Wine: California
Results
NoCo Chardonnay
Nice California fruit, no intrusive oak and a bit of acidity, what's not to like? This wine is made by the good folks at Liocco, and we appreciate the restraint that is evident in this wine. Everything is in balance just the way we like it. This is a great everyday Chardonnay which works all year round. Winemaking Details: Stainless Steel Tank Fermentation
Heller Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Cachagua
Heller Estate has been quietly making first-rate wines from their organic vineyards since 1970. This one has dried berry and chocolate aromas with notes of cassis, mint, cranberry and pomegranate seeds on the long finish. A richly flavorful wine that California fans will truly enjoy, and a great value to boot! Winemaking Details: Temperature controlled, stainless steel fermentation. Aged for 2 years in oak, 40% new. Unfined.
Calera Central Coast Chardonnay
Each year Calera purchases Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes from growers throughout the Central Coast region of California with a constant eye toward the best possible quality. This is a full bodied and creamy Chardonnay with a touch of oak.
Dashe Cellars Dry Creek Zinfandel
Michael and Anne, the husband and wife team whimsically portrayed on their label, found Dashe Cellars in the same year they were married. Their carefully crafted wines show their passion and the wealth of knowledge in fine winemaking. This one is a classic example of a Dry Creek Zin, elegant and balanced with velvety mouthfeel. Complex aromas of black cherry, cassis and spices with flavors of ripe blackberry, dark cherry, clove, chocolate with lingering finish. Winemaking Details: Wild Yeast Fermentation, Unfiltered, Unfined
Donkey and Goat Syrah Fenaughty
Natural wine from California! This is made by husband and wife team, Tracey and Jared Brandt, who trained under Eric Texier in Rhone Valley. All their wines are fermented in wood vats and they add nothing at all except a small amount of sulfur at bottling. This syrah boasts tobacco, earth and herbs intermingled with violets. With a moment to breathe, mineral and spice come to the fore. Red fruits like cherry, plum and raspberry tickle the palate. Long, firmly structured yet smooth tannins coat the mouth and linger for minutes while you ponder what this wine is and what it will become.
POV Robert Sinskey Cabernet Sauvignon
A delicious Bordeaux-blend from one of the better known biodynamic wineries in California. Deep rich blackcurrant fruit, ripe but not jammy, good acidity and a big finish.
Ridge Cabernet Merlot Blend Santa Cruz
Winemaker, Paul Draper, is known for ruffling French feathers when his 1971 vintage Monte Bello came in 5th at the Judgement of Paris (it was blind tasted next to high-end red Bordeaux by respected French sommeliers). This is a "how-to-farm-and-make-great-Cabernet-in-California", from Mr Draper. Deep black fruit with a fine touch of crispness and a little grip on the finish.