California Wine

14 Mar 2022 – An open and beautiful wine with green-olive and currant aromas and flavors. Some bark and earth too together with mushrooms herbs crushed stones and pomegranate. Medium to full body with round creamy tannins and... Read More

Aromas of currants, blackberries, fresh mushrooms and flowers. Medium-bodied with compacted fruit and integrated, fine tannins. Ripe fruit with reserve. Attractive and alluring. Excellent structure. 88% cabernet sauvignon, 7%... Read More

Aromas of currants, blackberries, fresh mushrooms and flowers. Medium-bodied with compacted fruit and integrated, fine tannins. Ripe fruit with reserve. Attractive and alluring. Excellent structure. 88% cabernet sauvignon, 7%... Read More

A lovely 100% varietal wine aged 20 months in French oak this is juicy herbal and offers a substantial foundation of power. Cedar tobacco and tomato leaf accent a core of crushed rock dark plum and threads of acidity—the weight... Read More

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) is a powerful tannic wine. In some vintages the Napa Valley bottling is quite accessible but not here. Swaths of tannin wrap around a core of dark fruit gravel spice dried flowers lavender... Read More

This has a tightly layered core of cassis mulberry and damson plum while notes of warm earth and a bright iron spine drive underneath. Features a floral flash in the background as the fruit and iron notes coalesce seamlessly on... Read More

The wines from the extremely hot drought year 2014 were just bottled prior to my visit. The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon reflects the vintage’s precociousness and front-end loaded flattering style. It is medium to full-bodied shows... Read More

The very deep purple-black colored 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. It takes a fair amount of swirling to unlock an incredibly intense nose of dark chocolate warm cassis baked plums and Morello cherries... Read More

Intensely fruity and pure-tasting with focused acidity supporting the lively mix of ripe apple dried pear and pineapple flavors. Smoke and spice notes show on the finish. Drink now through 2023. 350 cases made. — KM

The 2019 Pinot Noir Hirsch Vineyard is beautifully layered and also quite mysterious. Constantly changing in the glass the Hirsch shows all of the pedigree this site is known for. More than anything else the Hirsch balances intensity... Read More

The 2018 Syrah Estate Vineyard is fabulous. Rich dense and super-expressive the 2018 has so much going on. Black cherry espresso licorice spice and savory inflections blast out of the glass. Readers will find a wine that melds... Read More

The 2019 Syrah Estate Vineyard is an elegant supremely classy wine. Sage tobacco mint black pepper and lavender lead into a core of beautifully layered dark blue/purplish fruit. Silky and polished the Estate Syrah is an absolute... Read More

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Coombsville is a blend mostly from Meteor. A stunning wine the 2019 possesses off the charts richness and tremendous depth that just builds with time in the glass. Inky dark fruit plum spice licorice... Read More

From a north-facing site at elevation the 2019 Cerro Sur is a bold savory wine loaded with energy. This Cabernet Franc-based wine is bursting with tension. Floral spice and mocha accents lend striking aromatic top notes. I am... Read More

Riper and substantially more expressive than the 2018 Fortunate Son's 2019 Red Wine The Diplomat is a plush luscious wine laden with black cherries mocha and loam notes. It's full-bodied rich velvety and supple with a... Read More

Composed of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon blended with 5% Petit Verdot 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Merlot the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Winston Hill is very deep garnet-purple in color and gives up pronounced cassis black cherries and warm... Read More

"Composed of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon 8% Merlot and 5% Petite Sirah the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon G.B. Crane Vineyard is deep garnet-purple in color and scented of cassis black cherries and warm plums with touches of pencil shavings... Read More

I was able to taste two wines from Grace Family both made by the incredibly talented Helen Keplinger who has been at this estate since 2014. The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Blank offers a beautifully pure elegant style in its darker... Read More

One of the iconic names in Napa Valley and also part of the rich history for quality wine the Grgich Hills Estate 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Yountville Old Vine (which is not actually defined age-wise on the back label) has a dense... Read More

This has a bright pure feel with loganberry mulberry and bitter cherry notes mixed liberally with floral red tea and savory accents. Very focused with a sleek iron streak through the finish. A wine of precision. Best from 2023... Read More

A lean structured and complex white wine from the great estate this offers nuanced elegant flavors of Meyer lemon stone and apple. The oak is integrated and youthful as are firm tannins that support a moderate weight and length... Read More

A stunning expressive white with a savory minerally edge that's distinctive and crisp imparting elegance and restraint on the core of Honeycrisp apple Meyer lemon and pureed mango flavors. Reveals hints of lemon thyme nutmeg... Read More

It really smells like Cote-Rotie with purple fruit grilled meat tar ink and oyster shell. Blood orange too. Medium-bodied with firm tannins and asphalt. Wonderful length and polish. Long and very precise. Gi