Purple in color, ruby at the rim. The nose has cassis, dust and nutmeg. On the palate, this is tight. Great cassis fruit. An underlying spice quality. There is a nice ripeness here. It needs some time to integrate and has some upside potential. It does seem riper than earlier vintages but well within bounds. Great wine.
Deep golden in color. The nose has a lot of oak along with some lemon chifon. On the palate, the oak is still pretty pronounced. Slightly oily texture. Nice lemony fruit. Slightly sweet on the finish. This is very good but I might hold a bit for the oak to intgrate if that is an issue. Maybe another few years.
Purple in color. The nose is deep with black raspberries, roasted meats and black pepper. On the palate, black raspberries and a nice underlying earthy/char. Starting to show some layers but still young. Moderate tannins. Long finish. This is really starting to hit its stride right now. There is still some upside potential to get better in a few years.
Ruby in color. This is a solid red made to be a good value. It has a bit of a manufactured taste to it. Red fruits. Slightly over ripe. No obvious faults. A good party wine.
This is young and needs cellar time or air. The bottle I had was decanted for 5 hours and still quite tight. Purple in color, slight ruby. The nose has cherries, green tobacco, black cherries and slight lavender. On the palate, black cherries with heavy tannins. Slight black licorice emerges on the long finish. This is deep with a lot of complexity. It is ripe enough, something many California Cabernet Francs have trouble with, wihtout being hot or raisny. Should last a couple of decades easily. Delicious wine. One of the top two or three Cab Francs from California I have ever tas
This is 68% Merlot, 22% Cab Franc and 10% Cab Sauv. This saw 40% new oak. 1500 cases produce. Purple in color. The nose has coffee, bell pepper, cherries and slight tobacco. Also a bit of bandaid. It has a pretty, soft texture. Cherries and spice on the palate. Light tannins. Tart on the finish in a good way. Especially for the vintage, this is a nice "old school in style" red. Would work well at the dinner table. $75
Really excellent white wine. Way exceeded my expectations. Light gold in color. The nose has lemon oil and a slgiht waxy quality. Someone said white peaches, but I did not get that. On the palate, a slightly oily texture. Good acidity. Lemons and honey but dry. The finish adds some grapefruit pith. This is complex and interesting and seems like it should age a bit. Really very nice. It is $60 but if that is in your wheel house, this is worth it.
This is blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 25% Cabernet Franc from fruit that was "declassified" from the top barrels. It is meant to be more of a value offering. Purple/ruby in color. The nose has sandalwood, cedar, clay and cherries. Also a bit of tarragon. Medium bodied. Firm tannins turning drying at the end. On the palate, sour cherries. Some depth. Good finish. There is some upside and this is young and should improve a bit.
This is a blend from Napa of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah and Zinfandel. It comes in a big heavy bottle and makes a nice presentation. I beleive it is under $20 and for that, this is a very nice value indeed. Purple in color. The nose has cherries, black raspberries, dust, and spice. On the palate, there is a jucy acidity. Some tannins. Nice cherry fruit with dark cherries and black raspberries. Soft tannins. This is very easy drinking and quite tasty. Would make a nice wine for parties or to give as a holiday gift.
This is a blend. Purple in color. The nose is very nice with dark cherries, black raspberries, dark chocolate, black pepper and spice. Nice, full bodied texture. Tannic. Tasty on the palate with black raspberries, pepper and black cherries. Some complexity. Nice finish. Outstanding value at $20.
