Expert articles and wine tasting videos profiling wines from California, California wine regions, Napa Valley, Sonoma County, & more.
This is 47% Grenache, 28% Mourvedre and 25% Syrah. It would be tempting to call this a Chateauneuf styled wine, but this is clearly full of California sunshine. Purple with ruby swirls, opaque and bright.
This is a blend of 77% Mourvedre, 19% Grenache and 4% Counoise.
This is the winery that used to be the Hidden Slope Winery. They still make great Cabs. It is a blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon with 3% Petit Verdot. Purple in color, ruby at the rim. The nose has nice cassis, slight blueberries, baking spices and minerality. On the palate, this is ripe/sweet and slightly jammy with cassis fruit and underlying minerality. Nice finish. Not quite at maturity, this will continue to develop and broaden out. It should drink well fro ten to fifteen more years. It drinks nicely on its own and will work well with a roast or steak.
Another wine from this new producer. Philippe Melka is the winemaker. purple in color, opaque and bright. More of a claret style of Cab than a fruit bomb. The nose has cassis, graphite, rosemary and slight tobacco. On the palate, there is cassis, camphor with a slight sour cherry note that is interesting. Nice acidity. Good finish. This seems a bit more restrained and in need of air/time. It should get better with about five to seven years of cellaring and then drink well for another seven to ten years. It will work with a wide range of food.
it still amazes me that some people say California cabs don't age. This one, at age 21, is gorgeous and still showing youthfully. Inky purple in color. The nose has cassis, tobacco and black pepper. Open and very nice. On the palate, there are light tannins present. It drinks so smoothly. Plenty of cassis, layered with earth and tobacco. Long finish. This wine is beautiful today but should last another ten years. It will work nicely with roasted meats, veggies or fowl.
This is another project from Elaine and Manfred Krankl. Very impressive wine. It is a blend of 53% Mourvèdre, 16% Syrah, 14% Grenache, 9% Petit Sirah, 6% Graciano and 2% Viognier. It comes in a very cool shaped bottle and label, which by the way lists the alcohol at 15.8%. Inky purple in color. The nose has black cherries, black raspberries, some char, plums and mint. What a wonderful texture. Its is big yet dances on the palate with energy. Delicious. The black fruits come thru to the palate but there is an ash quality that is very interesting too. A long finish. This is drink
My first time trying this wine. It is 55% Grenache Blanc, 32% Roussanne, 8% Chenin Blanc, and 5% Petit Menseng. It is fantastic. Golden in color with just the slightest ruby coloring to it. The nose is tight at first but opens up nicely in the glass. Aromas of caramelized pears, orange peel, wax, and chalk. Full bodied. It is a big wine but deep with complex layers of pears, oranges, spice and smoke. Long finish. Delicious. This drinks great on its own and will work well with bigger foods. Roasted fowl would be a good match. This is drinking great now and should continue for ten
This is a new Sonoma winery making high end wines. Philippe Melka is the winemaker with the project managed by James MacPhail. The Chardonnay is very nice in a middle ground between say Sonoma and Chablis. Green-gold in color, clear and bright. The nose is tight but opens a bit with air. Notes of lemon and lemon candy and some flinty notes. Clean. On the palate, the lemons notes continue. Some minerality/flint. More open on the palate. Long finish. This is drinking well now and should continue to do so for another seven to ten years. It will work well with shell fish and on its
A gorgeous wine. Nice to be able to re-visit this wine. Purple in color, opaque and shimmering bright. The nose has cassis, dark chocolate and blueberries, with spice and slight cedar. Full bodied. On the palate, this has lots of depth, layers of complexity that unwind in the glass and medium tannins. Lots of up front cassis fruit with chocolate in the background over a graphite base. Long finish. This still has three to five more years to go until peak and should be good for ten to fifteen more after that. Drinks great on its own and will work great with roasts or grilled foods.
Another excellent wine at a fair price from this established Napa winery. Golden in color, clear and bright. The nose has pineapple, slight lemons, vanilla, baking spice and toasted oak. Full bodied with a creamy texture. On the palate, this is big and bold and delicious. Pineapple, vanilla, cinnamon, and burnt wood. Good finish. This drinks well on its own and will stand up to a burger or ribs nicely. Also, roasted vegetables. Drink over the next three to five years.
