Justin Paso Robles Isosceles 2005
Lots of toasty oak and sour cherries with a thickness that lasts a long time. 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc and 7% Merlot. GP&B in Paso Robles 14.6% $47.99 at Bottle Barn Justin
Chateau Leoville Las Cases Saint-Julien 2004
Earth and oak intertwine in a complex mix of smells. There [...]

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Paul Hobbs Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
Hobbs is truly the master at producing elegant, polished Cabernet. This wine has notes of the cigar box, a kiss of oak and ripe, supple tannins. P&B in Sebastopol 14.9% $74.99 at Bottle Barn Paul Hobbs
Altamura Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2003
We recently poured the 2005 for the National [...]

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Frank Family Vineyards Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2000
This Alexander Valley Cab was made by the Napa winery known for its deft hand with the local fruit. Tonight we taste a wine from grapes sourced a little farther north. This wine is working its way up the curve, with more innings yet to come. It is [...]

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Pride Mountain Vineyards Napa Sonoma Merlot 2001
Unfortunately this wines was corked, which is especially disconcerting at this price. Pride has always delighted with the lush feel of their red wines. This is sourced from their estate on the county line(s). Thus the grapes are 55% Napa and 45% Sonoma. Cellared & Bottled in St. Helena [...]

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Navarro Anderson Valley Chardonnay Verjus 2007

This is another non-alcoholic product from Navarro, but not for drinking but rather as an alternative in the kitchen. This is literally underripe grape juice, green juice, as it were that you might use in salad dressing, sauces and more. P&B in Philo $11 at the winery Navarro

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Perhaps the next best thing to wine; anyone who has made wine knows how delicious this is. Yes, I’m talking about freshly crushed grape juice. Navarro has longed shared this specialty with the rest of the world and tonight we sample both. Not a drop of alcohol is in either bottle. They are produced and [...]

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Dolce Napa Valley Late Harvest Wine 2003
This is the classic California Sauternes competitor, in flavor and in price. There’s a blend of pineapple and caramel with honey and minerality on a viscous palate where the flavor goes on and on. The grapes are sourced from the Dolce Vineyard in Coombsville at the base of the [...]

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Frank Family Napa Valley Zinfandel 2006
Known for awesome Cabernet, tonight we sample their Zin. This wine smells of vanilla and other essences of dessert. There’s lots of extract, very jammy in black fruit and a healthy heft of tannin. 8% Petite Sirah, 15 months in French oak, 35% new. Distributor sample V&B in Calistoag 15% [...]

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Les Restanques de Pibarnon Bandol 2003
This is a good value offering from Pibarnon, showing ripe fruit overlaid with ripe tannins. This wine gets better each time I taste it. The complexity is there and the edges are softening when tasted August 27, 2008. Tasted again at the end of April ‘09, the wine is evolving [...]

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Bridlewood Central Coast Winner’s Circle Selection “Blue Roan” Syrah 2004
Just a few evenings ago we tasted another of the Winner’s Circle Selection Syrah and it was true to the the house style showing lots of oak essence wound into a dense palate with ripe tannins; it was a class favorite. The Blue Roan tonight was [...]

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Domaine de Fontsainte Corbieres Gris de Gris 2007
This has been a stellar rose with traditional complexity and suppleness. The ‘07 is very fresh, just full of strawberries, crisp yet filled out and far from lean. The grapes are 60% Grenache Gris and Noir, 15% Syarh, 10% Mourvedre, 10% Carignane and 5% Cinsault; no malolactic. Winemaker [...]

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The second flight of Pinot tonight is drawn exclusively from the wine region of Central Otago.
Mt. Difficulty Central Otago Pinot Noir 2006
Firm, gripping and marked by earthy and berry notes. P&B in Bannockburn 14.5% $28.99 at Bottle Barn [...]

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2 flights of Pinot from New Zealand and here is number 1
Daniel Schuster Waipara Pinot Noir Selection 2006
Intense acidity marks this Pinot to drink with food today or lay down in the cellar. P&B in Waipara 14% $26.99 at Bottle Barn Daniel Schuster
Saint Clair Marlborough Pinot Noir 2006
The class favorite of this flight, the wine [...]

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Ridge California Lytton Springs 2005
This traditional field blend comes from the site on Lytton Springs Road running between the heart of Dry Creek and Highway 101 in Sonoma County. There is plenty of black pepper on top of the jammy fruit. The vines are intermixed in the old fashion, with 77% Zinfandel, 17% Petite Sirah [...]

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The Ojai Vineyard Santa Barbara County Grenache 2005
This wine comes from the specialist known for their dense Syrah. This Grenache is no slouch either with layer upon layer of fruit in a very supple package. P&B in Oak View 14.5% $27.99 at Bottle Barn Ojai
Bridlewood Central Coast Winner’s Circle Selection “Six Gun” Syrah 2004
This wine [...]

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Williams Selyem Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2006
Winemaker Cabral can be modest as his Pinots do the talking, with a worldwide fan base. This wine is Pinot Perfection!, the essence of red fruits served on velvet. P&B in Healdsburg 14.3% 70 at Traverso’s though probably gone. Williams Selyem
LaFond Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir 2006
Pierre LaFond [...]

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Think rapsberry tart with this Riesling and your cares will melt away.
Navarro Anderson Valley Late Harvest Cluster Select White Riesling 2006 Richness personified with acidity to balance. There is plenty of honey on top of the tropical fruit. There is an echo of Sauternes in the nose balanced by the acidity that Riesling so aptly [...]

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Navarro Anderson Valley Estate Bottle Dry Muscat 2006
This wine has consistently dazzled with the ebulent smell of Muscat in a dry format. Tonight it is perfect again. P&B in the little hamlet of Philo 13.5% $19 at the winery Navarro
Sauvignon Republic Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2006
The Russian River bottling has shown itself [...]

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Jefferson and others in America’s early history admired the wines of Bordeaux and brought their passion to the early states. This line-up features a wine from the Virginia producer that so delighted us last week and a well-regarded fourth growth of Bordeaux.
Rappahannock Cellars Virginia Cabernet Franc 2006
There’s fresh red fruits and the herbaceousness and acidity [...]

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Chateau Gravas Sauternes 2004
This wine hasn’t been a show stopper but it isn’t bad. I mean this in the best way possible. Sauternes from the heavyweight producers has become prohibitively expensive for many. The Gravas offers a glimpse of what Sauternes tastes like, albeit in a light-bodied, thinner expression. 90% Semillon and 10% Sauvignon Blanc [...]

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Castellare Chianti Classico 2004
This estate has traditionally shown an Old World expression in their wines from Tuscany. This wine is spot-on again, showing the lean and acidic style of Sangiovese with a touch of green character. The grapes are mostly Sangiovese followed by Canaiolo. The wine was feremented in stainless and aged in French oak. [...]

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Two of the leading white wine varieties make up this tiny flight.
Berger Kremstal Gruner Veltliner 2006 This wine has been a value and notice you get a super size. Again tonight this wine is on target, lean and acidic. Estate bottled by E. & M. Berger in Gedersdorf in Krems 13% $9.99 at Bottle [...]

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This flight features 5 wines where Cabernet and others of the famous 5 make an appearance, in vintages ranging from 2005 back to 2002.
The Sinskey and ZD were the clear favorites from the recent vintages in this flight. Their overt fruit was delightful and they each showed a good balance of acidity, such that no [...]

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Carol Shelton Sonoma County Black Magic Late Harvest Zinfandel 2006 Many feel that Carol has a magic hand when it comes to Zin. This offering for dessert is on the lighter side of RS with just 6.5% residual sugar, making it ideal for fresh berries, served cold with freshly whipped cream. V&B in Sebastopol 15.3% [...]

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In the search for ever more affordable Pinot Noir, California producers are looking abroad. The 1.5 litre offering from Gallo’s Twin Valley line now sports an Italian origin.
Gallo Twin Valley Provincia di Pavia Pinot Noir nv                                [...]

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La Spinetta Moscato d’Asti DOCG 2006
A favorite from the legend. I was blessed to meet Rivetti before the skyrocket to fame. This wine remains an affordable gem, with the essence of Muscat aching for fresh berries on a summer evening. White Muscat estate bottled in Castagnole Lanze 5.5% $17.95 at Traverso’s

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Cossart Gordon Madeira 5 Years Old Bual nv
This is a rich style of Madeira from the Bual grape, though not as sweet as Malmsey. P&B by the Madeira Wine Company in Funchal 19% $19.99 at Bottle Barn Cossart Gordon 

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Paolo Scavino Barolo DOCG 2003
The Scavino wines show a consistent polish. There’s loads of black licorice to smell and the tannins, while definitely present, have some ripeness that soften the hard edges of this youthful wine. There’s also a fair bit of acid providing balance and length. This is all Nebbiolo, vinified in stainless and [...]

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Seghesio Alexander Valley Barbera 2006
Previous vintages with the broader Sonoma appellation showed the zip of Barbera with a richness to take Barbera beyond it’s workhorse role as a mere foil to fatty food. This latest offering repeats the style. The smell is exuding with oak, like a trip to the woodshed. There is a a [...]

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Allegrini Valpolicella DOC 2006
This wine has been consistently clean and refreshingly full of acidity, though in previous vintages it was labeled as being only from the Classico district. 60% Corvina, 35% Rondinella and 5% Molinara. Estate bottled in Fumane di Valpolicella 13% $14.95 in the spring of ‘08 and up $3 to $17.99 in [...]

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Domaine Arlaud Bourgogne Roncevie 2006
Give it time to open and then the cherries and earthy character will show. Plenty of acidity and a touch of tannin. Sourced from the lieux-dit Roncevie in Gevrey. Mis a Morey Saint Denis 12.5% $19.99 at Bottle Barn.
Domaine Arlaud Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Aux Combottes 2003
Sweet oak after the wine [...]

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Vision Cellars Santa Lucia Highlands Garys’ Vineyard Pinot Noir 2005 The nose is sweet with a sense of stewed cherries. The palate is rich and fruity, framed by acidity with a little warmth. Winemaker Mac MacDonald. P&B in Rutherford 14.5% $49.95 at Bottle Barn              Vision Cellars
Siduri Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir 2005
P&B in Santa [...]

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