Mt. Difficulty, Central Otago, Roaring Meg, Pinot Noir 2006 The red fruit smells blend with a bit of compost in the nose. The mouth is tart and a little tannic and lasts a long time. P&B in Bannockburn 14.5% $17.99 at Bottle Barn Mt. Difficulty...
MacPhail Family, Anderson Valley, Frattey Shams Vineyard, Pinot Noir 2006 This wine is smoky and warm in the nose and pure suppleness in the mouth. The cherry fruit integrates perfectly with the oak - very polished. The wine spent 11 months in...
Cloudy Bay, Marlborough, Pinot Noir 2006 In the nose there are fresh and lightly stewed cherries. This wine demonstrates the tart character that Pinot can display and how refreshing and food-friendly that can be. The mouthfeel is creamy as well,...
Saint Clair, Marlborough, Pinot Noir 2007 Give this new vintage a little air to blow off a bit of reductive character. The fruit is quite alive in the mouth, clean and lively with a price that makes it a great value! The previous vintage was the...
Kosta Browne, Russian River Valley, Amber Ridge Vineyard, Pinot Noir 2004 Sweet oak and brown spices blend with some notes of evolution as this wine develops bottle bouquet. It's beginning to move into a more complex realm where Pinot shows why it...
Williams Selyem, Russian River Valley, Rochioli Riverblock Vineyard, Pinot Noir 2006 The fruit smells from the nose just pop out at you, a mix of the fresh and the candied. In the mouth, the fruit repeats with a creaminess that adds a most...
Rochioli, Russian River Valley, Pinot Noir 2006 There's a very sweet expression of fruit in the nose. The mouth is repeats this theme delivering long on the fruit - there's a yumminess to this wine. Estate grown, produced & bottled in...
Eaglepoint, Mendocino County, Albarino 2007 In the nose there are stone fruits, candy and flowers. The mouth is spot-on crisp and fruity. The grapes are sourced from Rolland and Barbara Wentzel's organic property in the Anderson Valley. Cellared...
A wine competition takes a broader view - Jon Bonne. Read the story on his blog at SFGate.com by following the link in the judging photo below.
Coming up on Monday, I'll be on the Living Today show on Martha Stewart Living Radio, on Serious Satellite Radio. The interview will be live at 2:00 p.m. eastern, 11:00 a.m. pacific time. The topic is 'Winning Wines You Don't Want to Be Without'. ...