by Ray Johnson | Aug 30, 2008 | Anderson Valley, California, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Hunter Valley, Lodi, Mendocino County, Mendocino Ridge, New South Wales, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, Semillon, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County, Sonoma Mountain, Sonoma Valley, Zinfandel
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...
by Ray Johnson | Jul 23, 2008 | California, Champagne, Chardonnay, France, Italy, Moscato d'Asti, Muscat, Piemonte, Sparkling sweet
J, Russian River Valley, cuvee 20 nv Clean, fresh, fruit, tasted at the winery in May. This wine has the zip of fresh green apples. The base wine is from a recent vintage with 25% oak-aged reserves adding to the final blend. The wine is aged for 3 years on the lees...
by Ray Johnson | Jul 21, 2008 | Burgundy, California, Carneros, Chablis, Chardonnay, Napa Valley
Charles Creek, Napa County Carneros, Chardonnay, Por Favor 2006 There’s minerality and a touch of cheese in the nose and a bracing taste of stone fruits with some creaminess in the mouth. This Chardonnay is fermented in stainless and aged in neutral oak. V&B...
by Ray Johnson | Jul 21, 2008 | California, Chardonnay, Napa Valley, Sauvignon Blanc
Here are two wines from the Napa Valley that have a common thread of acidity and a shared and fabled character, who stunned the world at the Judgement of Paris. Grgich Hills, Napa Valley, Estate Grown, Fume Blanc 2006 The profile is acidic with a subtle grassiness, a...
by Ray Johnson | Jul 16, 2008 | California, Champagne, Chardonnay, France, Moscato d'Asti, Piemonte, Pinot Noir, Sparkling Dry, Sparkling sweet
La Morandina, Moscato d’Asti DOCG 2007 The ’07 is just as vibrantly fresh and full of orange blossoms as the previous vintage. There’s lots of residual sugar and the light body and freshness that you expect in Moscato d’Asti. P&B in...
by Ray Johnson | Jul 16, 2008 | Anderson Valley, Blanc de Noirs, California, Chardonnay, Mendocino County, Pinot Noir, Rosé, Sparkling Dry
This flight shows a nice contrast in approach to the making of pink sparkling in California. The Roederer embraces a high acid framework that is very crisp while the Mumm goes for a softer approach with a more visible hint of RS in the background. Different animals...
