I have had this in my cellar for a while, waiting for the exact right moment. I decided this afternoon was the right time. This is my first time drinking this wine from this Iconic Winery.
Delightful aromas of Myers lemon, white peach, jasmine, and minerality escape from the glass enticing you to take a sip.
The palate features lively acidity, impressive minerality, and a fresh clean mouthfeel that shows both depth and complexity combined with delicacy and elegance. Intertwined layers of apple, lemon, lychee, white peach, and hints of tropical fruits that seem like an afterthought in the grand scheme of things.
This is an impressive wine and despite being 7 years old, it is holding up beautifully. Grab some if you ever see it- you will not be disappointed.
It is all Chenin Blanc but with a Napa twist. Not as rich and oily as some of the Vouvray offerings and is more delicate and subtle than the South African offerings.
I would be guessing but I think this has at least another 5 or so years- say to 2030.
Pairings should include lighter seafood dishes such as oysters, shrimp, grilled fish, grilled chicken, and Salade Niçoise with tuna.
If you are a fan of Assyrtiko, or Clare Valley Dry Riesling, this is a must-try.
Andy Erickson is the founder and winemaker for this impressive blend and is considered by many to be one of the finest winemakers in Napa. His resume is a list of who’s who including Screaming Eagle, Harlan, Staglin, Dalla Valle, Ovid, and Favia- an up-and-coming winery owned by his wife, in Coombsville. This is the most southern Napa AVA and the 16th to be formally recognized in 2011.
Andy and his team meticulously hand-pick vineyard sites across Napa with the aim of what will the site contribute to the blend and how will it improve the overall result. This vintage is a blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 10% Petite Sirah, 6% Syrah, 6% Petit Verdot, and 3% Cabernet Franc.
Lots of cherries, raspberries, and spices on the nose with just a hint of chocolate.
The palate is big, rich, and welcoming with seamless layers of Blackberry jam, Plum, and Dark Raspberries with secondary notes of Blueberries and Dark Chocolate. Impressive balance, silky smooth mouthfeel, and elegant with a long finish.
What you have is Andy Erickson’s fine-tuning and his magic touch at about a tenth to a twentieth of the price of the other wines he makes.
This will cellar out to 2030 and beyond. Upon saying that, there is a youthful exuberance I would not want to see you miss out on if you leave it too long.
Pairings should include red meat in your favorite dish or straight from the grill, especially with herbs. Pasta with meatballs, Lamb Skewers, Meat lovers Pizza, Roasted Chicken with herbs, Chicken Cacciatore with mushrooms and peppers added.
A generous pour into a glass will reveal stunning deep purple almost black in color, shimmering in the glass. Seductive aromas of fresh blackberries, crème of cassis, blueberries, dark cherries, cigar box and rich earth pours from the glass. Elegance, refinement, and sophistication exude from the glass establishing boundaries of expectation.
One sip will reveal that your expectations have been met and exceeded. Exceptional balance is immediately apparent.
Seamless layers of dark and red fruits sweep you away to the rows of vines in Rutherford at dusk, with the legendary ‘Rutherford Dust’ gently cradling the whole experience. There is subdued power sitting between the layers of fruits with hints of vanilla, red raspberries, dark chocolate, spices, with just a hint of truffles completes this wine.
Silky smooth, velvet mouthfeel from start to finish, frames a richness with impressive depth and complexity. Add 8 years of bottle aging to temper the tannins and you have a complete package to drink now, with a few hours of decanting, or be patient, and watch it develop over the next decade or two.
Did I mention small amounts of Carménère and Petit Verdot were added to complete the blend, making it a ‘Bordeaux Blend’ from Napa.
Most definitely lives up to the 98-point rating from James Suckling.
Food Pairings should be worthy of this exceptional wine. Seek out the finest cut of red meat you can find: Japanese Kobe beef, Japanese Wagyu beef, American Wagyu beef, Tomahawk Steak (bone-in rib eye), and filet mignon would all be excellent choices.
Let me start by saying that these wines are available at the Winery only, that means you cannot go down to your favorite Fine Wine Store and pick up a few bottles of each. The release of limited amounts of cellar door only and library releases is because the winery has changed ownership, back to the original founder James Hall, and his wife Anne Moses. As the story goes, James’s wife Anne did not want to take his last name as she did not want to live in the shadow of the character Annie Hall. Cannot blame her.
Patz & Hall Durell Vineyard Chardonnay 2019
Anyway, onto the wine, their Chardonnays are made to cellar. A close friend in the business visited there several years ago and tasted Chardonnay’s 20 years old and drinking beautifully. A testament to great winemaking.
This is an elegant refined Chardonnay sourced from the Durell Vineyard in Sonoma Valley and is made with a French influence.
The nose does not reveal as much as you would expect but the notes of honeysuckle, melon, apple, and spices are enough to entice you to take a sip.
The palate is rich and inviting with layers of baked apple, honeysuckle, pear, lemon, and spices. I get a sense that everything is intentional with this wine with a level of creaminess and intensity that I do not expect from Sonoma- but great grapes and winemaker make for a surprise. Throw in balanced acidity, some interesting minerality and a long finish and you have a winner.
This will cellar out to 2035 without a problem, be patient and expect improvements.
Pairings should include Shellfish, scallops, Rich Fish dishes, Chicken, and Pork dishes.
Patz & Hall Burnside Vineyard Pinot Noir 2018
Grapes are sourced from Burnside Vineyard owned by the Martinelli Family, 4th generation growers in Russian River Valley, considered one of the best sites in Russin River Valley. Elegant and restrained is the name of the game.
Alluring aromas of bright dark cherries, raspberries and spices dominate the nose with just a hint of strawberries.
Silky smooth mouthfeel coats your mouth with delightful layers of dark cherries, raspberries, cola, and strawberries with just a hint of sweetness that feels like a ribbon around a gift, completing the package. There is wonderful depth and complexity
that almost goes unnoticed, distracted by soft tannins and excellent balance. This is Russian River Valley in a glass.
Cellaring out to 2030 and beyond will show improvements, but I should mention, it is drinking so impressively well now, you may be tempted to drink this sooner than later.
Pairings should include Salmon, Venison, Duck, Turkey, Chicken, Mushroom Risotto and Truffle mac ‘n cheese.
Patz & Hall Moses-Hall Vineyard Pinot Noir 2018
Owned by James Hall and his wife Anne Moses, this vineyard is planted with 5 different clones that produces this aromatic, bold Pinot with depth and complexity.
The fruits are on the darker and bolder side compared to the Burnside release. Aromas of dark cherries, dark raspberries, and blueberries heightens your anticipation.
The palate delivers weight and structure with a smooth but bold mouthfeel. All the dark fruits on the nose are here with secondary layers of plum, blackberries and cola.
This will cellar out to 2034 and beyond endorsed by exceptional balance.
Pairings should include Salmon, Venison, Duck, Turkey, Pork, and Lamb Chops.
This is an awesome example of what I have been saying for 5 plus years. How good are Napa Sauvignon Blancs getting? Welcome this like a refreshing tropical breeze.
Loads of enticing notes of grapefruit, tangerine, lychee, and peach will emphasize your anticipation until you take a sip.
One sip, and you are sold on this wine, from the smooth elegant mouthfeel with balance, and mouthwatering acidity to the finely intertwined layers of grapefruit, tangerine, white peach, melon, and apples
with secondary notes of passionfruit, pineapple, and guava. An absolute delight to drink.
I am sure this will cellar out 5 years plus but it is drinking so well now.
Food Pairings should include shellfish, Chicken with lemon butter, and Salads with white fish or chicken. Fish Tacos, Thai Green Chicken Curry, and Goat’s cheese would also work well.
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars ‘Artemis’ Cabernet 2021
At the risk of repeating myself, for the benefit of those who do not know, Artemis is the Greek Goddess of the hunt, reflecting the Wineries’ desire to hunt for the best grapes possible to go into this iconic Napa Cabernet.
The 2021 vintage was considered so great, that I was told by a winemaker you could feel the excitement in the Valley leading up to harvest. All this sets the stage for some exceptional wine releases in the future. Like everyone else, I was looking forward to tasting the 2021 releases, so my anticipation was high when this arrived.
It is a blend of fruit, sourced from the warmer northern section of the valley, contributing the black currant and blackberries to this wine, grapes from the cooler southern section of the valley contributing red currants, cherries, and of course, Stags Leap district that contributes a bigger, bolder, yet restrained style of Cabernet with dark fruits and herbs and cooking spices. This wine encompasses all these characteristics, with excellent balance, and all the depth and complexity you would come to expect.
Enticing aromas pour from the glass, blackberries, boysenberries, and chocolate dominate with hints of plum and spices to round things out.
The palate is rich and silky smooth with seamless layers of blackberries, cassis, boysenberries, plums, dark chocolate, and vanilla with secondary notes of black currant, dark raspberries, dark cherries, and spices. I get the impression that everything is where it should be, very intentional.
Throw in some fine tannins, a long finish, excellent structure, and the ability to age 10 – 15 years and you have a winner that is an absolute pleasure to drink.
In its youth, you should decanter between 2 – 4 hours.
Food pairings should center around red meat dishes, make sure it is worthy of this wine.
Aromas of freshly baked apples combined with tropical fruits such as pineapple, guava, ripe banana will entice you to take a sip. Do not hurry, enjoy the moment.
The palate is fresh and lively with intertwined layers of banana, pear, white peach, with secondary notes of citrus, apple, almonds, toast, and spices to round things out.
The mouthfeel is creamy without being overdone displaying excellent balance, depth, and complexity. This wine has an allure that will seduce you quietly making you fall for this wine, in a big way. An absolute delight to drink.
I paired this with Lobster Ravioli with finely cut asparagus, and a drizzle of Italian truffle oil and it ended up being an awesome pairing. I considered, for just a second, a Loire Sauvignon Blanc but very happy with my choice in the end.
Cellar time: its seven years old now and was excellent. I believe it has got another 4 plus years. Unfortunately, it was my last bottle of 2017 on my cellar. I think it will be spectacular in 5 – 7 years.
Firstly, congratulations to Antigal for being awarded New World Winery of the Year in 2023 by Wine Enthusiast, and to their Wine Maker Miriam Gomez, who is one of the talented and accomplished winemakers in Argentina. She combines a passion for science and winemaking with some exceptional results.
The Uno Malbec has been around for a while and is a favorite of so many people. Most people know it from the striking metal 1 on the bottle.
Antigal have launched two new wines in the US, a Sauvignon Blanc and a Chardonnay and they are most definitely in the easy drinking, budget friendly category.
Uno Sauvignon Blanc 2023
Herbal notes, cut grass and tropical fruits dominate the nose with just a hint of wild white flowers.
Mouthwatering crisp acidity greets you with your first sip with enticing layers of grapefruit and passionfruit, with pineapple and subtle spices rounding things out. Nice balance and length on the finish. This is a wine to bring out at parties this summer- a definite crowd pleaser or enjoy by yourself in your happy place. Mine is under the shade of a tree in my courtyard.
Pair with your favorite white meat dish, salads, and semi hard cheeses.
This consistently gets 90 plus but no ratings yet for the 2023 vintage yet.
Uno Chardonnay 2023
Enticing aromas of tropical fruits greet you at the door and invite you into the party.
The palate will convince you to stay a while and enjoy delicate interwoven layers of pineapple, peach, apricot, and vanilla, with just a hint of ginger and sweet lime to finish things off.
Wonderful round mouthfeel and an easy to drink attitude makes this you’re not so typical Chardonnay that is worth drinking at least once, or twice. It may even become your favorite ‘patio pounder’.
Cellar potential is 3 years but, like the Sav Blanc, I would drink it now.
Pairings should include your favorite white meat dish, Creme pasta, and firm cheeses.
Uno Malbec 2021
The nose is all blackberries, plum, violets, and vanilla.
The palate is rich and juicy with soft tannins and a smooth mouthfeel. Layer of blackberries, plums, black currants, and blueberries coat your mouth while secondary layers of dark raspberries, cassis, vanilla, milk chocolate, and sweet tobacco fill in any gaps that might be present. An overall smooth wine that leaves you wanting more. This is as good as any previous vintage I have tasted.
This will cellar out until 2029 without a problem.
Pairings should include red meats, Pasta with red meat sauces, and Tapas.
It’s rare I get caught off guard, happens once or twice a year if I am lucky.
This 100% Syrah from the Cornas region of Cote du Rhone has done just that. Jean Luc Colombo and his wife Anne’s commitment to Syrah is legendary, and this, their iconic flagship wine displaying all the elegance and finesse you would expect. The Cornas appellation is one of the smallest in the Cote du Rhone region spanning only 375 acres.
“For their significant life-long contributions to their country, both Jean-Luc and Anne have been awarded the French Legion of Honor, France’s highest civilian award. Today, Jean-Luc Colombo’s wines express the typicity of their terroir with elegance and character, from the northern Rhône to his Provençal roses” Source: Winery.
The 2018 is an exceptional vintage reflecting all the hard work and commitment that has gone into making this wine since its initial release in 1987 from, then, 90-year-old vines. The vineyard has been certified organic in 2016.
The enticing aromas of dark fruits, violets, and a hint of spices only elevates your level of anticipation.
One sip, and that anticipation is exceeded. There is an indefinable quality about this wine that starts with a silky-smooth mouthfeel that reflects impressive depth and complexity, beautiful balance, and panache.
Seamless layers of blackberries, black currant, raisins, violets, and plums, with secondary notes of blueberries, white pepper and cooking herbs do everything in their power to get you to take another sip.
That is not a hard task. The fruits are neatly wrapped in tannins now, so if you are planning to drink this soon, please allow 3 – 4 hours decanting to allow this to open so you can fully appreciate what it has to offer.
Cellar time: 2030 and beyond without a problem.
Food Pairings should include NY strips, beef, juicy half pound burgers from the grill, and game including rabbit, deer, turkey, and duck.
This blend combines 65% Santa Barbara and 35% Sonoma Coast, with each region adding to the overall complexity and flavor, resulting in a delightful wine. The 14.5% alcohol content is well-integrated and does not dominate.
Enticing aromas of cherries, cranberries, and raspberries with just a hint of cola, spices, and forest floor, indicating what is to come.
The palate shows depth and complexity with impressive balance. Layers of bright red fruits- cherries, cranberries, and black raspberries with secondary notes of plum, cola, earthy forest floor, mushrooms, and a thin coating of vanilla over the acidity. A very well-made wine with everything in its place with a nice hint of sweetness on a long finish.
Cellar time should extend out to 2028 plus.
Pairings should include pork, turkey (think Thanksgiving) chicken and of course salmon.
Pali Wine Co. Huntington Pinot Noir 2022
This is 100% Pinot Noir sourced from their Santa Barbara vineyard and is estate-grown fruit and has been owned by the family since 2005. Again, the 14.5% alc. is in check.
Seductive nose of bright red cherries, black raspberries, cola, spices, and earthy notes.
Layers of red cherries, black raspberries, spices and plum dominate, impress, and distract you from the secondary note of forest floor, spices, dried thyme, cola, and vanilla.
Cellar time is 2030 without a problem.
Pairings should include pork, turkey (think Thanksgiving) chicken and of course salmon. Its ‘big’ enough to pair well with Venison, Veal, and strip steak from the grill.
Pali Wine Co. Tower 15 Red Blend 2020.
This is a blend of 42% Syrah, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Zinfandel, and 8% Dornfelder, all sourced from Central Coast Vineyards. It also sits at a whopping 15% alc.
This is also one of 27 different wines in the Tower 15 range. This is a big bold red and should be handled carefully. If you like Caymus, or Orin Swift this is for you.
The Syrah, Cab and Zin are fighting it out to dominate the aromas. Loads of ripe dark fruits, cassis, plum, oak, and dark chocolate dominate.
The palate is all Blackberry jam, black currant, blueberries, plums with layers of dark chocolate, oak, vanilla, and subtle baking spices buried deep, but still evident. Impressive balance and loads of reasons to add this to the cellar. There is a general impression of sweetness with this wine, but tannins are evident and keep it in check.
Cellar out to 2030 with improvements coming, you will lose some fruit thought.
Food pairings should include any red meat from the grill, NY Strips, Pepperoni Pizza, Beef, and any other cut of red meat you can think of. Get the picture? Venison, Veal, and at a stretch, Chicken Cacciatore.
Pali Wine Co Charm Acres Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2018
Nose is loaded with baked apple and pear enticing you to take a sip. Very much Sonoma Chard and one sip confirms it.
Palate is smooth, rich, and approachable with a caramel creme brulee and baked apple thing dominating with secondary notes of pear, white stone fruits, pineapple, and spices. Nice balance and acidity. The 2018 vintage has 6 years under its belt and has gained from the aging, that I might add has already done for you. Drinking very well with a nice long finish.
No need to cellar it- it is done for you. I would drink in the next two to three years
Pairings should include something rich, preferably white meats with a citrus, mushroom or garlic and butter sauce. Alfredo Chicken Pizza, or firm cheeses with a herb cracker.
Pali Wine Co Skin Contact White Wine 2023
This is a blend of 55% Gewurztraminer and 45% Pinot Noir, and, despite the branding, this feels more like an orange wine. I have been asked in the past if Orange Wines are a fad. The truth of the matter is the wine technique of skin contact white wine has been around for centuries. A fad? I do not think so. Will it rise and fall in popularity? Like most things, I guess the answer is yes but that does not reflect on the wine, only the fickleness of the public.
The nose displays enticing delightful floral notes and tropical fruits.
The mouthfeel has a playfulness about it- Gewurztraminer balancing the more ‘serious side’ from the Pinot Noir. This could be your next favorite summer wine.
Tropical fruits, strawberries and cherries dominate wrapped in a hint of sweetness with notes of apricot, papaya, and mandarin.
Pairings should include salads, chicken, and seafood from the grill, and given the hint of sweetness, something with a little spicy kick to it. Chicken Pad Thai or spicy Chicken Burrito come to mind.
Vine to Table 