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Nov 27, 2007Cline Ancient Vines Zinfandel
Very smooth. Nice jammy flavor full of berries. A mouthfull but doesn't over do it.
Nov 27, 2007Francis Coppola Rosso Classic, NV
My favorite everyday wine. Nice mouthfull with supple berry flavors. Medium finish.
Nov 22, 2007Beringer Founders' Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004
Delicious with very mild after taste, great for the price
Nov 19, 2007Rancho Sisquoc Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005
Nose: Tomato, jalapeno
Mouthfeel: Sour Cherry, cedar, thin
Finish: Crisp, light and dry
Nov 19, 2007Stonehedge Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, 2003
Nose: Oak, Elmer's glue
Mouthfeel: buttery, truffle-y, yet light and silky
Finish: Maintains richness, more butter, and crystal clean.
Nov 19, 2007Francis Coppola Diamond Series Celestial Blue Label Malbec, 2005
Rich, curranty, and relatively full bodied. Some sweet anis and pepper on the nose. Nice finish, a little tart. I like it.
Nov 14, 2007Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio
Light/faint green tea aromas. Tangy, but still flat. Fast finish -- might make a nice sipper if you just want a buzz on a sat afternoon.
Nov 14, 2007Tuscan Moon Sangiovese
Faint notes of light cherry and wood. Clean mouthfeel, light, but consistent. Lightning quick finish. Pleasant, but needs more tannins.
Nov 14, 2007Rabbit Ridge Paso Robles Syrah, 2004
Not as spicy as I would like out of a syrah. I'm not sure what to make of this. It seems totally oaked out, but has a nice dry mouthfeel, and coats all over.
I'm gonna say if you're into saving some cash, and are into drinkable wines that might not display the true varietal characteristics, then hit this up. I think it's totally drinkable at this price point.
Nov 11, 2007Robert Hall Sauvignon Blanc, 2006
This is my style sauv blanc, it reminds me of NZ sauv blancs.
Aromas were as expected from a sauv blanc, with a citrus and vegetable nose. One the palate the same characteristics persisted. I tasted some lemon, apple, grass, and other vegetable flavors. The acidity was well balanced with some sweetness.
The finish was dry and spicy, but didn't last too long. I thought this was a good deal for the money.
Nov 09, 2007Trimbach Riesling, 2004
With a nose of freshly squeezed lemon, the first taste of this Riesling feels like biting into a granny smith apple. Light bodied with high levels of acidity, this might be a good one to accompany a nice curry dish.
Nov 09, 2007Chateau Rayas Chateauneuf Du Pape Reserve, 2004
I have this problem now, because I have fallen in love with a $150 wine. Oops.
If I can't buy it, at least I can describe it. I tasted a suite of reds from Chateau Rayas, a top estate in the Southern Rhone. If Southern Rhone wines are considered wild and full-flavored, the Chateau Rayas wines would be the elegant misfits among them. They all have in common flavors of tomato, overripe grapefruit, tarragon, some menthol, and violet.
If it's hard to imagine all those flavors tasting good together (a sort of Bloody Mary gone bad), you'll understand my love for the 2004 Chateauneuf especially when I say: while all the wines we tasted were complex and interesting, this one was perfectly balanced and flawless. It somehow managed to make tomato + citrus + tangy herbs + sweet violet taste like they were always meant to go together. And this from 100% Grenache, aged in 70+ year old barrels that have never been cleaned.
And the finish is like nothing else I've ever had. The tomato and citrus drops out, leaving violet and structured tannins.
Nov 06, 2007Ferrari Carano Fume Blanc, 2006
Tired of reds, I tried this white. I wanted so much from this wine, but it failed to deliver. First of all, the nose was nothing but alcohol infused cotton candy. Next came the initial taste (ok, I had to give it about five serious sips) and that was nothing more than alcohol infused sparkling apple cider. There was a definite crispness that made my nose tingle and my eyes water, and that was actually ok to me. I enjoyed that part of it--maybe for its non-red appeal. Not bad, not great, and certainly not the best for the price. As always, Cheers!
Nov 05, 2007Villa Mt. Eden Grand Reserve Bien Nacido Pinot Noir, 2005
Had a lot of delicious berry fruit, but bordered on hot. Was easy to enjoy, though, with plenty of things to love, just a bit simple. Drink now.
Nov 02, 2007Black Mountain Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004
Simple, pleasant nose of unripe cherries and spices. Comfortable mouthfeel, very unassuming. Would probably make a good "chill-able red" for watching NASCAR.
Nov 02, 2007Rabbit Ridge Paso Robles Syrah, 2004
Charcoal and burnt jam on an OK nose. Rich mouthfeel, definitely some oak and butter in this. Tannic and solid -- I like it.
Nov 02, 2007Geyser Peak Sauvignon Blanc, 2005
Light and refreshing, with lots of honey on the nose, with whiff of apples, bursting with pink grapefruit after the first sip.
A simple sav blanc, but can't beat it for the price.
Nov 02, 2007Pezzi King North Coast Sauvignon Blanc, 2005
2005 Pezzi King North Coast Sauvignon Blanc
This is a Dry Creek winery with an impressive track record for well made, easy drinking wines that don't break the bank.
The new winemaker at Pezzi King is the brilliant Gabriella Gazzano (formerly of Pahlmeyer, and Fritz Cellars where she worked under the tutelage of the Queen of California Cult Wines herself, the incredibly talented Helen Turley). Since coming on board, Gazzano has made visible improvements in the vineyards and winery and appears to have taken PK to a new qualitative high and into a period of strong creative resurgence.
Made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc from three distinguished vineyards: The Pezzi King Estate in Dry Creek, The Sanford Estate Vineyard outside of Lompoc near Santa Barbara, and Andy Beckstoffer's newest vineyard in Mendocino County.
This is beautiful Sauvignon with a shimmering, translucent-silvery color, along with delicate citrus notes and fresh clover perfume the nose. The palate is greeted by ripe passion fruit, and juicy tangerine, slightly leesy, yet exquisitely balanced so as to deliver a ripe, succulent, plush mid-palate before turning crisp, steely, and dry (but not dry-ing) on the clean, fresh finish. This is a great example of what high caliber winemaking and vineyard management can do when applied to a varietal which is often overshadowed by it's more famous relatives.
With such glowing praise you might expect tight limits or a price of admission rivaling a kings ransom, right? To the contrary! This is a wine priced to allow painless consumption at a hedonistic pace and volume!!!
If you drink Sauvignon Blanc regularly or are planning a gathering which will feature fresh prawns, oysters, crab or other Tutti di Mare, buy several cases, you won't regret doing so.
Nov 02, 2007Jean Vesselle À Bouzy, NV
NV Jean Vesselle - Brut Reserve Champagne 'A Bouzy'
What a delightful Champagne! Ultra racy and clean on the nose, ripe and pungent with loads of lime zest, lemon blossom, and heaps of cool flinty minerality. The mousse is strong, frothy and lasting. Very long and refreshing, with a persistence that is hard to beat. Better than most famous luxury cuvees that cost many times more.
Nov 01, 2007Rombauer Chardonnay, 2005
This is a very good Napa Chardonnay. Pale Golden in color with aromas of very ripe apples and tropical fruit, tastefully framed by assertive new wood, and treated to full malolactic fermentation which gives it an overtly buttery quality. A good example of the "California" style, this wine is a fine choice for the table or as a cocktail, but lacks the tenuosity, unctuosity, and complexity of the very best. Also I can't give this wine any extra points for terrior, since most of it's strongest qualities (oak and malo) come from the cellar, and are not derived from the natural qualities of the fruit sources.
Nov 01, 2007Clos Du Caillou Chateauneuf Du Pape Les Quartz, 2005
2005 CLOS DU CAILLOU "LES QUARTZ" CDP Vielles Vignes "Cuvee Unique"
**It is important to note this is a North Berkeley Barrel Selection, not to be confused with the Caillou general production of Les Quartz, which does not carry the "Cuvee Unique" or Vielles Vignes monikers.
Any of you who read my reviews regularly, and have tasted the wines I reccomend will know I have little dificulty in writing about wines I enjoy. For this one however, I just have to gush a little bit...
Made from 90 some year old Grenache vines, with a touch of Syrah, this wine is onyx-black at heart, with inky purple hues at the rim. Supremely (ultra? super? ultra-super-supremely?) full bodied & opulent. Lush, and loaded with dense fruit, heaps of mineral, and loads of extract all sublimely integrated. The finish is beyond persistent, even relentless and lasts well more than 3 minutes. As I tasted this wine it seemed larger than it's physical dimensions, and the flavors continued to pump outward, sublimely fanning out across the palate, revealing additional layers of dark fruits, chocolate, wildflowers, and minerals and cassis.
Trying to assess a wine so prodigious is something like going 10 rounds with Andre the Giant, and though I've never had an ass-kicking I enjoyed this much, the level of visceral sensation is about the same as being tossed across the ring and pummeled into a pulp, but in a nice way. In addition to sheer brute force, it also possesses the sort of knock-out cacophony of kaliedoscopic olfactory images you might expect if Timothy Leary were the winemaker, and yet dances across the palate with the dexterity of Fred Astaire.
Moreover, and probably more on point, it is as near a perfect Chateauneuf-du-Pape as I have tasted, certainly the best 'Les Quartz' since the 1996, perhaps even greater. While this wine is not inexpensive, this is will easily stand toe-to-toe with any of the great wines from any other region I have tasted in recent memory, including the 1996 Lafite Rothschild, the 2000 Chateau Pavie, 1999 Bryant Family, the 1982 Chateau Latour, or the 1997 Sassacaia. In a world of wine so vast I recognize there may be other wines of this caliber to be tasted, but for me this is perfect Chateauneuf. Everyone with the opportunity to buy it should take at least three bottles. If you would consider buying a case, you should probably buy two.
Oct 31, 2007Concannon Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004
Rich berry action on the nose, strong cherry, with maybe some cedar and oak. Strong oak on the palate, but it's pretty thin and one dimensional. It does coat your gums a bit, but the finish on the palate is fairly quick. An ok wine for the price.
Oct 30, 2007Grove Street Trias Table Wine, NV
A pleasant nose with some anise and sweet dark fruits. The taste brings some cherry, some earthiness, but finishes a bit tart.
It has a good sticky mouthfeel which leads to a nice long finish. I think this is a great bargain if you can find it under like $12.
Oct 29, 2007Holdredge Pinot Noir Russian River "Wren Hop", 2006
This is one of my favorite Sonoma County Pinots, and the 2005 was a hit at last year's Thanksgiving table.
This is a silky & supple pinot, without being overbearing and taking away from the subtleties that make pinot noir such a special wine.
Rose red color with the same roses on the nose, begins with bright cherries and black raspberries. Juicy plums linger and give this pinot an elegant and long finish, with a touch of Dr Pepper.
This is a very mature pinot, and is not going to smack anyone with in the face characteristics. This is a wine I want to linger over, like a good book, and enjoy every single mouthful.
A special drink that should be enjoyed with care.
Oct 26, 2007Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel, 2005
The nose is pleasant, with deep notes of chocolate spice and sugary fruits.
Nothing special on the palate, nice and smooth, sort of ripe, but didn't necessarily taste of a cheap wine. I must also admit I'm not a zin fan. It was drinkable for the price point and I'll leave it at that.
