Tag Archives: california

Clos de Napa Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2020, Napa Valley, California

30 Thursday Dec 2021

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , ,


Opaque ruby-purple, this wine has thick legs in the glass (14.5% ABV).  The nose shows off primal blackberry, blueberry, black cherry licorice/candy and blackcurrant candy drops.  The candy component is a little strong for me.  The palate is quite tasty and the candy component is gone, thank god.  The fruit is very ripe- blackberry, blueberry, black cherry and currants with some very slight oak notes.  The wine has good acidity and medium tannins that coat the gums but are not astringent.  The finish turns juicy from the acidity and is medium in length.  This full bodied wine is delicious now and will drink well until 2027 with steaks, grilled sausage or chorizo on the charcoal.  89 points for this $20 effort ($14 at Costco) makes it a 4 star effort to buy a few bottles of.  Salut….

Karen Birmingham Special Bottling Lodi Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

27 Monday Dec 2021

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


It’s the night after all the Christmas guests (family) have left and Moxie and I are recovering.  A Lodi Cab Sav to pair with leftover Prime Rib seems in order.  This one is nearly opaque and bright ruby in the glass.  The nose is an interesting mix of pomegranate, plum, blackberry and black currant.  Sweet cassis, a touch of oak and some pie crust hit me after a good swirl.  The palate is tannic right off the bat with grippy sensations on my gums and teeth.  The dark fruit flavors are pronounced with some oak and pie nuances in there as well.  Medium bodied it has a shortish finish but I am having a hard time with the tannins which are overtaking any semblance of acidity on the back end.  Slightly unbalanced structurally I think this will pass as the tannins integrate and allow the fruit and acidity to all play together on a more even keel.  Aerate this wine or cellar it for a while and you will be rewarded.  I would drink it from 2023 till 2028 with all plethora of grilled meats and hearty stews.  89 points for this $13 wine makes it a 5 star effort.  Salut….

Joel Gott Wines Merlot 2016, California

23 Thursday Dec 2021

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,


Deep ruby color which is surprising considering the age of this Merlot (5 years old).  I was expecting a bit of garnet.  The nose is wafting…. and is a bit dusty right off the bat.  A good swirl and aromas of black currant, bramble, cassis, charred oak, stewed black plum, coconut and sweet raspberry pie.  The palate is very smooth, spicy and chock full of fruit.  Flavors of black currants, plum, cassis, dusty bramble with oak hints of coconut and charred wood mingle with some red fruit.  I like it.  The tannins are fully integrated and there is a balancing acidity making for a very smooth mouthfeel that has medium body and a medium finish.  This wine is at peak and I am pairing it with grilled Tri-tip and mashed potatoes alongside some charred eggplant and onion salad.  90 points, drink this $20 wine that gets 5 stars from me till 2024.  Salut….

Cakebread Cellars Dancing Bear Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Howell Mountain, California

09 Thursday Dec 2021

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,


Opaque ruby in the glass.  Blueberry, charcoal, sasparilla, vanilla and blackberry pie.  A stunning nose that also includes some black licorice and a mineral note.  The palate of this Napa Cab is super smooth- blue and black fruits, oak nuance, spice and beautiful structure await.  The tannins are so well integrated it’s obscene.  The acidity balances but doesn’t overpower the whole melange of fruit, tannic grip and tartness.  This wine has mouthfeel out of this world with gobs of primary fruit and structure that will make it cellarworthy till 2028 but why wait?  You can taste and smell the California sunshine in this one folks.  It’s stunning right now and gets 96 points from me.  Probably one of the best Cabs I have come across.  Pricy at two bones, it’s a treat to behold.  5 stars for its near perfection.  Salut….

Iron Horse Vineyards Two Clones Chardonnay 2017, Russian River Valley, California

01 Monday Nov 2021

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


This Chardonnay has got a bit of bottle age which shows in the glass- a deep gold color.  On the nose I get wafts of MLF, perhaps a bit of lees stirring and some relatively fresh citrus and floral notes.  Brioche, butter, lemon curd, grapefruit, chamomile and sprite (the drink).  The palate is dry with medium body and juicy acidity.  The flavors are more citrus driven but I do get some minerality and a hint of Malolactic Fermentation. Tropical fruit notes hit the mid plate and the finish is long and silky with decent acidity.  I like this wine, but it’s not everyone’s style.  The silky mouthfeel comes with butter-like flavors that may not be up everyone’s alley.  The minimalist oak usage is appreciated btw.  For $20, it’s a good weekday wine that gets 90 points from me and 5 stars.  Drink till 2026 with some hearty fish dishes or stuffed peppers.  Salut….

Daou Vineyards ‘Pessimist’ Red 2019,Paso Robles, California

30 Saturday Oct 2021

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


When shopping for the 21st Virtual Wine Tasting, I selected Durif as the keyword which is basically another name for Petite Sirah- one of my current favorites.  This wine did not disappoint.  Basking in sunny Paso Robles (California), the grapes for this elixir were harvested very ripe which makes a pretty potent 15.2%ABV wine that has rich, jammy fruit flavors.  It looks menacing, nearly fully opaque with a dark shade of purple.  The nose and palate gave the group flavors and aromas of blackberry preserves, black plum, dark chocolate covered raisins, leather, coffee, black pepper, blueberry and black tea (on the finish).  Mid grade tannins and nice, gentle acidity made for a beautiful mouthfeel that was mid weight, leading to a decent length finish.  I did not score it the highest on my scoring sheet but I believe it is worthy of 91 points.  It was a crowd pleasing $17 bottle from DAOU vineyards that gets 5 stars from me.  I would love to pair this wine with some grilled Venison.  Drink till 2026.  Salut….

Cakebread Cellars Benchland Select Cabernet Sauvignon 2017, Napa Valley, California

27 Wednesday Oct 2021

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


Wow- opaque AF.  The nose is loaded with black fruits, charred wood, cassis- very complex but I’m at a loss for descriptors.  The palate is dry with a herbaceous entry that leads to the blackberry, blackcurrants and black cherry notes.  The tannins are mid grade and a touch astringent, they may need more integration.  The finish is medium length and gives me more of that charred wood note.  This wine is mid weight and a touch out of balance right now but I think it will flesh out.  Drink from 2024-2029.  90 points from me at this stage but the pros averaged 92, give it time.  It’s a pricy bottle at $140 so pick the right moment to enjoy this 4 star gem.  Salut….

Chimney Rock Arete Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, Stags Leap District, California

16 Saturday Oct 2021

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


Opaque AF.  Bright blueberry, plum, blackcurrants and mint on the nose with some heady oak by way of vanilla and coconut.  On the palate it has medium (+) tannins, medium acidity and black fruit flavors of blackcurrant and blackberry alongside the greenish mint and oak notes plus charcoal.  Medium finish and  medium body with some high alcohol levels giving it weight.  Yummy stuff that tastes like California sunshine. 91 points and for $110 it gets 4 stars . Whilst young it drinks beautifully now and should get better with age till 2028.  Salut….

Matt Parish Tino 2018, Napa Valley, California

13 Wednesday Oct 2021

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


The label says it’s a red wine blend.  Let’s see if I can discern the grapes.  First off- it’s deep ruby which rules out Pinot Noir.  Number two- it runs 14.5% ABV even though the legs are quite watery in the glass. The nose is of medium intensity and I get aromas of blackcurrant, black cherry, smoke, licorice, chocolate, black plum, and a grape note.  The palate is dry, with high acidity and high tannins.  The alcohol is evident and the body is medium (+).  The flavors are medium intensity and mirror the nose, although there is a black tea component on the mid palate.  The tannins are searing on the finish which is decent in length.  Overall a tasty wine that I believe will age well for another 5-7 years.  As for the varietals- here goes.  Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and perhaps Merlot would be my guess.  91 points for this rather big red that can be had for $25.  5 stars.  ps. it needs a big, juicy steak.  Salut….

Ramey Woolsey Road Vineyard Chardonnay 2018, Russian River Valley, California

13 Wednesday Oct 2021

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


I attended a practice blind tasting last night for the WSET Level 3 exam.  One of the wines we drank was this Chardonnay.  It was obvious from the first whiff that this was a Cali doozy.  I wrote that the wine was a medium shade of lemon and had a medium (+) intensity nose of……. toast, butter, bread, acacia, melon and banana, I found it youthful.  Read those descriptors again.  There is no mention of citrus or stone.  The palate was much the same in flavors with medium (+) acidity, high alcohol, medium (+) body and was obviously dry in nature.  This is a developing wine with plenty of potential to age.  I thought it was good to outstanding and would think it gets 92 points.  At $60 a pop, this highly rated (94-95 by the pros) wine gets 5 stars.

My initial reaction to smelling this wine was that it had been worked over pretty hard.  When I say that, I mean it went through Malolactic Conversion/Fermentation and I even thought it had been treated Sur Lie.  I was right.  The winery notes mention both processes and explain why it was sooo buttery, with heavy doses of bread, toast etc.  It’s not my style of wine, but I took the half bottle home to revisit it.  Paired with a rice and chicken dish it did okay, but the overpowering tertiary notes are really not up my alley.  If you like a rich, full-on Napa/Sonoma Chardonnay with gobs of upfront tertiary notes, go for it.  At least try it once.  Drink till 2030.  Salut….