Added on 12/13/11 at 12:34 pm
So I was wasting a little time at the Vons grocery store in Pacific Beach last week and came across the 2007 Conn Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley.
Like most winos I know, we are all suckers for a fairly priced Napa wine, and get especially excited when it is from the famed 2007 vintage. So, I plunked a couple of them in my 10% discount 6 pack carrier and headed for self checkout.
It isn’t often I use the word “lovely” when describing cabernet sauvignon, but in this case it absolutely fits. It offered a sound structure for mid-term cellaring, but was soft enough around the edges to please right now.
Over the 2 hours I tasted it, the wine provided twists and turns as to what it predominantly offered…all I can ask from a bottle priced under $20!
I guess my palate still has it, as I see Wine Enthusiast gave it 93 points. Certainly one of the best deals around.
Quality, complexity, and varietally correct. Pick some up and confidently enjoy!
Added on 06/09/11 at 9:17 am
So I know it has been a while since I posted a wine review.
Honestly, I’ve just been incredibly busy with my job that pays the bills, being a La Jolla real estate agent. Actually, most of my business recently has been in UTC, North Park, and Pacific Beach. Anyway…
I’ve been dying to write about the 2009 Franciscan Estate Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc since I received the sample early this year.
Clearly it is not the grass bomb of New Zealand, nor does it have the piercing minerality of a Sancerre. What it does offer are aspects of both of these sauvignon blanc stalwarts while offering the distinctly Californian touch of ripe fruit and the most pure streak of lime since you licked the saltless rim of a margarita.
This will be one of the top 5 California whites I taste all year.
Though I won’t be offering a point score for this wine, ( it clearly doesn’t need it) I know I will buy it, drink it, and give it as a gift with confidence!
Added on 12/20/10 at 3:16 pm
Words such as complex, concentrated, and elegant are thrown about in the wine world like balls in a McDonald’s play pen enclosure.
Well, I’m here to tell you that no 3 words could be more accurate than when applied to the 2008 La Follette Sangiacomo Vineyard Pinot Noir. A wine that is nothing short of magnificent. Read More
Added on 02/25/10 at 6:27 pm
Wow.
I really wasn’t in the mood to blog tonight, but when I opened and tasted the 2007 Dry Creek Vineyard Russian River Valley Chardonnay I just had to sit down and pound out a few paragraphs!
I must admit that I’m a RRV chardonnay honk, as I much prefer the characteristics that come out of this AVA’s best vineyards over her sometimes more heralded Napa and Carneros bretheren. However, I’ve had more than my fair share of really bad RRV chards before too. Read More
Added on 11/24/09 at 7:41 am
2007 Bonterra Viognier:
If the sensual texture isn’t enough to make you smile, the beautiful perfumed nose of orange blossom, apricot, and beeswax certainly will. A strong impression of stone minerality comes forward on the palate, making this wine act like a squeaky clean “old world” viognier.
Die-hard chardonnay fans typically find a bottle of viognier in front of them at some point and are amazed at how delicious they are. Bonterra consistently produces a superb quality example, and an organic one to boot. Read More
Added on 11/23/09 at 2:10 pm
2006 Kenwood Zinfandel, Jack London Vineyard:
Characteristic ripe and under-ripe red berry aromas come together with the subtle use of oak and seasoned with a hint of clove spice. Tannins and acids are slightly elevated, but in balance contributing to a fuller body style.
Zinfandel ranks only behind cabernet sauvignon among red varietal plantings in California, with single vineyard Sonoma zins among the most important.
Try with a honey glazed ham dotted with clove and be very, very happy.
14.5% alcohol, 92 points.
I’ve seen this wine a number of places, including BevMo and Costco, priced between $15-$20.
Added on 11/20/09 at 1:26 pm
2007 Girard Chardonnay, Russian River Valley:
When chardonnay stays away from the heat of the Napa Valley it retains an entirely different character. Acidity, oak, and fruit harmonize into a beautiful example of why the Russian River Valley is arguably the most important region for this varietal in the United States. Read More
Added on 10/06/09 at 5:16 pm
After just two years business, brothers Daniel and Georges Daou might be on the cusp of producing what could be the first true cult wine out of the Paso Robles AVA.
Heady talk when you consider they have not yet produced, nor even harvested, their first estate crop. However, if past business success is any measure of future potential, these siblings with San Diego ties are going to wow wine enthusiasts for decades. Read More
Added on 09/30/09 at 7:37 pm
This wine screams “Hey, I’m from Marlborough, New Zealand!”
Lime, passion fruit, and grapefruit flavors abound, plus the obvious and outrageous Marlborough grassiness and a hint of white pepper on the finish. The fruit and non-fruit features integrate seamlessly in what is an excellent example of the NZ style of sauvignon blanc.
Read More
Added on 08/24/09 at 1:39 pm
I’ve been drinking the 2008 Yalumba “Y” Series Viognier all summer.
It features a sublime texture, flavors of white peach and honey with a little dried apricot in the background, all supported by a pleasant minerality often reserved for old world and higher priced wines. Chardonnay lovers looking for a change of pace will appreciate the lanolin-like texture, and certainly notice the hightened aromatics this wine provides. Read More
