Mumm Napa NV Brut Prestige

Winery notes: If you asked winemaker Ludovic Dervin to name the quintessential Napa Valley sparkling wine, his answer would inevitably be Brut Prestige. Sourced from more than 50 prime Napa Valley vineyards—and nearly 80 different vineyard blocks—this elegant, balanced wine is the perfect example of the artistry of méthode traditionelle and the incomparable fruit of Napa Valley. This hugely popular wine offers touches of vanilla and melon, with firm acid and crisp structure.

It is made with about equal amounts of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with a little Pinot Meunier and Pinot Gris as well.

We had a magnum given to us as a gift a while back by the Dorr's. We popped the cork just before midnight to celebrate the New Year with our assembled friends.

2003 Guigal Cote Rotie - Brune Et Blonde

It is New Year's Eve and we have several house guests, so it was time to fix a nice meal and serve some great wines. This E. Guigal Cote Rotie from the Rhone Valley has a very attractive QPR. 96% Syrah and 4% Viognier grapes.

We served it with grilled lamb, grilled roast beef, marinated grilled vegetables, hummus, pita bread, and a few other side dishes.

93 points, Robert Parker: "The 2003 Cote Rotie Brune et Blonde is probably the finest cuvee of regular Cote Rotie that Guigal has produced since 1999 or 1991. Stunningly rich, it offers a beautiful, sweet nose of cassis, mocha, espresso, bacon fat, black olives, and underbrush. Some smoked meat notes also make an appearance in this rich, lush, opulent wine. This is a beauty."

92 points, Wine Spectator: "Still tight, but this has a solid core of muscular fig paste, currant, tobacco, black olive and iron notes, followed by a long, well-structured finish. Shows the heat of the vintage, but isn't roasted."

92 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Deep, inky ruby. Powerful, superripe aromas of kirsch, blackcurrant and chocolate, complemented by exotic spices and licorice. Rich, creamy and dense, with sweet red and dark fruit flavors framed by chewy tannins. The sweetness builds on the finish, which features a late-arriving note of floral pastille."

2005 Radio-Coteau Syrah - Timbervine Vineyard, Russian River Valley

This was one of the wines we served with New Year's Eve dinner. Radio-Coteau is one of our favorite wineries for California Syrah and Pinot Noir. Eric Sussman is the winemaker. We got on their mailing list a few years ago and have been exceptionally pleased with every bottle we've opened.

Winemaker's Notes: Joe Mesics and Eva Auchincloss own and farm this timber-lined hillside Syrah vineyard, which is perched high above the Russian River just beyond the town of Forestville on the steep southeastern slope of Black Mountain. This is a primary, ripe, and well concentrated wine, with an effusive bouquet of blueberry, blackberry, mineral, earth, and white pepper aromas that speak of cool-climate Syrah. A profound density of flavors and textures defines the mid-palate, which boasts a panoply of freshly roasted coffee beans, chewy dark chocolate, candied violet, brown spices and dried blueberries. The finish is equally dense, with succulent meat, violet, and blueberry flavors lingering with the wine’s chewy tannins. The balance of tannins, acidity and alcohol hint at a long and positive evolution in the cellar.

Critics' Tasting Notes:
"...great fruit...a big, sweet nose of plum, blackberry, camphor, licorice, and pepper. It is a pure, hedonistic, luscious style of Syrah...bursting with black fruits and roasted meat and herb notes." (93 points) Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
"Opaque purple. Explosively aromatic nose features pungent cassis and mulberry fruit notes complicated by candied violet and licorice. Deep and sweet, with energetic dark berry and cherry preserve flavors and a fresh, juicy quality carrying through the finish. As big and dense as this is, it's got finesse to burn." (92 points) Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
"Intense and balanced, with firm tannins. Ripe, spicy wild berry, blackberry and huckleberry are focused and persistent on the long, tight finish. 370 cases made." (90 points) Wine Spectator

2007 Casa Marin Sauvignon Blanc - Cipreses Vineyard

We served this wonderful white wine from Chile with appetizers before our New Year's Eve dinner. Caren prepared a dish with Black Forest ham, gruyere cheese, and spicy hot mustard baked in phyllo dough. She also prepared some of her spicy mixed nuts along with assorted cheeses and flatbreads.

The Cipreses vineyard is located at the very top of a hillside slope overlooking the towns of Lo Abarca and Lo Zarate, with both a northern and southern exposure. It is an extremely windy area, which acts as a natural restraining agent on grape yield. The results are very weak vines and low productivity. Drip irrigation is used, and part of the vineyard faces the ocean.

This wine received 95 points from Wine and Spirits magazine.

2005 Eric Kent Chardonnay - Russian River Valley

Another great white wine served with appetizers prior to our New Year's Eve dinner. Eric Kent Wine Cellars always puts artwork from local Sonoma artists on the back label of their bottles.

Winemaker's Tasting Notes: A golden straw in color, the ‘05 vintage layers exotic spice and floral notes on top of a crisp green apple and minerality on the nose. Then the palate takes over with full flavors of honeydew melon and tangerine leading to a hint of hazelnut to round out the long finish. Bright acidity buoys the entire ensemble and keeps it lively throughout. Only in the background (where it belongs) does tight-grained French oak provide structural support that knits the entire package together. Delicious now, this Chardonnay should just get better and better over the next couple of years. 225 cases made.

92 pts. – Wine Spectator. Floral, peach, honeysuckle and melon aromas are distinctive, and the fruit is pure on the palate, with a hint of spice. Ends with an elegant, graceful aftertaste.

Two Cities NV Cabernet Sauvignon

Our friends the Dorrs arrived from NoCal today, so we decided to open this bottle of wine made right down the street in San Pedro by a group of Croatian businessmen. Making a boutique wine is one of their hobbies, not unlike what Barry and I are doing at Crushpad in San Francisco.

We served the wine with snacks and a light meal.

The wine is actually quite good - not a lot of complexity to it, but easy to drink right now. Attractive nose, good fruit, and long finish.

Our first Crushpad wine should be available for shipment in a week or two.

2004 Bodega Emilio Moro Tempranillo, Ribera del Duero

Tempranillo is the premium red wine grape variety from the Rioja and Ribera del Duero region in Spain. This wine displays an intense colour with a bluish rim and a cherry-red core. Attractive, perfectly integrated fruit aromas come to the fore with power and concentration. This is a bargain at around $25 a bottle. We served it with grilled flank steak.

Critics' Tasting Notes:
"The reasonably priced 2004 Emilio Moro is a terrific Ribera del Duero aged in equal parts French and American oak prior to bottling. Its dense ruby/purple color is followed by a projected nose of blackberries, currants, cherries, smoky oak, and crushed rocks. Terrific texture, super purity, an opulent, full-bodied palate, and a long, heady finish suggest it will keep for 7-8 years." The Wine Advocate

"Medium red. Floral and spicy on the nose, with fresh red fruit aromas and notes of minerals and coffee. Sweet, nicely focused red fruit flavors (especially pomegranate) are lifted by bright acidity. Finishes brisk and sweet, with very good length and a lingering impression of tangy red berries." IWC

COLOR-very dark; NOSE-coming across very milky; pretty raspberry components; gorgeous sense of macadamia nuts; so a Vanilla/Raspberry/Macadamia Nut dessert; pretty nice; TASTE-if you like Cali Cabs, you should seek this out; this wine kicks serious BUTT; huge explosion of red fruit (cherries, strawberries, cranberries & raspberries); Crème Fraîche bouncing all over my mouth; sour cream components; nice Oak Monster; perfect balance for a New World; this wine is Rocking; great balance & structure; very polished; good for 4-10 years based on tannin structure; love both the back-end and front-end of this wine, but the mid-palate is a tad hollow; complete bargain; Gary Vaynerchuk - 91+

2003 Tantara Chardonnay - Dierberg Vineyard

This medium-bodied Chardonnay is from Tantara Winery, located just outside of Santa Maria, CA. Actually, the winery is located in Santa Barbara County, a stone's throw from the San Luis Obispo County line.

Took the bottle from the cellar, chilled it down more for a few hours, then opened it and let it sit for about 20 minutes before we had dinner.

It had a nose of citrus and tropical fruit. Similar flavors on the palate.

Robert Parker gave this wine a 90 point rating back in August, 2005.

We served this wine with a homemade seafood chowder (tomato-based) that Caren put together, along with a salad of mixed greens and toasted garlic bread.

2003 Deerfield Ranch Merlot Cuvee'

We took a bottle of this wine over to the Franklin's for their holiday buffet luncheon. It was a very nice, easy drinking Merlot made from a blend of Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake, and Napa County grapes. (The picture of the label is from the 2004 vintage.)

Winemaker's notes: 75% Merlot, 11% Cab, with Malbec and Sangiovese. We could just call it Merlot but our focus has always been on blending so with “Cuvee” we make more a point of it. The best wines are blends, it’s like making the best soup or sauce, it’s about interplay of flavors and effects. 850 cases were produced.

Connoisseur's Guide to California Wines: From its layered aromas of oak-sweetened cherries to its very smooth, neatly proportioned flavors, this engaging Merlot hits all of the right varietal marks and shows a fair measure of fruity depth in the bargain. It is nicely rounded in feel with muted tannins and a lengthy, easy-to-taste finish, and, while it can hold well in the cellar for three or four years, it delivers lots of straightforward appeal right now.

2004 Quilceda Creek Columbia Valley Red Wine

Quilceda Creek is Washington State's premier Cabernet Sauvignon producer. Their Cabernet is in high demand and typically sells for well over $100 a bottle. I know the label says 2005 (it was the only label photo I could find), but we opened the 2004 tonight.

This wine is Quilceda Creek's second label for declassified lots of grapes. It consists of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Merlot. Purple colored, it posseses a nose of vanilla, violets, cassis, black currents, and blackberry. This leads to a rich, layered, black fruit-flavored, and smoothly textured wine that offers considerable elegance. The wine has serious weight and excellent length. It is just at the beginning of its drinkability years. It is a superb value if you can get your hands on it.

We served it for dinner with barbeque brisket, a casserole of mashed potatoes, celery root, apple, and fennel, and a salad.

2005 A. Rafanelli Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel

We visited the A. Rafanelli winery twice in the past year. The first time was one day before they released the 2005 Cabernet. The boxes were sitting right there in the tasting room, but they wouldn't sell us any. The second visit was during the Dry Creek Valley Passport weekend when we stocked up with a mixed case.

The Rafanelli family is now in its fourth generation of growing grapes and making wine in the Dry Creek Valley. Their focus has always been on quality over quantity. The quaint and rustic winery sits on a knoll overlooking the scenic Dry Creek Valley and is surrounded by terraced hillside vineyards. The wines are only sold at the winery. You might occasionally see one for sale in a wine store, but it will be heavily marked up.

We served this Zinfandel with pasta and a spicy tomato sauce with langostines. The wine was big, bold, lots of fruit, and not overpowering with alcohol.

2006 Nobilo, Icon - Sauvignon Blanc

Our guests from Australia are still visiting and cooked a tasty pasta and shrimp dinner for us. We served this Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough area in New Zealand (they like the white wines from there). This wine is readily available in supermarkets and box stores here in the U.S..

Winery tasting notes: Light straw in color with brilliant clarity. A rich bouquet of pineapple and passion fruit, layered with fresh herbal aromas of nettles and ripe capsicum. Showing excellent structure and palate weight, this wine has a smooth, viscous mouth feel. Distinct Marlborough characters of passion fruit, gooseberry and nettles linger on the palate in a crisp, refreshing finish.

So much for their description. To my palate it tasted clean and crisp, but more like a Chardonnay than a NZ Sauvignon Blanc.

2004 Esterlina Merlot Cole Ranch

Yesterday evening, we cooked a total Indian food dinner to woo several friends into looking at the photos from our recent trip.

We threw caution to the winds in terms of food pairing and served whatever wines we thought we wanted to drink.

Esterlina Vineyards is a family-owned, California boutique winery located near the Mendocino coast, nestled in the highlands above the town of Philo. They own the only vineyard in the tiny Cole Ranch appellation.

The color of this Merlot was a rich garnet. There were lots of black fruit aromas, with plum, clove and a bit of smoky oak, too. The flavors were ripe, rich and complex, with black cherry, blackberry, and cocoa. This is a red wine hard not to like. Esterlina produced 923 cases.

2006 Alta Vista Premium Torrontes

This wine made with the Torrontes grape comes from Alta Vista's winery in the northern Argentinean region of Salta. The region of Cafayate in Salta is particularly famous for its unique microclimate, high altitude and excellent soil drainage and is confirmed as the best place in the world to grow Torrontes.

With a bright yellow color and delicate floral aromas, the wine is fresh and lively with excellent balance and vibrant acidity. It has way fewer citrus flavors than a Sauvignon Blanc and is a delightful, easy drinking white wine for first courses.

This was one of the white wines we served with appetizers for our Indian food dinner.

2005 Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc

This is the second white wine we served with appetizers at our Indian dinner.

Tablas Creek is located in Paso Robles on the Central Coast of California. The Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc 2005 is a blend of three estate-grown varietals (Rousanne, Grenache Blanc, and Picpoul Blanc), propagated from budwood cuttings from the Château de Beaucastel estate in France. It shows aromas of honeysuckle, mint, lemon peel and spice, with rich Roussanne flavors of honey, rose petals, pear, petrol and white flowers, excellent breadth, cleansing acidity and great length.

2005 Fielding Hills Merlot

This Merlot is from a wonderful small winery run by Mike and Karen Wade and located in East Wenatchee, Washington (Columbia River Valley). (Check out this link to find the location of East Wenatchee.)

We got on their mailing list a while back and have been enormously pleased with their wines. Excellent quality, reasonable price. I think most Washington State wines are still "under the radar" of restaurant wine buyers and wine fans of good wine.

200 cases were produced of this wine made from grapes on the Wahluke Slope in Mattawa, WA. Wine Enthusiast rated the wine an Editor's Choice and 93 points.

“A gorgeous dried potpourri nose leads the way to flavors of cranberry, flowers, and milk chocolate on the palate. The bright acidity keeps these flavors dancing, along to the finish. An agile merlot that will compliment a wide variety of food

pairings.”

Our friends Margot and J.P. are visiting from Australia. We served this wine with a dinner of grilled pork chops, vegetable tian, and cooked apples.

2005 Radio-Coteau Sonoma Coast La Neblina

This Pinot Noir from grapes grown in the cool western Sonoma Coast area was one of the wines we served at Thanksgiving dinner. It is an excellent example of a well crafted California Pinot Noir. Aromas of minerals, spices, and berries. Tastes include flavors of tart cherry and blueberry. It was rated 92 points by Wine Spectator magazine.

Radio-Coteau is a small winery based in Sonoma County that makes highly regarded, small quantities of Pinot Noir, Syrah, Zinfandel, and Chardonnay.

2005 JC Cellars The Impostor

Another wine we served with Thanksgiving dinner. This is a blend of 75% Zinfandel, 11% Syrah, 10% Petite Syrah, Mouvedre & Viognier.

We opened two bottles before dinner to drink with appetizers. The wine was a huge hit - it is very different, complex, and without the heat that a high alcohol content Zinfandel sometimes displays.

Wine Spectator 92 points: As exotic as it is potent, with deep blackberry liqueur, sandalwood and wild game aromas and rich, ripe cassis, blueberry and licorice flavors that power on toward the bold, spicy finish.

2005 Eric Kent - Stiling Vineyard Pinot Noir

This was a second Pinot Noir we served with Thanksgiving dinner.

Only 300 cases were produced of this wine produced with grapes from the Russian River Valley. Eric Kent Wine Cellars is one of our favorite producers for Pinot Noir and Syrah. They print a different artist's work on every varietal and every vintage - helping the local art community.

Winemaker's Tasting Notes: Our ‘05 Stiling Vineyard Pinot Noir is a beautiful example of this magnificent cooler vintage – bright and showy fruit supported by wonderful natural acidity offering balance and great potential for graceful aging. The nose is redolent of ripe cherries, rhubarb and rose petals with a touch of truffle, followed by cherry, dried cranberry and blackberry on the palate, finishing with hints of green tea and black olives. Exuberant and richly flavored, yet refined and well delineated from the first sniff to the last drop.

2004 Turley California Zinfandel Old Vines

This wine comes from one of the premier producers of Zinfandel in California. We served it before dinner at Thanksgiving.

It is hard to find a bad Turley wine. This one was judged a winner from the first sip. The Old Vines designation is made with grapes from Napa Valley, even though Turley winery is located in the Central Coast area.

Deep black cherry, rich chocolate, licorice, and herbs with a long finish. Not showing the alcohol heat you normally get with Turley.

2007 Chehalem Dry Riesling Reserve

For those people that prefer white wine with their Thanksgiving dinner, this was our selection.

Chehalem is located in the Willamette Valley in Newberg, Oregon. They are a highly regarded producer of Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, and Riesling. They also sell grapes to numerous other successful wineries in the area.

Winemaker's Notes: Typical Chehalem Riesling as blended from the three vineyards, with effusive white blossoms of orange, apple, jasmine, and gardenia, centered by a fleshy mouthful of tangerine, lime, and apricot flavors, and structured with firm, bright acid. Will age well, despite the richness and early approachability. Balance was nailed!

Wine Spectator 90 points: A dry style, reminiscent of Alsace, offering vivid green apple, lime and mayflower aromas and flavors on a lean, lithe frame, balanced with refreshing acidity.

2005 Tantara Winery Pinot Blanc, Bien Nacido Vineyard

Try to follow along with this story.....Caren's cousin's wife has a cousin, Jeff Fink, who is one of the owners and winemakers at Tantara Winery near Santa Maria in Santa Barbara County here in California.

A couple of years ago, we visited the winery, really a metal shed in the middle of the vineyard, and did a barrel tasting of some of Jeff's wines. Then he ordered in sandwiches, popped the cork on a couple of bottles, and we had lunch sitting around his picnic table. No fancy, architectural wonder, multimillion dollar tasting room at this place.

Tantara is a small producer that makes great wines, especially Pinot Noir. They sit smack dab in the middle of Bien Nacido Vineyard, one of the most famous in California for Pinot Noir grapes.

However, tonight we drank their 2005 Pinot Blanc. Very limited production of this wine - a little more than 100 cases a year. Served it with a light meal of bread, chartcuturie, cheeses, and fruit.

2005 JC Cellars Syrah a la Cave

JC Cellars has been receiving a lot of positive PR of late. They were highlighted in an article in the Escapes section of The New York Times last Friday. It's not everyday you encounter a top flight California winery located in downtown Oakland. I suppose if you are close to your sources for grapes, get a good lease on warehouse space for your winery, and are located close to a lot of potential customers, it is a good location.

We served this wine before and with tonight's dinner - Turkey Chili. I think I have two more bottles of it in the cellar. It is a very good Syrah, but I think we prefer the JC Cellars California Cuvee' Syrah which is actually less expensive.

Winemaker's Tasting Notes: In the second year of developing this blend, the consensus was to take it up a notch, turn up the volume, add a little more punch, so to speak. I've learned through the years of creating blends, the ones composed of multiple appellations are always the most challenging and the most rewarding. This vintage is composed of vineyards from Coombsville, Santa Ynez, Calistoga, Mendocino, Dry Creek Valley and Rockpile. Each region has brought its best to the final blend. A wine which features dark chocolate, smoky accents, mineral textures, and beautiful fruit that ranges from dark cherry to wild raspberry.

Wine Spectator: 89 points. Dark, rich and concentrated, with beefy, grapey and peppery flavors that are pure, focused and balanced. Drink now through 2011.

2005 Limerick Lane Zinfandel "Collins Vineyard"

The winery and Collins Vineyard are located on the southern edge of Healdsburg in Sonoma County, California. Mike Collins, who has been farming the land here for nearly 30 years, owns the winery and vineyard. The vineyard dates back to 1910 and there are some vines from that era still in production!

Winemaker's tasting notes: Dark ruby red colors lead to aromas of red fruit, raspberry, cinnamon, vanilla and barrel char. The palette follows the nose with flavors of raspberry, red currant, vanilla, warm brown spice and white pepper. A beautifully balanced wine with a bold red fruit entry, rich and elegant but not overwhelming. A secure and well structured middle with supple tannins and a spicy, fruity finish. A magnificent example of the restrained use of oak. Another in a long line of food friendly Zinfandels from one of Sonoma County's premier producers.

Food and Wine Magazine's Wine Guide for 2008 gave Limerick Lane 2005 Collins Vineyard Zinfandel 4 out of 4 stars and ranked it in the Top Five Best of the Best. "A superbly balanced, elegant Zinfandel with a deep, earthy minerality rounded out by ripe juicy, fruit and peppery spice."

We served this wine with Chicken Cacciatore and a salad. It is an excellent example of Sonoma County Zinfandel.

2005 Deerfield Ranch Sauvignon Blanc, Peterson Vineyard

This Sauvignon Blanc is from the Sonoma Valley, home of the town of Kenwood and Deerfield Ranch Winery.

Winemaker's tasting notes: The fruit forward nose has more going on than you’re used to getting from an SB. It’s generosity beckons but does not fully prepare you for the pleasingly crisp first taste. As promised, the middle is layered and full, reaching every corner of your palate. The length of the finish completely surprises you. A second tastes confirms that one sensation slides seamlessly into the next.

The temperature was in the mid-90s today - unusual for the middle of November. So we had a light dinner of tuna salad with this wine.

2004 Cambria Chardonnay Katherine's Vineyard

This is a nice California Chardonnay - nothing spectacular. From the Santa Maria Valley on the Central Coast. It is a price performer, especially since it is a staple in Costco's wine department. Apples, butter, a little oak, some citrus flavors.

We served it with roasted Cornish game hen and steamed vegetables.

2005 Papapietro Perry Russian River Valley Zinfandel

Another very nice wine from Papapietro Perry, located outside of Healdsburg. We served this wine with an Italian meal.

Winemaker's Tasting Notes: Deep garnet in color, leading to an aromatic nose of delicate oak, cherry and white pepper. This is an elegant, full-bodied wine with pleasing complexity and flavors of bright cherry, a hint of spice, and a delicate pepper finish. Smooth tannins add structure and mouth feel, but don't overpower. This Zinfandel is perfect for lighter meat dishes and spicy seafood fare.

Average community rating on Cellartracker is 87.9 points. Many people tend to drink their red wines when they are too young (the wines, not the people) and then give a wine a lower rating. Our rating for this Zinfandel would be higher.

2005 Carlisle Zinfandel Sonoma County

Carlisle Winery is a small Sonoma County winery specializing in the production of old-vine, vineyard designated zinfandels and red Rhone varieties (syrah, grenache, mourvèdre, and petite sirah). This Zinfandel is a blend of grapes from vineyards in the Alexander, Russian River, Dry Creek, and Sonoma Valleys.

Winery tasting note: Beautiful dark ruby garnet. Aromas of red and black raspberries are intertwined with notes of smoke and earth. Full bodied and creamy on entry but with pleasing tannins and acidity on the finish.

Served this wine while watching the election results along with a meal of pasta with meatballs and salad. Go Obama!.

2005 MacPhail Pinot Noir Pratt Vineyard

MacPhail Family Wines makes nothing but Pinot Noir in small batches from some of the best vineyards in Sonoma and Mendecino counties. Their website is at the address www.grapewagon.com. I think you can detect that James MacPhail has a sense of humor.

This wine comes from a vineyard of about 15 acres located southwest of Sebastapol in the Sonoma Coast appellation. Less than 500 cases were produced.

Wine Spectator notes: Sleek, trim and well-balanced, showing cedar, herb and savory nutmeg flavors, with a hint of ripe cherry. Veers toward drier fruit flavors, with notes of coffee, sage and tea.

Served this wine two different nights. First with a dinner of various small plates (i.e. leftovers) and then with chicken.

2004 JC Cellars Syrah Haley's Reserve Rockpile Vineyard

Our friend Karen was visiting from Santiago, Chile on her way up to Napa and Sonoma for a bicycle trip. We met Karen on our trip to Argentina and Chile last March. She owns a wine, bicycling, and hiking tourism company in Chile - Wine Travel Chile.

To celebrate Karen's arrival, we cooked dinner, served it in the wine cellar, and broke out this excellent California Syrah from one of our favorite winemakers, Jeff Cohn of JC Cellars.

Rockpile Vineyard is located in the small appellation of the same name north of the Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma County.

Robert Parker, Jr. The Wine Advocate: 93+ pts
"Consistently one of my favorite JC Cellars wines is their Syrah Rockpile Vineyard. The 2004, 100% Syrah aged in French oak boasts an opaque black/purple color as well as a gorgeous nose of blackberry liqueur intermixed with melted licorice, smoked meats, acacia flowers and a talcum powder-like stony minerality. Powerful (15.3% alcohol) with superb underlying acidity and layers of richness, this is a blockbuster Syrah that should drink well for a decade."

We agreed with these critic's notes. We served the wine with an assortment of crostini as a start course followed by slow cooked short ribs over polenta.

2005 JC Cellars California Cuvée Syrah

Last night, we had some friends over for dinner and to watch the Vice Presidental candidates debate. I needed to drink some wine to be able to stand listening to Palin. Biden did a great job!

Started with some assorted crostini and then served BBQ hamburgers and sausages with grilled peppers, potato salad, and green salad. Wanted to make something quick so we could watch the debate.

We served two wines. This Syrah from JC Cellars is one of my favorite price-performers. I think I paid $22.50.

Jeff Cohn, the winemaker, wrote these notes: "Gushing over with all kinds of blackberry and blueberry fruit intermixed with some minerality. A touch of smoke and a hint of peach skin from the Viognier that makes this wine just a little more then intriguing."

James Laube - Wine Spectator: 92 Points. Offers wonderful savory aromas, with a mix of ripe plum, berry and peppery, spicy notes. Intense, concentrated, supple and harmonious, with a long, spicy finish. Drink now through 2013. 760 cases made.

2004 Kumeu River Estate Bottled Chardonnay

This was the white wine we served with the "debate watching" dinner last night.

A very intriguing Chardonnay from Kumeu River Wines, about 20 km northwest of Auckland City on the North Island of New Zealand. The winery was established in 1944 shortly after Mick and Katé Brajkovich and their son Maté migrated from Yugoslavia (there are those Croatian winemakers again).

The beautiful peach and hazelnut aromas along with the silky textural richness are distinct characteristics of this wine. U.S. wine critics love the Kumeu River Chardonnays. They taste a lot like a French Chablis and nothing like an oaky California Chardonnay.

Like many wines from New Zealand, this wine had a screw cap, unusual for a Chardonnay.

2004 Chateau St. Jean Fume' Blanc Le Petite Etoile Vineyard

From a very popular winery located in the Sonoma Valley. This wine is made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes they source from a vineyard in the nearby Russian River Valley. Picked up this bottle last year at a great price at Costco.

Lightly golden in colour. Butter, oak, vanilla, and pear evident on the nose and palate.

Served this with a large salad that included a scoop of fresh rotisserie chicken salad on top.

2004 Tablas Creek Côtes de Tablas

Tonight was "leftovers" night while watching Monday Night Football, so I picked this very drinkable wine from the cellar.

It is from Tablas Creek Winery, located just outside Paso Robles on the California Central Coast. Tablas Creek is a partnership of France's Chateau de Beaucastel and Robert Haas. They imported all the vines from France to grow the great Rhône varietals here in California.

The 2004 Côtes de Tablas wine is a blend of four of those varietals: Grenache, Syrah, Counoise and Mourvedre. It has a juicy, berry nose of currants, raspberries, licorice and spice. The mouth is full of rich, sweet Grenache fruit showing good acidity and a long finish laced with licorice.

2004 Bleasdale Cabernet Sauvignon Mulberry Tree

Bleasdale’s vineyards were founded in 1850 by Frank Potts, making Bleasdale one of Australia's oldest family-owned wineries. Bleasdale today is owned and operated by fourth and fifth generation members of the family. Situated 80 km southeast of Adelaide in South Australia, the vineyards are along Langhorne Creek in the Barossa Valley.

Winery notes: The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits fragrant dark berry characters balanced with mint aromas and hints of eucalyptus. The palate is full flavoured, rich and round, yet displays elegance with fine tannins and a lingering finish. The wine also shows subtle oak from the 15 months maturation in French and American barrels. Although drinking delightfully now, this wine will reward careful cellaring until the year 2010.

This Cab consistently rated in the 89-91 point range by most wine critics. It is a great bargain for a good Aussie cabernet. I picked up this bottle for US$13.98. It taste like a $40 Cabernet, once again proving that great bargains in wine are coming from countries in the southern hemisphere due to lower costs of land and labor.

Served this with barbequed flank steak in teriyaki marinade, snap pea salad, jasmine rice, and mixed berry crumble for dessert.

2005 Eric Kent Cellars Pinot Noir, Stiling Vineyard

I really like this Pinot Noir. Good thing I have a few more bottles of the 2005 and the 2006.

Eric Kent Cellars is a husband and wife team. They have a unique way of supporting local artists. A different painting adorns each wine label.

Wine Spectator Magazine 2007: Winemaker Kent Humphrey purchases Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah grapes from several vineyards in Sonoma County. Each bottling features a contemporary artist's work, and the wines are equally stylish, balancing elegance and power. 94 pts. 250 cases produced.

California Grapevine, June-July 2008. 90 pts. – Medium-light ruby; attractive, elegant, toasty, ripe red cherry fruit aroma; medium-full to full body; plush, supple, bright cherry fruit flavors with a velvety mouthfeel; well-balanced and structured; medium-full tannin; lingering aftertaste. Delicious to taste now though deserving a few more years of bottle aging. Very highly recommended.

The Stiling Vineyard is an old 1500-tree apple orchard in the Russian River valley of Sonoma County turned into a thriving 35-acre vineyard specializing in Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

2005 Pazo de Señorans Albariño

Pazo de Señorans is located in the Salnes region of the Rias-Baixis appellation in northwest Spain.

I have no idea what some of the terms mean in this wine critic's review. "Always a candidate for Albariño of the year, the 2005 Pazo de Senorans does not disappoint. The wine is produced from low yielding vines on slate and gravel and is tank fermented and aged on its fine lees with battonage. Light gold-colored, it offers up a refined nose of mineral, petrol, and pit fruits reminiscent of a top-flight Alsace Riesling. Bone dry and crisp, the wine offers intense flavors with superb balance and length." Wine Advocate

I do know from our own tasting that the wine shows fruit tastes like fresh peaches and ripe melons, along with a floral aroma and citrus-like acidity in the finish.

Picked up this bottle a few months ago when I spotted it at Costco. One of those good quality, bargain wines that Costco has one day and is sold out the next. Served it with Sunday night dinner - Endive, Pear, and Blue Cheese Salad, and a new recipe Caren tried for homemade Macaroni and Cheese.

2007 Breggo Cellars Rose' of Syrah

Breggo Cellars is located on Highway 128 in the Anderson Valley in Mendocino County. Doug Stewart and his wife Ana Lucia Benitez-Stewart are the co-proprietors. We stopped by for a tasting last October and wound up spending an hour and a half chatting with Doug about the wine business and sampling his wines. We wish them success.

Breggo Cellars specializes in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, along with a couple of other varietals thrown in for good measure (and hopefully, more business). They have planted some nice vineyards on the land alongside their tasting room. It may be another couple of years before those grapes are ready for making wine, but in the meantime, Breggo is making some great stuff with purchased grapes. Robert Parker gave Breggo Cellars very high marks in his column that occasionally appears in Business Week magazine.

Caren's first reaction to tonight's wine was about the color - very unique - it looked exactly like a ripe piece of watermelon. The aromatics included marmalade, blood orange, white pepper, and rose petals. Flavors of strawberries, watermelon, and a hint of marzipan with a crisp acidity make this a perfect wine for enjoying on a summer's evening with a light dinner.

2004 Nepenthe Tryst Red

From the Adelaide Hills of South Australia, the Tryst Red is an eclectic blend, based on Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo and Zinfandel. This combination works remarkably well, resulting in a fruit driven wine which is approachable and fragrant. Easy drinking wine for dining outdoors.

Notes from Wine Spectator: "Supple, open-textured and appealing for its dark berry and pepper flavours, melding together on the harmonious finish."

We served this at a small barbeque with hamburgers, hot dogs, and orzo salad.

2004 Ravenswood Zinfandel, Big River Vineyard

For most California wine consumers, Ravenswood Winery just outside of downtown Sonoma, is synonymous with Zinfandel. This is one of their Vineyard Designate wines that we acquired when we were members of their wine club.

This is a classic Zin from one of the oldest vineyards in northern Sonoma County's Alexander Valley. The vines date back to the 1890s.

This Zinfandel is a fruit bomb. Rated: 89-91. Full red-ruby. Bitter cherry, plum and licorice on the nose. Soft, sweet and easygoing. Enticing flavors of black raspberry, sweet cherry and milk chocolate. With aeration, this quickly gained in thickness and weight. Zinfandel in a merlot style.

2005 Treana Winery White, Mer Soleil Vineyard

We served this wine tonight while watching Barack Obama's acceptance speech for the Democratic Party's nomination for President.

Treana Winery is located in Paso Robles, CA, exactly mid-way between Los Angeles and San Francisco, in the heart of California’s distinctive Central Coast region.

Winemaker's notes:

"Treana White is a Rhône-style blend of Marsanne and Viognier, two varieties that thrive in California's Central Coast growing region. Fruit for the blend is sourced from the Mer Soleil Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands just south of Monterey Bay. Cool maritime winds off the bay keep the vineyards temperate all summer long.

One of the coolest vintages in recent memory, 2005 offered ideal conditions for Viognier and Marsanne resulting in a wine of excellent balance and complexity. The 2005 Treana White displays elegant varietal characteristics; vibrant floral aromas of honeysuckle and jasmine are followed by ripe stone fruit flavors, hints of pear and honey overtones. Solid minerality lends complexity and structure. The mouthfeel is lush and full, while bright acidity cleans the palate offering ease and versatility to food pairing. The 2005 Treana White will age beautifully over the next decade."

This wine is a great price-performer. It is available at Costco, wine.com, and other retailers.

1999 Marimar Estate Pinot Noir, Don Miguel Vineyard

We served this unfiltered Pinot Noir as a red wine option while we watched Barack Obama's acceptance speech.

Picked up this wine as part of my initial wine club shipment. Marimar Estate in the Sebastopol area of Western Sonoma County is owned by the Torres family, one of the biggest names in Spanish wine. They also have a winery in Chile. Marimar Torres is the proprietor and winegrower.

The Russian River/Green Valley appellation where the winery is located in a perfect microclimate for growing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Only 10 miles from the Pacific Ocean and 50 miles north of San Francisco, the site is influenced by the sea's cooling breezes and drifting fog.

We visited the winery earlier this year. They have two huge metal sculptures of their English Springer Spaniels on the hillside below a beautiful, modern tasting room building. Winston and Spencer insisted we join the wine club of their cousins.

Their Don Miguel Vineyard is named in honor of Marimar's late father.

I felt that this wine was near the end of its good drinkability years. I'm glad we enjoyed it now.

2004 Matrix Syrah, Grove Vineyard

We had a group of people over for dinner tonight and this was the red wine we served. Very unusual color, almost purple. Everyone who tasted this Syrah raved about it. Unfortunately, it was my only bottle of this particular wine and it was only sold at the winery.

Matrix Winery is located on Westside Road, just south of the town of Healdsburg in the Russian River Valley area of Sonoma County. Grove Vineyard is located just south of the city of Santa Rosa.

For appetizers we served shrimp cocktails, stuffed mushrooms, and cheeses. For the main course, we served BBQ brisket, Caren's famous baked beans, corn bread, cole slaw and watermelon. For dessert, Caren baked her pina colada cake.

See below for the white wines we served.

2006 Black Pig Albariño

This white wine is from the Rias Baixas Appellation near Galicia, Spain.

Tasting notes from Wine Library: "This is exceptional Albariño. This has just enough fat to match up to the beautifully crisp, vibrant and fresh finish. The fruit flavors are soft and complex, with notes of peach, pear, apple and mango. Notes of flowers, minerals and sea salt cap off the wonderfully dynamic and well made wine."

Great wine to serve with appetizers as it pairs with many foods and tastes great when well chilled. Our dinner party group drank nearly two bottles of this - I think they enjoyed it.

2005 Tablas Creek Bergeron

Tablas Creek is a California central coast (Paso Robles) winery renowned for their Rhone varietals. They were founded by the Perrin family of Château de Beaucastel in France and Robert Haas from the U.S..

We have a number of bottles of different Tablas Creek varietals and we enjoy them all. This wine was only available to wine club members.

Bergeron is the name for the Rousanne grape in France's Savoie region, where it is known for producing crisp, bright wines. The 2005 Bergeron is exotic in the nose, and balances clear pineapple and lychee fruit in the mouth with good richness, fresh acidity, and a touch of oak. A treat with shellfish such as the shrimp we served.

We got a lot of comments about this wine. People fell in love with it from the first sip. Good thing that I have a bottle from the 2006 vintage still in the cellar.

2005 MacPhail Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, Sangiacomo Vineyard

Yet another great Sonoma County Pinot Noir (seems like our cellar has gotten loaded with them). MacPhail Family Wines is a small producer that makes outstanding Pinot Noirs from various vineyards in Sonoma and Mendocino counties. There were only 255 cases of this wine produced, nearly all of it sold to their mailing list and to a select group of restaurants.

From Wine Enthusiast magazine: "Made from Dijon clones, the wine shows a brilliant purity of cherry fruit, with rich, earthy complexities of mushrooms, forest floor, cola and balsam. Bone dry, it has an elegantly silky quality that cries out for the best foods." Rating - 93 points.

We served it with Teriyaki Barbeque Chicken Breasts, Snap Pea Salad with Sesame Oil Dressing, and Rice with Green Onions.

2004 Chardonnay, Carneros, Sangiacomo Vineyard

Another wonderful wine from Doug Peters out of his warehouse winemaking facility just north of the town of Sebastopol in Sonoma County.

Winemaker's notes: This delicious, beautifully balanced chardonnay reflects both its Burgundian vinification and its Carneros single vineyard terroir. On the nose the wine exhibits fragrant floral and tropical fruit aromas. On the palate, the wine showcases creamy meyer lemon, honeydew, pineapple, and vanilla notes, followed by light mineral, caramel and butterscotch notes on the seamless finish. This sumptuous golden blonde chardonnay is drinking beautifully now in its youth, and will continue to mature throughout the course of the decade.

Doug's description is "right on."

91 Points-Wine Enthusiast Magazine
Highly Recommended-Appellation America, November 2006

Served this with a light dinner of salad and flatbread pizza.

2005 Williams Selyem Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

This is the Williams Selyem 25th Anniversary vintage. From the winery's website: "The Pommard clone predominant in this blend is reminiscent of blackberries, plums, cloves, black truffle, cola and crème brûlée. The rich and broad tannins accentuate blackberry-plummy fruits and complement the creamy, silky, yet fat finish and concentrated berry/spicy flavors."

Bottom line - this is a really, really good Sonoma Pinot Noir. 3,308 cases made.

We had the wine with a light dinner of cheeses, fruit, marcona almonds, salami, and bread.

2005 Turley Zinfandel - Duarte Vineyard

Had several friends over to watch the Olympics on television. Slow cooked a pork shoulder on the BBQ to make pulled pork sandwiches. Side dishes of cole slaw and mac and cheese. Caren made a "pina colada" cake for dessert.

This was one of two wines we served. From a vineyard in Contra Costa County. Turley is one of the premier California Zinfandel producers.

Critic review - "Dark red. High-toned, fruit-driven aromas of dark cherry and raspberry. Dense, sappy and sweet, with a candied, liqueur-like character to its red berry and spice flavors. Offers an enticing sugar/acid balance." I agree. Excellent Zinfandel that wasn't overly spicy. Paired well with the BBQ sauce on the pork.

Consistently rated at 90 points and above by all the wine critics and members of Cellartracker.

2006 Leonesse Cellars Viognier

From Temecula Valley, about 100 miles southeast of us in southern Riverside County. We've been members of their wine club for several years. Nearly impossible to find their wines outside of the Temecula and San Diego area.

This Viognier is fresh and inviting, offering aromas of honeysuckle and orange blossom typical of this varietal. Caren likes the nose on a Viognier. Blended with 18% Roussanne, this wine is bursting with layers of apricot and melon before a crisp, clean and refreshing finish.

This was the white wine we served for the Olympics party.

2005 Lewis Cellars Ethan's Syrah

Made from cooler-climate vines, this Syrah from Sonoma County grapes is similar to a good Rhône wine. Smoky fruit, white pepper and wildflowers fill the nose and flavors of violets and bacon dominate the palate. 300 cases produced.

Reviewers on Cellartracker think this wine needs more aging and that Lewis Cellars makes other Syrahs that are better. I thought this Syrah was quite good once the bottle sat opened for a while or you let the wine sit in your glass for a bit. I have another bottle in the cellar that I'll sit on for another year or more.

Brought this wine to Ed and Elyn's for their pool party and pot luck dinner of gourmet "small plates" food. Vienna hot dogs from Chicago, sliders made with filet mignon, pastrami pizza from Downey Pizza Company, ribs, Caren's mac and cheese (heavy on the cheeses), homemade sushi, crostini topped with fresh fig slices and gorgonzola cheese, a full cheese course, and six different gelatos. I know I left some of the foods out of this list.