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  • Alexander Valley
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For over 50 years Chalk Hill Winery has been at the forefront of Sonoma wines. Their Windy Ridge Sauvignon Blanc is a testament to the Chalk Hill AVA. Harvested from a single block and using clone 378, this offers soft passion fruit, lemon-lime citrus, light resin, honeydew melon, apricot and quince. It also offers a solid minerality throughout the wine. Shying away from the more grassy iterations, this feels like an “adult” Sauvignon Blanc, more restrained and complementary to a diversity of foods.

2017 was a challenging vintage between the heat, the rain and the fires, yet, many wineries were able to dodge those and make excellent wines especially in Sonoma.  This is one of the good ones.  It is also a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon with 18% Syrah added which appears to make a bit more accessible but also give it some depth.  Inky purple in color, thing ruby rim, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, black raspberries, clay, spice and slight cedar notes.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, this is a high energy wine with a lot going on.  Cassis, chocolate and slight underlyi

This is more of a claret styled Zin and not a monster fruit bomb.  This style tends to age nicely and at age 5, this one was drinking beautifully.  Garnet in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, slight bramble and a bit of black pepper.  Medium bodied.  Medium tannins.  Good acidity.  Velvety texture.  On the palate, cherries and black cherries with a slight milk chocolate note.  Delicious.  Good finish.  This should drink well for another five to eight years.  It drinks well on its own and will work very well with hearty foods such a lamb stew or even vegetarian chili.  

This is another inexpensive wine from the producer of Organic vegan wines.  13% Abv.  Purple/ruby in color with some blue hues, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, plums, slight cherries, with a bit of vanilla milkshake.  Nice texture.  Light tannins.  On the palate, cassis and cherry fruit.  A bit of black licorice on the finish which has a little bit of warmth.  This is easy drinking and a great mid-week wine with dinner.  Nice value.  

It was nice to be able to try this wine as it had been a long time (20+ years).  This is organic and vegan and very well priced!  It is a blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Ruby Cabernet, and Carignan.  Garnet/ruby in color but also some purple/blue swirls, clear and bright.  The nose is strong with raspberries, slight blueberries, and cherries.  Light bodied with light tannins.  Good acidity.  On the palate, raspberries, cherries and slight chocolate note.  Slight bitter note on the finish.  This is an easy light wine that would be good for a party but also at the table.  Very food friend

A very interesting wine.  It is 90% Pinot Noir, 7% Merlot, and 3% Pinot Meunier.  The website indicates that the fruit is Sonoma Coast, but the bottle is devoid of info except carrying a California designation.  Deep light ruby/orange in color, clear and bright.  Very pretty.  The nose is intense with rhubarb, apples and watermelon.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, watermelon, raspberries and cherries.  Long finish.  A very satisfying Rose that should be quite food friendly with everything from Salmon to a steak.  Drink over the next couple of years.  

A middle of the road in style, Napa Chardonnay.  14.5% abv.   Yellow/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has lemons and slight vanilla.  Full bodied.  Good acidity.  On the palate, almonds, spices, minerals, and with some air, lemon crème.  A slight bitter almond note on the finish.  This is drinking well on its own and would be a nice wine with seafood, pork or veggies.  Salmon is a great choice.  Drink over the next five to seven years.  

This is made from purchased grapes in northeastern Ohio.  For $30, this is certainly competitive or better than most similarly priced Napa Cabernets on our grocery store shelves.  Very impressive.  Purple in color with some ruby hues.  The nose has cassis, plums, baking spices and slight forest floor.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this opens with about 30 minutes of air.

This is a blend of 67% Syrah, 21% Grenache, and 12% Terret Noir.  Purple/ruby in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with black cherries, black raspberries, black licorice, spice and smoke.  Medium to full bodied.  Well balanced.  On the palate, this drinks very easy.  Black cherries and black raspberries with a bit of black licorice and pepper.  Nice finish.  An interesting wine but also an enjoyable one.  Drink over the next seven to ten years.  This is nice on its own and will work well with food.  A nice choice for a burger or meatloaf.  

This is in a great spot at age 17.  Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black pepper, slight gamey meat, and a bit of raspberries.  Full bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, this is deep with some complexity.  Black raspberry fruit with some black pepper and a hint of meatiness.  Nice finish.  This seems to be about at peak but should go another five to eight years at this level.  It drinks nicely on its own and will work well with roasted veggies, fowl or meats.