Flora Springs, Napa Valley, Trilogy 2001 There is a medley of brown spices in the nose and a supple, now is the time to drink this, profile in the mouth. There’s complexity and the acidic frame carrying on - nice. The grapes are 50% Cabernet, 30% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. P&B in St. Helena [...]

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Chateau Nenin, Pomerol 2002 Stepping back a year to the ‘02, there is a sense of earthy cheese rind in the nose. This is much more rustic than the ‘03, with ample acidity and chewy tannins.
Notes on the newer ‘03:  My earlier notes this year show a supple wine filled through with blue fruit. Tonight [...]

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Chateau Fombrauge,Saint-Emilion, Grand Cru 2005 The nose is smoky and toasty with tobacco lead and cherries. The sense of pipe tobacco follows through in the mouth ripe red fruits and the structure that you expect in Bordeaux. There is great balance between all of the parameters and while drinkable now, this would soften considerably with [...]

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Baglio di Pinaetto, Sicilia IGT, Cembali, Nero d’Avola 2004 Unfortunately this bottle was corked. The grapes were sourced from the Noto region of Sicilia. 14% $36 at Traverso’s Baglio di Pianetto
Cusumano, Sicilia IGT Sagana 2005 There’s plenty of raisined fruit to smell. The mouth is vibrantly acidic, with tar, earth, tannin and again the raisins [...]

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Chateau Bertineau St.-Vincent, Lalande-de-Pomerol 2004 The nose is restrained upon first pouring with a little sense of stewed fruit coming through. When I opened this wine, there was some carmelized remnants of wine that leaked earlier. Thus I don’t know what sort of temperature or other abuse this bottle might have suffered so we’re not [...]

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Chateau Sociando-Mallet, Haut-Medoc 2004 The smells are a mix of earth, cedar, toasty oak and a fitting amount of the barnyard. The mouth if full of plummy fruit with grip. This is definitely leaner and tighter than the ‘05 which is quite seductive already. Give it at least 30 minutes to open up though the [...]

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Downtown Healdsburg has become a destination for luxurious wine and food experiences. One of the venues in which to indulge, just off the square, is the tasting room of Williamson Wines.
The beauty of the tasting that Bill and Dawn Williamson organize is the emphasis on food and how their wines interact with food.
Bill grew up [...]

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Corte Gardoni, Bardolino, DOC Le Fontane 2006 The previous vintage sported a Beaujolais-like character, in the Nouveau vein, a carbo-mac fruit bomb with very light body – ideal for lunch in the sun when you demand red wine. This current vintage was quite stinky at the outset, but the fruit popped out later, in a [...]

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Chateau Sociando-Mallet Haut-Medoc 2005
Toasty oak, ripe tannins and black fruits - delicious. 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc from vines at an average 30 years old. Mis au chateau par Jean Gautreau in St. Seurin de Cadourne 13% $54.99 at Beverages & more!
Sequoia Grove Rutherford Napa Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2001
The last [...]

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Christian Moueix Bordeaux Merlot 2003
From the Petrus folks, a value-oriented red from the land of very expensive wine. This is on the earthy side with fruit that is evolving in a raisin direction; it’s light-bodied and acidic. Mis en bouteille par Jean-Pierre Moueix a Libourne 13% $11.99 at Beverages & more!
Selene Napa Valley Frediani Vineyard [...]

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Clarendon Hills Clarendon Brookman Merlot 2005
Roman Bratasiuk pulls no punches with his opulent wines. This Merlot features ripe fruit and the cigar box characters we often associate with Bordeaux. The texture is oh so plush. P&B in Blewitt Springs 14.5% $60 suggested retail in the United States Clarendon Hills
Geyser Peak Alexander Valley Reserve Alexandre Meritage [...]

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Traditional appellation wine versus a modern blend from Piemonte.
Vietti Barolo DOCG Castiglione 2004
Brown spices and licorice on a very tannic frame that is balanced by acidity and extract. 100% Nebbiolo from the municipality of Castiglione Falletto. Estate Bottled in Castiglione 14% $38.99 at Bottle Barn Vietti
Braida Monferrato Rosso DOC Il Baciale 2005
Red and blackfruits, earthiness [...]

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Styker Sonoma sits on a little hill with a broad view of the Alexander Valley. We recently visited with Jen Berman on the winemaking team and the Bordeaux varietals were top-notch.  I thoroughly enjoyed the chocolaty Merlot and the supple and vanilla spiced Petit.  As I’ve written before, Petit can have tannins that are tough [...]

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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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Mollydooker South Australia Merlot 2006
Sourced from Padthaway and McLaren Vale 15.5% $18.99 at Bottle Barn Mollydooker

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Wynns Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
Mild green elements add a nice complexity to the cherry fruit. This is a light-bodied Cabernet with a complementary level of acidity. All Cabernet aged in new and used French and US oak. Winemaker Sue Hodder 13.5% $12.99 at K&L Wynns
Pirramimma McLaren Vale Petit Verdot 2003
This wine is quite refined, showing [...]

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J. Wilkes Santa Barbara County Bien Nacido Vyds Pinot Blanc 2005
Clean, lime and candy like a Riesling, quite dry with perhaps a bit of warmth which disappearred with chilling, long flavor of lime Bot. in Sant Maria 14.1% $20 at the Wine Emporium.
Ancien Carneros Sangiacomo Vineyard Pinot Gris 2006
Fresh fruit galore to smell, lusch fruit, [...]

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