Francis Ford Coppola Petit Sirah Diamond Label
Winemaker Corey Beck developed a fondness for Petite Sirah in part because it was the favorite varietal of his grandfather's, a Napa Valley grape grower back when the California wine industry was just gaining notoriety. After years of experimenting with the varietal, they sought out prime Petite Sirah vineyards to include...
The 2006 Syrah relies heavily on grapes from Novelty Hill's estate vineyard, Stillwater Creek (70%). The soil here is mixed with large pieces of fractured basalt; and visitors often remark on its similarity to the Rhone Valley, perhaps one reason why Syrah from here is so outstanding. The balance of the...
DeLoach Chardonnay Russian River
Russian River Valley Chardonnay is a blend of several premium vineyards located within three miles of the winery in the heart of the Russian River Valley. Carefully tended vines yield fruit of exemplary quality; it is a pure expression of Russian River Valley terroir. The juice was fermented in a combination...
BV Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2010
Strong Cabernet aromas of black cherry, anise and dark cocoa are enhanced by a hint of vanilla. Medium-bodied flavors show fully ripe, earthy Cabernet fruit with a hint of dusty minerals. Moderate acidity, medium tannins and a touch of new oak highlight the fruit beautifully. Flavors show fine depth and structure....
Harvest season manifests itself clearly in this wine, revealing black cherry and the distinctive cocoa-mineral aromas typical of Merlot. Fruit from southern Napa and cool Carneros was judiciously blended with Merlot from Beaulieu's warmer Rutherford and St. Helena vineyards, giving strong dark berry flavor and soft tannins; a subtle truffle-mineral flavor...
Franciscan’s Merlot grows in the cooler half of Napa Valley, from the winery’s estate in the heart of the Oakville District on south to vineyards in Carneros. These cooler vineyards give more vibrant flavors and denser structure to the wine—two qualities that are critical to growing outstanding Merlot. In the winery,...
Ghost Pines Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
The young winemakers for Ghost Pines didn’t start the trend of multi-AVA” labeling, but they sure got it right. These hotshot winemakers believe that blending is the highest expression of the winemaker’s art. Going outside the lines of the single-AVA system gets the best grapes from the best places into the...
Rosenblum Cellars Petite Sirah Heritage Clones
This wine exhibits great color with a bouquet and flavors of ripe blackberries, plums, chocolate, black pepper, violets and spice. Contra Costa will soon be known as the Mecca for Petite Sirah. This wine is amazing both in aromatics and flavors, not to mention the color, which is jet black. The...
Villa Mt Eden Pinot Noir Grand Reserve
Aromas of warm, sweet orange caramel strudel develop nicely into mature Pinot Noir fruit characters. The ripe red fruit flavors include hints of butterscotch with a touch of mushrooms and dried flower petals. The silky dried cranberry finish lingers seductively.
St Clement Chardonnay Napa Valley
Pale yellow in color, this Chardonnay features aromas of lemon, ripe melon, pear and tropical fruit that transition to bright fruit flavors of citrus, apple and cantaloupe on the palate. A creamy mouthfeel of Kiwi, guava, vanilla and spice notes from the French oak combine with balanced acidity and a touch...
Looking for a perfect expression of Monterey Chardonnay? Try Bernardus! It shows complex aromas of ripe apple and pear accented by notes of crème brûlée. On the palate, the texture is rich and full-bodied, exhibiting intense flavors which mirror the aromas along with notes of citrus, fig and mineral, supported by...
Carmel Road Winery is located in the heart of Monterey County where the air is crisp and the tempo is relaxed and measured. Most mornings their vineyards are shrouded in fog. Most afternoons a brisk Pacific Ocean wind blows southward along the ridge tops and benchlands of the Salinas Valley delivering...
This Markham Chardonnay seemed to hit the spot around the winery with its apple pie spice and butter pecan ice cream aromas this fall. Vanilla, toast and nutmeg work well with the juicy, tropical fruits in the nose. Flavors are clean and bright showing lemon curd and more toasty, baked apple...
Alexander Valley Vineyards Merlot
Merlot has gotten a bad rap in recent years as a wimpy wine, but Alexander Valley Vineyards is convinced they will change a lot of minds with their 2006 Estate Merlot. It's dense and rich, qualities a lot of folks associate with Cabernet Sauvignon. Winemaker Kevin Hall calls this a Merlot...
This lovely and elegant Carneros Chardonnay reflects both a long growing season and the benefits derived from new Dijon clones in the vineyard. Medium intense green-gold color with green pear, green almond, honey and apple fruit aromas, as well as a fine, lightly nutty aroma from lees aging. Medium-bodied, with typical...
