Expert articles and wine tasting videos profiling wines from California, California wine regions, Napa Valley, Sonoma County, & more.
This is a bigger wine. Deep ruby/purple in color. The nose has fresh black cherries. On the palate, cherries and black cherries. Lots of depth. Turns slightly bitter on the finish. Still drinking youthfully. This should continue to drink well for the next decade. It drinks well on its own, and will work with heartier fowl or meat dishes.
The Samsara wines in our tasting did not perform well. I am told that since about 2017, they have new owners and new winemakers, so I look forward to revisiting their wines. Medium ruby in color. The nose has cherries with some cinnamon. On the palate, this has a soft texture. Cherry candy and red licorice notes. Not a lot of depth but a glass is tasty. Shorter finish. This is drinkable and solid, but no more. Drink up. Probably better on its own than with food.
Very impressive showing in a recent tasting. The kind of Pinot that pleased everyone. Deep ruby in color. The nose has black cherries, macerated cherries, slight brine. On the palate, the cherries and black cherries come out. This is big and bold. A bit of sour cherries on the finish. This is drinking well now and should continue for the next five to seven years. It works well on its own and will work well with roasted fowl.
Golden in color, clear. The nose has lemons and slight apple cider. Full bodied. On the palate, the apple cider notes are stronger. Nice texture. Some acid. Mature if a bit past. These should be consumed sooner than later. It will work better with some lighter but rich foods. Crab or lobster would work.
From Magnum. This is a blend of 30% Mourvedre, 22% Zinfandel, 13% Syrah, 13% Tempranillo, 12% Grenache, and 10% Petite Sirah. The bottle was opened for air for around 24 hours prior to serving. Drank over two nights, it was consistent both nights. Inky purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose has black cherries, plums, black raspberries, cherries, gravel, black pepper and floral notes. Crazy good and complex. Full bodied and full throttle. On the palate, all of those purple and red fruits seem to come out with underlying minerality and gravel. Juicy acidity. 15.9% ABV but no s
Another delicious wine from SQN. It is a blend of 84% Syrah, 7% Grenache, 6% Petite Sirah, 1% Mourvèdre and 2% Viognier. Inky purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose has black raspberries, roasted meats, slight black olives and spice. Full bodied. Serious, fruit forward and intense wine. On the palate, there are some tannins left. Lots of black raspberry fruit over an earthy, meaty base. Juicy acidity. 15.5% ABV but no heat. Long finish. In short, everything you could expect from this winery. It is still young and should evolve over the next decade and drink well for ten mo
Classic Napa Cabernet from a very good vintage. This is a Cab that takes a while to mature and at age 15, it is just hitting that sweet spot. Purple in color. The nose is great with cassis, cedar, a bit of funk, leather and camphor. Complex and enticing. Full bodied but not a bomb at all. The palate is complex and deep without being over done. Cassis layered with earth and leather. Energy and balance. Long finish. Drink this over the next ten to fifteen years. It drinks well on its own but is probably better with food. From a steak to a roast, this would work great.
John Alban is one of the pioneers of the California Rhone wine movement and he is still at the top of his game. Inky purple in color, magenta at the rim. An amazing nose with black raspberries, graphite and a bit of funky earthiness. Full bodied. On the palate, this is delicious. Lush. Black raspberry fruit with underlying char. Long finish. Just starting to show some maturity. This ill go another ten to fifteen years with no trouble. Great on its own, this will work well with spicy foods.
From the heart of the historic To Kalon Vineyard in Napa. This bottle was opened and allowed to breathe for about 8 hours prior to serving. This was a cooler vintage in Napa, but To Kalon is on the valley floor and gets plenty of sun and warmth. Deep ruby/purple in color. The nose has cassis, black cherries, cedar and spice. Full bodied. On the palate, this is full bodied. It is young but showing some signs of maturity. Cassis, cedar and black cherries intertwined with spice and slight minerality. Lovely texture. Nice finish. This should continue to mature for another five to sev
This is a wine made by Rhone wine consultant Philippe Cambie and Saxum’s Justin Smith. It is a blend of 76% Zinfandel, 8% Syrah, 6% Mataró, 6% Petite Sirah, and 4% Tempranillo. Inky purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose has black raspberries, slight bramble, dust, black cherries and spice. On the palate, this is full bodied. Delicious. Serious tannins. Black raspberries, plums and spices over a gravelly bed. Long finish. Pop and pour, this was drinking great from the start. It's hard to say how well this well age. The label says 16.1% abv but there is no heat. Still, at t
