Tag Archives: california

Frog’s Leap Merlot 2014, Rutherford, California

04 Sunday Apr 2021

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


Tonight I am cooking a standing rib roast in my Big Green Egg- something I have never done before. I figured it was a good time to crack this Napa Merlot open and give it a try. It’s got a nice purple hue and is about 70% opaque. Thin legs in the glass hint at the 13.4% alcohol. On the nose I get rich plums, perhaps some blackberry and toasty oak. The initial palate is delicious with plum torte, blackberry coulis, some smoked wood, Tobacco and some fruit cake. The mid palate has exceptionally integrated tannins and really nice acidity. The plum and blackberry flavors are very much present but I’m starting to get a dark cola note.  The finish is very rounded with the tannins and acidity in perfect balance. I can almost taste the California sunshine in this wine. Merlot is such a supple, rounded varietal that has been unfairly thrashed of late. I really enjoy this particular profile and am going with 92 points. Drink till 2028 with any grilled meat, rich pasta or even by itself. At $33, it gets 5 stars. Salut….

Mount Eden Vineyards ‘Domaine Eden’ Chardonnay 2016, Santa Cruz Mountains, California

31 Wednesday Mar 2021

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


I’m excited to taste this wine, the little brother to the Mount Eden Vineyards Chardonnay from the Santa Cruz mountains- one of my favorite whites. In the glass it is quite a bright shade of yellow. The nose is very lemony with Quince and yellow apple hints, perhaps a touch of butterscotch. On the palate it is very refreshing, focused and definitely citrus driven. The finish is rather curt but not overly acidic, providing a nice fruit closure. I picked this wine to pair with Shrimp Scampi- I think it will do the job beautifully. It gets 91 points for me and should be drunk before 2028. At $27, its actually a good value for the quality and gets 5 stars from me. Salut….

tempImagejYtB3r

Bougetz Cellars “Bliss” Sauvignon Blanc 2019, Rutherford, California

30 Tuesday Mar 2021

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


This Sauvignon Blanc is very pale yellow in the glass. On the nose I get lemons, D’anjou pear, green apple and honeysuckle. The palate is lively and fresh with citrus notes, that green apple hint and some floral interjection. Not overly tart, there is a core of acidity that keeps the wine fresh. The finish moves away from the focused lemon and pear notes- getting a little more body and a hint of minerality. Tasty stuff that will serve well with my baked Salmon and Ahi tuna steaks. I am going with 89 points for this $26 effort which makes it a 3 star effort. Drink chilled till 2025. Salut….

tempImagewju7pd

Hartford Family Winery Hartford Court Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2018, Sonoma County, California

25 Thursday Feb 2021

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


A lighter shade of yellow in the glass with pretty hefty legs belying the 14.2% alcohol. The nose has creamy citrus, like a mousse, plus a hint of butter and coconut. The palate is very rounded with lush flavors of nectarines, clementines, lemon zest and peach. It’s like a tropical fruit salad with buttery popcorn as a side. I taste layers with this wine, which shows some nice complexity. The acidity is relatively mild giving a full mouthfeel. The finish is mid length and adds some papaya to the mix. Delicious stuff, really. 92 points worth. Seriously, and at $21- it’s a steal. This one will be featured in another blog post early next year, and if I could give it 6 stars I would. Drink till 2025. I am pairing it with Shrimp Scampi and salad. Salut….

Phifer Pavitt Date Night Sauvignon Blanc 2018, Napa Valley, California

25 Thursday Feb 2021

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


A very pale shade of gold in the glass with a nose of citrus, tropical fruit and telltale cat pee. The palate is delicious, somewhat unique and not overly tart. Grapefruit and gooseberry notes make way for candied ginger and baked yellow apple. It is really an interesting mix, layered with a medium weight body. There is a sprite nature to the mid palate and the finish is short to medium length in duration. I really am enjoying this wine and will pair it with clams with edamame spaghetti in a garlic and olive sauce. Drink this 90 point wine till 2024. For $30 it gets 3 stars from me. Salut….

Daryl Rex Groom D.R.G. Pinot Noir 2019, Russian River Valley, California

22 Monday Feb 2021

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


This Pinot is a dark shade of purple and is quite a bit more opaque than expected. The nose gives me dark cherries, boysenberry, clove and cola. Very intricate. The palate is quite unique- cherry cola meets rhubarb and cranberry. I sense a cascade of acidity as my mouth starts to water but there’s a modicum of dryness from lithe tannins that hit towards the mid palate. The dark red fruit theme continues and I get a nice finish with some extras- Rooibos tea, spices and more of that cherry cola thing. It is a really tasty wine that has been extracted very well, not overdone with nice oak integration. The length of the finish is really great and the tannins stick with me for quite a while. Light-to-medium bodied, it has a nice mouthfeel. Drink this 91 point wine till 2027. I am preparing Sous Vide chicken and Swiss chard to pair. For $19 it’s an awesome deal that gets 5 stars from me. Salut….

Michael David Winery Earthquake Petite Sirah 2017, Lodi, California

21 Sunday Feb 2021

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


Turns out his was the Wine of the Night at tasting #15. It is inky purple and opaque AF. Initially the members noted a dusty smell- which led on to black pepper, herbs, tobacco, dried fruits, cigar, prunes, blackberry jam and was considered ‘leathery’. On the palate it was very rich and full bodied with prunes, blackberry compote, cracked black pepper, dark chocolate, coffee beans, raisins and tobacco. I thought it was delicious and worthy of a juicy Filet. It was not very tannic at all, inconsistent with the varietal, but I was not complaining. It gets 92 points from me and 5 stars for sure at it only runs $20. Buy it by the case and drink till 2026. Salut….

Brandlin Prince and Pedro Red Blend 2017, Mount Veeder, California

08 Monday Feb 2021

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,


Wow, this Napa wine is super opaque and dark purple-it looks like Welch’s grape juice. I can smell fruit flavors about a foot away from the glass, it’s wafting over and I think I’m going to like it. Yup, I do. Saturated with blackberry notes, I also get blueberry essence. On the palate it is delicious. Layers of blackberry, blueberry and cassis. Very primal, extracted and yummy. Lithe tannins appear on the mid palate but this wine is really juicy, the acidity really has a grip. Deft use of oak keeps this wine interesting without overplaying tertiary flavors. The finish turns quite dry with the tannins really starting to make themselves known. Overall a nicely balanced wine with good structure, great fruit and decent cellaring capacity. I would drink this blend of Syrah, Malbec, Zin, Merlot etc till 2028 with a big ole T-bone. 92 points from me make this $50 wine a 5 star effort. Salut….

Inkscape Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Mendocino County, California

06 Saturday Feb 2021

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


In the glass this Cabernet is bright purple and 50% opaque. The nose gives me blackcurrant and coffee bean. On the palate it is quite rich with blackberry coulis, spice box and cedar. The mid palate has nice rich fruit, a touch of acidity and some lithe tannins. The black fruit theme continues as does the coffee. The finish is really tasty, a touch dry with a hint of acidity. Th mouthfeel is really wonderful, not cloying, dry or tart. Rich, warm fruit with some underlying structure make for a decent medium term drinking window. I like it and am going with 89 points. For $15, it’s a good deal and gets 4 stars from me. Drink till 2025 with grilled meats. Salut….

Cameron Hughes Lot 718 Chardonnay 2018, Russian River Valley, California

04 Thursday Feb 2021

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


Pale gold in the glass this Sonoma County Chardonnay gives me lemon and pineapple on the nose. The palate is quite crisp and tart with more yellow citrus flavors, some lanolin and green apples. On the mid palate it is very refreshing with some zippy acidity. The finish is decent in length and shows off green and yellow apples with citrus giving it back end juiciness. Yummy and relatively light bodied for me, it will pair great with my Chicken Pie. Other matches could be grilled Salmon or Parmesan dishes. For me it’s an 88 point wine that gets 4 stars for its $18 price tag. Drink till 2022. Salut….