Lodi

This is a label created by golfer Ben Curtis and Rich Parducci.  The wines are meant to be affordable (full retail is about $20).  This Chardonnay was made in steel and uses no oak.  Screw capped.  Golden in color, with a bit of a copper hue.  The nose is tight but with some air, it opens to show lemon balm, lemon grass, and just a hint of LemonHeads candy.  On the palate, the texture is slightly oily.  There is an interesting chalkiness to it and the lemon balm comes thru.  It is steely and easy drinking.  This drinks well on its own.  Very refreshing.  It has enough acidity to work well w

Sandlands makes my favorite US Chanin Blanc.  That might not be an impressive statement, but there are some great ones and this one competes with any anywhere.  Light golden in color.  The nose is very nice (if not served too cold) with almonds, orange peel, minerals and slight lemon.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, there is a nice depth.  The almonds and orange peel carry thru with a slight waxy note.  Good energy.  Nice balance.  Long finish.  This seems like it should improve a bit with age and should drink well for seven to ten years (and quite possibly more).  It will work well with li

Looking for an inexpensive Cabernet?  This might fit the bill for you?  It is a big, warm wine.  Inky purple in color.  The nose is dusty with black raspberries and some alcohol.  Medium tannins.  Lot of jammy black raspberries on the palate.  Some warmth on the finish.  This is a wine to be poured at parties and summer BBQ's.  It is not complex or made to age.  It is for short term, fun drinking.  At under $20, that is a good deal.  

This is a $10 bottle of Zinfandel.  It is just about exactly what one would expect (in a good way).  Purple/ruby in color.  The nose has cherries with some alcohol.  Slightly candied.  On the palate, cherries with some heat.  A bit dusty.  No complexity but nothing really off either.  This would make a nice choice at a large party.  

WARNING - Biased review.  2011 was a difficult vintage.  The fruit was bursting open on the sorting line.  It never got as ripe as we wanted.  We ended up putting in a bit of Petite Sirah from Lodi to get the final wine where we wanted it to be.  This was the only vintage with PS in it.  In the end, we really liked the wine and were proud of the final product.  It is an outlier in many respects from our other wines though.  This wine has drunk well from the start whereas most of our wines have needed time.  Now at age 7, I think it is mid-peak.  It won't get any better and should be at this