Tag Archives: sonoma county

Tyler Florence Blending Sessions No. 2 Meritage 2013, Sonoma County, California

28 Wednesday Apr 2021

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This bottle is called a Meritage, which conjures up notions of a Bordeaux blend relying heavily on either Cab Sav or Merlot, with supporting roles from Cab Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. In this case- it’s actually the opposite with the majority being Malbec at 62%, Merlot at 30%, Cab Franc with 6% and a touch of Petit Verdot. No sign of any Cab Sav. Anyways- it’s inky, brooding and opaque. The nose is intense with rich blackberry and oak nuances. I’m looking forward to it!

The palate is as expected. Layered black fruits and charred oak with medium grip tannins and juicy acidity. Blackberry, black currants and tea notes fit the mid palate. The finish is long and decidedly tart. The acidity is bracing yet I feel the wine has a nice roundness and is full bodied. The 14.5% alcohol is sensed on the back end with a hint of heat. Overall I am really enjoying this wine and will be pairing it with homemade spaghetti sauce and Hearts of Palm pasta. Drink till 2028. 91 points for this $25 make it a 5 star wine. Salut….

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

04 Thursday Feb 2021

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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….

Cameron Hughes Lot 727 Knights Valley Merlot 2018, Sonoma County, California

14 Monday Dec 2020

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This Merlot is opaque and a dark shade of purple with a gorgeous nose of steeped plum, toasty oak, licorice and iodine. On the palate it offers rich fruit, nice acidity and grippy tannins. Blackberry, plums, charred oak and blueberry pie all hit me. The mid palate is quite smooth with lush fruit interlacing the rather powerful tannins that slightly overtake the acidity. The finish is medium length and quite dry. I sense this wine is a tad young and will drink nicely till 2028. I am roasting up a rack of Lamb with mint sauce and steamed greens- should work a treat. I’m enjoying the softness of the varietal but am surprised at the structure, the tannins just won’t quit. Yummy stuff. 90 points and 5 stars from me for this $16 wine. Salut….

Decoy Chardonnay 2019, Sonoma County, California

03 Thursday Dec 2020

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Golden yellow with apple and pineapple on the nose.  On the palate- yellow apple, marzipan, pineapple and green melon. Low levels of acidity make for a full mouthfeel. It’s a very nice wine that doesn’t rely on loads of oak, rather it leans on warm fruits, lithe acidity and good length.  90 points.  Enjoy with warm goat cheese salad.  Drink till 2024. For about $15 it’s worth stocking up on as it gets 5 stars. Salut….

Cameron Hughes Lot 722 Chenin Blanc 2018, Sonoma County, California

22 Saturday Aug 2020

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Pale yellow in the glass.  On the nose I get watermelon, lime spritz and melon.  On the palate it is fruity and flavorful- quince, pear and a buttery note.  The mid palate continues the full bodied mouthfeel and flavor profile.  The finish is decent in length and offers up some honey alongside yellow apple and more pear.  It’s an interesting and tasty wine for sure, refreshing yet it has some depth and viscosity.  The malolactic fermentation has given it a touch of butter and flab, enough to notice but not overdone.  This wine will pair well with grilled Salmon, Cobb salad or baked Aubergine in tomatoes.  Drink till 2024.  For $13, this is a no-brainer to keep on hand.  88 points make it a 4 star effort.  Salut….

 

 

Slang Wines Pinot Noir 2014, Sonoma County, California

01 Saturday Aug 2020

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It’s a broody looking Pinot, dark shade of purple and semi opaque in the glass.  The nose is clearly New World in style.  Ripe cranberry, rich cherry coulis and cloves.  On the palate it’s a touch sweet- like cherry jam and pomegranate syrup.  It’s got an intense spiciness that I am enjoying to go alongside the sweetness.  There is an underlying level of heat that I only sense on the mid palate- the 14.4% alcohol being well masked.  I also get a touch of fizziness which is intriguing.  The finish shows off some lithe tannins and more cherry coulis.  There’s a modicum of oak present that I am enjoying but I also get a touch of tartness, not from acidity, that is nagging at me.  Right at the end is where the acidity kicks in on the medium length finish.  Overall, not a bad drop to alongside T-Bones and hand cut fries with Bearnais.  I am giving this wine 90 points with a drinking window of 2020-2026.  No pricing info available as it was given to me by a friend.  Salut….

Havens Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2016, Sonoma, California

25 Thursday Apr 2019

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In the glass this wine is textbook Pinot Noir- bright red, see-through with lithe legs.  On the nose I get cherry cola, strawberry and faint wood.  On the palate it screams New World Pinot with strawberry coulis, bing cherry and delightful tannins that ease into a full blown black tea extravaganza that leave my gums puckered and my teeth thoroughly dry.  The mid palate turns a little blue on me with berries and tar.  The finish is back to the original strawberry/cherry combo that I love.  The finish is long with nice balanced acidity offsetting the tannins.  91 points for this $20 wine makes it a 5 star effort IMHO.  Drink now till 2027.  I am pairing it with roasted Cornish Hens, baked Sweet Potatoes with Feta and sautéed Zucchini.  Salut….

Kirkland Signature Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, Alexander Valley, USA

23 Saturday Jun 2018

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Some more Kirkland Signature wines are on the horizon in my search for value priced offerings.  This one cost $10.  It shows nicely in the glass with a see-through medium hued purple.  The nose is mostly plum with a hint of nutmeg.  The palate is very inviting, easy to drink and fresh.  Blue fruits dominate with a touch of tannic vibrancy that tickles the gums.  Acidity is present and the wine has a really nice balance.  The mid palate has a core of plum that carries through to the finish.  There’s not much complexity here, but it does serve the purpose.  This wine is great value for a Sonoma County Cabernet that drinks easily, will handle burgers, pizza and make an awesome coq au vin.  I would buy it up, serving all summer long out by the grill.  Drink till 2020.  89 points and 5 stars.  Salut….

Argot Wines ‘Bastard Tongue’ Sonoma County Pinot Noir 2013

15 Thursday Dec 2016

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I good mate of mine brought this over for Thanksgiving but we never got around to it.  I am glad in a way as it meant I could devote the proper attention to tasting this well crafted beauty.  A quick check of the internet reveals a price of $70- yikes.  But damn is this wine good…

Beautiful reddish purple in the glass.  A nose of cherries jubilee, spicebox, cedar.  On the palate a gorgeous medley of cherries, rhubarb and black berries.  Nicely integrated tannins meld well with the acidity and give the mid palate a smooth mouthfeel with notes of cinnamon, more cherry and some espresso.  The coffee theme runs into the finish that shows just a touch of acidity and some vanilla.  There is a citrus peel component on the finish that leaves it a little tart which is my only concern.  Overall a very well made wine which has enough earthiness and an abundance of fruit to pull off many matches, both Burgundian and New World.  92 points from me and 4 stars.  I paired it with Lasagne because that was what was for dinner- you can do better with a Coq Au Vin dish, perhaps even a roasted Cornish hen with wild rice. Really delicious.  Salut….

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Armida Winery Maple Vineyards Zinfandel 2012

27 Sunday Jul 2014

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I am becoming a fan of Armida’s wines.  I wrote about their other offerings previously with the Poizin and my first experience with the Maple Creek Zin 2009.  The style is not overly jammy, nor heavy but relies on old vines for complexity and depth.  On pouring this rather young wine I noted that it was dark purple in hue with hints of cloves intertwined with plums on the nose.  Easy drinking yet powerful with a lithe tannic backbone and entrenched acidity.  The 14.9 % alcohol was well hidden but could sneak up on the unsuspecting.  As the wine evolved we got a dark core of black fruits with plums on the secondary and lithe hints of chocolate and bramble bush.  A nice depth of different nuances made this a very good wine indeed.  I believe it can be found for about $35 and I’m going with 91 points, making this a solid 3 star effort in my book.  We drank it before a dinner of fresh caught Salmon, but I would go with any red meats, perhaps some olives and tapenade would suffice.  Salut….

armida zinfandel