Amador County

• Shenandoah Valley

Looking for a good, not too expensive Zinfandel for parties, pizza night and just good sipping?  Here ya go!  This one retails for $20 and fits the bill.  Ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, sour cherries, a bit of sticks and stones and slight dust.  On the palate, this is easy to drink.  It is ripe but not over the top.  Nice texture presumably from the high alcohol (15%).  Good finish.  This makes a nice cocktail wine but will go with big casual food.  Sure to be a crowd pleaser.  

Pale gold in color.  The nose has some meyer lemon's but is also very dusty and slightly hot.  On the palate, this has a nice oily texture.  A bit of a green streak but also some lemon notes.  It has a distracting bitter quality that is very persistent.  A shorter finish.  Screw capped.  The description makes this sound worse that it was, but this was a disappointing experience.  

76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 3% Petite Verdot, 2% Malbec.  Purple in color, slight ruby at the rim.  The nose is dusty and warm with cassis and spice.  Soft texture.  Good acidity.  Nice cassis fruit with an underlying earthiness.  Some plums on the finish.  Nicely layered, it unwinds in the glass.  It seems open but then keeps on opening more.  Still some upside here.  

Light golden in color.  The nose has minerals, oranges, slight apricot.  On the palate, this has a really interesting texture.  Dry but some heaviness to it.  Minerals and orange peel.  Enough if not great acidity, it drinks better with some food.  Actually would work with a wide range of foods.  Good finish.  Well priced at around $25.  Certainly one of the better and more interesting expressions of California Chenin Blanc.  

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.  

This is a GSM blend.  Purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries and a hint of herbal notes.  On the palate, this carries thru.  The green note is a bit distracting.  One dimensional.  Easy drinking.  Its a fine wine but for $52, I find it a bit lacking.  Maybe with age?  I don't think so, but who knows.