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More Red Wines of Lake County

by Ray Johnson | May 8, 2012 | California, Lake County, Merlot, Syrah, Zinfandel

Bell Hill, Lake County, Merlot 2005 When first tasted in July 2009, I wrote: the nose features sweet notes of vanilla and cherries while the mouth repeats with ripe tannins, just to let you know they are there – very nice. Tasted again in May 2012, the tannins have...

Clif The Climber Red 2009

by Ray Johnson | Apr 21, 2011 | Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Zinfandel

Clif Family Winery, California, The Climber, Red Wine 2009 This is abundantly fruity, with a profound sense of blackberries, plums and I’m not sure what else. This recalls a recent discussion among with a group of colleagues who write and teach about wine....

California Zinfandel

by Ray Johnson | Dec 3, 2010 | California, Dry Creek Valley, Napa Valley, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, Zinfandel

Stryker Sonoma, Dry Creek Valley, Zinfandel 2007 Tim Hardin hits another home run with this opulently fruity, sweet-smelling Zin. In the mouth the theme continues, with a lush texture and a little warmth. Produced and bottled under a screw cap closure in Geyserville...

The Great Wines of St. Helena

by Ray Johnson | Nov 3, 2010 | Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Napa Valley, Sauvignon Blanc, St. Helena, Zinfandel

While the Napa Valley’s St. Helena AVA speaks the language of Cabernet and its red wine Bordeaux brethren, there are other grapes making delightful wines as well. Thus this showcase of wines begins with a Bordeaux colleague in the white wine family and ends with...

Red Wines of Lake County

by Ray Johnson | Oct 27, 2010 | Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Lake County, Zinfandel

Six Sigma, Lake County, Cuvee Pique-Nique 2007 As the name implies, this wine is fruity and immediately accessible, light-bodied and quaffable, with underlying acidity to make it refreshing and some earthiness to give it complexity. Proprietors Else and Kaj Ahlmann....

Pedroncelli Mother Clone Zinfandel 2007

by Ray Johnson | Jul 26, 2010 | California, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, Zinfandel

Pedroncelli, Dry Creek Valley, Mother Clone, Zinfandel 2007 The nose features sweet jammy fruit, like a bit of raspberry and blackberry rolled into a crumble for dessert. In the mouth it is spicy and warm, a little viscous and focused on the fruit – nice. 11%...
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Wine Regions & Grapes

Sampling of Wineries

Acorn Allegrini Atlas Peak Balletto Blandy's Blue Wing Cafe Bodega Navarro Correas Bollinger Bonterra Burgans Cantina Terlano d'Arenberg Domaine Carneros Domaine de la Mordoree Dow's Dr. Loosen Elena Walch Famega Fonseca Foppiano Foxen Glen Ellen Innocent Bystander J. Keverson Korbel Madeira Wine Company Martin Codax Masi Merryvale Mulderbosch Navarro Vineyards Noceto Plantagenet Redwood Creek Reynoso Roederer Estate Sbragia Shed Horn Shooting Star Sonoma State Wine Business Institute St. James Trione Vietti Wildhurst William Fevre