Sonoma County

• 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
• Knights Valley

 This is a field blend of mostly Zinfandel but also a large amount of Carignan, Valdigue, and Putzscheere (aka Green Hungarian).  This is one of my favorite Zinfandel vineyards for the texture of the wines.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black cherries, spice, bramble and slight char.  Medium to full bodied.  Light to medium tannins.  Great energy and balance.  Plush, vibrant texture.  On the palate, this is tasty.  Flavors of black raspberries and black cherries with spice and char.  Long finish.  This is still young but drinking well.  Drink over the

Ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has cherries and some black cherries along with a touch of spice.  Medium bodied.  Good acidity.  On the palate, this is middle of the Zin Road in terms of style.  Cherries and black cherries with some char.  Some depth.  It drinks easily on its own and will work well with many foods.  A nice choice for Pizza night.  

Deep ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is nice with black cherries, cherries, bramble and a bit of orange zest(?).  Medium bodied.  Light tannins.  Good acidity.  On the palate, this is still young but drinking well.  Black cherries, cherries and char.  Long finish.  This is great on its own and would work well with grilled meats.  It worked nicely too with Hummus and veggies.  Drink over the next seven to ten years.  

This is a Syrah from the Sonoma Coast made in Helen Keplinger's home winery.  It drinks with a cooler climate profile and comes across beautifully.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with boysenberries, dark chocolate, slight bacon fat and violets.  Medium to full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this is the elegant side of California Syrah.  Boysenberries, white pepper and roasted herbs.  Deep.  Still young but starting to show some maturity.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  This is great on its own but better with food.  Grilled Lamb Chops would work

Green/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is great but not blowsy.  Melon, slight citrus and flint.  Light to medium bodied.  Crisp.  On the palate, this drinks easy but it also has some persistence.  Flavors of melon and lemon.  Nice finish.  This is very nice for drinking alone and will work well with cheeses or salads (such as crab or chicken).  Drink over the next few years.  

These usually take a decade or so to round out into form so it was interesting to try this one a bit earlier.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with black raspberries, black pepper, slight bacon fat, and roasted herbs.  Medium to full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Good acidity.  On the palate, this is still a bit tight but opens nicely in the glass.  Flavors of black raspberries with some char and a nice mineral streak.  Good finish.  No harm opening this now but it may still improve.  Drink over the next eight to twelve years.  Great on its own, but better with food.  Thi

Bedrock makes some of the best values in California wines.  Sometimes it seems though that the whites don't get the attention.  This is an excellent Sauvignon Blanc and great value.  Light gold with some green hues in color, clear and bright.  The nose is clean with good minerality along with a bit of lemon.  Medium bodied.  Nice texture.  Good acidity.  On the palate, this is crisp with minerality and citrus.  Long finish.  This is great on its own and will work with many foods.  It would be great with Tuna Salad.  

It was interesting tasting this side by side with the 2018.  Very similar, but I slightly preferred the 2019.  On the other hand, this was very different than the 2014 and 2018 Summa also tasted.  Purple/ruby in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries and a cola note.  On the palate, this is big, fruit forward with black cherries, some cherries and char.  Full bodied.  Long finish.  This is delicious but clearly filled with sunshine and fruit.  Great on its own, this will also work with well roasted fowl but also a steak. Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  

This is a much deeper, darker Pinot Noir than the Summa from 2018.  Purple/ruby in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, cherries, spice and dust.  Medium to full bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, cherries and powdered cherry candy notes along with some spice.  Long finish.  This is still drinking very young.  Nice on its own, this will work well with food.  A nice with for Roasted Lamb Chops.  Drink over the next ten to twelve years.  

This seemed to be a step up from the 2014 Summa.  Ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose is bigger and riper with cherries, candied cherries and sandalwood.  Medium to full bodied.  Soft texture.  Good balance.  Despite being a bit more blowsy in style, it is also deeper and more complex.  Flavors of cherries, cherry drink mix and a bit of char.  Delicious.  Long  finish.  This is drinking well on its own and would work well with food.  It would work well with grilled Portobello's.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.