From the Santa Cruz mountains comes this little gem.  You know I like the varietal and I am also a big fan of this AVA, where the cooler climate refines the wines into ‘my style’ but not stripping the Cabernet Franc of its character.  Layered with black berry and plum flavors, it offers up good tannins and balanced acidity.  At 5 years of age, it is drinking on point and still has another 5 to run.  We drank it with an Italian meal of spicy shrimp and red sauce, allowing the boldness of the wine to offset the acidity of the tomato based sauce.  It worked a charm and I highly recommend it!  I think this is a good wine worthy of 90 points and at $25 it gets 4 stars.

I have known that this wine is good for several years, having noticed it in Wine Spectator’s top 100 for several years now. A friend even claimed it was the best Chardonnay he had ever tasted! I’m a fan of their pinot noir, in a big way. This winery makes Burgundian style wines from California’s cooler-climate Santa Cruz mountains. My style…for sure.
Back to the wine….deelish. Apple tart on the nose gives way to a lush, buttery lemon meets green apple on the palate. Very full and rich without being over-oaked. Did I mention a beautiful pale golden color? I wish I had more experience with white wines to really pass judgement on this wine as I reckon it is a top notch effort, yet I can’t get my head around the price. My general knowledge of whites is limited, but I can say this is a really good wine. It got 91+ points from the pro’s. I can’t give it a score but would see it as a 5 point wine if the points/price are considered. If you like Chardonnay, you need to try this wine.