Carol Shelton, Mendocino County, Rendezvous Rose 2008 The nose is vibrantly fruity, evocative of fresh raspberries and herbs. In the mouth it is dry and fruity, with a little warmth.  The RS adds some weight, filling our the wine and amplifying the fruitiness. The organically grown grapes are all Carignane sourced from the Cox Vineyeard. [...]

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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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Chronicle, Sonoma Coast, Pinot Noir 2006 The nose sports sweet cherry and raspberries, with vanilla and cinnamon. The mouth shows these fruits again in a sleek format, a texture that is silky and ripe – delicious. Think about this Pinot when you want one to drink straight away; the soft profile makes it immediately accessible.
[...]

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The Wine Institute and the California Association of Winegrape Growers hosted a seminar and tasting yesterday to showcase the passing of the torch in California’s winegrowing families.
Featured speakers included Warren Bogle, whose family has been farming in Clarksburg for 6 generations. I’ve often featured their great value wines on this blog and in my classes. [...]

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Esterlina, Anderson Valley, Estate Vineyard, Pinot Noir 2007 The fruit is quite expressive in the nose – an explosion of red and black fruits with a smoky note for complexity. In the mouth the fruit shines again with plenty of acidity and a supple texture. Warm up the barbie for some grilled salmon. P&B in [...]

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Husch, Mendocino, Renegade, Sauvignon Blanc 2007 This is a rounder style of Sauvignon with the enhancement of oak. The wine takes its name from the ‘renegade’ yeasts that are allowed to ply their craft without the help of their cultured cousins. The grapes are a special selection from the family’s La Ribera Vineyards. The wine [...]

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Navarro, Mendocino, Chenin Blanc 2008 This dry, high acid Chenin is bursting with the taste of green apples and lime – very nice. Tasting a second bottle in December I have to reiterate the refreshing, tangy character of this wine, long lasting and delicious.
As always, I would like to see more people growing this wonderful [...]

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Copain, Anderson Valley, ‘Tous Ensemble’, Rose 2008 This rose has developed a rather rustic character. With 12 hours the funkier smells have blown off. The fruit, however, is receding and the alcohol is showing more of itself, with a sense of astringency.
This is frankly surprising after tasting the delightful Tous Ensemble Viognier and Pinot, reviewed [...]

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Navarro, Mendocino, Gewurztraminer, Grape Juice 2008
This has long been a personal favorite of mine and during our trip to Mendo in March we were treated to a new way to enjoy it. At Cafe Beaujolais the juice was made into a spritzer with soda water. Throughout the summer we repeated the scene at home, enjoying [...]

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Husch, Anderson Valley, Gewurztraminer 2007 This Gewurz has a lot of sweet perfume in the nose. In the mouth, it’s fresh, tasting of lychee with just a bit of RS at .8% – nice. GP&B in Philo 13.9% $9.99 at Bottle Barn Husch

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Schramsberg, North Coast, Cremant, Demi-Sec 2004 There’s sweet tropical fruit in the nose, with flowers and perfume. In the mouth this wine is lightly sweet, with a fruity core and a little bitterness. The grapes are 84% Flora, 9% Chardonnay, 6% Pinot Noir and 1% Gewurztraminer sourced from Napa 89%, Mendocino 7% and Sonoma 4%.
Flora [...]

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Roederer Estate, Anderson Valley, L’Ermitage, Brut 2002 The nose opens with fresh biscuits, citrus and stone fruits, also calling to mind a freshly baked fruit tart. In the mouth this wine is very concentrated and full of the flavor of green apples in all of there glorious tartness. Yet that bracing aspect is enhanced by [...]

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Schramsberg, North Coast, Mirabelle, Brut Rose nv There’s a red-fruited sweetness in the nose, reminiscent of the cherries jubilee that I used to whip up table side back in the day. In the mouth the fruity theme continues with moderate acidity and a touch of warmth. The grapes behind this bubbly are 66% Chardonnay and [...]

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Like Rosenblum Cellars on the San Francisco Bay, you can literally arrive by boat when you visit Ceago Vinegarden. The estate takes its name from a Pomo Indian word and is pronounced in the same way as Diego. It is situated in a gem of a spot on the northeastern shore of Clear Lake, in [...]

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Edmeades, Redwood Valley, Piffero Vineyard, Zinfandel 2005 The fruit has taken on a sweet character, seemingly combining fresh and dried cherries. The wine fills out the entire palate with flavor in a supple way – delicious. P&B in Geyserville 15.5% $25.79 at Bottle Barn Edmeades

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Goldeneye, Anderson Valley, Migration Pinot Noir 2007 This vintage features zesty berry fruit and brambles in the nose. In the mouth  it is full of fruit with a light touch of oak to complement. The acidity keeps this light-bodied Pinot fresh. P&B in Philo 14.5% $33.99 at Bottle Barn Goldeneye

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Handley, Anderson Valley, Pinot Gris 2007 Green herbs and spicy flowers mark the nose. In the mouth, this wine is crisp with a rounded quality. P&B in Philo 14.1% $11.99 at Bottle Barn Handley

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Husch, Mendocino, Chenin Blanc 2008 Perfume and ripe tropical fruit mark the nose while the mouth features a subtle amout of RS at 1.4%. GP&B in Ukiah 13% $7.99 at Bottle Barn Husch

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Handley, Anderson Valley, Pinot Noir 2006 This year the AV Pinot is a little warmer than in the past, with veery ripe berries showing through in the mouth. Winemaker Milla Handley. P&B in Philo 14.5% $23.99 at Bottle Barn Handley

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Carol Shelton, Mendocino County, Rendezvous Rose 2007 This wine is redolent of strawberries – just bountiful! In the mouth this rose is truly dry yet with plenty of fruit it comes across as quite concentrated.  I bought a 6 pack of this a few months ago and I think it is showing the best of [...]

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Copain, Mendocino County, ‘Tous Ensemble’, Viognier 2007
It’s a pleasure to find a tasty Viognier under 14% and this one delivers with the classic peaches and flowers – fresh and delicious. P&B in Healdsburg 13.7% $17.99 at Traverso’s Copain Wines

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Kimmel, Mendocino, Chardonnay 2007 The tropical notes on this wine are explosive.  It’s as if there’s a banana Popsicle hiding in the glass. Joining with the fruit there are brown spices and a sense of freshly-split oak. In the mouth the wine is quite ripe, with oakiness, warmth and tropical fruit showing on a silky [...]

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Navarro, Anderson Valley, Estate Bottled, Dry, Gewurztraminer 2007 Another long-time favorite from Navarro that captures the smell of Gewurz without the sweetness. In the nose it is like roses and baby powder while the mouth is fuller-bodied than you find in the darling Muscat along with a touch of the natural bitterness that often comes [...]

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Navarro Vineyards, Anderson Valley, Estate Bottled, Dry Muscat 2007 This wine has consistently dazzled with the ebulent smell of Muscat in a dry format. The ‘07 is spot-on again with loads of orange blossom in the nose. In the mouth there’s a sense of eating a tangerine with the acidity of a lemon while the [...]

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Carol Shelton, Mendocino County, Cox Vineyard, Wild Thing, Zinfandel 2004 Jammy berry and black pepper star in the nose while the mouth features an almost liqueur-like sense of blackberries. V&B in Sebastopol 16% $29.99 at the Wine Merchant Carol Shelton

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Navarro, Anderson Valley, Mendocino, Riesling 2007 Unfortunately the first bottle was a little corked and the wet cardboard was rearing its ugly head. Yet behind that was the essence of lime. With more than ample acidity, the .8% RS is buried into the background giving a dry yet not austere approach to this great grape [...]

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Navarro, Anderson Valley, Mendocino, Pinot Gris 2006 The nose sports candied citrus and tropical notes while the mouth is fruity and round with a spark of acidity. The time in bottle has added some nice complexity to a wine that we often drink before that can develop.
While taking a long weekend in Mendocino, we purchased [...]

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During the Winemakers of Sonoma Class at the Santa Rosa Junior College, we’ve been visiting with some of the region’s most famous stars. Mike Lee charted the history of winemaking in the area and his list of Big Improvements for Better Wine, including gentler pumps, sorting tables and the ability to de-alc. a wine. His [...]

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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 months in French oak. P&B in Sebastopol 14.5% $55 at the winery MacPhail Family Wines

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Eaglepoint, Mendocino County, Albarino 2007 In the nose there are stone fruits, candy and flowers. The mouth is spot-on crisp and fruity. The grapes are sourced from Rolland and Barbara Wentzel’s organic property in the Anderson Valley. Cellared and bottled in Redwood Valley 13.9% $14.49 at Bottle Barn Eaglepoint Ranch

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