Chalone Vineyard, Chalone, Estate Grown, Chenin Blanc 2006 I’m a huge fan of Chenin so I come at this review in a bit of a quandary. We visited the winery last week and had an opportunity to see the vines that produce this wine. They are truly old soldiers, planted in 1919, weathered and gnarly, [...]

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Scheid Vineyards, Monterey, Estate Grown, Sauvignon Blanc 2007 This wine features a nice burst of grapefruit, moderate concentration and a little warmth. 90% of the wine was produced in stainless while the remaining 10% was aged in three year-old French oak barrels.
Estate grown, produced and bottled in Greenfield 13.5% $18 at the winery and a [...]

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J. Lohr Estates, Monterey County, Bay Mist, White Riesling 2007 The nose features minerality and a little petrol. Over the years this wine has been spot-on with light RS and balancing acidity. 100% Riesling with some botrytis, all stainless, and 21.9 g/l RS, P&B San Jose 11.5% $8.49 at Bottle Barn Lohr

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Claiborne & Churchill, Central Coast, Dry Riesling 2007 Fortunately I had the opportunity to try this wine again after the corked bottled discussed previously. In the nose are stone fruits, flintiness and a bit of the petrol character we associate with Riesling. In the mouth the wine expresses its fruit in tandem with minerality and [...]

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Graff Family Vineyards, Chalone, Viognier 2007 Smelling the glass is like getting close to a bottle of perfume – very pretty and enticing. There’s loads of peaches in this wine with a sense of acidity in the background making this a bit fresher and more lively than some of the richer incarnations of this grape [...]

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Siduri, Santa Lucia Highlands, Pisoni Vineyard, Pinot Noir 2007 The smell combines berries and the forest floor. In the mouth, the fruit is almost a bit liqueur-like, very ripe and a little warm. P&B in Santa Rosa 14.1% $47.99 at Bottle Barn Siduri Wines

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Belle Glos, Monterey County, Santa Lucia Highlands, Las Alturas Vineyard, Pinot Noir 2006 There’s smoke, liquer-like fruit and dusty cedar in the nose while the mouth follows through with warmth and earthiness on a supple blanket. Winemaker Joseph Wagner of the Caymus empire. Produced and bottled in Rutherford 15.1% $49.99 at Bottle Barn Belle Glos [...]

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Ventana Vineyards, Monterey, Arroyo Seco, Riesling 2007 I only had a fleeting chance to taste this wine during the segment with Henry on KRON when we blasted through the sweeps winners of this year’s Chronicle Wine Competition. Tonight I get to take it slow and really enjoy this wine. In the nose there is minerality [...]

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Kendall-Jackson, Santa Barbara 63% and Monterey County 37%, Grand Reserve, Pinot Noir 2005 There’s sweet, candied fruit smells and a supple, fruity palate graced by the sweetness of oak. The grapes are all Pinot Noir. The wine was aged in 100% French oak (36% new) for 9-10 months GP&B in Soledad 14.5% $25 at the [...]

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Savannah-Chanelle Vineyards, Santa Lucia Highlands, Pinot Noir 2000 This winery just won sweepstakes red at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition for one of its 2005 single vineyard bottlings from the Sonoma Coast. This regional bottling takes us back in time 8 years from the date of this tasting. The nose has developed dried and [...]

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Firestone, Central Coast, Vineyard Select, Riesling 2006 The smell of stone fruits and citrus greets you in the glass. In the mouth the wine is fresh, moderately acidic and graced by obvious residual sugar. The acid levels will seem faint to those who live on the Rieslings from the Eden and Clare in South Australia. [...]

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Hahn, Monterey, Chardonnay 2006 The smell of fresh oak is alive in the glass with some tropical fruit in the background. There’s oak to chew on in your mouth along with the flavors of butterscotch and caramel and a viscous impression that is supported by some acidity in the background. This is designed for the [...]

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Ghost Pines, Sonoma Napa and Monterey Counties, Winemaker’s Blend, Chardonnay 2006 Tropical fruits and toasty oak make up the nose. The oak follows through in the mouth without being overbearing and the little bit of butteriness enhances the mouth rather than making it clunky. It’s definitely driven more by the winemaking than the fruit in [...]

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Line Shack, San Antonio Valley California, Roussanne 2006 There are faint smells of stone fruit and some perfume. This is a light-bodied wine, a bit thin but not offensive with lowish acidity. C&B in Santa Maria 13.5% $18 at the winery but sold out Line Shack

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Thomas Fogarty, Monterey, Gewurztraminer 2003
Kudos to Fogarty for continuing to produce this wine. Earlier this summer we tasted the ‘06 which was showing these youthful characteriestics: spicy floral notes, a hint of RS and the taste of fresh lychee – a very fresh style of Gewurz. .4% RS. With this wine we travel back [...]

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Papapietro Perry Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2006
intensely concentrated berry, liquer-like fruit and a little warmth. P&B in Healdsburg 14.25% $38.49 at Bottle Barn Papapietro Perry
Sonnet Santa Lucia Highlands Tondre’s Grapefield Pinot Noir 2004
Smokey oak and cherry pie on a viscous palate. P&B in Los Gatos 13.5% $38 at the winery Sonnet
Domaine Arlaud Chambolle-Musigny 2003
Lots [...]

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Domaine Weinbach Alsace Grand Cru Schlossberg Riesling 2006
This wine is the middle offering of the domaine’s Rieslings designed for savoury food. There’s a beautiful perfume , lots of flowers and Riesling’s characteristic racy acidity. This dry wine is very concentrated. Mis en bouteille a la propriete a Kaysersberg 13.5% $42.99 at Bottle Barn Weinbach
Thomas Fogarty [...]

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Joelle Santa Lucia Highlands Sleepy Hollow Vineyard Pinot Noir 2006
Stony and warm with vanilla overtones. P&B in San Francisco 14.8% $44 at the winery Joelle
Truckee River Winery Santa Lucia Highlands Garys’ Vineyard 2005
Black fruits, cola, green herbs and a touch of alcohol mark the nose. The mouth is sweet-appearing, with red fruits and some warmth. [...]

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Albarino, a.k.a., Alvarinho, is hot. This refresher from Iberia is becoming more visible in America, with more imports from abroad and more plantings on the homefront.
Condes de Albarei, Rias Baixas DO, Albarino 2007 Fully aromatic and lip smacking with a sweet/tart character – delicious. Check that – I don’t mean that the wine is [...]

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Tasting through this flight of 3 can give you a sense of your favorite style of white wine. Perhaps you love the full on acidity of the Hanna, prefer the richness of the Benziger or find the light sweetness of the Lohr most appealing. Like me, you may enjoy them all, at different times and [...]

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Kendall-Jackson Arroyo Seco Late Harvest Chardonnay 2005
We’re featuring the wines of France tonight. As we don’t have a bottle of the Thevenet’s Late Harvest wine from the Macon, I thought we would taste one of the few late harvest Chardonnays produced in California. If you can imagine tangerines crystallized into a sugary dessert, preserving the [...]

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This flight features 4 Rieslings from trocken to Spat and Germany to Monterey
Carl Loewen Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Varidor Riesling Trocken 2005
Grapes sourced entirely from the Varidor Vineyard, wild yeast ferment and aging in neutral oak fuder. Terry Theise Selection, Qualitatswein A.P. Nr. 3 529 127 3 06, 12% $15.69 at Bottle Barn Loewen
Zilliken Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Saarburger Rausch Riesling [...]

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