California

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  • 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
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When Jerry Lohr started planting Cabernet in Paso Robles in the 1970s most people thought he was crazy. But it turns out that Paso Robles has been quite an exceptional AVA for Cabernet in the Golden State. The combination of Jerry’s years of working with this grape is now seen inside this bottle. It offers wonderful dark fruits - blackberry boysenberry, and huckleberry with only slight elements of red fruit like black cherry and raspberry. On the back palate there is noticeable chocolate/tobacco notes.

Ladera launched in 1998 and has consistently produced impressive wines. For their 2020 Chardonnay, they aged the grapes sur lie in new French oak barrels for 15 months (58% of which were new), which means this definitely offers a creamier style, however it is well balanced so you get a classic Chardonnay, but a silky smooth one. This offers light pear, lemon chiffon, lime meringue, candied almond, slight resin, and hints of guava. This is a lovely, tactile wine that drinks beautifully with, or without food. 289 cases. ORIGIN: Russian River Valley.  ALCOHOL: 14.1%

Luna made some nice wines.  This was certainly one.  Purple in color with some ruby swirls, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cherries, milk chocolate, spice, and slight plums.  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate, this is easy drinking but also has some depth.  Chocolate covered cherries with a slight bit of undergrowth.  Good finish.  Nice on its own, this is a classic burger wine as well.  Drink over the next ten years.  

This is made from grapes on the terrace just south of the winery.  At age 21, it is drinking beautifully.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with black cherries, cassis and spice.  Full bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate black cherries and cassis.  Clean.  Nice complexity.  Long finish. This should drink well for another five to eight years.  It will work well with Lasagna.  

Purple in color, ruby at the rim, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is very nice with black cherries, cassis, slight spice and slight black olives.  Medium to full bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, this is still fresh and vibrant.  Tasty.  Some depth and complexity as it unwinds in the glass.  Great balance.  Good finish.  Drinking well now, it should go another five to seven years with no trouble.  Nice on its own, but better with food.  It worked well with eggplant parmigiana.  

This winery recently sold.  While the former owners, Napa legends Carole Meredith and Steve Lagier, are entitled to work a bit less, the wines will be missed.  Quality Syrah (and others) at very fair pricing.  This one is no exception.  2009 was a good vintage provided the grapes were harvested before the early fall rains.  It would appear these were.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with black raspberries, black pepper, slight gamey meats.  Medium to full bodied.  Very concentrated.  On the palate, light tannins.  Plenty of black raspberry fruit with some black pepper

This is a blend of 55% Grenache, 24% Mourvèdre, 13% Syrah, and 8% Counoise.  No doubt in a few years this merits a 100 score.  Right now, it is very young, and although amazing, it needs time to come together.  Inky purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black cherries, black pepper, and floral notes.  Full bodied.  This wine is a bruiser!  Medium tannins.  Great balance.  On the palate, gobs of black raspberries, black cherries with some black pepper and nice underlying minerality.  Long finish.  No harm drinking now but another five years of cellaring

It had been a while since I tasted this.  At age 17, it is still youthful and vibrant!  This bottle had been purchased from a Napa retailer relatively recently.  A blend of 71% Syrah, 20% Mourvedre, and 10% Grenache.  Inky purple in color, starting to show just a hint of browning at the rim.  The nose has black raspberries, bacon fat, white pepper, with roasted meats and herbs.  Great texture; soft but explicit if that makes sense.  Light on its  feet.  On the palate, black raspberries, black pepper, slight salinity, and crushed rock.  Long finish.  Complex and delicious.  This is drinking

Wow.  Stunning wine.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with coffee, cassis, blueberries, spice and graphite.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  This is a really big wine, but it has that lightness and deftness that belie its size.  Great velvety texture.  On the palate, cassis, coffee, blueberries and spice.  Long finish.  Delicious.  It is still young and will no doubt be a 100 point wine in a few years.  No harm opening now, but waiting three or four years will be rewarded.  Drink over the next twenty years.  It will need big food to match with such as Standing Rib R

This is a riper Cab especially for 2012.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with cassis, baking spices, char, and slight blueberries.  Full bodied.  Tannic.  Great balance and texture.  On the palate coffee and cassis with underlying char.  Long finish.  Delicious.  This is drinking well now but should continue to mature.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  A nice match with Filet Mignon.