2017 Tasting Notes

2007 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Location:  Southern Rhone, France 

Blend:  30% Mourvedre, 30% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Counoise, 15% Other  

The wine had a deep dark inky purple color with hues of garnet.  The bouquet was extremely expressive with boysenberry, black currants, truffles, licorice, herbs, and allspice.  This wine was full bodied with integrated tannins and a wonderful level of acidity that brought forth fresh vibrant red and black fruits, fig, currants, coffee, smoked herbs, and soft spices.  The wine is layered with complex flavors that brilliantly harmonize and pleased the palate.  This wine is drinking quite youthful and could easily be cellared for another decade.  Highly Recommended!  

Tasted:  March 2017

2014 Chateau Margene Beau Melange

Location:  Paso Robles, California 

Blend:  50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc  

This Bordeaux style blend was rich with aromas of black cherries, blueberries, vanilla, and soft minerals.  The wine was full bodied with chewy tannins that coated the palate with lush velvety blueberries, cherries, currents, vanilla, spices, and earthy minerals.  This beautifully dark inky wine was complex with layers of fruit and spice that blended wonderfully with a touch of minerality.  This wine is ripe with fresh dark fruits, and should easily last another 10 to 15 years.   Highly Recommended! 

Tasted:  March 2017

2013 Alto Moncayo Garnacha

Location:  Spain 

Blend:  100% Grenache  

This dark inky purple beauty had an exotic bouquet displaying hints of juicy blackberries, ripe boysenberries, black cherries, hickory smoke, vanilla, and toasted oak.  The wine was full bodied with chewy tannins that gave way to a luxuriously intense palate showing notes of black cherries, cassis fruit, blackberries, licorice, cola, balsamic, dusty minerals, and hickory smoke.  This is a complex wine that brilliantly harmonizes all its different layers, and showcases the concentrated dark fruits.  This wine is absolutely fantastic and is drinking wonderfully right now; however, could easily be cellared another decade.  Highly Recommended!  

Tasted:  March 2017

1994 Paul Jaboulet Aîné "La Chapelle" Hermitage

Location:  Northern Rhone, France 

Blend: 100% Syrah  

This wine is named after the chapel of Saint-Christophe that sits on the hill above Tain and overlooks the 40 to 60 year old terraced vines.  The wine had a dark ruby color and displayed a beautiful bouquet of blackcurrants, blackberries, vanilla, coffee, leather, and spice.  The wine was medium ++ in body with rich balanced flavors of blackberries, currants, prune, truffles, forest floor, and mocha.  The wine is absolutely drinking perfect right now and is in its plateau of maturity.  Highly Recommended!  

Tasted:  May 2017

1994 Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou

Classification:  Second Growth in 1855 

Location:  Bordeaux, France 

Blend:  Average of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot  

We decanted this bottle of wine to find it had a beautiful bouquet with hints of cassis fruit, cherries, dusty earth, and soft spice.  The color was a dark purple with garnet hues, and just a hint of bricking towards the edge of the glass.  The wine was medium + in body with velvety smooth tannins that gave way to a luxurious long finish coating the palate with ripe fruits, dried cherries, cassis, licorice, sweet vanilla, dusty earth, and a touch of spice.  This perfectly aged Bordeaux did not disappoint, as it had complex layers that harmonized and balanced wonderfully together.  This wine is nearing the end of its plateau of maturity and should be consumed over the next 5 years.  Recommended!

Tasted:  May 2017

1998 Grgich Hills Cabernet Sauvignon  

Location:  Napa Valley, California 

Blend:  90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot  

We decanted this bottle of wine expecting the worst, as this vintage for Napa Cabernet Sauvignon is supposedly past its peak.  We found ourselves pleasantly surprised as the wine was showing outstanding, and had a beautiful garnet color with just a tinge of bricking at the edge of the glass.  The bouquet was balanced with aromas of crushed cherries, currants, plum, anise, dusty earth, and soft oak.  The wine was medium + in body with silky smooth tannins that gave way to a palate coated in cherries, currants, herbs, dusty earth, caramel, and soft spices.  The wine was concentrated with complex layers that unfolded harmoniously on the palate.   This wine is holding on and still displaying some youthful characteristics; however, is nearing the end of its plateau of maturity and should be drunk now!  Recommended!  

Tasted:  May 2017

1983 Chateau Margaux

Classification:  First Growth in 1855 

Location:  Bordeaux, France 

Blend:  75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot & Cabernet Franc  

We were out to dinner with Mark Lyon (renowned winemaker) and he indulged us with this magnificent bottle of wine from his personal cellar.  The wine had a dark ruby color with just a hint of bricking at the edge of the glass.  On first approach the bouquet was simply stunning with aromas of violets, crushed cassis fruit, red berries, currants, cherries, toasted cedar, forest floor, black tea, and dusty earth.  The wine was rich with tannins that melted away and left you with a long powerful yet elegant finish displaying concentrated hint of raspberries, cassis, cherry, crushed wild berries, smoke, wet earth, vanilla, and soft powdered minerals. This silky complex wine exudes remarkable balance and harmony.  Truly a wonderful bottle of wine that reaches for perfection on the palate, and complimented our culinary experience effortlessly to a level of outstand.  Extremely Highly Recommended!  

Tasted:  July 2017

2004 Patz & Hall "Hyde Vineyard" Carneros Pinot Noir

Location:  Rutherford, Napa Valley, California 

Blend:  100% Pinot Noir  

I pulled the cork and immediately indulged, finding a lush bouquet of black cherry, raspberry, cranberry, herbs, baking spices, and soft oak.  The wine was medium + in body with rounded tannins that gave way to hints of blueberry, raspberry, plum, cherry, minerals, baking spices, herbs, and soft cedar.  The wine is layered with complex flavors that are balanced and blend harmoniously together in an effortless and seamless elegance.  Deeply concentrated with finesse and a polished palate that is luxurious and long lasting.  This wine is still quite youthful and is in no immediate danger of going into decline anytime soon; however, it is definitely in its plateau of maturity and is drinking wonderfully right now!  Highly Recommended!  

Tasted:  July 2017

2005 Venteux Vineyards Petite Syrah

Location:  Paso Robles, California 

Blend:  100% Petite Syrah   

We decanted this bottle of wine to find it had a deep dark purple color.  The wine had a beautiful bouquet giving off aromas of blueberries, plum, chocolate, pepper, and soft oak.  The wine was full bodied with tannins that melted away instantly as it hit the palate and left you with plush blueberries, sweet plum, mocha, pepper, and a hint of black tea.  The wine was from a magnum (1.5L) bottle and is defiantly in its plateau of maturity right now.  This well balanced wine drank like silk and left you with layers of complex but harmonizing fruit and earth notes.  Highly Recommended!  

Tasted:  July 2017

2004 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon

Location:  Alexander Valley, California 

Blend:  76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc  

We decanted this bottle to find it had a beautiful bouquet of black cherry, cassis fruit, violets, chocolate, and toasted oak.  The wine was medium ++ in body with polished tannins that gave way to hints of blackberries, cassis liquor, cocoa, soft herbs, oak, and minerals.  The wine is balanced with harmonious layers of fruit and earth.  This wine had a classic Alexander Valley cabernet style that was opulent yet elegant.  The wine paired wonderfully with our food and elevated the experience.  This wine is in its plateau of maturity but should continue developing nicely for another 8 years or so.  Recommended!  

Tasted:  July 2017

2015 Gelfand Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

Location:  Paso Robles, California 

Blend:  Cabernet Sauvignon  

We decanted this bottle of wine to find it had an intensely concentrated bouquet giving off notes of blackberries, blueberries, currants, violets, vanilla, herbs, and soft oak.  This opaque purple beauty had integrated tannins that painted the palate with hints of blackberries, cassis fruit, currants, exotic spice, ground herbs, and dusty minerals.  This full bodied cabernet was brilliantly balanced with opulent layers of dark fruit that blended perfectly with dusty terroir notes.  This is a wine that will improve over time for those that have the patience to cellar it.  The wine is absolutely approachable right now but I would enjoy revisiting this in another decade.  Extremely Highly Recommended!  

Tasted:  July 2017

2009 Buccella Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Location:  Napa Valley, California 

Blend:  94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec, 1% Cabernet Franc  

What a wonderful bottle of wine!  The bouquet exuded rich aromas of blackberry, black cherry, licorice, violets, graphite, anise, and toasted oak.  The wine was full bodied with rounded tannins giving way to hints of luscious blackberries, cherries, cassis liquor, caramel, exotic spice, oak and powdered minerals.  This luxurious wine is concentrated yet elegant, as it harmoniously balances rich complex dark fruit layers with dusty minerals.  This wine is enjoyable right now, but can easily be cellared for another decade.  Extremely Highly Recommended!  

Tasted:  July 2017

2002 Araujo "Eisele Vineyard" Napa Valley Syrah

Location:  Napa Valley, California 

Blend:  96% Syrah, 4% Viognier  

This purple beauty had a rich but restrained bouquet giving off aromas of violets, boysenberry, blackberries, black raspberries, milk chocolate, smoked meats, and white pepper.  The wine is full bodied with silky smooth tannins that give way to a luxurious palate painted in blue & black fruits, mocha, wet cedar, and ground minerals.  The wine is powerful yet reserved with complex layers of blue and black fruits that harmonize brilliantly with it terroir notes.  This concentrated wine is dramatic and elegantly poised at the same time.  This wine is in its plateau of maturity, but showing no signs of decline.  Extremely Highly Recommended!

Tasted:  July 2017

1999 Novy Syrah Santa Lucia Highlands Garys’ Vineyard

Location:  Santa Rosa, Sonoma, California 

Blend:  100% Syrah  

I opened this wine and decanted it to find it had a deep dark opaque purple color.  The wine had a beautiful bouquet of blackberries, cassis fruit, black cherries, toasted oak, minerals, and dirty dusty earth.  The wine was full bodied and shedding its tannins, leaving a palate painted in dusty earth, balanced with rich dark berry fruits.  The wine is drinking quiet nice and continued to open and get better as it did.  The wine was straight forward, rich and decadent with dust and earth blended into it.  The wine seemed a bit tired and was feeling its age.

Tasted:  August 2017

1991 Ferrari-Carano "Reserve" Sonoma Bordeaux Blend

Location:  Sonoma, California 

Blend:  Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Malbec  

This beautiful rich dark wine had an expressive bouquet with notes of ripe black fruits, vanilla, violets, and toasted oak blended with some soft spice.  The wine was full bodied with dissipating tannins and a luxurious mouth feel that was long and lingered with hints of blackberry, cassis liquor, oak, minerals, and soft dusty earth.  I drank this bottle of wine over a two day period and on the second day enjoyed the balance with some Sommelier friends.  Everyone was amazed at how well the wine was holding up and how the fruit was still very present and pronounced.  This is an amazing wine that was complex and perfectly balanced.  Extremely Highly Recommended!

Tasted:  August 2017

2013 Tablas Creek Vineyard Esprit Blanc De Tablas

Location:  Paso Robles, California 

Blend:  71% Roussanne, 21% Granache Blanc, 8% Picpoul Blanc  

This wine had a beautiful deep yellow color with a green hue.  The bouquet was filled with aromas of ripe pear, citrus blooms, sweet lemon, pink grapefruit, herbs, and a hint of maple.  This medium body wine is a lovely cuvee this has some aging potential, and was showing brilliantly on the palate.  This wine displays a plethora of pit and citrus fruit flavors that were restrained but opened up with a little time.  Highly Recommended!

Tasted:  August 2017

1999 Chateau Pavie

Classification:  St. Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classe A 

Location:  St. Emilion, Bordeaux, France 

Blend:  55% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon  

This beautiful wine had a deep red color with hues of purple.  The wine had a brilliant bouquet giving off aromas of currants, blackberries, leafy tobacco, expresso, minerals, spices, toasted oak, graphite, and earth.  This full bodied wine had integrated tannins that gave way to a bold yet elegant palate displaying hints of black cherries, black currants, exotic spices, coffee, and sweet damp earthy wood.  This wine is complex with concentrated aromas and flavors that continue to be expressive in an elegant yet flamboyant way.  The wine is still quite youthful and is showing no sign of decline; however, is in its plateau of maturity and drinking wonderfully right now.  A stunning wine!  Extremely Highly Recommended!

Tasted:  August 2017

1969 Chateau Cheval Blanc

Classification:  St. Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classe A 

Location:  St. Emilion, Bordeaux, France 

Blend:  66% Cabernet Franc, 34% Merlot  

We decanted this bottle of wine and did not expect too much as it was old and most likely in decline.  To our amazement the wine was not only approachable but enjoyable.  The wine was defiantly not in its perfection of drinkability window; however, was still holding on and had some life left in it.  The bouquet was barnyard funk mixed with dark berries, plum, cedar, spice box, and hints of tobacco.  The wine was medium in body with tannins that melted away leaving you with a long lingering finish giving off notes of fig, prune, tobacco, balsamic, and earth tones.  This wine was complex with layers of balanced fruit and earth that were framed perfectly in harmony.  The wine did drink a little tired but was spectacular none the less and a pleasant surprise to all at the table.  Highly Recommended!

Tasted:  August 2017

2008 Deerfield Ranch Winery Amaro Vineyard Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Location:  Sonoma Valley, California 

Blend:  Cabernet Sauvignon  

This winey is nestled near the top of Mayacamus Mountain overlooking the Sonoma Valley.  The wine is aged for a total of 40 months in select French oak barrels, and is a limited production of only 860 bottles.  This is probable the best $40.00 bottle of wine I have ever tasted, as it is absolutely outstanding!  We indulged in this beauty over dinner with friends and found the bouquet to be expressive with aromas of currants, cassis fruit, cherries, chocolate, herbs, and dusty terroir.  The wine is full bodied with silky rounded tannins that give way to a long finish with hints of black berries, cherries, chocolate, leafy tobacco, herbs, and dusty earth.  The wine is complex with brilliant layers of fruit and earth that harmonize perfectly.  The wine was drinking quite youthful and showing no signs of age; thus, I expect this will cellar nicely for another 7 years or so.  However, it’s in a wonderful drinking window right now, so why wait.  Extremely Highly Recommended!

Tasted:  September 2017

2002 Penley Estate Special Select “The Traveller” Shiraz

Location:  Coonawarra, South Australia 

Blend:  100% Shiraz  

I decanted this purple colored wine about an hour before we approached it.  The wine had a beautiful perfumed bouquet giving off aromas of blackberries, pomegranate, toasted oak, pepper, and herbs.  The wine was full bodied with integrated tannins and a long finish displaying hints of blackberries, pomegranate, currants, spice, pepper, toasted oak and dusty earth.  The wine is layered with earth and fruit notes that blend and harmonize beautifully together; thus, this complex wine has rich flavors yet is elegant showing restrain and finesse.  The wine is in its plateau of maturity and drinking brilliantly right now.  Highly Recommended!

Tasted:  September 2017

2012 Domaine Didier Dagueneau "Silex" Pouilly-Fumé

Location:  Loire Valley, France 

Blend:  100% Sauvignon Blanc  

This beautiful yellow colored wine had an intense bouquet giving off aromas of lemon, lime, nuts, flowers, toasted bread, and minerals.  This clean wine had nice acidity, medium bodied, and a long finish giving off hints of citrus, melon, honey, grapefruit, and minerals.  This wine is fermented in oak and then transferred into old oak and stainless steel to keep the wine fresh.  The barrels are cigar shaped and were designed by Didier Dagueneau whom died in 2008, survived by his son Louis-Benjamin whom now runs things.  This wine is complex and deliciously expressive on the palate!  Extremely Highly Recommended!

Tasted:  September 2017

2008 Chateau d'Armailhac

Classification:  Fifth Growth in 1855 

Location:  Pauillac, Bordeaux, France 

Blend:  54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot  

This is a wine that needs to be decanted for at least an hour before approaching.  The wine had an elegant old world bouquet of cassis fruit, cranberry, cherries, smoky oak, spice, and minerals.  The wine is full bodied with bold tannins and a nice finish of red berry fruit, black currants, spice, toasted oak and dirty earth.  The wine is complex with polished old world finesse and elegantly harmonizes the layers of fruit and earth.  This wine need more time in the cellar and seemed to be drinking a little tight with its brisk tannin structure.  If you are going to enjoy this be sure to decant it at least an hour before enjoying; thus, it is absolutely a food friendly wine.  Recommended!

Tasted:  September 2017

2009 Domaine de Montille Beaune 1er Cru Les Sizies

Location:  Burgundy, France 

Blend:  100% Pinot Noir  

Elegantly wafting from my glass were aromas of rose petals, violets, cranberries, currants, and wet earthy minerals.  The wine was medium bodied with a refined palate of strawberries, raspberries, cherries, spices, river rock, and a soft earthiness.  This is a beautifully balanced wine with a nice purity.  The wine is not funky, yet maintains some mineral and earthy nuances that harmonize brilliantly with the fruit.  The wine is drinking fantastic right now and is extremely approachable.  Highly Recommended!

Tasted:  September 2017

2012 Fontanella Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon

Location:  Napa Valley, California 

Blend:  Cabernet Sauvignon  

This fantastic wine needs to be on every Napa Cabernet lover’s radar.  Jeff Fontanella (owner & winemaker) trained and worked at the prestigious Opus One and ZD before venturing off on his own and starting this beautiful winery.  This 2012 Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon is seductively rich with a bouquet of currants, cassis fruit, ripe plum, mocha, leafy herbs, spice, vanilla, and oak.  The wine is full bodied with rounded tannins that give way to a long finish displaying hints of tart currants, ripe plum, crushed tobacco, earthy minerals, and baking spices.  The wine is complex with concentrated fruit flavors that balance and harmonize brilliantly with its earthy terrier notes.  The wine is extremely approachable now but should continue to evolve nicely over the next 5 to 8 years.  This wine is priced around $50.00 and is an absolute bargain!  I can’t see this wine remaining at this bargain of a price for too much longer.  Extremely Highly Recommended!

Tasted:  September 2017

2013 Mark Herold Wines “Flux” Red Wine

Location:  Napa Valley, California 

Blend:  66% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 14% Mourvedre   

This beautiful dark beauty had a fresh concentrated bouquet giving off aromas of black cherry, licorice, blackberries, lavender, exotic spices, herbs, and minerals.  The wine was full bodied with integrated tannins that gave way to hints of pomegranate, cherry liqueur, blackberries, dried herbs, and dusty earth.  This is a really nice wine with a friendly price tag just under $30.00 and it will not disappoint.  It is a fruit forward wine with some complexity and layers that are nicely balanced.  Drink now over the next five years.  Recommended!

Tasted:  October 2017

1996 Chateau Leoville Las Cases

Classification:  Second Growth in 1855 

Location:  Saint Julien, Bordeaux, France 

Blend:  65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot  

This wine was enjoyed over dinner with great friends, whom indulged us with this beauty.  The wine was dark and purple in color with elegant yet powerful aromas of cassis fruit, black currants, kirsch liqueur, vanilla, cedar, and minerals.  The wine was full bodied with integrated tannins that gave way to a velvety concentrated palate of blackberries, cassis fruit, cherry liqueur, baking chocolate, and powdered minerals.  The wine is deliciously packed with complex layers of fruit and earth that brilliantly harmonize together.  The wine could easily continue cellaring; however, is drinking wonderfully right now.  Extremely Highly Recommended!

Tasted:  November 2017

1992 Ferrari-Carano "Reserve (Trésor)" Red Wine

Location:  Sonoma County, California 

Blend:  54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Malbec, 11% Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot  

This wine was enjoyed with good friends and was beyond our expectations for such an old Sonoma Bordeaux styled blend.  The wine was opaque purple with a fragrant bouquet of violets, licorice, black currants, blackberries, vanilla, toasted oak, spice, and dusty earth.  The wine was full bodied with soft tannins that dissipated and left you with a seductively powerful finish giving off hints of cassis liqueur, cherries, blackberries, soft exotic spice, dried herbs, and dusty earth.  The wine is brilliantly balance with layers of complexity and a heaviness that is powerful yet elegantly polished.  The wine was complimented with a nice steak and paired perfectly.  This wine is drinking spectacularly right now and although not showing any signs of decline I would not wait.  Drink this now if you have it in your cellar!  Extremely Highly Recommended!

Tasted:  November 2017

2014 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey St. Aubin Premier Cru "Les Champlots"

Classification: 1er Cru 

Location:  Cote-D’Or, Burgundy, France 

Blend:  100% Chardonnay   

I tasted this blind with a group of Sommelier friends and instantly know it was a white Burgundy.  The wine had an exquisite bouquet of citrus fruit, lemon curd, truffle, flowers, freshly baked bread, and earthy minerals.  The palate was crisp and clean yet carried weight and had a wonderful finish displaying hints of lemon, white truffle, and flowers.  The wine is amazingly complex with sweet and supple flavors that tantalize the mid palate.  This outstanding chardonnay is made from vines that are over 30 years of old.  This is one of those white Burgundies that could sit in the cellar and age; however, it is absolutely delicious right now.  Extremely Highly Recommended!

Tasted:  December 2017

2014 Saffron Fields Vineyard Willamette Valley Chardonnay

Location:  Oregon 

Blend:  100% Chardonnay  

At a blind wine tasting with some Sommelier friends I indulged them with this beauty right after tasting a White Burgundy.  Almost everyone knew it was Oregon Chardonnay, but a few though it could be Burgundy.  This wine is very Burgundian in style and has a lovely bouquet of lemon blossoms, peaches, apricots, vanilla, and minerals.  The wine is well balanced and displays a crisp yet medium body palate with hints of apricot, lemon curd, toast, vanilla, minerals, and other stone fruits.  This wine is absolutely delicious and is drinking beautifully right now; however, has the ability to be cellared for a few years.  Truly a quality wine!  Highly Recommended!

Tasted:  December 2017

2013 Saffron Fields Vineyard Yamhill Carlton Pinot Noir

Location:  Oregon 

Blend:  100% Pinot Noir  

This was blind tasted with some Sommelier friends, and one Sommelier yelled out “thank God it’s a really fine high end producer of Oregon Pinot Noir!”  It is truly Burgundian in style with a brilliant bouquet of raspberries, black cherry, violets, vanilla, spice, and a hint of crème brulee.  The wine was rich on the palate with integrated tannins that gave way to a long smooth finish displaying notes of cherries, plum, blueberry, licorice, toasted oak, minerals, and black tea.  The wine is complex with lovely layers of fruit and earth that are balanced and harmonize perfectly together.  This is a beautifully made wine that is drinking wonderfully right now, but can easily be cellared for another 8 years.  Extremely Highly Recommended!

Tasted:  December 2017