Wine Regions & Grapes
Sampling of Wineries
Acorn Andrea Oberto Atlas Peak Benziger Beringer Blandy's Bodega Navarro Correas Burgans Cantina Terlano Chimney Rock Chronicle Domaine Carneros Domaine de la Mordoree Dow's Dr. Loosen Emilio Lustau Fonseca Foxen Gaston Riviere Glen Ellen Hess Collection Innocent Bystander Kendall-Jackson Korbel La Caudrina Luna Vineyards Madeira Wine Company Martin Codax Masi Merryvale Mulderbosch Navarro Vineyards Pahlmeyer Roederer Estate Ruggeri Sawyer Cellars Sbragia Six Sigma Winery St. James Steltzner Vineyards Trinchero Winery Trione V. Sattui Winery William Fevre Wilson Winery
Monthly Archives: January 2009
S3x Late Harvest Riesling 2006
S3x, Russian River Valley, Late Harvest, Riesling 2006 Tasted back in early ’08 this wine was a show-stopper. Now in early ’09 the dried apricots are still shining with essence of honey in the nose. What makes this wine so … Continue reading
Chateau Guiraud Sauternes 2005
Chateau Guiraud, Sauternes 2005 Minerality, honey and tropical fruits mark the nose. The mouth is all caramel with hints of that minerality – destined to be drunk with creme caramel. 85 hectares are planted to 65% Semillon and 35% Sauvignon … Continue reading
Posted in Bordeaux, France, Late Harvest White, Sauternes, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, White Dessert
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Focus on the Sonoma Coast
James Family, Sonoma Coast, Stony Point Vineyard, Pinot Noir 2007 The nose features sweet fruit, earthiness and a little warmth while the mouth is a delicious combination of red fruits, earthiness and brown spices. P&B by the James Family in … Continue reading
Posted in California, Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County
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Another look at Central Otago
Mt. Difficulty, Central Otago, Roaring Meg, Pinot Noir 2006 The red fruit smells blend with a bit of compost in the nose. The mouth is tart and a little tannic and lasts a long time. P&B in Bannockburn 14.5% $17.99 … Continue reading
Posted in Central Otago, New Zealand, Pinot Noir
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MacPhail Frattey Shams Pinot 2006
MacPhail Family, Anderson Valley, Frattey Shams Vineyard, Pinot Noir 2006 This wine is smoky and warm in the nose and pure suppleness in the mouth. The cherry fruit integrates perfectly with the oak – very polished. The wine spent 11 … Continue reading
Posted in Anderson Valley, California, Mendocino County, Pinot Noir
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Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir 2006
Cloudy Bay, Marlborough, Pinot Noir 2006 In the nose there are fresh and lightly stewed cherries. This wine demonstrates the tart character that Pinot can display and how refreshing and food-friendly that can be. The mouthfeel is creamy as well, … Continue reading
Posted in Marlborough, New Zealand, Pinot Noir
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Saint Clair Marlborough Pinot 2007
Saint Clair, Marlborough, Pinot Noir 2007 Give this new vintage a little air to blow off a bit of reductive character. The fruit is quite alive in the mouth, clean and lively with a price that makes it a great … Continue reading
Posted in Marlborough, New Zealand, Pinot Noir
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Kosta Browne Amber Ridge Pinot 2004
Kosta Browne, Russian River Valley, Amber Ridge Vineyard, Pinot Noir 2004 Sweet oak and brown spices blend with some notes of evolution as this wine develops bottle bouquet. It’s beginning to move into a more complex realm where Pinot shows … Continue reading
Posted in California, Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County
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Williams Selyem Rochioli Riverblock Pinot 2006
Williams Selyem, Russian River Valley, Rochioli Riverblock Vineyard, Pinot Noir 2006 The fruit smells from the nose just pop out at you, a mix of the fresh and the candied. In the mouth, the fruit repeats with a creaminess that … Continue reading
Posted in California, Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County
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Rochioli RRV Pinot 2006
Rochioli, Russian River Valley, Pinot Noir 2006 There’s a very sweet expression of fruit in the nose. The mouth is repeats this theme delivering long on the fruit – there’s a yumminess to this wine. Estate grown, produced & bottled … Continue reading
Posted in California, Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County
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Jon Bonne – San Francisco Chronicle
A wine competition takes a broader view – Jon Bonne. Read the story on his blog at SFGate.com by following the link in the judging photo below.
Posted in Media
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Monday interview on Sirius
Coming up on Monday, I’ll be on the Living Today show on Martha Stewart Living Radio, on Serious Satellite Radio. The interview will be live at 2:00 p.m. eastern, 11:00 a.m. pacific time. The topic is ‘Winning Wines You Don’t … Continue reading
Posted in Interviews, Media
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Bernard Dugat-Py Bourgogne 2005
Domaine Bernard Dugat-Py, Bourgogne 2005 I’m afraid that there are some bound-up sulfur issues making this wine reek of H2S. After 2 hours the wine has cleaned up but how many people will wait that long hoping that this wine … Continue reading
Posted in Burgundy, France, Pinot Noir
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Perrot-Minot Cuvee Martine Pinot Noir 2005
Domaine Perrot-Minot, Cuvee Martine, Pinot Noir, Red Table Wine 2005 There are brambles and green herbs intertwined with the cherries in the nose of this wine. The palate is tight and acidic, tasting of tart cherries while being shrouded in … Continue reading
Posted in Burgundy, France, Pinot Noir
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Calera Selleck Pinot 2005
Calera, Mt. Harlan, Selleck Vineyard, Pinot Noir 2005 Cherries and a kiss of oak mark the nose while the mouth is an elegant expression of cherries and suppleness without being flabby. P&B in Hollister 15% $62.49 at Bottle Barn Calera
Posted in California, Mt. Harlan, Pinot Noir, San Benito County
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Londer Paraboll Pinot 2006
Londer Vineyards, Anderson Valley, Paraboll, Pinot Noir 2006 There’s doughy notes infused with caramel and a spiritous character. In the mouth, the wine is stamped with a sweet oaky essense and a supple texture. The grapes for this wine were … Continue reading
Posted in Anderson Valley, California, Mendocino County, Pinot Noir
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Anne Gros Bourgogne 2006
Domaine Anne Gros, Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2006 Give it a bit of time to blow off a little stink and then the red fruits come alive with a sense of earthiness and a little stemmy character. This certainly a chewy … Continue reading
Posted in Burgundy, France, Pinot Noir
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Copain Tous Ensemble Pinot 2007
Copain, Anderson Valley, ‘Tous Ensemble’, Pinot Noir 2007 This wine is quite toasty and smoky with forest floor earthiness as well. In the mouth, the palate is complete and filled-out with flavor with plenty of acidity to frame it and … Continue reading
Posted in Anderson Valley, Mendocino County, Pinot Noir
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Sylvie Esmonin Cuvee Sylvie 2005
Domaine Sylvie Esmonin, Bourgogne, Cuvee Sylvie 2005 This wine is quite toasty with notes of rubber and caramel. The acidity is turbocharged making this electric in the mouth, amplifying the black candied fruit flavors. The fruit is sourced from vineyards … Continue reading
Posted in Burgundy, Pinot Noir
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Kent Rasmussen Pinot 2006
Kent Rasmussen, Carneros, Pinot Noir 2006 There are very sweet, liquer-like aromas mixed with some barnyard notes for complexity. In the mouth this wine is supple and sweet-appearing, the fruit being quite concentrated. The finish goes on and on. P&B … Continue reading
Posted in California, Carneros, Pinot Noir
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ZD Pinot 2007
ZD, Carneros, Pinot Noir 2007 The nose features fresh and stewed fruits as well as leather. In the mouth the consistent acidity comes through making this a refreshing Pinot, lively and vibrant. This wine originates with Pinot grown in certified … Continue reading
Posted in California, Carneros, Pinot Noir
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San Francisco Chronicle Wine Judges
One of our judges at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition is Larry Van Aalst, Sommelier at Equus Restaurant at the Fountaingrove in Santa Rosa, CA He is also the host of the Sonoma Report on CRN Digital Talk Radio. … Continue reading
Posted in Interviews, Media
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Quady Essensia 2007
Quady, California, Essensia, Orange Muscat 2007 Citrus, flowers and herbal notes and a hint of the fortifying spirit mark the nose. The mouth is fresh and citrussy, sweet but not cloying with a little appropriate warmth. P&B in Madera 15% … Continue reading
Posted in California, Muscat, White Dessert
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d’Arenberg Dead Arm 2006
d’Arenberg, McLaren Vale, The Dead Arm, Shiraz 2006 This wine is dense all around, from the color to the palate. Black fruits combine with hints of eucalyptus. The mouth is taught, just a baby yet the tannins are ripe with … Continue reading
Posted in Australia, McLaren Vale, South Australia, Syrah
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Alto Moncayo 2006
Bodegas Alto Moncayo, Campo De Borja DO 2006 The previous vintage was like what it would be like to drink candy – supple and rich, sweet-appearing as well. The ‘06 is even more so with tons of oak on top. … Continue reading
Posted in Campo De Borja, Grenache, Spain
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Castellare Chianti Classico 2005
Castellare, Chianti Classico 2005 This estate has traditionally shown an Old World expression in their wines from Tuscany. There is a combination of cherry fruit and earthiness in the nose. The mouth showcases lean and tart cherry flavors – right … Continue reading
Posted in Chianti Classico, Italy, Sangiovese, Tuscany
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Karthauserhof Auslese Trocken “S” 2007
Karthauserhof, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Eitelsbacher, Karthauserhofberg, Riesling, Auslese, Trocken “S” 2007 There is a bevy of sweet flowers to smell in this wine. In the mouth, there is electric acidity and just a touch of RS in this very concentrated, trocken gem. … Continue reading
Posted in Germany, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Riesling
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Weinbach Cuvee Theo Riesling 2006
Domaine Weinbach, Alsace, Cuvee Theo, Riesling 2006 The petrol elements are coming through in the nose. In the mouth, the wine is mineral-driven, hard and still a baby, quite dry and tasting of lime. Mis en bouteille par the Faller … Continue reading
Posted in Alsace, France, Riesling
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