2017 Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Valley

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
89
Grade: 
B+
Current Price: 
$18.00USD

This is a blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc and 3% Malbec.  Garnet in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has cassis, dust and slight dishwasher note (not pleasant).  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Much better on the palate.  Cassis with a fair amount of oak.  Moderate finish.  This drinks easy on its own and would be nice with a burger or plate of pasta.  Drink over the next few years.  

2021 Seghesio Family Vineyards Zinfandel Sonoma County, USA, California, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2021
Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+
Current Price: 
$19.00USD

One of the old guard from Napa.  This is their basic Zin which is actually a blend of 83% Zinfandel, 10% Petite Sirah, 3% Alicante, and 4% mixed reds.  This is a fine value.  Ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has bramble with a peppery note.  Medium bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, cherries and raspberries.  Easy finish.  This is drinkable without requiring contemplation.  Drink over the next couple of years.  A nice wine with foods off grill.  

2020 Frog's Leap Chardonnay Shale and Stone, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2020
Score: 
87
Grade: 
B
Current Price: 
$39.00USD

Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has gun powder and yellow grapefruit.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, grapefruits with underlying char/smoke.  Good acidity.  Slight residual sugar on the finish.  A nice wine, but it sees no oak which makes it suspect that the grapes were close to the wildfires.  Is the "smoke" just from sulfur?   Drink over the next few years.  Better on its own or with some cheeses.  

2009 Rhys Pinot Noir Skyline Vineyard, USA, California, Santa Cruz, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2009
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$130.00USD

Rhys makes some of the best Pinot Noir's in California.  This is bigger in fruit but with a Burgundy styling.  Garnet in color, clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, slight black cherries, spice and just a hint of pine.  Medium bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Cherries and some black cherries with an underlying char and forest floor.  Great balance.  Long finish.  This is still drinking youthfully.  It should continue to so do for another ten to fifteen years.  Nice on its own, this works well with poultry or  meats, but would be nice with Salmon as well.  

2020 Domaine Huet Vouvray Demi-Sec Clos du Bourg, France, Loire, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2020
Score: 
96
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$39.00USD

Huet is one of the top producers in the world.  That they make Chenin Blanc in the Loire Valley just keeps the price down.  The 2020 is another star.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  It has a great nose with orange peel, slight ginger, sea air, quince.  Full bodied.  Great balance.  On the palate, this is slightly sweet with enough acidity to counter it.  Flavors of quince, slight ginger and salinity.  Long finish.  This is drinking great now and should for another fifteen years.  Great on its own, this will work nice with Thai food.

2021 Winzerhof Dürauer Roter Veltliner Göttweiger Berg, Austria, Niederosterre, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2021
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-

This is painstakingly made in the winery to ensure there is no rot in the grapes.  Screw capped.  11.5% abv.  Green/gold in color, clear and bright.  This has a small amount of spritz to it.  Chances are likely that a bit of CO2 is introduced at bottling to give it this effect in order to make a refreshing wine.  The nose is good with smoke, orange peel, and slight strawberry notes.  Slightly oily texture which is nice.  On the palate, this is pretty much dry but not quite.  Lower acidity.  Nice minerality with some char and citrus.  Nice finish.  This is an easy wine to drink on its own an

2021 Winzerhof Dürauer Grüner Veltliner Kremstal DAC Ried Gottschelle Nr.1, Austria, Kremstal DAC, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2021
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-

This is from Austria.  Screw capped.  Upon pouring, this is noticeably spritzy/frothy.  A friend who brought the bottles back from Austria said a bottle consumed last summer was not spritzy.  It would appear that this is a separate bottling and best guess, they gave it a shot of CO2 right before bottling.  There is a popular drink in Austria made from Gruner Veltliner and Selzer which is essentially a Gruner Spritzer.  Perhaps, this is the wineries take on that.  Light golden with a fair amount of medium sized bubbles.  Clear and bright.  The nose has limes, pears, and slight herbal note wh

2007 Saxum Bone Rock James Berry Vineyard, USA, California, Paso Robles, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2007
Score: 
98
Grade: 
A+

Hard to believe that a 16 year old California Syrah could taste so youthful, but this bottle was bought on release and well stored.  82% Syrah, 13% Mourvedre, and 5% Grenache.  15.7% abv.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, roasted meat, roasted red peppers, white pepper and slight char.  Full bodied.  Well balanced.  Great texture.  Powerful yet agile, it is both huge and deft at the same time.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Medium tannins.  Loads of black raspberry fruit with some minerality, white pepper and char.  Long finish.  Tasting thru th

2006 Saxum Bone Rock James Berry Vineyard, USA, California, Paso Robles, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2006
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$130.00USD

76% Syrah, 18% Mourvedre, and 6% Grenache.  This weighed in at 16.7% abv!  Again, this is a monster wine, but it doesn't drink like one.  No noticeable alcohol on the nose or palate.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, plums, White pepper, Roasted herbs and slight earthy/gamey meats.  Full bodied.  Great acidity.  On the palate, this has loads of fruit.  Black raspberries, black cherries and slight plums with a bit of black pepper and char.  Long finish.  This is a great wine if not quite up to the top vintages of Bone Rock, it is almost there.  It is

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