El Molíno Winery
Rutherford Chardonnay 2021
Definitely unique, very vegetal and very dry, with notes of things like leeks along with the crisp minerality and slight salinity. Definitely needs the right dish to shine, but I love something truly different! — 14 days ago
Corazon
St. Helena Touriga Nacional Rosé 2023
Peach orange color, medium bodied with long legs and a prominent nose, this one was different but enjoyable. Scents of orange rind, candied citrus fruit, and slightly bready notes, like pastry, with notes of wet stone and jam to the edges with maybe even a lil mint on the inhale. The palate is different, with notes of artificial peach, bubble gum, and hints of gummy fruit. It’s definitely different though not my favorite from Cathy’s ouvre. — a month ago
Ink Grade Estate
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
VERY deep red color, with medium body but a very restrained nose even after a few hours of aeration. What nose there is is a nice balance of fruit and baking depth, almost like cinnamon or nutmeg? The fruit is first forward, with plum, black cherry and rich dark fruit, with notes of some deep greenery, some hints at meaty notes, and potpourri. The tannins are actually well integrated, light grippers but juicy fruit. It’s surprisingly a thinner can than I was expecting, but that’s part of what makes it special I feels it bucks at Napa trends and stocks with a long, rich, fruit forward finish, with some cacao, woody and light smoky notes. Maybe a slight milkiness, like hot coca, violet and slight peppery notes with nice acidity. — 6 days ago
Williams Selyem
Foss Vineyard Pinot Noir 2020
Drinking Pinot for Thanksgiving from a vineyard 4 miles away is pretty special! Aged a few years before opening shows a little bricking at the edges with a pale red with orange hue to the color. Big nose bursts forth out of the glass with peppery notes of spiced red fruits, plum and strawberry perhaps, with a slight floral element throughout. The Medium body brings on pleasant notes of vanilla and baking spice, with slight tannin, big plum and ripe red fruits, a hint of brandy and a refined floral element to the finish. — 23 days ago
Schumann
Sivi Pinot
Medium bodied with a beautiful color, pale rose with amber hues to the edges. Very perfumed nose, fruit forward, with maybe some underripe passion fruit, raspberry and fresh red berry fruits with maybe some hints of salt and maybe a bit of toffee with mildew like funk around the edges? A tannic palate, mouth drying, with cognac like notes, surprising for how low the ABV is, it retains an alcohol like coolness to the finish. Really a different and interesting under the radar wine. Not orange, but orange like, you cant accurately grade it really because it’s a-typical. — a month ago
Domaine de l'Horizon
Rouge Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes Carignan Syrah 2017
This was really unique and special. A nose that has some proper wild hints, like a natural wine, but with big bold fruits and an underlying musk, like a wet mulch, that playing in the background. Medium bodied with a deep red/purple color, the palate is more red fruit than the blue on the nose, with hardly any tannins to speak of. The palate has no sign of age, with prominent tart cranberry, rich minerality, slight smoke, and hints like Concorde grape, and some jammy raspberry or blueberry in there as well. Dry, fruity with a mineral spine, with a weight that plays lighter than it looks or smells. — 13 days ago
Inglenook
Blancaneaux Rutherford Roussanne Blend 2022
Citrus rind and florals on the nose, opening up with time onto a palate that’s far more creamy and medium-to-full bodied than expected. — 22 days ago
Edmond Cornu & Fils
Ladoix Pinot Noir 2016
The best stuff is forgotten in the fridge! Took a while but really evolved in the glass, with flavors of rich soil, ash and vanilla emerging after some time laying down, with the obvious ripe red cranberry, fresh pomegranate and other fruits. Really tasty and complex, but with FOOD it really comes into its own. Paired with turkey kielbasa and fresh, thick grain mustard. — 2 months ago
Brad Jensen
Wow, super green fruit and prominent vegetal notes on the nose. Serious forest floor, almost like licorice or black olives. The palate is similar, silky, with ripe, sharp plums and red fruits, a nice acidity that is well integrated, not sharp, and similar block olive, moss, mushroom and vegetal notes you see in the finest burgundies, with some light florals dancing along a reasonably long finish. Definitely a finer wine than they’re given credit for. — 4 days ago