California

• Amador County
  • Shenandoah Valley
• Carmel Valley
• Carneros
• Central Coast
  • Edna Valley
  • Mt. Harlan
  • Paso Robles
• Contra Costa County
• El Dorado County
• Lake County
• Lodi
• Mendocino
  • Anderson Valley
  • Yorkville Highlands
• Monterey
• Napa Valley
  • Atlas Peak
  • Best of Napa
  • Calistoga
  • Conn Valley
  • Diamond Mountain
  • Howell Mountain
  • Mt. Veeder
  • Oak Knoll
  • Oakville
  • Pope Valley
  • Rutherford
  • Spring Mountain
  • St. Helena
  • Stags Leap
  • Yountville
• North Coast
• Santa Barbara
  • Santa Lucia Highlands
  • Santa Rita Hills
  • Santa Ynez Valley
• Santa Cruz
• Santa Maria Valley
• Sierra Foothills
• 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

What a great showing for this wine.  Consumed over two nights, this was better on the second night.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with boysenberries, charred gravel, spices and slight black licorice.  Full bodied.  Wonderful texture.  This has a nice depth and complexity which did not show until the second day.  Firm tannins.  Nice black raspberry fruit with underlying char.  Nice finish.  Delicious.  These need more time, but if opening soon, give it a long decant.  Probably best to wait five to seven years and it will be god for ten to fifteen more after that.  I

I am a huge fan of the eponymous winery of Steve Lagier and Carole Meredith.  They make some wonderful wines on their remote property in the mountains of Napa.  And they are great values.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with black raspberries, smoked meats, slight floral note and baking spices.  On the palate, this has a wonderful texture.  Lots of black cherry and black raspberry fruit with underlying char and slight earthiness.  Nice At age 13, this seems close to peak but may yet improve.  Either way, it should have ten to twelve years before slowly fading.  This w

Another great wine from Denner.  It is a blend of 55% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah, 5% Counoise, 5% Cinsault and 5% Tannat.

This project of Joel Petterson has been at it for a while now and the wines are getting a certain style to them which is very nice.  That is, robust, but just barely (for Zin).  This wine is  80% Zinfandel with the rest Alicante and old-vine Carignan.   Purple in color with ruby swirls.  Mostly clear and bright.  The nose has black cherries, raspberries, roasted herbs (sage?), and dust.  Medium bodied with light tannins.  On the palate, this is delicious.  It drinks easy.  Raspberry fruit with some underlying black pepper and bramble.  Good energy.  Nice finish.  This should drink at this l

It seemed a bit odd opening this with the Corona Virus spreading across the globe, but why not?  This is one of Rivers-Marie top Cabs and it is delicious.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, dark chocolate, slight plums, spice and cedar.  On the palate, this is full bodied.  Quite concentrated.  It still has firm tannins.  Lots of cassis fruit over spice and dry earth.  Good energy.  Long finish.  This still needs about five to seven years to approach peak.  It should be good for fifteen years after that.  It drinks well on its own right now and will work well with he

This is the second label for Helen Keplinger.  The grapes are sourced 69% from the Sierra Foothills and 31% from Sonoma County.  It is a blend of Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Counoise and Cabernet Sauvignon.  This is a great value in California blends.  Purple in color.  The nose has a lot going on with black raspberries, plums, some cassis and cherries along with a bit of spice and roasted meat.  On the palate, plenty of black raspberry fruit, some sherries over a charred earth quality.  Lush texture.  Delicious and easy drinking but with a bit of complexity to it.  Medium tan

This is a solid wine and a nice value in Sonoma Zinfandel.  A blend of 77% Zinfandel, 21% Petit Verdot & 2% Carignane.   Ruby in color with purple swirls.  The nose has raspberries, spice and dust.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, this is slightly brawny with red fruits.  Easy drinking.  Light tannins.  Best to drink now or in the next few years.  Works well with pizza or burgers.  A nice wine for a party.  Shop around as its MSRP is $26 but its widely available ranging from $15 and up.  

The Alesia wines from Rhys are made with purchased fruit.  It is similar to the Rhys Chards but for my tastes, not quite at that level.  Light gold/green in color.  The nose is nice with lemons, vanilla cream and spice.  On the palate, this is medium bodied.  Nice acidic cut.  The lemon and vanilla carry thru.  Good clean finish.  This drinks well on its own but will work well with sea food or lighter dishes.  Drink over the next ten years.  

This can be a polarizing wine.  For some people, it is the definition of a fruit bomb and in a bad way.  To add insult to injury, those people seem incensed that the wine is so popular.  For others, this is one of the top Napa Cabs on the market.  There is no denying its success in sales volume.  It is purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has tons of cassis, some black cherries, toasty oak, and spice.  On the palate, this is jammy black raspberry fruit.  Light tannins.  Plenty of toasty oak.  It is big and for me, borders on too much but stays withing bounds.  It is tasty.  I would

This is drinking quite well now.  A great example of a cooler climate Syrah from California.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black pepper, and slight bacon fat.  On the palate, this is very concentrated.  Boysenberry fruit with char underneath and a slightly meaty taste.  Medium to full bodied.  A wisp of tannins.  Nice acidity.  Long finish.  This is great with roasted veggies (and would be with meat or fowl) and would also work with Indian food.  No hurry, this should be good for another seen to ten years.