Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Reserve 2010
Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards 2010 Estate Reserve Cabernet is suave, with no hard edges, and languid notes of creme de cassis, bluberry crumble, brown sugar, anise and a decadent, if unexpected top note of soy. In the mouth, sueded tannins lend structure to an overturned basket of juicy black cherries and ultra-ripe blueberries, leading into […]
Mumm Napa DVX Rosé 2009
Perhaps my favorite in a lineup of Mumm Napa sparklers I’ve tasted over the past few months, the 2009 DVX Rosé is alive with aromas of macerated strawberry, red apple skins and a really nice though quite subtle earthiness. A 50/50 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, the DVX spends four years en tirage, and […]
Trinchero Cloud’s Nest Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
Cloud’s Nest Vineyard, as the name suggests is perched 1,500 feet above sea level in the Mayacamas mountain range. Gravelly soils further limit the vines’ growth and the aromatics are striking. Earth and forest floor, wild mushrooms, underbrush, warm leather, and soy. The palate echoes this high-altitude Cab’s woodsy aromatics, with a medium-bodied countenance and […]
Grgich Hills Estate Zinfandel 2012
It’s the spice that hits your nose first—aromas of cracked black pepper, mesquite and charred cedar glide above denser notes of sun-warmed blackberries and ripe Italian plums. It’s not as lush on the palate as some Napa Zins. Like all of the wines from Grgich Hills, the 2012 shows a modicum of restraint, in a […]
Mayacamas Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
From the acclaimed Mount Veeder appellation, Mayacamas 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon spends 13 months on new French Oak and sees and additional 5 years aging in bottle prior to release. Complex, heady aromas of black currants and black cherries, roasted game, black olive tapenade, and a lovely wafting tertiary note of violets. High altitude and cooler […]
Grgich Hills Estate Chardonnay 2012
First impression of the 2012 Grgich Hills Chardonnay—it’s old-school and intense. Classic orchard fruit aromas are couched in flint and matchstick that hover like an electric storm over rather more tender notes of toasted walnut, brioche, and acacia honey. In the mouth, there’s not an ounce of fat, it’s lean with considerable energy and verve. […]
Mayacamas Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
From the acclaimed Mount Veeder appellation, Mayacamas 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon spends 13 months on new French Oak and sees and additional 5 years aging in bottle prior to release. Complex, heady aromas of black currants and black cherries, roasted game, black olive tapenade, and a lovely wafting tertiary note of violets. High altitude and cooler […]
Napa Valley Distillery Old Hollywood Ginn
Intensely aromatic, Napa Valley Distillery’s Old Hollywood Ginn is perhaps my favorite out of the four craft spirit samples I’ve received. The distillery website refers to it as a “speakeasy style,” a playful nod to the founder, Arthur Hartunian’s penchant and passion for using old, pre-Prohibition recipes. The website also notes that Old Hollywood Ginn […]
Napa Valley Distillery East India Cocktail
From Napa Valley’s first bonded distillery since prohibition, this incomparable East India Cocktail. Owners Arthur and Lusine Hartunian craft all of their spirits using old pre-Prohibition recipes and their website notes that the East India Cocktail is from recipe an 1830’s recipe, and it’s very hard not to imagine old maps, steamer trunks and wicker […]
Gallo Signature Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
Another wine from Gallo’s Signature series, I’ll be the first to confess that I’m pleasantly surprised at how nice these wines are, given the extraordinary prices of most Napa Cabs. It’s a blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot, the bulk of which is from Gallo’s William Hill Vineyard, with a dash of […]