Sure enough, the label clearly read "Zinfandel," so I immediately didn't want to like it. I'm a "try all wines" kinda guy, but this varietal is a constant disappointment for me. Only a few of the…
Sonoma County · Green Valley of Russian River Valley
Served side-by-side with the 2016 Star Chardonnay, which I thought registered a little higher toned on the palate than this more unctuous Barrel Select Chardonnay. Previous notes apply. This was a…
Served next to the 2016 B Cellars Sonoma Coast, which I thought had a little more focus and complexity than that Reuling in its current state. The Reuling was more about luscious ripe fruit than the…
Previous notes apply, though this is starting to show some beautiful yellow citrus and pear notes that give it some additional mid-palate depth. Starts out just as racy as when I had it back in…
Same as my notes from July. More concentrated red fruit this time around, with the same intriguing saline and earthy notes complimenting the predominantly black cherry core. Smoke, wood, unsmoked…
Super fruity and plush, with red cherry and ripe red raspberry dominating the profile. A simple red fruit attack of ripe, round fruit hitting the palate with one plop. The back end was more of the…
Candied lemon peel, lemon oil, lightly buttered popcorn, vanilla, slight glycol, alkaline, and some subtle grass. A little less smooth on the back end. Lacking silkiness and textural elegance, but…
Previous notes apply. I still recommend holding this particular wine well into 2019. Decanting and vigorous swirling brought out more depth of flavor. PnP was initially pretty tight and linear. After…
A very nice example of what can be accomplished out of Bennett Valley with this varietal. Blackberry and charcoal notes, with added flavors of meaty black olive and creosote. I appreciated the…
Followed over two days. Same notes as earlier in the month. This passed the "at home" test with flying colors. A more cerebral Chardonnay than some others in this category in that it shows refinement…
A fascinating wine, and ironically one I would have potentially mistaken for a twenty-year-old 1st Cru Burgundy had it not been for the perception of higher alcohol here, especially on the finish.…
This wine showed pretty flat compared to April 2018 when I last had it. This was also served next to a '12 Favia Quarzo, which bested it by a margin. It was fine, but nothing memorable here. Some…
Previous notes from last year apply. A stunning Chardonnay, and likely one that will merit a perfect score in another year or so. Just some subtle hits of sulphur that need some time to blow off.…
Black cherry, black/red plum, currant, earth, wet mulch and tobacco, and soil. Subtle spice. Round and straightforward. Decent depth, medium bodied. Not super complex. Notably satisfying but not…
A lot of kick-start-your-heart black cherry fruit gushing out of this Pinot. Unlike the Maxem Chardonnay, which carried some calculated and stately deliberation in its delivery, this Pinot showed…
An ultra clean, highly polished version of the varietal, with the UV site represented with sophisticated and stylish purpose. With a yellow citrus core flanked by a lovely white stone minerality, the…
Notes of earthy black cherry, dried herbs (thyme, oregano, rosemary), and bark. I find this 1376 and the 2114 to be Bevan's best works with this varietal. The Petaluma Gap and Rita's can be huge…
A fabulous showing, with totally enthralling garrigue and Herbes de Provence notes that perfectly maneuvered their ways through the earthy black raspberry, kirsch, and red and black cherry core.…
Previous notes apply. Given some time to open up in the glass, it exhibited some nice lemon grass and quince notes that added interest. Probably best to continue to hold on this. Certainly more…
PnP was all about green apple skin on the front end, but after about 15-20 minutes of air, cinnamon and cardamom flavors peeked out, creating a warm apple crust effect; some vanilla also showed its…
Served side-by-side with a 2014 Rivers Marie Kanzler Pinot, which was much fruitier and less complex by comparison. This Summa OV displayed wonderfully complex notes of black cherry, orange rind,…
Served side-by-side with a 2013 Rivers Marie Summa OV Pinot, which was much more focused and complex by comparison. Beneath the Kanzler's rounded, fruity (but kinda furry) tannins lied a core of…
Vanilla oak and glycol currently take up the lion's share of the flavor profile on this wine, with some lemony lamp oil and lemon drop martini notes also rushing up to flank the primary attack. At…
