Expert articles and wine tasting videos profiling wines from California, California wine regions, Napa Valley, Sonoma County, & more.

2010 SonkinCellars Persona, USA, California, Santa Barbara, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2010
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A

Warning, this is a biased wine review.  This is our own label.  So why post a note?  Because people often ask me how the wines are drinking and what are my thoughts.  I try to be honest and forthright but at the very least, I make the wine I want to drink, so hopefully, it is a wine that I like.  YMMV.  2010 is a vintage that has taken a while to come around but it seems to have gotten some traction and is getting there.  This bottle was opened and allowed to breathe for 8 hours prior to serving.  Purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, roasted meat, white pepper and slight floral

2001 Ortman Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, USA, California, Napa Valley, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2001
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-

Purple in color.  The nose is very nice with cassis, cedar, slight leather and graphite.  On the palate, this is fruit with some depth.  Slight tannins.  Some complexity.  Nice cassis fruit on the palate.  Overall, this is very good and approaching maturity.  Probably won't get better but no hurry either.  Worked well with food.  

2015 Carlisle Zinfandel Carlisle Vineyard, USA, California, Sonoma, Russian River Valley, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A

This is still young but drinking quite well now.  Purple in color.  The nose has dark cherries, black raspberries, leather, bramble and spice.  On the palate, this is juicy with lots of fruit.  Black cherries mostly.  Some leathery tannins.  Depth.  Delicious.  Drank over a couple days, it was better on day 2.  Nice finish.  Food friendly or on its own.

2014 Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2014
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A

Made by Thomas Rivers Brown at his eponymous winery.  This is the basic Napa bottling and not the single vineyard wines.  It is still a great Napa Cabernet.  Purple in color.  The nose has cassis, cedar and spice.  On the palate, this has a lovely texture.  Cassis fruit with some spice.  Firm tannins.  This will continue to improve for a decade but is delicious now with a long decant.  There is some oak but it works deftly with the fruit.  Deep.  Great finish.  At $6, it is well priced for a higher quality Napa Cab.     

2014 Jonata Winery Todos, USA, California, Ballard Canyon, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2014
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A

7% Syrah, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, 3% Sangiovese and 2% Viognier.  Purple in color.  The nose is nice with black raspberries, some black pepper, spice and slight floral notes.  On the palate, this has some depth with a nice varietal complexity.  Good mouth feel.  Works well with or without food.  I don't know if this improves but should last a decade or so.  It is basically, the "leftovers" for the Jonata single varietal wines.  That doesn't mean it is not excellent in its own right.  A nice alternative to their expensive bottlings.  

2011 Keplinger Lithic, USA, California, Amador County, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2011
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A

Purple in color.  The nose is nice with leather, plums, black raspberries, pepper, dark cherries and spice.  On the palate, this is full bodied.  Very nice texture.  Lots of black cherry and black raspberry fruit.  Depth.  Drinking quite well now but still youthful.  Worked well with spicy food.  This is ripe but not over ripe.  Possibly some upside but easily has another decade or more of life left.  

2015 Donelan Vénus, USA, California, Sonoma, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A

This is a white Rhone blend of grapes; Rousanne and Viognier.  Golden in color.  This was served at red wine temperature which for me was ideal.  It really cut down on the acidity and brought out the aromatics.  YMMV.  The nose is really nice with candle wax, slight peach, floral notes and minerals.  On the palate, this is dry and full bodied.  A bit of honey nevertheless along with peach and vanilla.  Lovely texture.  Good finish.  This worked quite well with food.  There is a nice depth to this.  It drinks very "red" like.  

 

2013 Maybach Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Materium, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2013
Score: 
100
Grade: 
A+

Wow.  One of the great wines in the world.  This was a 100 point wine.  And it's still young!  Purple in color.  The nose has cassis, blueberries, cedar, floral notes, spice and licorice.  Intoxicating.  On the palate, it is deep and complex.  Seamless.  Silky tannins.  Juicy acidity.  Cassis, blueberries, slight leather, dry/burnt earth in layers.  Long finish.  This easily as a few decades and will no doubt evolve, but will it get better?  Perhaps, but it is fantastic right now.  This was about $200 on release, but for a wine this good, this is reasonable.  

2011 Saxum Syrah Booker Vineyard, USA, California, Paso Robles, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2011
Score: 
96
Grade: 
A

Saxum did quite well with their 2011's, a difficult and cooler vintage than most.  Inky purple in color.  The nose is great with black raspberries, slight roasted herbs, white pepper and roasted meat.  On the palate, this is full bodied with a nice texture.  Pure black raspberry fruit.  Deep but opens in the glass.  Normally, I think ten years is about right to wait but this one is a bit ahead of that.  Getting closer to peak.  Great acidity.  Long finish.  Works with food or delicious on its own.  Really a great Syrah.  

2014 Saved, USA, California, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2014
Score: 
89
Grade: 
B+

A blend of Merlot, Malbec, Syrah, Zinfandel, and some other stuff too.  Ruby in color, purple at the rim.  The nose is nice.  Cherries, dark cherries, spice, chocolate and pepper.  Also some leather.  On the palate, there is some varietal complexity.  Not a ton of depth but width.  Easy to drink.  Firm tannins.  Probably better drunk in the next few years to enjoy its vibrancy.  It retails for under $25 and that is a fair price.  This is one of those fruit forward, kitchen sink wines that are popular right now and this competes with them and beats most on price.  Attractive, silk screened l

Pages