Tree Kilpatrick

8.7

85-15 Cab to Merlot blend. A more homey and cute drawing of the chateau on the label. Nothing too grandiose here. Color is dark and deep. Smells like Bordeaux. Oil cloth, ink from a ballpoint pen and black currant syrups. Flavors are supple and easier. Not extra tannic. Certainly avoids the fruit bomb of the new world. Savory with a hint of funkiness. Herbal tea (like a blend of mugwort and slippery elm) with an hint of extracted cherry stuff. It’s a low key, but tasty example of the standard red from Bore-doe. — 3 days ago

Tree Kilpatrick

9.0

This has a 10 % Petite Sirah component in there. Good color. Hint of rust on the edge. Aroma is perfumed with a bit of jammy red fruit background. Little bit of cut wood at the end. Flavors are complex, dense and gratifying. Some inky, juicy black currant flavors. Just a slight herbal streak. This is fancy, silky, high quality wine. Surprised it’s from Temecula, but I’m not familiar with much from there. — 10 days ago

Tree Kilpatrick

9.1

Has a cool clarkia concinna painting on the label. Definitely eye catching. And it’s a Lake County wine. Always interesting to try those despite my great grandfather hating seeing all the grapes taking over in his backyard (near Middleton). Deep, dark color. A purple core and plenty of maroon. Smells of elderberry, rocks in creek, and fruit compote on the stove. Just a hint of wood oil. Flavors are strange and interesting. Flinty. Very dry. Plenty O’ tannins. Berries. Maybe elder and black currant jelly? Little Oregon grape meets huckleberry. Herbal side too. Even a hint of mint. This is a unique and ponderable Cab. Has some French vibes, but it’s also a bit American. — 14 days ago

Tree Kilpatrick

8.8

Italian villa drawing on the label. Has some class. Good deep color. Red to maroon. Smells like fresh crushed berries (strawberry and blackberries) and uncooked steak. Flavors are good. Complex with a bitterness. Mocha and cherry sauce. Hint of black pepper. This is a nice red from way down south (Sicilia). Held up to aging. The Merlot elevates and compliments the Nero D’Avola. — 4 days ago

Tree Kilpatrick

8.7

Decent style on the label. Looks somewhat elegant. Color is good. Purple. Aroma is heady and fairly pungent. Plum compote and herbs. Hint of tar maybe. Flavors are smoky and rich. Tobacco leaf and cherry cola. It’s more like Carmenere than Merlot from Chile in someways. Went well with tri-tip. A classic ;-) from Chile. — 8 days ago

Tree Kilpatrick

8.0

Big screw-top bottle. One step away from box wine. Looks lighter in the glass. Translucent. Smells fruity and fun. Bit punchy. Flavors are Italian cheap wine style. Bit tart, bit tannic, hint of cherry cough drops. Food wine. Not very Cab like. But it was $5 for 1.5 liters and it goes well with food. It gets a passing grade. — 10 days ago

Tree Kilpatrick

9.1

Aged Alicante Bouschet. Not the Petite Verdot. Kinda a dramatic yet casino like label. Dark as night. Smells like cassis and cut wood. Maybe some rain on granite. A ‘wine’ over fruit based nose. Flavors are clean and precise. More of the black currant and also black cherry and blackberries. A hint of minerality. This reminds me of a Bordeaux with Merlot. It’s a fine wine. Aged well. Could go for 10 more years. — 17 days ago

Tree Kilpatrick

8.5

This one is the Pinot Noir. Very basic label. Color is rusty red. Smells like raspberries near the pool. (Not chlorine really, but pool water). And cut firewood. Flavors are dried cherry. Or is that cherry pie made from black sweet not tart cherries. Maybe a hint of cedar? Linger of cedar. This is an adequate addition to the CA style Pinot out there. Very drinkable with a bit of character. — 5 days ago

Tree Kilpatrick

8.8

Label reminds me of early mid 2000’s album covers. Think Coldplay or some alt-electronica stuff. Color is deep dark. Nearly black it’s so purple or deep maroon. Smells of red/black fruits in the sun (or jam pot) and black olive tapenade. Flavors are big yet fairly balanced. Goes right up to the too ripe , fruit m-bombed and over-oaked style and stands on that edge. It’s a New World wine, but it’s just bittersweet and complex enough to make sense. I dare stay they nailed the ‘WA’ style for red blends. Imitate the big fancy CA reds, but inject a hint of Euro style to keep things interesting and honest. — 9 days ago

Tree Kilpatrick

8.8

Cool label. Pretty classic NZ Sauv Blanc. Bell pepper nose and plenty of funky bite in the mouth. Gooseberry meets incense. Bit of spice. Maybe black pepper. This will work. Nice stuff. — 17 days ago