2017 Ceritas Chardonnay Trout Gulch, USA, California, Santa Cruz, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
96
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$70.00USD

This winery is fast becoming one of my favorites for Chardonnay and Santa Crus is definitely my favorite region in the world for Chardonnay.  That is a pretty bold statement but there it is.  Light golden in color.  The nose has lemons, lemon candy, minerals and slight vanilla.  On the palate, this is ever so slightly sweet/ripe with lemons and great minerality.  It has such great energy and cut.  It glides down the palate, and lasts forever.  Delicious.  Complex.  This is obviously young but seems like it should be a twenty year wine.  It drinks great on its own but will work well with sea

2017 Exitus Bourbon Barrel Aged Red Wine, USA, California

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
89
Grade: 
B+
Current Price: 
$20.00USD

This is another of the bourbon barrel aged wines.  While some wine nerds may scoff or even cringe at this trend, many consumers are buying and enjoying.  This comes in attractive packaging with a clear bottle and an "old timey" label.  It is a big wine that clocks in at 15.9% abv.  After tasting the bottle, I served it to a group of friends and it proved popular.  Is is a blend of Zinfandel, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Sauvignon.   Deep ruby in color.  The nose is sweet with caramel and also black raspberries.  On the palate, this has sweet black cherry fruit.  Firm tannins that are slightly

NV Gonzalez-Byass Palomino Fino Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Tío Pepe (Muy Seco-Extra Dry), Spain, Jerez, Wine Review

Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$18.00USD

Sherries are not for everyone.  That is a shame.  I love them.  The "trick" to the lighter dry ones is to pair them with the right food.  Salty foods seem to tame the oxidation and have a synergistic effect.  This bottle is good on its own but pair with olive, salty cheese or even salty peanuts and it blossoms.  It also benefits from a bit of air and a slight chill.  Pale golden in color.  The nose has a good amount of volatile acidity (nail polish) and slight oxidation.  There is a pine quality along with a bit of stale almonds and a bit of a woody note.  None of those sounds particularly

NV Sterling Vineyards Sparkling Rosé, USA, California, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
86
Grade: 
B
Current Price: 
$20.00USD

This is a reasonably priced Sparkling Rosé from California (prior versions carried a Napa designation).  It is non-vintage.  Off the top, it is nice that it is the same price as the white version.  It makes no sense that so many sparkling wines charge a premium for a Rosé.  The packaging is quite nice. It is a blend of 65 percent Chardonnay and 35 percent Pinot Noir. The wine is light golden in color.  Not that color is critical, but everyone tasting this commented that it had, maybe, just the slightest shade of pink.  Maybe not.  I called it light gold.  Nevertheless, it has a nice mousse

NV Sterling Vineyards Blanc de Blancs, USA, California, Wine Review

Score: 
90
Grade: 
Current Price: 
$20.00USD

This come sin attractive packaging.  It carries a California designation for this release.  There does not appear to be a vintage designation either.  It is the current release.  It is quite good and an excellent value for $20.  Made from 100% Chardonnay (which is what Blanc de Blanc designates).  Light golden in color with some green hues.  A nice head with lots of smaller bubbles.  The nose is elegant with lanolin, limes and a mineral base.  On the palate, this starts with a nice tartness; mostly lemons.  The mid-palate goes more of a lemon hard candy route which intensifies on the back e

2006 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2006
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-

Heitz Cellars is one of the more iconic wineries in Napa.  While they made their name from the single bottling of Martha's Vineyard, the regular Cabernet is very nice as well.  It also ages quite well.  At age 13, this one is drinking quite well.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim; this is bright and mostly opaque.  The nose has cassis, cedar, slight sandalwood, and a bit of cherries.  On the palate, there are more black cherries but the cassis is still there too.  This is clean.  Some level of depth.  Tannins seem fully resolved but not past prime.  Good finish.  This probably should be con

2013 Carlisle Syrah James Berry Vineyard, USA, California, Paso Robles, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2013
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A

Truly one of the great Syrah vineyards in the world, James Berry Vineyard is the home of Saxum, but Justin does sell off some fruit and Mike Office gets some for his Carlisle winery.  Purple in color, dense and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, white pepper, slight roasted herbs and hints of roasted meat.  On the palate, this has a great texture.  Still young with firm tannins, it opens in the glass showing black raspberries over char with a slight peppery note.  Good balance.  Bright acidity.  Long finish.  This should still develop further but no harm opening now although a few hou

2005 Poliziano Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Vigna Asinone, Italy, Tuscany, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2005
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A

This is, perhaps, the top producer of Vino Nobile.  It is made in the Area of Montepulciano in Tuscany from the Sangiovese grape and not be be confused with Montepulciano d'Abruzzo which is made from the Montepulciano grape.  This is mature and at peak.  Deep ruby in color.  The nose has cherries, wet lea leaves, slight sandalwood and dust.  On the palate, this has fresh cherries, slightly sour cherries, and a slightly oxidized note.  Nice level of complexity.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  This is drinking at its best and should be consumed in the next three or so years but it certainly wil

2016 Sandlands Chenin Blanc California, USA, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$45.00USD

One of my favorite Chenin Blanc's from California.  Light golden in the glass.  The nose is mostly about minerality but there is some honey, and slight orange peel to it as well.  On the palate, this is dry but with a viscous texture.  A nice backbone of acidity.  Minerals with some underlying dried oranges.  Long finish.  One get's the feeling this could last for a long time, but to be safe, it probably should be consumed in the next five to seven years.  It will go well with Asian foods.  

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