Kathryn Kenndy, Santa Cruz Mountains, Maridon Vineyard, Reserve, Syrah 2002 This was a delicious wine and I can’t tell you why for the notes are in a journal that I’ve misplaced. Yet I feel compelled to share the story – sometimes the deliciousness of a wine stands out strongly in memory even when the reasons [...]

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Proprietor Mike Hengehold was on hand at ZAP today in San Francisco to showcase his Zin portfolio. He is sourcing fruit from vines that were planted in the Russian River long before I was born. The fruit hangs well into October yet achieves sugars of only 24 brix.
Why not higher? Well life can move slowly [...]

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Petaluma, Piccadilly Valley, Chardonnay 2004 The nose offers toastiness, freshly split oak and vanilla with a sense of ripe, tropical fruit. In the mouth the viscosity is matched by steely acidity, combining the best of Burgundian austerity and Australian flamboyance.
I’ve been a fan of Petaluma since Brian Croser paid a visit to our class at [...]

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We had a great visit today with Kryss Speegle at Kenwood Vineyards. She took the class through a tasting of wines through the years so that everyone could experience the evolution a wine goes through, form early days to long term bottle aging. The crowning jewel of the tasting was this gem from the cellar:
Kenwood, [...]

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St. James Winery, Ozark Mountain, Vintner’s Select, Semi-Dry, Vignoles 2006 This wine is like peaches in a glass, infused with simple syrup to add richness. The viscosity is balanced by acidity making for  delightful wine to pair with the spicy prawns you’re planning for the barbecue when the weather clears.

Winemaker Andrew Meggitt. Produced and bottled [...]

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Luna, Napa Valley, Sangiovese 2007 This is a light-bodied and fruit forward Sangiovese to tickle the heart of died in the wool New World wine drinkers. I’m a huge fan of Sangiovese but often when I introduce a classic model from Tuscany, a number of people in class will be knocked over by the acidity. [...]

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Saint Clair,  Marlborough, Vicar’s Choice, Sauvignon Blanc 2008 In the nose you’ll find apricot and green pepper spiced up with floral notes. In the mouth the acidity is vibrant and the body light with a bit of petillance – a nice refresher.

Vicar’s Range is positioned as the family’s lifestyle range emphasizing value for money. Owned [...]

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Innocent Bystander, Victoria, Shiraz-Viognier 2006 It’s very neat how you get the ripeness of Shiraz, the black fruits that we love, with the cooler climate marker of black pepper, all in one bottle. This is a great walk down the middle of Syrah/Shiraz paradigms. In the mouth it is soft and ripe with a nice [...]

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On Tuesday night at 6:00 p.m. pacific time I’ll be on the air with Cellars of Sonoma.

Listen in or join me live at their tasting room in Santa Rosa. Cheers!

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King Estate, Oregon, Signature Collection, Pinot Gris 2007 In the nose I found tropical fruit, I swear it smelled like lychee. Also there was a spicy floral note, like geranium leaves with some grass and a bit of mint. In the mouth I tasted mango, orange with a touch of residual sugar. The palate was [...]

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Bodega Celdran, Sonoma County, Vinto Tinto, Reserva 2004
In the nose you’ll find read fruits and cedar with a bit of the sweet tobacco of Bordeaux. In the mouth the texture is supple, the fruit is ripe and an Old World sense of leather adds complexity – nice. The wine’s acidity is making my mouth water [...]

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I hope you don’t think that I’m on the payroll at Trione ’cause here is another review of a super wine. At the Chronicle judges’ dinner last week we were each given a gift-wrapped bottle of a wine to take home after dinner.
That meant that between Linda and I we had scored two bottles of [...]

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Prairie Berry, South Dakota, red ass rhubarb nv
This wine sports a great balance of sweetness and acidity while tasting as if you have the live fruit in your mouth – delicious! The fruit behind this wine is 90% rhubarb grown in South Dakota and 10% raspberries.
This wine won big at this year’s San Francisco Chronicle [...]

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Trione, Russian River Valley, River Road Ranch, Pinot Noir 2008 In the nose you’ll find sweet red fruit with pastry notes, think cherry pie, warm and aromatic. In the mouth you’ll find a supple expression of that cherry pie, absolutely luscious. The fruit is sourced from a vineyard that the Trione’s have owned for over [...]

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Blandy’s, Madeira, 5 Year Old, Verdelho nv The flavor profile puts together the best of Amontillado from Spain with a splash of sweetness. You’ll find a woody, nutty essence with warmth and dried oranges.
This is a weighty aperitif that celebrates bold flavours and an underlying sense of the fortifying spirit. Verdelho is a style of [...]

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Keuka Spring, Finger Lakes, Gewurztraminer 2008 The nose features spicy floral notes, like roses and very pretty at that. In the mouth it is round, with a little RS, lots of lychee fruit, and a brightness that eludes many of the same grape – brilliant.
This wine was a big winner at this year’s Chronicle where [...]

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The final round of judging in the 2010 Pinot Noir Shootout was held today at Bistro Boudin on Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. I was asked to join about 30 other judges to pick the best of the best from over 250 entries across the world.
It was an easy day of judging, tasting just 32 [...]

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Francois Chidaine, Montlouis sur Loire, Clos Habert 2007 This wine was a tremendous disappointment after my experience with the previous vintage, reviewed earlier. First it was worrisome that the colour was quite golden.
Smelling the wine was a first rate example of VA, one that I could use in a seminar on wine flaws. Ethyl acetate [...]

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This morning I visited with Henry Tennenbaum of KRON-TV 4. During our segment we sprinted through a tasting of these four Judges’ Choice Winners. My notes are just a brief snapshot from memory so pick up a bottle of each yourself and luxuriate in a slower pace over dinner to gain the full experience.

Navarro Vineyards, [...]

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The Results are coming tomorrow – online first at SFGate.
It’s been a grueling week in Cloverdale at the top end of Sonoma County. Chris Sawyer is one of over 60 judges who lent a palate to help evaluate 4,913 wines this year.
Our team has been running what has become the largest judging of American [...]

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Peterson, Dry Creek Valley, Timbercrest Farms, Sauvignon Blanc 2008 During my visit at Peterson earlier in 2009 I was enamored with the ‘08 Sauvignon and purchased a case. In May I wrote the following post: This wine is vibrant with citrus and accentuated by oakiness.
I often mention to my classes the pleasure and trepidation in [...]

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This flight provides a nice contrast of Sauvignon styles. You have the same winery, same county, same grape, same vintage, 2 vineyards and 2 takes on how to handle this grape in the winery. Both are great but as you’ll see in the notes, you might gravitate to one style or the other depending upon [...]

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Paul Hobbs, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 This is a truly delicious wine, showing the polish that you expect from Hobbs. Though it can improve in the cellar it is spot-on drinkable right now.
A good friend shared this with us at Christmas, when we paired it with Magret de Canard, with a reduction sauce made [...]

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