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

Opened this and it was ok but very tight.  Checked in on day 2 and it was a bit better but not quite.  Finally on Day 3, this opened up and is drinking well.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, plums and tea along with a bit of spice.  On the palate, this is deep but will need some time to develop.  Still needs a bit more cellaring.  Medium tannins.  Good balance.  Nice finish.  Hold for three to five more and then cellar for a decade or two after that.  This will drink great on its own or work with grilled meats.  Should be some upside.  

This is from one of the premier kosher wines in the US.  It retails for around $45.  Purple in color, with ruby swirls.  The nose has cassis, slight soap and cedar.  On the palate, this has nice cassis fruit with a bit of dusty earth underneath.  Light tannins.  This probably should be consumed in the ext five years or so.  It will work well with meats and roasts.  

This is drinking great at pop and pour though it seems like it will do five more years easily and probably ten.  Light gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has some grapefruit with a very slight vanilla.  Very clean.  On the palate this has ripe grapefruit, minerals, slightly chalky, with slight green apples.

This bottle was brought to our house by friends.  Frankly, I am not sure who as it was a party and then left unopened.  My wife was having book club, and so it seemed like a good choice.  This proved to be very popular and it was lucky I got a glass to taste.  A very interesting wine.  Purple in color.  The nose has cassis, some dustiness to it, and just a hint of what can best be described as sweet oak.  On the palate, there are strong tannins.  The cassis follows thru but there is a sweetness to the wine that is similar to that of Bourbon Barrel Aged beers although not nearly as pronounce

Most of us have bottles laying around the house that either people brought over or they somehow ended up with.  So is the story of this wine.  It was actually won in a raffle.  Initially, the idea of actually drinking some cheap California Chardonnay seemed ridiculous.  Still, rather than be dismissive, the plan was to drink it.  After about a month of staring at the bottle, the time finally came.  And that good people, is why we need to open the bottle and taste.  Now, that is not to say this is going to blow away Montrachet or Rhys Chardonnay.  But, for under $15, this was solid.  No obvi

I try to buy a case of this every year.  You know how when you go to the wine cellar and you want something good but not too expensive.  Maybe you already had a glass or two and can't quite remember the pricing on every one of your bottles?  This is perfect.  Always good.  Always fairly priced.  I know it lasts a couple of years, and probably more, but mine never do.  I drink them too easily.  Readily available for around $25.  Bright purple in color.  The nose is great with cherries, black cherries, a bit of bramble.  It's almost jammy and almost sweet but not quite.  The black cherry frui

Halcon makes some great cooler climate Syrah's at very fair pricing.  Definitely check them out.  They do take some time to mature and this one was just starting to hit its stride though it was better on Day 2.  If drinking the 2012 now, give it a few hours of air.  Purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, slight black pepper, a hint of bacon fat, and slight earthy notes.  On the palate, this is lean and mean as opposed to being a fruit bomb.  Yet, there is persistent black raspberry fruit with a nice underlying char.  It is deep but will need time to show more layering.  That said

Normally, its better to let Saxum's wait ten years from vintage to really get the best but the Paderewski is a different animal.  It is 34% Mourvedre, 33% Zinfandel, 13% Petite Sirah, 12% Syrah and 8% Tempranillo.  Because of that it changes as it ages with the Zin showing more in its youth and fading a bit back with time.  This bottle was beautiful.  Purple in color.  The nose is deep and intoxicating with black cherries, roasted meats, leather, black raspberries, black pepper and cherries.  On the palate, this has a lush chewy texture.  Delicious.  Lots of fruit right now with black cherr

Opened this for starters on New Years Eve.  While it would work better on a warm summer evening, it worked fine.  A flexible wine that works on its own or with food.  Light gold/green in color.  Nice minerality, some grapefruit.  Light bodied.  Good acidity.  On the palate, this is thinner with minerals and slight grapefruit.  Hopefully, this puts on some weight over the next couple of months.  This was thinner and lighter than prior Bedrock Sauvignon Blancs.  It is still a solid wine.  It was $32 delivered on release.  

From a 375ml bottle.  Rhys makes some of the best Chards in California, but this is from purchased fruit and so carries the Alesia name.  It does seem like the oak treatment is different as well.  This is a sold Chardonnay but not nearly in the class of the Rhys Chards.  Light gold/green in color.  The nose is nice with minerals, spice, slight lemons and slight lumber.  On the palate, the minerals and lumber carry thru.  Some lemon.  Lean in body with good acidity.  This will work with a lots of foods.