California

• Amador County
  • Shenandoah Valley
• Carmel Valley
• Carneros
• Central Coast
  • Edna Valley
  • Mt. Harlan
  • Paso Robles
• Contra Costa County
• El Dorado County
• Lake County
• Lodi
• Mendocino
  • Anderson Valley
  • Yorkville Highlands
• Monterey
• Napa Valley
  • Atlas Peak
  • Best of Napa
  • Calistoga
  • Conn Valley
  • Diamond Mountain
  • Howell Mountain
  • Mt. Veeder
  • Oak Knoll
  • Oakville
  • Pope Valley
  • Rutherford
  • Spring Mountain
  • St. Helena
  • Stags Leap
  • Yountville
• North Coast
• Santa Barbara
  • Santa Lucia Highlands
  • Santa Rita Hills
  • Santa Ynez Valley
• Santa Cruz
• Santa Maria Valley
• Sierra Foothills
• Sonoma County
  • Alexander Valley
  • Bennett Valley
  • Best of Sonoma
  • Dry Creek Valley
  • Fort Ross/Seaview
  • Moon Mountain
  • Pine Mountain - Cloverdale Peak
  • Russian River Valley
  • Sonoma Coast
  • Sonoma Mountain
  • Sonoma Valley
  • Knights Valley

California is making some very nice Albarinos these days.  At four years from vintage it might be worrying but this was sealed with a screw cap and the wine inside from fresh and bright.  Light green/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with apples, peach and a stony minerality.  Medium bodied.  Slightly oily texture.  On the palate, this is more about fruit and some minerality than its crisper Spanish siblings.  It is filled with ripeness and body.  Flavors of red apples and peaches.  Good finish.  This works very nice on its own and would work well with lighter foods.  A nic

This is a blend of 86% Zinfandel with 14% other varietals from the Russian River Valley in Sonoma.  Of course, it is Mike Officer and Carlisle's home vineyard.  Purple in color with some ruby hues, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is energetic with black raspberries, black cherries, bramble, black pepper and spice (cloves?).  Medium bodied.  Light tannins.  Great balance.  On the palate, this is young but really opens with an hour or two air.  Plenty of depth.  Flavors of black raspberries, black cherries, char and spice.  Juicy.  Long finish.  This is delicious on its own and will work

The Santa Cruz Mountains are the home to many of my favorite Chardonnays and this is definitely one of them.  Light gold in color with some hay yellow swirls, clear and bright.  The nose is big but lovely with lemon peel, slight lime, slight apples, vanilla, spice and char.  Full bodied.  Creamy texture countered with crisp acidity.  On the palate, this is crisp, satisfying and delicious.  Deep and complex, it unwinds with a bit of air in the glass.  Flavors of lemon peel, slight vanilla, spice and char.  Long finish.  This is great on its own but better with food.  This would work so well

This continues to be my favorite Chardonnay!  It drinks great young and ages nicely.  With just a kiss of vanilla showing, there is some oak but not enough to be an issue even for many of the most oak adverse drinkers.  Light green/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is great with lemon creme, a touch of vanilla, spice and slight char.  Full bodied.  Very light tannins.  Great balance.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Great texture.  Flavors of lemons, slight cooked apples, vanilla and spice.  A bit of char on the long finish.  This drinks great on its own and will work well with

Having tasted this as a barrel sample, it was nice to get to taste this from bottle.  Of course, it is young, but at age six, it is showing very well.  Purple  in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is concentrated but big with cassis, slight graphite, char, and spice.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  Good energy.  On the palate, cassis, graphite, chocolate, spice and char.  Delicious.  Long finish.  This is drinking well but it will easily go another ten to fifteen more years.  Great on its own, this will work well with big meat or roasted vegetables.  

Another great GV from Carlisle.  This bears some resemblance to its Austrian counterparts, but is certainly from California.  Light gold/green in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with limes, granny smith apples and minerals.  Light to medium bodied.  Well balance.  Good acidity.  On the palate, limes, some apples and slight vanilla note.  Tasty.  This drink great on its own and will work well with lighter foods.  It would be a nice with with Quiche.  Drink over the next five to eight years.  

Whitehall Lane Winery has a focus on red wines, more Cabernet driven wines. This 2019 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Zinfandel offers notes of blackberry, blueberry, black cherry, boysenberry, and huckleberry. The fruit is fully structured by moderate to mature tannins, the use of judicious oak, and a mild acidity. There are back notes of vanilla, sandalwood, and light campfire. This is definitely a food friendly red wine to pair with a various dishes, but it’s also a wine that makes you remember how good Napa wines can be when they’re treated with restraint.

This is a Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon blend from Napa.  Light green/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is slightly grassy with a touch of lemon verbena.  Very clean.  Medium bodied.  Slightly viscous.  Good crisp acidity.  On the palate, the lemon is a bit more pronounced with a steely quality.  Long finish.  Refreshing.  This is a very nice white that drinks easy on its own and will work well with lighter foods.  A nice wine for Pork Chops.  Drink over the next three to five years. 

This is Carlisle's basic Zin. Unfortunately, they don't offer this in large allocations or I would buy even more. It is a fantastic value for a quality Zinfandel. It is a blend of 47% Sonoma Valley Zinfandel, Old Hill Ranch, 20% Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel, Teldeschi Ranch, 20% Sonoma Valley Zinfandel, Pagani Ranch, 10% Dry Creek Valley Petite Sirah, Mounts Ranch, and 3% Sonoma Valley Alicante Bouschet, Pagani Ranch. Purple in color with some ruby hues, mostly opaque and bright. The nose is strong with bramble, red raspberries, some black cherries, char and spice. Full bodied.

Chenin Blanc is one of our favorite grapes and Sandlands arguably makes the best domestic Chenin Blanc wines.  Light gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is great with apples, apple cider, slight orange peel, and minerality.  Medium bodied.  Good balance.  On the palate, this is clean, crisp and refreshing.  Flavors of apples/apple cider with some minerals.  Dry.  Good finish.  This is very nice on its own and even better with food.  It would work well with grilled trout.  Drink over the next ten years.