California

• Amador County
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• Sonoma County
  • Alexander Valley
  • Bennett Valley
  • Best of Sonoma
  • Dry Creek Valley
  • Fort Ross/Seaview
  • Moon Mountain
  • Pine Mountain - Cloverdale Peak
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  • Sonoma Coast
  • Sonoma Mountain
  • Sonoma Valley
  • Knights Valley

Alban wines typically take some time to come around, but at age 7, this was drinking quite well.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with black raspberries, roasted meats and roasted herbs, slight dark chocolate and black pepper.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this is delicious.  It is on the bigger side but not a monster.  Black raspberry fruit with some black  pepper and a bit of roasted herbs.  Long finish.

My first time trying the white from this top producer of Rhone varietals based in Ventura.   This is a blend of 41% Roussanne, 36% Chardonnay, 15% Viognier, and 8% Marsanne.  Deep golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has lots of smoke/char along with wax, oranges, peaches and minerals.  Full bodied.  Slight tannins.  On the palate, the smoke notes are a bit more like gun powder.  Plenty of peach and slight citrus with a bit of "bitter wax" on the finish.  This is young and in need of time.  Consumed over two days, it really didn't change much at all.  Perhaps on day 2, a bit less Ch

One of the beautiful things about Pinot Noir is its delicate nature. Sure, some Pinot has bold, even aggressive fruit. But Calera’s 2019 offering is as delicate, feminine and subtle as you can probably get. An overwhelming earthy quality is in this wine along with quiet black cherry, blackberry, light huckleberry, light pomegranate and Bing cherry. There are back notes suggesting jasmine and ginger, a delightful acidity and an elegance to this wine which suggests a deft touch in the winemaking process.

This is a Bordeaux blend from Napa.  What a great wine.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, black cherries, tobacco, spice and slight cedar.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Cassis, black cherries, cigar tobacco, just a hint of bell pepper and spice.  Complex if tight.  It unwinds in the glass.  It may yet improve with some cellaring but delicious now.  Drink over the next twenty years.  Great on its own, this would work great with brisket.  

I’ve long held the belief that it’s pretty hard to mess up Cabernet Sauvignon from Howell Mountain fruit. The vines there are simply exceptional. So in the very capable hands of Duckhorn, the fruit in this 2018 shines. It’s all Cabernet with 8% Merlot added. There’s a lovely elegance to this wine, a steadiness that combines all the elements, oak, fruit, wood and tannin together. Not one element outperforms the other. The soft fruit includes noticeable black cherry, blackberry, blueberry, mocha, huckleberry and the ever-present but limited vanilla and caramel.

For 40 years Calera has been producing terrific wines in a rather unlikely place, in the Gavilan Mountains at the dividing line for San Benito and Monterey counties. This 2021 offers black cherry, blackberry, blueberry, huckleberry, pomegranate, with back notes of strawberry and Bing cherry. There is a rustic quality to this Pinot, hints of sage and earthiness. Aged just 10 months in French oak, a scant 10% of those barrels were new, therefore the fruit expresses itself quite clearly. It has solid acidity and tannic structure, making it an incredible value for the price.

Like most of Beddrock's basic level bottlings this is a tremendous value )in Sauvignon Blanc).  Light golden in color with some green hues.  The nose is nice with lemon and lime notes, melon, and just a hint of tropical fruits.  Medium bodied.  Slightly oily texture.  Great balance.  On the palate, lemon-lime and honey-dew.  Good finish.  Tasty.  This is nice on its own and will work nicely with fish or lighter foods.  A nice wine for Sushi.  Drink over the next seven to ten years.      

You may not know it, but La Crema has been producing wine for over 40 years. This 2022 Sauvignon Blanc is part of that proud heritage. This offers light lemon-lime, quince, honeysuckle, resin, apricot and guava notes. It’s a lighter style wine that makes it inherently better with a diversity of food. The acidity is in check due mainly to the use, predominately, of stainless steel, and just 27% went into neutral oak allowing for a flinty, tactile expression. ORIGIN: Sonoma County.  ALCHOL: 13.5%

Another new wine.  There are so many.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with cassis, spice, slight lumber and some red fruits.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, this drinks well.  Still youthful.  Cassis, black cherries and spice.  Nice finish.  This will continue to improve for a while. Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  A classic steak wine.  

Sandlands makes some of the more interesting wines around.  I am a huge fan of their whites (and the reds are good, too).  This is a blend of 60% Chenin Blanc and 40% Semillon from various regions in California.