Edna Valley Vineyard Central Coast Chardonnay 2014
My non-wine friends love this Chardonnay. Given its modest price, it offers up simple notes of yellow peach and ripe pineapple capped off with a whiff of vanilla. Fleshy on the palate and ultra smooth, it’s endowed with sweet tropical fruit and stone fruit in equal measure along with and a kiss of oak. An […]
Louis M. Martini Gnarly Vine Zinfandel Monte Rosso Vineyard 2012
The Zinfandel vines grown at Monte Rosso Vineyard are a sight to behold, massive and tightly gnarled, they are still productive despite an advanced age of 125 years or more. The wine produced from these grapes is substantial without being heavy, yielding heady notes of damson plum, blackberries, clayey soil and a whiff of allspice. […]
Louis M. Martini Monte Rosso Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
Enjoyed from the topmost point of historic Monte Rosso vineyard, the 2005 Louis Martini Monte Rosso Vineyard Cabernet is showing beautifully ten years on. Sumptuous notes of lavender, violets, and anise along with muscular tones of graphite, cassis, macerated blackberries, dried mushroom and forest floor. Expansive on the palate, with firm, grippy tannins that have […]
Le Petit Coquerel Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
Expressive without being the least bit heavy, the 2012 Le Petit Coquerel expresses classic notes of graphite, cassis, blueberries, cedar, and even a pleasant touch of gaminess. There is fantastic balance here, with terrific purity of fruit, plus tannins and acidity in equal measure. This is one of the more poised, delicate Napa Cab’s I’ve […]
Lewelling Wight Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
The 2004 Lewelling Wight Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is big, glossy, slightly muscular number. Heady aromas of butterscotch, vanilla, maple syrup, mocha, and blackberry jam, plus a top note of alcohol rounds out the nose. The core of this wine as anticipated: sweet and silky. Layers of spice and subtle char notes add dimension, there is, […]
Le Petit Coquerel Verdelho 2013
Christine Barbe is the winemaker at Coquerel and she brings years of experience with her, having worked at both Château Carbonnieux and La Louvière in Pessac-Léognan. Her deft handling of this crisp and enchanting white shows—the 2013 Le Petit Coquerel is imbued with bruised pear, cucumber and lemongrass notes. Refreshing and bright, with racy acidity […]
Schramsberg Brut Rosé 2012
Ebullient and certainly not lacking in verve, the 2012 Schramsberg Brut Rosé 2012 is a testament to what cool climate viticulture in Carneros and the Sonoma and Marin coastal AVAs can achieve. As with the other Schramsberg sparkling wines I’ve sampled, this lovely rosé manages to be delicate and focused with pretty overtones of sweet […]
Sine Qua Non Viognier Mr. K The Noble Man 2000
Rich and amber-hued, this dessert wine offering from cult winery, Sine Qua Non is sourced from 100% botrytized Viognier. Harvested at 42° brix, it’s a remarkable elixir that offers up notes of ripe apricot, orange marmalade, mace and vanilla. Concentrated, waxy and viscous in the mouth, there is enough acidity to bolster hedonistic flavors of […]
Schramsberg Blanc De Blancs Brut 2012
While chatting with winemaker and proprietor, Hugh Davies, I asked him what he thought about zero dosage, extra brut sparkling wines. He told me that his wines have more than enough acidity due to cooler maritime climate, after tasting the Blanc de Blancs I’m inclined to agree. A shift in the 1.0g/L dosage would indeed […]
Schramsberg Cabernet Sauvignon J. Davies 2012
On a hunch, Hugh Davies replanted his Diamond Mountain estate vineyard with Cabernet in 1994. Since then, he’s moved his sparkling grape parcels to cooler regions. A stroke of brilliance, really because Cab flourishes on Diamond Mountain and the 2012 J. Davies offers the most sumptuous aromas of plums, black currents, anise, mint and allspice. […]