California

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  • Alexander Valley
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This is a Bordeaux blend of 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Malbec, 20% Merlot and 10% Petite Verdot.  Ehren Jordan serves as the consulting winemaker.  Deep ruby in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, plums slight chocolate and spice.  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate, this drinks easy.  Very tasty wine with some depth.  Black cherries, chocolate, plums and cherries on the palate.  Nice finish.  This drinks well on its own and would work well with a burger.  Drink over the next five to seven years.  

Dunn wines have a reputation for taking a long time to come around.  This one is just getting there.  The cork crumbled on opening.  Decanted for sediment (and cork bits) and served.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is very nice with leather, cassis, slight tobacco and earthiness.  The nose is mature but not past.  On the palate, this has a wonderful texture.  Lush but silky.  The palate tastes great, not young but not quite at maturity.  Cassis with underlying tobacco and earth.  Deep.  Great balance.  Nice finish.  Delicious.  This drinks great on its own and should work wel

A. Rafanelli has built up a loyal following of fans and supporters for the Zins and Cabs (and other wines) and with good reason.  At age 15,. this wine is in a prime spot.  Deep ruby/purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is deep with cassis, leather, spice, slight herbal note and tobacco.  Full bodied.  Bright cassis fruit over spice and tobacco.  Complex and deep.  Nice balance.  This is showing some maturity but should easily go another ten to twelve years at this level.  It went great with eggplant parmigiana and would work just as well with a roast.  

Sandlands makes some of the best Chenin Blanc in the US.  Now, that might be faint praise for some, but theirs stands up to anyone's in the world too.  Light silvery/gold in color with a touch of copper.  The nose is very minerally with some orange peel.  Medium bodied with a slightly oily texture.  The minerality really comes thru to the palate, but there is also some tangerine notes and a hint or herbs.  Good balance.  Refreshing.  Nice finish.  This is drinking great now, but Chenin can age well.  This won't make really old bones, but another seven to ten years is not out of the question

Another consistent vintage for this wine.  It is one of those wines that wine snobs love to bash but wine drinkers enjoy very much.  It is big and fresh and exuberant and delicious.  Inky purple in color, magenta at the rim.  Opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black cherries, baking spices and slight bramble notes.  Full bodied with a juicy texture.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, the black raspberries come thru along with some char and anise on the finish.  Long finish that does have some warmth to it.  This drinks great on its own and will work well with big foods.  It s

My first time trying this wine.  It is a full throttle Pinot Noir carrying a California designation that weighs in at 14.5% abv.  Attratcively packaged with half the bottle covered in black wax.  Deep ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is big with black cherries and spice.  On the palate, this is full bodied.  Cherries, black cherries and anise.  Long finish.  This is bold and delicious.  This could only come from California.  It is very young so it will be interesting to see how it evolves.  Right now it drinks better on its own although it will work with hearty meat and fow

This is a proprietary blend made from Chardonnay, Roussanne, Viognier, Chenin Blanc, Muscat, and Vermentino from California.  Light golden in color, sparkling bright.  The nose has lychees, marzipan, apples and honey.  It is medium to full bodied with a heavy quality to it.  Like other Prisoner wines, there is nothing light about this wine.  The palate has apples, orange peel and slight noticeable alcohol.  It adds some caramel and butter scotch on the long finish.  This is a very interesting wine that is also quite tasty.  It drinks very well sipping on its own and will work well with roas

Certainly one of the more iconic names in Cabernet and in Napa.  And, 2018 was a stellar vintage in Napa.  This Cab proves you don't need to spend a ton of money to get a high quality Cab if you buy from good producers and in good vintages.  Purple in color with some ruby hues, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, cedar, spic and chocolate.  Full bodied.  On the palate, cassis, black raspberries and oak.  This is young and the oak will integrate with time.  It is ripe but not overdone.  The bottle list 14.5% but some promotional information lists 15.1% abv.  Firm tannins.  Nice finish. 

One typically doesn't think of Pinot Noir and Napa, but the district of Carneros spans into both Napa and Sonoma and is the home of many excellent Pinot Noirs.  This is a very pretty, elegantly styled Pinot.  Ruby in color, clear and bright and a touch lighter.  The nose is nice with bright cherries, macerated cherries, sandalwood and a touch of chervil.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, this has cherries and cherry cough drop notes with a touch of anise.  Light tannins.  Very smooth and easy to sip.  Nice finish.  This drinks great on its own and would work well with salmon or roasted fowl. 

This is really drinking well right now.  Purple in color with a thin ruby line at the rim.  The nose is great with black raspberries, slight bacon fat, char and black pepper.  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate, this has a lovely texture.  Black raspberry fruit intertwined with roasted meats and black pepper.  Very smooth.  Delicious.  Long finish.  This is closing in on peak but should have ten to fifteen more years at or near the top.  This worked great with Indian food.