by Ray Johnson | Nov 20, 2009 | Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley
Atlas Peak, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain, Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 The nose features sweet and toasty oak with a sense of brandied berries warmed on the stove. In the mouth the wine is chewy and tart, craving a piece of red meat. Produced and bottled in Napa 13.7% $85...
by Ray Johnson | Nov 20, 2009 | Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley
Robert Craig, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 The nose combines the best of California’s fruit with Bordeaux’s leafiness. There’s cherry and vanilla with bay leaves and cigar box. In the mouth it is super dense, with the acidity...
by Ray Johnson | Nov 20, 2009 | Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley
Nickel & Nickel Winery, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain, Vogt Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 I find an effusive sweetness in the nose, a signature ripe character that I consistently associate with the wines of this estate. There’s Cassis and vanilla, toasty...
by Ray Johnson | Nov 20, 2009 | Bordeaux Style Blends, Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Meritage, Merlot, Napa Valley, Rutherford
Trinchero Winery, Napa Valley, Rutherford, Chicken Ranch Vineyard, Merlot 2005 Give the wine a bit of air for 10 minutes or so to blow off a bit of funk. Then the plummy fruit combines with the wet forest floor and a bit cedar in the nose. In the mouth plums and...
by Ray Johnson | Nov 20, 2009 | California, Napa Valley, Sauvignon Blanc
Folie a Deux, Napa Valley, Sauvignon Blanc 2007 This is a Sauvignon that smells quite pretty, blending flowers with citrus fruits. In the mouth the citrus story continues, with some thickness and a little viscosity – nice. The grapes are all Sauvignon and the...
by Ray Johnson | Nov 15, 2009 | California, Merlot, Napa Valley, Sonoma County
Pride Mountain Vineyards, 56% Sonoma County, 44% Napa County, Merlot 2007 In the nose you’ll find tons of sweet oak and brown spices. In the mouth it is very smooth, suppleness defined, while at the same time very dense and possessing great length – very nice....
