Butte County, Central Valley

Margerum

M5 Santa Barbara County Red Rhone Blend 2022

Visited this winery and found this nice value 5 grape blend. Mostly grenache, syrah, mourvedre, and tad of cinsault and counoise. The wine offers a slight acidity with ample red berry and moderate tannins. After a much needed 30 min decant the wine will open up and expose the finish. Very drinkable. Makes for a great food pairing wine. — 12 days ago

Shay liked this

A Tribute to Grace Wines

Santa Barbara Highlands Grenache 2021

Nose: elegantly herbal.

Palate : delicious. Sweet cherry. Some spice. Salivatory.

Long finish.

47% stem.
— 21 days ago

Poppy

Monterey County Pinot Noir 2023

Elegant floral bouquet reminiscent of a good Gevrey-Chambertin … maybe even a little too flowery.

On second thought .. nah, just right.
— a month ago

Au Bon Climat

Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir 2014

2014 drunk in 2024. I kept a bottle of this $14(!!) wine—2015 price—for 8 years on a hunch that it would hold up, and it did. I don’t know what it costs now, but back then it was head and shoulders the best American supermarket wine. — 16 days ago

Boen Wines

'Tri Appellation' Santa Barbara, Monterey, Sonoma County Pinot Noir 2022

I have previously rated this, but this is a different vintage so I’m rating it again. I consumed this in July 2024. 70% Monterey County, 19% Santa Barbara County, 11% Sonoma County. I think this is in the $25 range. Went really well with steak.  — 23 days ago

La Marea

Kristy Vineyard Albariño 2015

JKT
9.1

Surprise. Wilson Mabel paella dinner and didn’t realize this was CA Alberino! Nose of white flowers laced with minerals lemons. Firm acidic palate with biting finish. 580 cases total! Brand and Family produced it. — a month ago

garry liked this

Tensley

Colson Canyon Vineyard Syrah 2023

2023 vintage. From Coravin. Syrah for Cabernet drinkers. Massive, smooth body and currently without any of the quirky, bretty Syrah flavors that can pull a full frontal assault on the palate. Delicious. Would love to taste in a decade to see what weightiness has left the building and how it has been replaced by the wine nature abhors a vacuum flavors. 10.23.24. — a month ago

Ericsson, Ron and 12 others liked this

A Tribute to Grace Wines

Santa Barbara Highlands Rosé of Grenache 2023

Nose: rose. Perfumed. Elegant. Intense in a pretty way.

Palate : mineral. Bright cherry.
— 21 days ago

Herman Story

White Hawk Vineyard Syrah 2019

My favorite domestic Syrah. Gorgeous. — a month ago

Eric, Austin and 14 others liked this
Ron R

Ron R Influencer Badge Premium Badge

Give Modus Operandi Caldwell Syrah a try. I was really impressed. They have some very interesting deals going on at the winery.
Eric Urbani

Eric Urbani Influencer Badge

@Ron R TY - will do. FTI this Herman Stoey is $55.
Eric Urbani

Eric Urbani Influencer Badge

@Joseph Barsky This was the ‘19!