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
Category Archives: Sonoma Coast
Cline Sonoma Coast Viognier 2008
Cline, Sonoma Coast, Estate Grown, Viognier 2008 The peachy character of Viognier expresses itself in the nose. In the mouth you’ll find more of the same, with some palpable acidity and a little touch of creaminess – nice. Knowing how … Continue reading
Gallo Estate Chardonnay 2005 take 2
Ernest & Julio Gallo, Sonoma Coast, Estate, Chardonnay 2005 This wine is firing on all cylinders: the fruit, the acidity and the complexing agents of the winemaker.This is a wine that would make an aritisan in the village of Meursault … Continue reading
Posted in California, Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County
Tagged Ernest & Julio Gallo
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Chronicle Pinot Noirs 2006
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 … Continue reading
Posted in Anderson Valley, California, Mendocino County, Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County
Tagged Chronicle
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Fort Ross Rose 2008
Fort Ross, Sonoma Coast, Fort Ross Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Rose 2008 There are cherries and raspberries in the nose and the mouth is bone dry with a little warmth. P&B in Napa 14.2% purchased for $9.69 at Bottle Barn Fort … Continue reading
Posted in California, Pinot Noir, Rosé, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County
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Gallo Estate Chardonnay 2005
Ernest & Julio Gallo, Sonoma Coast, Estate, Chardonnay 2005 The nose features toasty oak and freshly baked biscuits. In the mouth the richness of the notes described in the nose is accentuated by a thickness and viscosity yet there is … Continue reading
Posted in California, Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County
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Davis Family Pinot 2007
The Davis Family brand has stood for great Pinot and you see that in the latest crop of wines which garnered honors at this year’s Harvest Fair in Sonoma. Davis Family, Russian River Valley, Pinot Noir 2007 Sweet caramel combines … Continue reading
Posted in California, Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County
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DeLoach Chardonnays 2007
DeLoach, Sonoma Coast, Golden Coast, Chardonnay 2007 The nose features plenty of fresh oak. In the mouth there is more of the same with green apples and warmth. The wine was barrel fermented and the lees were stirred. P&B in … Continue reading
Posted in California, Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County
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MacMurray Ranch Pinots 2007
MacMurray Ranch, Central Coast, Pinot Noir 2007 Give this wine a good 20 minutes of air and the perfume will come through in the nose, with candied fruit and floral notes. In the mouth this light-bodied wine has refreshing acidity … Continue reading
Mayo Pinot Gris 2007
Mayo Family Winery, Sonoma Coast, Balletto Vineyards, Unwooded, Courtney’s Cuvee, Pinot Gris 2007 Unfortunately this wine is corked masking the potential of the wine in the bottle. The wine was fermented and aged in stainless. Winemaker Michel Berthoud. P&B in … Continue reading
La Crema Chardonnay 2007
La Crema, Sonoma Coast, Chardonnay 2007 In the nose there’s a sense of biscuits, croissants and other freshly baked doughy things with hints of oak and vanilla. In the mouth this wine is rich with oak yet the apples and … Continue reading
Posted in California, Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County
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MacMurray Pinot Gris 2008
MacMurray Ranch, Sonoma Coast, Pinot Gris 2008 In the nose there is a strong sense of candied fruit with a light dusting of green herbs. In the mouth the stone fruit comes alive with a little warmth in a medium … Continue reading
Annapolis Zinfandel 2005
Annapolis Winery, Sonoma Coast, Zinfandel 2005 This is a very jammy Zin. Proprietors are the Scalabrini family. P&B in Annapolis 16.6% $26 at the winery Annapolis Winery
Posted in California, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County, Zinfandel
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Hirsch Pinot 2006
Hirsch Vineyards, Sonoma Coast, Pinot Noir 2006 There’s lots of sweet vanilla, loads of oak. This is very ripe, the essence of berries in the mouth with a supple texture. P&B in Cazadero 14.5% $59.99 at Bottle Barn Hirsch Vineyards
Posted in California, Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County
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Savanah-Chanelle Armagh 2006
Savannah-Chanelle Vineyards, Sonoma Coast, Armagh Vineyard, Pinot Noir 2006 This is a sweet smelling Pinot, full of cherry liqueur. The mouth is driven by cherries as well, with plenty of acidity. This is a light-bodied wine with a bit of … Continue reading
Posted in California, Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County
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Sonoma Coast Sauvignon 2006
Sonoma Coast Vineyards, Sonoma Coast, Hummingbird Hill Vineyards, Sauvignon Blanc 2006 This wine smells of candied citrus. In the mouth it is ripping with acidity yet rounded off a bit with some silkiness. There is also a sense of the … Continue reading
Posted in California, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County
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Small Vines revisited
I had an opportunity to visit with Paul and Kathryn Sloan of Small Vines Wines on Sunday, during their open house at the winery in Santa Rosa. We retasted the ’06 Russian River and ’06 Sonoma Coast which I reviewed … Continue reading
Posted in California, Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County
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Flowers Pinot 2007
Flowers, Sonoma Coast, Pinot Noir 2007 The cherries combine with forest floor and a touch of rubber in the nose. In the mouth, the cherries are enhanced by the acidity but there is also an uncharacteristic sense of astringency. P&B … Continue reading
Posted in California, Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County
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La Crema Pinot 2007
La Crema, Sonoma Coast, Pinot Noir 2007 Cherries and brown spices are out front in the nose with a sense of toastiness. The mouth features a supple carpet of black and red fruits, sweet-appearing in their ripeness and burnished with … Continue reading
Posted in California, Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County
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Tin Barn Syrah
Tin Barn, Sonoma Coast, Coryelle Fields, Syrah 2004 The nose sports loads of oak while in the mouth the oak adds to the richness of this ripe, black fruit driven, supple Syrah. Managing Partner and Winemaker Mike Lancaster 14.2% $28 … Continue reading
Posted in California, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County, Syrah
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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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De La Montanya Pinot Noir 2005
De La Montanya, Sonoma Coast, Flying Rooster Ranch 2005 This wine shines with sweet smells. There’s candied fruit and perfume overlayed with earthiness. The mouth features a boatload of fruit framed by ample acidity and a rising note of brett … Continue reading
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Moshin Pinot 2007
Moshin Vineyards, Sonoma Coast, Pinot Noir 2007 This wine has sweet cherry fruit and perfume in the nose while the mouth is a supple display of the same with a sweet kiss of oak. Rick Moshin is making great Pinot … Continue reading
Posted in California, Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County
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Rhone Rangers Seminar 11/08
The Rhone Rangers hosted a seminar yesterday featuring wines that pay homage to the grapes made famous in France’s Rhone Valley. The seminar was not bound by geography; there were wines from both sides of the Atlantic. The seminar was … Continue reading
Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
Williams Selyem, Sonoma Coast, Pinot Noir 2006 There’s a sweet medley of cherry, berry and vanilla notes in the nose. In the mouth the wine is pure elegance. I consistently see this thread in Bob Cabral’s wines, what the French … Continue reading
Posted in California, Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County
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A find in the hills
Kanzler, Sonoma Coast, Pinot Noir 2007 This is a barrel sample from the family’s vineyard out in what is called the Sebastopol Hills, about 3 miles west of town. While dense, the wine is very polished with a slather of … Continue reading
Posted in California, Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast
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Petite
Small Vines, Sonoma Coast, Pinot Noir 2006 Like the Russian River bottling, this Pinot is packed with flavor. There’s a backbone of acidity to keep this wine going a long time in your mouth and a long time in your … Continue reading
Posted in California, Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County
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Pinot stars
Buena Vista, Carneros, Pinot Noir 2006 The nose is sweet vanilla while the mouth features red fruits, a light-body and vanilla sweetness. The fruit is sourced from the winery’s Ramal Vineyard. Produced in Sonoma and Bottled in Napa 13.5% $17.99 … Continue reading
The pink stars
Taft Street, Sonoma Coast, Rose of Pinot Noir 2007 Mild but muted strawberries and an astringent profile. Unfortunately this wine has a sub-threshold level of TCA that’s blocking the fruit. The grapes come from the Pasta King, Art Ibletto. P&B … Continue reading
The white stars
Clarbec, Sonoma County, Pinot Gris 2007 There’s fresh tropical fruit and subtle oak in the nose. The fruit comes through in the mouth with a caress of acidity and a little bit of richness – very nice. The grapes were … Continue reading
Phoenix flight
When Vacu-Dry ceased operations in Sebastopol, California, many bemoaned the continuing decline of the apple industry in Sonoma’s West County region. Yet from those ashes many a high-flying phoenix has taken flight. The large and rather dingy industrial complex that … Continue reading
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