decent acidity. Nice finish. It is certainly from
A very nice dometicc sparkling wine. Honestly, i have no idea who Rebecca Minkoff is, but congrats to her. The packaging on this bottle is very pretty and it would make a welcome and tasty Holiday or Host gift. Light golden in color, lots of small bubble. On the nose, there is some yeast and some citrus. On the palate, this is tsaty and would work well with a variety of foods. I would drink this up sooner than later but it is easy to drink. At under $30, this is a nice value for a bit of a more serious sparkler.
An under $20 California Sauvignon Blanc that is respectable and a little bit more. Gold/green in color. The nose is slightly grassy but also has some nice tropical fruit (mango?) notes. On the palate, this has a slightly oily, fuller texture that is very nice. Don't serve it too cold as the fruit gets masked. At cellar temp (60F), this has nice fruit and works well with lighter foods. Very nice on its own as well. It drinks dry but there may be just a touch of residual sugar to give it body and take away any bitterness. Nice value.
I really liked this wine and find it to be an exceptional value. While the exact cepage is unknown to me, there is some Syrah and other Rhone varietals (and perhaps some Petite Sirah), which I love. YMMV. For under $20, however, it is hard to argue the QPR. Purple in color. The nose has black raspberries, a bit of black pepper, some dark cherries with a bit spice. On the palate, this falls just short of being jammy. It is deep with good acidity. A delicious wine that is great for a BBQ or holiday party. I wouldn't age it for more than a few years, but I would be curious about it.
There was a time that I drank a lot of this wine (back in the early parts of this century). It had been a while but this seemed to still have that level of quality. At under $20, this is a very nice value for people who like ripe California Cabs with a bit of oak and lots of fruit. Purple in color. The nose has cassis, fresh cut lumber, spice and cherries. On the palate, the juicy red fruit takes a more predominant roll with just a touch of oak in the background. Mild tannins. Nice finish. All in all, easy drinking wine made to share with lots of friends.
This is not the greatest Napa Cab on the market. It also costs around $20, so it doesn't have to be. It certainly presents a nice value and is just fine for parties. Purple in color. The nose has dark cherries, cedar, baking spices and dust. On the palate, this is a bit generic; dark cherries with slight earth. Very tasty and goes well with party appetizers and main dishes. A nice value.
Another stellar wine from one of the best producers in Napa. This is still quite tight but with air opened up beautifully. That said, this still needs time. Inky purple in color. The nose is classic, old school Napa cabernet. Cassis, slight pencil lead, and a slight violet notes on the nose. On the palate, this has a great juicy texture. Almost seamless. Again, give this a few years and this probably merits a perfect score. Cassis, graphite and cedar notes. Long finish.
