Tasting Notes

This wine has bright fruit flavors and aromas of blackberry and blueberry. Smoke and vanilla take a light hand in rounding out the fruit, producing a wine that is not only fun to drink but very food friendly. The finish lingers on the tongue with blueberry and caramel. Balanced with good acid, this is a versatile wine with food - something that I like to see in wine!

This wine was aged for 11 months in 90% neutral barrels, 10% new barrels. Decant this wine and enjoy it with your favorite lamb or beef dishes and hard Spanish and Italian cheeses.

Click HERE to read reviews of the 2004 vintage!

From the Winery

Coral Mustang's mission is unique - producing only Tempranillo wines...

Tasting Notes

Rev up your holiday engines with these winners from Redline Wines! The 2004 Eaglepoint Ranch Syrah (received a 91 and "Best of 2006" from Wine Enthusiast), the 2004 Blue Oaks Syrah and the delicate 2005 Arroyo Seco Pinot Noir are sure to spice up your festivities.

Click above links to view individual wine details and reviews.

Tasting Notes

The classic Cabernet Sauvignon is almost a universally-welcome addition to any celebration. These smooth Cabs from Deerfield, Bonneau and Croze are all highly-rated and popular with WineQ members.

Click links above to view individual wine details and reviews.

Tasting Notes

These delicious pinots -- Jeriko 2005 Pinot Noir (made with organic grapes), Deerfield Ranch 2003 Jemrose Pinot Noir and La Rochelle Monterey Pinot Noir -- are perfect for holiday sipping. Pinot Noir often pleases red and white drinkers alike, and it goes well with a variety of foods!

Click links above to view individual wine details and reviews.

Tasting Notes

Blueberry, cranberry and plum fruit elements gradually yield to the vineyard's characteristic cardamom, mace, sandalwood, tea and tobacco components as the wine breathes. The general flavor profile skews toward the dusky and cool. The '06 is a bit more focused than the '05 and has a slightly firmer structure in terms of both acidity and grip. In its youth, the wine, particularly the finish which starts out pretty tight, benefits from decanting. This wine has been purposely bottled without a foil capsule.

From the Winery

Kendric Vineyards is a vigneron's operation, making wine from the ground up. We've tended our wines through every stage of their development, from site selection, to planting, to farming the vineyards, to making the wine. We are based in...

Tasting Notes

Boysenberry and a more savory game and herbs de Provence nose. A sweet, darker fruited core, firmed up with a tar note and a stony grip on the finish. A step more restrained than the '05 in terms of ripeness and oak-- less mocha and more meat and spice. Closer to the '04, but a bit more Rhone-like. For me, the most interesting Syrah release to date. This wine has been purposely bottled without a foil capsule.

Click HERE to read reviews of the 2005 vintage!

From the Winery

Kendric Vineyards is a vigneron's operation, making wine from the ground up. We've tended our wines through every stage of their development, from site selection, to planting, to farming the vineyards, to making the...

Tasting Notes

Our 2005 Meritage exhibits a lovely dark ruby color in the glass. On the nose, you'll find aromas of mocha, plum, cherry, tobacco and vanilla oak. The palate is dense, with soft mocha, currant and plum flavors built around solid tannins and underlying oak. This red blend, produced entirely from estate grown fruit, will improve for 5 or more years.

From the Winery

Established in 1996, our artisan vineyard is 40 acres of beautiful hilltop overlooking the east side of Paso Robles. The property was previously home to two other premium labels, and judging from Penman Springs releases since, the tradition of fine wine production is in good hands!

Tasting Notes

Our 2005 Merlot exhibits a lovely dark ruby color in the glass. On the nose, you'll find complex aromas of cherry, cigar tobacco, red plum and currant. The palate is dense, with loamy mocha-cherry, currant, plum, toasty oak and a touch of blueberry. This is a Merlot with concentration, complexity and classic structure.

From the Winery

Established in 1996, our artisan vineyard is 40 acres of beautiful hilltop overlooking the east side of Paso Robles. The property was previously home to two other premium labels, and judging from Penman Springs releases since, the tradition of fine wine production is in good hands!

Tasting Notes

Purple-black in color, with crimson hues along the edge of the glass, our Tempranillo strums its guitar as it delights your senses with a symphonic combination of Spain and California. Exhibiting aromas of candied apples and ripe blackberries, it has a lingering toasty finish in the nose reminiscent of a grandfather’s sweet pipe smoke. It is luscious and round with delicately integrated tannins and a soft touch. Swirling in the mouth, it playfully teases the palate with flavors of cherry pie and a spicy chocolate finish of Mexican Mole.

As in the traditional style of the Rioja, it is blended with our highly prized Graciano and a splash of Garnacha. Our Tempranillo exhibits the true varietal character of this noble grape and naturally fuses together the worlds...

Tasting Notes

This richly extractive wine is an excellent example of Graciano’s versatility. It is inky and dark with robust aromas of black cherry, spice and a hint of anise. Powerful flavors of a warm basket of ripe berries with an underlying earthy richness give way to unbelievably smooth tannins and a lingering finish. Luxuriously full bodied in the mouth, it is balanced by good acidity. This wine will continue to age nicely for 2-4 years.

About Graciano:

Graciano is thought to be the oldest variety commercially grown in Spain today. Its origins predate the arrival of the Romans, when Iberian tribes pressed and fermented their lovely Graciano juice in the old terraced hillside vineyards of the Rioja Alavesa. It is a richly colored, perfumed variety that commences the...

Tasting Notes

Our Garnacha is reminiscent of the dense, spicy, Spanish red wines produced from this variety in its area of origin – Aragon. Due to minimal irrigation and severe pruning, its smaller berries and higher skin-to-juice ratio give it a deep color showing bright red hues with a tinge of blue. Subtle notes of pomegranate and cassis reveal themselves along with a slightly floral quality in the nose. Complex layers of strawberry and bright fruit combine in the palate for a delicious, lengthy finish. A medium-bodied wine, this Garnacha shows excellent balance, fresh acidity and bright flavors.

About Garnacha:

Garnacha, known as Grenache in France, originated from Aragon, Spain. From there, it moved along the medieval highway of the Ebro River, spreading eastward, and finally north of the...

Tasting Notes

This single-vineyard cool climate Syrah is rich and intense. It exhibits vibrant flavors of blackberry and black cherry fruits, followed by notes of roasted meat and bacon fat characteristics of the Northern Rhone's finest wines. Spicy and complex, Carica's Kick Ranch Syrah has a velvety, deeply persistent finish with accents of pepper, dark chocolate and smoke. Abundant soft tannins make this wine approachable early but it will continue to progress over the next 5-10 years.

This is a wine of balance, sophistication and finesse, which, although delicious by itself, will be an elegant accompaniment to fine cuisine. Consider pairing it with lamb shanks, osso bucco, roasted or grilled meats, game or rich stews.

From the Winery

Critically aclaimed, limited production, single-vineyard wines. Hand-crafted from sustainably...

Tasting Notes

From the get go, this wine has been all about savory plum-blueberry fruit infused with dusty mocha-earth spice notes and supporting oak texture. The low-yield concentration of flavors in the grapes resulted in a much more terroir-influenced profile in the finished wine, which shows great balance and density at moderate alcohol. The fruit was mature and flavorful at what would typically be a lower-than-optimal sugar level for Paso Robles Syrah. Rather than trying for a high-sugar, high-alcohol Paso Robles "jamball" style, the Redline effort was focused on emphasizing vineyard character. As it developed, elements of red fruit spice and smoked meat appeared. Elegant and complex, this wine shows a side of Paso Robles Syrah character rarely seen.

From the Winery

"Redline" is a term...

Tasting Notes

Big yet balanced, dense yet distinctive, our 2004 Eaglepoint Ranch Syrah is major league! The ethereal mineral quality of the mountain soils shows in waves, along with rich blueberry-blackberry, mocha, plum and light red-fruit spice notes. The style of the wine is definitely "California" but with the quasi-terroir of Northern Rhone. It will greatly impress now but will most certainly reward with patience, drinking beautifully and improving over the next decade!

From the Winery

"Redline" is a term for maximum engine revolutions. Used in the context of auto racing & harkening back to winemaker Larry Roberts' racing photographer days - it also implies top performance, which Larry is dedicated to achieving with Redline Wines.

Balance, density, richness, structure, complexity - the Redline winemaking philosophy is...

Tasting Notes

This is a Pinot that tastes like a Pinot, not a "quasi-Syrah!" Medium ruby in color, it shows aromas of raspberry, pomegranate, red cherry, oak vanilla and light mineral-white pepper notes. Rich and ripe, yet structured with good acidity, the palate is filled with spicy raspberry-cherry fruit, sublime mineral notes throughout, and finishes with a round, integrated oak fatness in the background. Deceptively full-bodied, it should reveal more layers with additional bottle age.

From the Winery

"Redline" is a term for maximum engine revolutions. Used in the context of auto racing & harkening back to winemaker Larry Roberts' racing photographer days - it also implies top performance, which Larry is dedicated to achieving with Redline Wines.

Balance, density, richness, structure, complexity - the Redline winemaking...

Tasting Notes

When we talk about wine, we talk about where we taste it on our palate, in addition to what it tastes like. Wine writers like to compare the flavor to other fruits and rather esoteric flavors such as wood, tar, tobacco, etc. Each grape flavor in our blend focuses on a particular region of the palate. This is our art. It’s what we like best about making wine! It sets us apart from the big industrial wineries, which make wine by recipe and don’t take the time to taste and blend. You can taste our art as well as our passion.

Our 2004 North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon represents boldness married to elegance. This is a Meritage-style Cabernet, with fruit-forward balance. The Cabernet flavors are mellowed and rounded...

Tasting Notes

The real test is how this wine tastes! The most common word we hear is delicious. It has luscious forward fruit, invoking ripe strawberries and raspberries. It’s what I love most about fully vine-ripened Sangiovese. It’s got smooth tannins, both from the fruit and from barrels especially selected for this blend, and is made in the tradition of the great Brunellos of Italy. The component wines were barrel aged for 2 years before blending. The blend was then aged for an additional 1 and a half years, 3 and a half years all together. We bottled the wine in February of 2007 and released it six months later. You don’t have to age this wine. It is ready. We’ve done all the waiting for you! We hope...

Tasting Notes

Broad structured, long-finishing Cabernet was enriched with Syrah. Merlot and Sangiovese added flavor and flowers at the front of the palate. Malbec added inky color and blackberry fruit. Cabernet Franc added a chocolate affect, giving the whole experience an upward, aerial lift. The same varietals from different vineyards added complexity.

The wine was made cleanly from hand sorted and gently pressed fruit, with no fining necessary. Our specialized technique assures full fruit character, soft tannins, low acid and a rich mouth feel. The component wines were aged in the caves for three years.

Click HERE to read reviews of the 2003 vintage!

From the Winery

With Red Rex, we perfect the art of blending. We didn't limit ourselves to someone else's idea of a...

Tasting Notes

We could have just called this wine Merlot. However, that would miss the point! It’s all about the blend. Good winemaking is like good cooking. What makes a reduction sauce so delicious is the combination of flavors, the layered sensations. Our Merlot Cuvée is all this in the glass. The femininity of the Merlot is emboldened by the Cabernet Sauvingon. Sangiovese elevates floral tones. The Malbec gives flavor low on the palate and the Cabernet Franc adds to the ethereal chocolate note.

Our winemaking focused the individuality of each varietal, and long barrel aging gave them wonderful texture. The blend, done by taste, married them into a harmonious, full flavored sensation, each element playing on the other, nothing out of place, every sip memorable.

The grapes came...

Tasting Notes

Aromas of cherries, plums, cocoa and toasted vanilla. The Pinot Noir brings crisp acidity and soft tannins while the Syrah showcases a sexy mid-palate and long end-finish. Overall this wine speaks of red and dark fruit infused with blueberry and mineral qualities.

From the Winery

Vinum, cantus, amor - wine, song, love. Trademark words for Ceja Vineyards and the Ceja Family, third generation winegrowers in the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. We match vines to terroir, planting each variety where it grows best. Fruit is handled gently to create our limited collection of hand-crafted wines. Enjoy with family, friends and your favorite dishes. ¡Salud!

Tasting Notes

Aromas of your rich uncle's old cedar cigar box blend smoothly into plum and blueberry explosions. When the fruit bombing stops you are left with a creamy smooth sensation of vanilla and cream. It's like Grandma's egg nog, Christmas Eve: nutmeg, cloves, allspice. There are some pert and supple tannins you'll definitely want to hang with and let soften in the glass. A wine that leaves you smiling seductively, on the inside...

Food Pairings:
Steak and Eggs! Any grilled meat, even SPAM! Or bacon... mmmm, bacon..and of course french toast...and custard donuts...mmmm, donuts...

From the Winery

While there are many in the wine industry that would have you attaining your doctorate in order to properly match foods and wine, we here at the Twisted Oak...

Tasting Notes

Our 2005 Sonoma County Syrah is a lush wine and still the darkest wine we have ever seen - lots of color pigments translate to lots of flavors! This Syrah comes from a small, hillside vineyard in the Mayacamas that is farmed organically and biodynamically. Fermented with native yeasts, the wine is dark and rich with flavors of berries and aromas of stone fruit, white pepper and earth. A true Northern Rhone style Syrah with explosive aromatics and a smooth palate.

From the Winery

Committed to local sustainable agriculture, Sky Saddle is a small, boutique winery making fine wines exclusively from organically and/ or biodynamically grown grapes. The wines are single-vineyard designates and are made to capture the essence of the land from which they...

Tasting Notes

Brimming with berries and spice, the seductive nose of our vintage Port invites you to discover what lies beneath its many layers of aromas. The velvety texture reveals more fruit, chocolate and a mature tannin structure.

From the Winery

Iberian varietals. California terroir. Incredible wines.

Barreto Cellars is a Central Coast Winery dedicated to producing premium-quality wines featuring grape varietals from the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal). Having relatives who migrated to America from these regions, we have a strong connection and desire to develop wines utilizing these varietals, a number of which are grown in small amounts in select vineyards throughout California.

The Mediterranean climate and soil is very similar to much of California, providing us with the opportunity to create new varietal wines...

Tasting Notes

Touriga Nacional is one of the main grape varieties used in the production of Port wines. Its use as a table wine is just now making it to the mainstream. This example makes a bold statement by exhibiting fruit, floral and spicy aromas while at the same time, possessing plenty of body and balance that lead to a smooth and lingering finish.

From the Winery

Iberian varietals. California terroir. Incredible wines.

Barreto Cellars is a Central Coast Winery dedicated to producing premium-quality wines featuring grape varietals from the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal). Having relatives who migrated to America from these regions, we have a strong connection and desire to develop wines utilizing these varietals, a number of which are grown in small amounts in...

Tasting Notes

This blend is similar in flavors and structure to traditional Douro field blends. The wines in this blend have melded wonderfully over time and have created a complex and rich-tasting wine with great balance, producing a well- rounded wine that stands up on its own, or is the perfect compliment to a hearty steak dinner.

From the Winery

Iberian varietals. California terroir. Incredible wines.

Barreto Cellars is a Central Coast Winery dedicated to producing premium-quality wines featuring grape varietals from the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal). Having relatives who migrated to America from these regions, we have a strong connection and desire to develop wines utilizing these varietals, a number of which are grown in small amounts in select vineyards throughout California.

The Mediterranean climate...

Tasting Notes

This interpretation of the king of Spanish wines dares to break from tradition by capturing the upfront fruitiness of the variety and presenting it to the palate with a smooth, velvety texture that adds to its pleasant finish.

From the Winery

Iberian varietals. California terroir. Incredible wines.

Barreto Cellars is a Central Coast Winery dedicated to producing premium-quality wines featuring grape varietals from the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal). Having relatives who migrated to America from these regions, we have a strong connection and desire to develop wines utilizing these varietals, a number of which are grown in small amounts in select vineyards throughout California.

The Mediterranean climate and soil is very similar to much of California, providing us with the opportunity to create new...

Tasting Notes

Winemaker's Notes:
This vibrant yet dry wine demonstrates complexity, structure and depth, with refreshing berry and citrus fruit flavors that culminate in a long, robust finish. The perfect compliment to a warm summer's day.

Aromas:
Exquisite aromas of strawberries, raspberries and summer fruits, with a hint of vanilla.

Flavors:
Lively and intense flavors of tangy citrus, guava and ripe strawberries are exuberant and refreshing on the palate.

Finish:
This deliciously invigorating rosé has a spectacularly long yet balanced finish, combining crisp acidity with mouth-coating notes of tangerine vanilla cream.

Pair With:
Serve with grilled beef, lamb, smoked or lightly spiced foods and a side of fried zucchini slices.

From the Winery

Jeriko Estate produces hand-crafted artisan wines from 100% organically grown and certified grapes from our vineyard...

Tasting Notes

Winemaker's Notes:
This is what Jeriko Estate is known for - lots of juicy berry fruit and well balanced tannins. This lavishly oaked varietal marries lots of juicy blackberry fruit with peppery spice, suggestions of bacon and accents of both chocolate and coffee.

Aromas:
A deep woodsy nose with accents of coffee & black cherry.

Flavors:
Juicy red fruits give way to dried apricot, raisin & star anise with spicy touches of cocoa, white pepper & mole.

Finish:
A lightly toasted finish with smooth tannins & ripe fruit.

Pair With:
Serve with bacon wrapped beef tenderloin, brown mole sauce, black bean enchiladas, dark organic chocolate or with Cheesecake Momma's Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake.

From the Winery

Jeriko Estate produces hand-crafted artisan wines from 100% organically...

Tasting Notes

Winemaker's Notes:
This varietally correct Pinot Noir reflects the traditional Burgundian style of silky elegance balanced by depth and complexity.

Aromas:
Intense raspberry, light cherry and black pepper spice are complimented by a toasted oak and vanilla bouquet.

Palate:
Moderate palate weight with concentrated, mouth-coating flavors of raspberry and black cherry spice, surrounded by a creamy vanillin structure.

Finish:
Soft tannins linger, with intense raspberry spice and toasty oak components.

Pair With:
Seared day boat sea scallops in a Portobello mushroom and truffle emulsion served on mashed celeriac, or with rich autumnal fruits and a ripe creamy Camembert.

From the Winery

Jeriko Estate produces hand-crafted artisan wines from 100% organically grown and certified grapes from our vineyard in beautiful southern Mendocino county - which means no chemically synthesized fertilizers or...

Tasting Notes

The fine-tuning of our techniques and continued progress on the learning curve of winemaker and grower are evident in this bottle. We are very proud of the results. The color is a deep, brilliant red with hints of blue around the edges. The nose evokes images of ripe berries drizzled with chocolate and vanilla, with a gentle cedary earthiness reminiscent of a cool evening in the forest.

The taste follows these cues, layering on additional notes of earth, leather, maple and dried roses. The overall marriage of tastes lingers in every corner of the mouth well after swallowing.

There is harmony and balance, and our 2001 Syrah is even more full and complex than the 2000 vintage that was rated 94 points. Our 2001 Ladi Syrah will...

Tasting Notes

The 2002 Super T-Rex follows the tasty inaugural 2001 vintage. The blend varies a bit from the '01, as the blends are always done by taste. The grape varieties are the same, using the Sangiovese-based Super Tuscan wines as the model. Sangiovese forms the backbone, Cabernet Franc take flavors and aromas to the upper palate, Cabernet Sauvignon takes them back into a long lingering finish and Dolcetto (an Italian blending variety and occasionally bottled on its own, in the Piedmont) adds to the lower and side palate. The result is a full taste experience - fruit up front supported by a complexity of layered aromas and flavors - without aggressiveness or ponderosity.

Super T-Rex will pair superbly with many foods, especially Mediterranean cuisine. It is very enjoyable...

Tasting Notes

Meritage, pronounced like heritage, is an invented word that combines the words merit and heritage, reflecting the spirit of the Meritage Association to identify wines that represent the highest form of the Winemaker's Art - blending.

Deep in color and rich in flavor, this wine exhibits a smooth and elegant texture. Flavors of black cherry and plum converge with hints of chocolate and mint, leading to a smooth, long finish. Great with lamb, beef, or chocolate!

From the Winery

Hannah Nicole Vineyards is a family-owned winery producing award-winning Bordeaux and Rhone varietal wines in the eastern portion of Contra Costa County, California. On the edge of the California Delta Waterways, we enjoy long warm summers with cool evenings. During the average growing season, we...

Tasting Notes

Our 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon is deep in color and complex, with intense flavors of plum, black cherry, licorice and anise. Bold tannins combine with the new French Oak in this classic Cabernet Sauvignon. Great with lamb, beef or chocolate!

From the Winery

Hannah Nicole Vineyards is a family-owned winery producing award-winning Bordeaux and Rhone varietal wines in the eastern portion of Contra Costa County, California. On the edge of the California Delta Waterways, we enjoy long warm summers with cool evenings. During the average growing season, we receive less than 1 inch of rain! We enjoy daytime temperatures that occasionally rise to triple digits and then drop more than 40 degrees in the evening, creating optimal growing conditions for wine grapes. All of our...

Tasting Notes

The meaty and leathery characters and hints of Provençal herbs and spices might have you thinking this Rhône-style blend of Mourvedre, Syrah, and Grenache just fell out of a "California Cheese" commercial. Well, the name is the only cheesy thing about it! Those bright fruit flavors of boysenberry and raspberry sure ain't no bull! (Note: No animals were harmed in the writing of these tasting notes.)

Food Pairings:
Pairs and rhymes with Duck! Also barbecued baby back ribs and Szechuan foods.

From the Winery

The 2005 edition of this tastelessly named red Rhône-style blend is the first vintage with grapes sourced almost entirely from Calaveras County. All of the vineyards were chosen for a particular attribute that makes those vineyards very special places. Most...

Tasting Notes

Bonneau’s first red wine release from Sonoma County features equal amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes selected from two outstanding vineyards - one located in the Dry Creek appellation and the other on Sonoma Mountain. To enhance and compliment the wine, Petit Verdot and Malbec varietals were blended. In the glass, you'll find a deep purple-ruby color and wafting aromas of blackberry, ripe raspberry, and cranberry mingled with mocha, cassis and allspice.

Our Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon is full-bodied and luscious on the palate, with tannins that are finely integrated with a defined amount of French oak. The texture is smooth as black cherry, juicy black fruit and ripe fig flavors capture the mouth, and the finish is long lasting and satisfying. This wine is made to enjoy...

Tasting Notes

Aromas of plump and juicy fruit, tea and dark cherry. The palate showcases dry fruit and tart cherries with an earthy overlay. Overall a bright, crisp, and balanced wine with soft tannins and layers of textures.

From the Winery

UPDATE (Jan 2007): This wine has won a SILVER Medal at the 2007 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

Vinum, cantus, amor - wine, song, love. Trademark words for Ceja Vineyards and the Ceja Family, third generation winegrowers in the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. We match vines to terroir, planting each variety where it grows best. Fruit is handled gently to create our limited collection of hand-crafted wines. Enjoy with family, friends and your favorite dishes. ¡Salud!

Tasting Notes

Exotic wild berries and fleshy stone fruits infuse our 2004 Cabernet. This wine is characterized by sweet, mature tannins, well integrated with notes of creamy and textured oak. The fruit is bigger, though the alcohol level is only marginally higher than our 2003 vintage. Temperatures were not too hot throughout September, which allowed for longer hang time - a great benefit for us in helping develop balanced and extracted flavors in the fruit. Enjoy!

From the Winery

Joseph Family Vineyards is a small family-owned and operated producer of classic Cabernet Sauvignon wines. Located in the southeast corner of the Alexander Valley, our vines climb a steep rocky slope with shallow soils above the Russian River Valley.

Our winemaker, Scott Peterson, began working with our grapes...

Tasting Notes

The Esca Zinfandel is a blockbuster of wild berry, boysenberry and spicy aromas. This intense and alluring wine is bright and balanced and pairs well with food.

From the Winery

The 2004 Esca Zinfandel was made from 100% Sonoma County grapes grown in the Dry Creek AVA. The wine was aged for 18 months in 50% French and 50% American oak barrels and was bottled in April 2006.

Esca means "allurement or "bait" in Italian. Just as the nectar of the Hibiscus flower attracts the bee on the label, these wines entice the enophile.

Tasting Notes

This mellow, fruit forward Syrah has subtly all around. The aroma is savory with deep cherry flavors, bringing a pleasant mid-mouth finish with a rich, balanced, soft texture of poised tannins. This wine also expresses the earthy elements of a coastal Syrah.

Tasting Notes

This fruit forward Cabernet has subtle complexity. The aroma is what one might expect in a great Cabernet. Cherry and berries bring a pleasant mid-mouth flavor finishing with a rich, balanced, soft texture supported by a backbone of tannin. Our 2004 Cabernet has a great long, velvet finish.

From the Winery

Dorcich Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is the definitive expression of a fruit forward Cabernet and strong tannin structure. Our goal is to craft a consistent expression of our distinctive terroir through a wine that is elegant, complex, and balanced.

Winemaking for our Dorcich Vineyard Cabernet overlooked no detail. All fruit was hand-harvested and immediately transported to the winery while still cool, then hand-sorted before being gently pressed. Using only American oak barrels that were used...

Tasting Notes

A great example of this late ripening grape variety, our 2004 pure varietal Petit Verdot is dark ruby red in the glass, with a lovely open fragrance of red berries and coffee. The palate is soft and full with a complexity of mixed berries, spice and hints of mocha.

From the Winery

Vineyard Notes:

Grown at Argyle Vineyards in the sandy clay loam foothills of Monterey County's ninth and newest appellation, the San Antonio Valley, our vines see summer daytime temperatures 10-20 degrees warmer than much of Monterey County, with a cooling nighttime influence, and a little morning fog coming over the Santa Lucia range from the Pacific Ocean, just 15-20 miles away. This gives us a daily heat cycle of 50 degrees, producing the...

Tasting Notes

Rich and smooth, this gold winning Merlot is our best to date! This full-bodied, elegant wine has beautiful notes of rich cherry, chocolate and berry flavors. These flavors are complemented by a rich texture and a solid backbone of soft tannins, acid, and French oak. Enjoy with pork chops, turkey, and pasta.

Tasting Notes

Our 2004 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon has a nose of plum, almond, vanilla, pipe tobacco and sweet oak. This fine wine will greet your palate with a beautifully layered mouth feel, a gentle body, smooth tannins and a lingering finish. It is the perfect accompaniment for roast beef or a grilled lamb.

From the Winery

Our estate bottled Cabernet Sauvignon is produced from mountain vineyards high in the Sierra Nevada foothills. This vintage was produced from handpicked, manually sorted grapes, harvested at full maturity and aged in small French and American oak barrels for 15 months. This elegant, rich and full-bodied wine will develop gracefully for many years to come. Blended with 4% Cabernet Franc.

Tasting Notes

For several crushes, our buddy Scotty (not our winemaker, another Scott) helped us with punchdowns, pressings, rackings, and just about any other task you have during crush. You always knew Scotty was around because of the aroma of his clove cigarettes. You'll note that this Tempranillo also has a hint of clove, along with aromas and flavors of cherry and raspberry. Not to mention great structure and acidity, but I digress. Now Scotty works for another winery, but somehow the aroma of clove still wafts around the crush pad. Some suspect Scotty is stealing beer from the lab fridge, but it's probably just the Tempranillo.

Food Pairings: Tapas! Spicy sausages and salamis, linguica, ham, game, pot roast and fried SPAM fingers.

From the Winery
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Tasting Notes

The 2004 Tanner has the classic heavy mettle of Calaveras Syrah that Led to us Going to California and making wine here. Heady aromas of raspberries, pepper, and leather are sure to leave you Dazed and Confused. We also expect you will have a Whole Lotta Love for the big strawberry, vanilla and rhubarb flavors. Chewy tannins Bring It On Home for a nice finish. We know we could Ramble On about this Heartbreaker of a wine, but we don't want to end up swinging from the Gallows Pole... (OK, sure, we wanted to work in Stairway to Heaven - but it got Trampled Under Foot.)

Food Pairings: Carnivores, you have a choice! Beef, pork, game - enjoy it with a whole cowl, leg of lamb...

Tasting Notes

The 2003 Jemrose Pinot Noir is a bit more aromatic, more fruit forward and a bit heavier than the 01 or 02 vintages. It's an evolutionary change that reflects the changing balance in California Pinots from the Burgundian style to the more fruit centric California style.

The 2003 Jemrose is very aromatic, with pronounced floral aromas. It is full and round on the palate, with forward fruit that is dominated by that haunting Pinot Noir flavor. We often pair it with grilled salmon and seared tuna. It goes equally well with chicken, steak and lamb. We've done Winemaker Dinners where the Jemrose Pinot was paired with a complex salad. Just use lemon juice in the dressing instead of vinegar, and the wine and salad will compliment each...

Tasting Notes

The wine shows a deep purple-ruby hue accompanied by fragrant suggestions of blackberries, dark plums, raspberries and cassis with supporting notes of black pepper and oily spices (clove and nutmeg). On the palate the wine is smooth, juicy and plump with great integration of fruit and spice, with full body and great purity. The finish is long and refined. Having been aged 18 months in high quality French Oak barrels, you may enjoy this wine currently or allow for additional aging in the bottle.

Suggested food pairings include pasta, red sauces, robust cheeses, lamb and venison.

From the Winery

UPDATE (Jan 2007): This wine has won a SILVER Medal at the 2007 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition!

Bonneau Zinfandel is produced from grapes grown on...

Tasting Notes

Sourced from top vineyards located between the Rutherford Bench and Yountville, our first red wine release shows a deep purple-ruby color with aromas of blackberry and black cherry intermixed with mocha, cassis, and spice. Full-bodied and juicy on the palate with finely integrated tannins and silky smooth texture where more ripe, juicy black fruits emerge. The finish is succulent and expansive. While this wine is a treat to enjoy in its youth, it will continue to gain depth and richness for 5-7 years.

Suggested food pairings include well aged cheeses (Asiago and Blue Cheeses, especially), hearty pasta dishes (canalone, carbonara) and is a natural match for steaks, roasts and wild game.

From the Winery

UPDATE (Jan 2007): This wine just won another SILVER medal at...

Tasting Notes

This wine shows its birthplace in the huge draughts of black cherry, raspberry and pomegranate fruit that explode from the glass. As the wine opens, more subtle notes of forest floor and dried orange peel are found. Serving as a foundation to the fruit is a generous complex of caramel and brown sugar notes derived from the use of 100% new French oak.

In the mouth, the creaminess and sweetness of the barrel expression, coupled with very ripe fruit, create a silky mouthfeel that coats the tongue. The abundant acidity in the wine (characterized by the entrance of red cherry fruit) carries the flavors and aromas to a long conclusion. On the finish there is a pleasing sense of astringency which both serves as a counterpoint...

Tasting Notes

Compared to the 2003 offering, the 2004 Pinot Noir, Monterey expresses fruit a bit more diffidently. With aeration, aromas of cranberry, red cherry, anise and cinnamon come to the fore. As is customary, subtle hints of wood serve as a foundation for the intensity of the wine's aromatics and flavors. On the finish, this vintage's differences are also obvious in the wine's gorgeous acidity and elegant structure.

From the Winery

Exhibiting the intense dark fruits and beautiful acid balance typical of a Tom Stutz Pinot Noir, the 2004 La Rochelle Monterey Pinot Noir is showing beautifully now and will age gracefully for the next 3-5 years.

Tasting Notes

For centuries, the Bordelais have used Petit Verdot in their blends to provide their wines with darker color and more tannin. This wine is a perfect demonstration of how well the two varieties work together. While the 2001 vintage Cabernet had a very dark red color, this vintage is profoundly dark purple with a core verging on the black. In the nose, one detects intense aromas of black plum and cassis fruit, underpinned by a layer of non-fruit aromatics: pencil shavings, wetted earth, créme brulee oakiness, dark chocolate, and subtle lavender perfume.

From the Winery

In only one other vintage since our first have we produced anything but a 100% Cabernet wine under our Livermore Valley banner; 2002 marks the second release. In certain vintages...

Tasting Notes

The 2003 Estate Zinfandel embodies the definition of Zinfandel aromatics and flavors crafted in the classic claret style. Upon the initial pour, the eye is greeted with a deep garnet color and the nose with cocoa powder and bright raspberry.

This medium bodied Zinfandel has an amazing framework of acidity, dusty tannins and a long, dry finish. As the wine begins to open, the tannins become silkier and the viscosity of the wine increases, eventually morphing into raspberry and cherry jam hedonism -- all supported by the lively acidity. With the breathing of the wine comes spice as well, with fresh crushed black pepper on the nose that persists through the mid palate and finish. All the while, the initial cocoa continues to flirt in and...

Tasting Notes

The 2004 Syrah treats you to a bouquet of flavors - ripe, black fruit and underlying spices. There's a hint of mint in the nose and again in the finish. All of this is supported by a solid, mature tannin structure. The result is a mellow blend with a touch of velvet.

From the Winery

Tanner Vineyard lies on a rocky, south facing slope in the Sierra foothills, in Calaveras County near Murphys. The grapes were crushed and fermented in small lots to preserve the varietal flavors.

The vineyard is situated at 2000 feet elevation in the Sierra foothills. The rocky, south facing slope has great drainage and long sun exposure. Hot days and cool nights make for the ideal climate and soil conditions for...

Tasting Notes

Rich, jammy, blackberry flavors fill the mouth and stir memories of childhood experiences in a blackberry patch. The middle palate is full and rich. The wine's bouquet reveals hints of berry and vanilla, and the finish is agreeably long and abundant. Try this 2001 Croze with roasted meats and anything from the grill. Or, sip Croze in front of a fire, with a friend!

From the Winery

Our 2001 Croze comes from Sweetwater Ranch in the heart of the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley. This young and vigorous vineyard produces fruit with bright flavors and moderate tannins.

A long, cool fermentation and 39 months in barrel created an elegant Bordeaux style wine. The 2001 Croze Cabernet Sauvignon is balanced and complex. The subtle tannic...

Tasting Notes

Delicious aromas of currants and mineralty lure you to sip this smooth and full-bodied Cabernet. Gentle tannins and the firm acidity of mountain fruit frame flavors of currant, cherry and cedar. The lasting finish of lush berries and sweet vanilla bring you back for more. Our 2002 Cabernet can be enjoyed now or cellared for many years to unveil further complexities in the wine.

From the Winery

This is our most terroir-driven wine -- a Peterson wine that shouts out its origins with every sip. The Bradford Mountain vineyards produce wine grapes with a unique and very recognizable minerality, and that expression of place reaches its apex in the Bradford Mountain Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.

The intensity of the Cabernet Sauvignon is complemented with fleshy fruit...

Tasting Notes

Our '02 Petite Sirah hits the ground running with robust aromas and flavors that punch on through to the finish. The deep inky color lures you in and the aromas -- brambly and spicy, with herbal notes and rustic earthy essence -- lead you on. The rich berry and vanilla flavors are framed in a balanced yet powerful structure of tannin, oak and acid. The midpalate reveals coffee and blackberry followed by a long mocha and fruit-driven finish. This rough-hewn wine deserves a hearty meal or cheese course to show its true merits.

From the Winery

The West Vineyard is an 80-year-old dry-farmed, head trained Zinfandel vineyard that is the source for our Tradizionale Zinfandel. I worked with the grower Tom West on a more...

Tasting Notes

Our Bradford Mountain Zin has more personality than the main character in a good mystery. The aromas seem dark and brooding yet somehow inviting, with layers of fruit, oak and spice all blended together. Deep rich flavors on the palate and a consistent thread of mineral essence run throughout to form a well-balanced and full-bodied wine. Concentrated blackberry flavors meld with a spicy backdrop to create an intensely delicious Zinfandel. This wine could easily hold in your cellar for years, or be consumed immediately with a juicy tri-tip or robust Italian meal.

From the Winery

I fell in love with mountain wines and mountain vineyards in 1979 when I first laid eyes on Mount Eden Vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains. I carried that...

Tasting Notes

The words "Dry Creek Zin" conjure up images of luscious unions of raspberry and black pepper. Our 2002 Tradizionale Zinfandel exhibits these traditional characteristics and more. This wine offers tempting aromas of cherry, raspberry and black pepper with hints of baking spices. The smooth flavors of ripe raspberry, rich cherry and sweet vanilla balance perfectly with the tannin and oak. These delicious flavors carry through to the long, lingering finish, satisfying even the strongest Dry Creek Zin craving.

From the Winery

This is the kind of wine that really got me hooked on Zinfandel. A traditional, old-vine field-blend, this wine to me is the classic "raspberry jam" that differentiates the best Dry Creek Valley Zins from all others. Big, but balanced. Fruity, yet elegant. This...

Tasting Notes

Delicious and well-balanced sums up this terrific value-driven blend. Attractive aromas of fresh berries, cherry and vanilla add a nice dimension to this medium-bodied wine. A lush, full mouthfeel offers up rich berry and vanilla flavors married into a structure of crisp acid and smooth tannins. Our easy drinking Zero has enough character to share with a juicy steak or a juicy date. Take your pick.

From the Winery

The 2004 Zero is a somewhat Rhone-like blend, and one of our finest to date. Building on its solid core of juicy old vine Carignane fruit, we blended in 12% Zinfandel from the Mengali Vineyard in Alexander Valley. The Zin gives the blend a richness along with solid acids and tannins to strength the its backbone....