Mendocino

• Anderson Valley
• Yorkville Highlands

This is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon made with organic grapes in Mendocino, California.  Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is classic with cassis, dust and graphite.  Firm tannins.  Full bodied.  Good acidity.  If you are looking for a big fruit bomb California Cab, this is not it.  It is ripe with no green notes, but it is more of a classic, food friendly style.  Cassis with slight graphite notes with an underlying earthiness.  Nice finish.  This drinks well on its own but is better with food.  Of course a steak, but this would work really nicely with Roasted Root vegetables.

This is a proprietary blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot from Mendocino, California.  The wine is made from organic grapes.  Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, plums, black cherries, and slight spice.

This is a first and foremost, a very nice Merlot.  But before talking about that it is worth noting that this wine is made without added sulfites.  They accomplish this by using the Purovino® method.  From the company's web site:  "The purovino® method is based on controlled hyperoxygenation on wine grapes and a CIP process of all the equipment with ozone-enriched water.  After the harvest, grapes are fumigated with a specific concentration of activated oxygen that induces  a controlled oxidative stress.

Offering a lighter style of Cabernet, this 2019 Dough is definitely a solid value. Black cherry, blueberry, blackberry, light plum, pomegranate, rhubarb, green tea leaf and black cherry, announce themselves and it offers moderate acidity and decent tannins. The wine was aged 16 months in both American and French oak barrels.

Purple in color, ruby at the rim, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, bel peppers, spice and some pepper.  Medium bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, this has some black cherry fruit with green bell peppers.  One dimensional.  Clipped finish.  This would be a fine wine with meatloaf or a burger.  Drink over the next few years.  

I have reviewed, favorably, the Pinot Noir from Gowen Creek for years. When you find a wine that offers such consistency, you stick with it. What Gowen offers is a sublime melding of fruit like black cherry, red raspberry, boysenberry, blackberry acidity, minerality and judicious use of oak. This wine has those in spades. Though the word “balance” is tossed around a lot in the wine industry, when you taste one, you know. Not only is this wine balanced, it is simply enjoyable to drink.

Goldeneye has been making wine in the Anderson Valley for 30 years. This current release is comprised of 63% Pinot Noir and 37% Chardonnay. There is a lovely softness to the carbonation and viscosity of the wine itself. Pleasant notes of fresh, baked bread, golden delicious apple, apricot jam, blood orange and a slight honeydew melon fill the palate. Unlike many sparklers, this doesn’t lean towards sour apple, nor sweet, it straddles a middle ground of pleasant, soft notes, making this a delightful sipping wine with enough acidity for food.

This is 100% Syrah grown in a cooler climate.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with black raspberries, black olives, and slight bacon fat.  With air, some herbal/woodiness comes out.  Full bodied.  Sinewy texture.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Light tannins but drinking tight and young.  It took about four hours to really open up.  Then black raspberries with underlying gravel and minerality.  Long finish.  This is drinking well now, but cellaring for five or so years will be rewarded.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  Nice on its own, better with food.

Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with lemons, peach and slight green apple.  Medium to full bodied.  Little or no oak showing on this wine.  On the palate, this is crisp and easy to drink.   Notes of peach and slight lemon zest on the palate. Nice finish.  Refreshing.  It works better with food but is still a nice sipper.  Pair it with grilled sea food such as trout.  drink over the next five years.  

An interesting Pinot Noir from Potter Valley in northern California.  Ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose has cherries and some rhubarb.  Slight bubble gum note.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, nice cherry fruit.  Drinks easy.  Nice finish.  Drink over the next eight to ten years.