2018 Prisoner Wine Company Blindfold White Wine, USA, California, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$25.00USD

This is a white wine made from Chardonnay blended with Rhone varietals.  Light golden in color.  The nose has toasty oak with a bit of nuttiness along with a lemon cream and spice.  Slight floral notes.  On the palate, this is a big wine and drinks better with a chill (say 50F).  The nuttiness carries thru along with the lemon y notes.  There is some oak on this as well.  Some warmth on the finish, but not over the top.  It is delicious on its own and will work with bigger foods such  as a burger or ribs.  It should be consumed over the next three to five years.  

2016 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$36.00USD

No winery is more synonymous with Napa Valley than Robert Mondavi.  And while they make all sorts of wines and at all sorts of price points, this is the one that epitomizes the winery.  Somehow, they straddle the line between old and new, corporate yet having a sense of place, and making a wine that is affordable and good value for the quality.  The blend of this is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petite Verdot, 5% Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Franc.  It sees 17% New French Oak.  Served at a recent Intowine.com tasting, this was quite a hit.  Deep ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is

2019 Art of Earth Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Italy, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
86
Grade: 
B
Current Price: 
$12.00USD

This is an inexpensive Montepulciano from Italy.  It is made from certified organic grapes and comes in a screw capped bottle.  Ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with black cherries and warm earthiness.  On the palate, this has sour cherries with firm tannins.  Moderate acidity.  It finishes with plums and slightly bitter almond notes.  Consumed over three days, this was best on day one and two and then fell off.  It is easy drinking but works better with food than on its own.  A great choice for pizza or burgers.  This is a nice value although it pays to shop around.  

2017 Robert Mondavi Winery Chardonnay, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$24.00USD

This is a nice value for a California Chardonnay for those who like a touch of oak and slight butteriness.  Pale golden in color.  The nose has pineapple with baking spices and oak.  An interesting graphite/gravel note comes out with air.  On the palate, this has a full bodied, rich texture.  Slightly viscous with just a perception of sweetness.  Oak, lemons and melon on the nose with a touch of alcohol.  Some warmth on the finish.  Served at a tasting, this was quite popular with Napa Chardonnay lovers.  I don't think this will improve but it should dirnk well for five to seven years.  It

2018 Robert Mondavi Winery Fumé Blanc, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2020
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$20.00USD

Robert Mondavi long ago started calling his Sauvignon Blanc as Fume Blanc, but it is the same wine.  This is always a quality Sauvignon Blanc for a fair price.  This is actually 87% Sauvignon Blanc and 13% Semillon.  Pale golden in color with some green and copper hues to it.  Clear and bright.  The nose is pretty with oranges, limes, minerals and with air, a bit of dust and mint.  This has a rich, creamy texture that gives it a presence that most Sauvignon Blancs don't have  On the palate, there is lemon-lime, melon and a quality that is sort of like mint tooth paste (in a good way).  Very

2019 Barone Montalto Pinot Grigio Collezione di Famiglia, Italy, Terre Siciliane (Sicily) IGT, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$12.00USD

This is a lovely Pinot Grigio from Sicily.  It comes in a tinted green clear bottles, but the wine is silvery copper/gold in color.  On the nose there is a nice steeliness to it along with some limes.  With air, a bit of chalk emerges.  Nice acidity with a slightly oily texture.  On the palate, this is dry.  Notes of lemons and wintergreen.  Slight tannins.  The finish has sour lemon candy.  This is a big wine with some warmth to it.  Very refreshing on its own but worked better with a Watermelon, Feta and Mint salad.  This should be consumed in the next two or three years but the sooner th

2012 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino, Italy, Tuscany, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2012
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$60.00USD

This is drinking well right now.  Deep ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose is great with cherries, sandalwood, dried cherries and slight anise.  On the palate, this is medium bodied.  The cherries carry thru with an underlying minerality.  Nice acidity.  Long finish.  This drinks better with food and went well with home grilled pizza.  It should be consumed over the next five to seven years.  

2012 Donelan Vénus, USA, California, Sonoma, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2012
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-

This is mostly Roussane with 3% Viognier.  At age 8, it is drinking quite well.  Medium straw/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is very nice with peaches, white pepper, wax, and slight minerality.  Full bodied.  Round texture.  The peaches come thru along with an underlying minerality.  Nice finish.  At this point, this works much better with food.  It worked great with a thin crust veggie pizza.  This probably should be consumed over the next five to seven years.  

2015 Maybach Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Amoenus, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
97
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$175.00USD

Maybach makes great wines.  It is one of my favorite wineries.  Though the wines are expensive, given the quality, they could be even more so.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, blueberries, cedar and spice.  On the palate, this is full bodied with medium to firm tannins.  Loads of cassis with blueberries along with some oak, spice and char.  Delicious.  Deep.  This is young and will continue to mature for the next five to seven years and should be good for ten to twelve more after that.  Delicious on its own, this will need big food such as a steak or roasted veggie

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