Tag Archives: california

Turley Napa Valley Petite Syrah 2016, Napa Valley, California

26 Saturday Jan 2019

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Nearly black in the glass.  Blackcurrant and smoky wood on the nose.   On the palate it offers black cherry, dark currants, superb tannins and olives.  The midpalate gets a dose of dryness from the tannins to go with more dark berries.  The finish is blackberry coulis, tea and a touch of wood.  Overall a very good but young wine that needs two to three years in the cellar.  After that- drink till 2028 with heavy duty meat dishes.  91 points for now.  I would love to revisit in 3 years.  $55 makes this a 4 star effort.  Salut….

Failla Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2017, California, USA

26 Saturday Jan 2019

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I wrote about the 2016 Failla recently so it was interesting to sample the younger version.  Strawberry coulis nose from this darker red Pinot Noir  On the palate I get raspberry, strawberry and crunchy tannins.  The mid palate has a pepper component alongside bing cherry.  The finish is medium in length with that strawberry core flavor returning.  The acidity is decent and the mouthfeel is good.  A touch young- it could benefit from some cellaring.  Drink till 2029.  89 points $39 make this a solid 3 star wine.  Consistent with the previous vintage.  Salut….

Clos Du Val Estate Chardonnay Carneros ‘Lot One’ 2015, Napa, California

21 Monday Jan 2019

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A very gorgeous dark yellow in the glass gives way to waxy lemon, peach stone and pineapple core  on the nose.  On the palate it is quintessential Napa Chardonnay.  Citrus, yellow apple, pear and lanolin hit me on the initial palate.  The wine has a medium weight mouthfeel, with decent but not piercing acidity.  The mid palate is mostly lemon and grapefruit.  The finish is quite long, with more of that citrus component as well as that waxy note.  This wine is nice and will pair well with Salmon, Moussaka even Osso Bucco (Hard to believe I know).  I am thinking this wine is worthy of 90 points and 3 stars for the $50 price tag.  Drink till 2025.  Salut….

Loring Wine Co. Sta Rita Hills Pinot Noir 2016, Central Coast, USA

08 Saturday Dec 2018

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Medium opacity, certainly not a light Pinot.  Explosive nose of cherry, rhubarb and violets.  On the palate, that old world nose gave way to new world juiciness, freshness and very integrated tannins.  Flavors of cherry, bramble, pie crust and cinnamon hit me at the onset.  Towards the mid palate it ramps up with a great acidity with some strawberry marching in.  The finish is long, with Kirsch and plenty of pH, alongside some oaky nuances.  I like this wine, a lot.  91 points and 4 stars- you can find it for $32 which places it in the 4 star category.  Cellar some and drink till 2026.  Salut….

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Eagles Trace Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, Napa Valley, USA

08 Saturday Dec 2018

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I have previously had the Eagle’s Trace Cabernet, in Magnum.  Dark purple with a touch of brick.  On the nose it has a bit of funk- hoping it blows off. Black cherry, cola, eucalyptus hit me after a hard swirl.  On the palate it shows red fruits- a rich acidity and fine grained tannins.  Raspberry, cherries jubilee and an oak influence all hit.  The mid palate gets me back to cola.  Sassafras appears on the tail end where the tannins start to grip and the mouthfeel turns astringent.  Enjoyable if you like a dry finish.  89 points and not a bad choice for Thanksgiving that included a smoked turkey as well as a deep fried one.  It did not hold up as well as I had hoped.  For $55 it gets 2 stars from me.  Salut….

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The Ojai Vineyard Syrah 2016, Santa Barbara County, USA

16 Sunday Sep 2018

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I have to remember that wine is very subjective, and what I like or dislike is often opposite of others.  This one is a perfect example of that.  It shows medium intensity in the glass.  The nose has that candied oak waft that I don’t like. The palate mirrored that profile so I just spilled the glass and moved on to the next wine bottle at the tasting.  A review of the web shows it available for $35.  Salut….

The Terraces Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, Napa Valley, USA

16 Sunday Sep 2018

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The third wine in my Cali tasting adventure, and one that I returned to the store to re-try.  It was that good.

Rich, brooding purple in the glass.  Thick plum jam and spicy oak open up the nose.  On the palate it is unctuous and full of blackberry reduction, vanilla, espresso and violet.  Svelte tannins steer this wine to the delightful finish that is surprisingly short.  90 points. After a second try- 91 points.  The nose is simply amazing.  This is quintiscential Napa Cabernet, basking in the sun, ripening to perfection and then crafted into such a delectable drop.  $65 makes it a pricy bottle, until you factor in the Napa appellation and quality.  4 stars and I would drink it alone.  No pairing needed.  Drink now till 2025.  Salut….

Arista Pinot Noir 2015, Russian River Valley, USA

16 Sunday Sep 2018

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The second bottle at the wine shop tasting….  unfortunately not a good sample.

A dark red in the glass, more serious for a Pinot Noir.  The nose is off as the wine has been open too long- however…. the palate offers a much richer expression of dark red fruits and cinnamon.  No rating as it would not reflect well.  However, a search on the web shows it available for $60 and gets decent 90+ scores.  Salut….

Failla Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2016, California, USA

16 Sunday Sep 2018

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I stepped into a wine store in Cali where they had an extensive list of wines available to taste.  I took the opportunity to do so, but my notes were rushed and very brief, please bear with me.

Very new world Pinot Noir on the nose- strawberry, cherry.  Very light on the palate but tasty with red fruits, very lithe and fresh. There is a tartness that presents itself on the medium length finish that I am enjoying.  89 points from me for this $34 offering make it a 3 star wine to drink now through 2021.  Salut….

Francis Ford Coppola Director’s ‘King Kong’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, California, USA

09 Sunday Sep 2018

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Rich plums and thick oak staves fill the nose on this nearly black wine.  On the palate I get delicious black berries, lush dark currants and a tar component.  I’m trying hard to pinpoint the missing flavor, could it be coffee?  Tannins are present but not obtrusive, with dark fruits and more wood present on the mdi to back end.  90 points and 5 stars for this uniquely labelled Cab that runs about $18.  Salut….