Last night we reviewed a boxed wine, so let’s crack into another box tonight. This one is produced by Bota Box, a brand that I’ve never reviewed on this site before. However, I have given their old vine zinfandel kudos in my column in Mutineer Magazine in the past. There’s nothing too fancy about the […]
Alright, I’m going back to a theme we had going last week… checking out new vintages of wines we’ve previously reviewed. Last year we checked out the 2008 Apothic Red and it was a very interesting wine, so we were glad to be able to revisit it with the 2009 vintage, which we like even […]
Pinot Grigio gets a bad wrap. And I think I’m partially to blame. Having run an Italian restaurant with a very comprehensive wine list, I was compelled to offer a pinot grigio (or even two) on our list. But, man it was hard. Pinot grigio is, in all honesty, my least favorite wine on the […]
This is the second time we’ve reviewed Clif’s The Climber Red Blend. The 2006 version we reviewed was comprised of the same 5 varietals (zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon, syrah, merlot and petite syrah); however, in similar fashion to how Clif’s winemakers have managed The Climber white, they’ve made some significant changes to the percentages. In the […]
This is an intriguing wine. It’s classified as a Sauvignon Blanc, and at 80% of the blend, that is technically accurate. But Clif’s winemakers, Sarah Gott and Bruce Regalia blend in 4 additional varietals to create a wine that offers layers, complexity, and distinction. Those expecting typical sauvignon blanc characteristics won’t be disappointed, but The […]
The Russian River Valley isn’t in Russia, it’s an AVA in Sonoma County, west of Healdsburg. This is a cool climate region, due to the influence of the Pacific Ocean, and as such is an outstanding area to produce both pinot noir and chardonnay. This is where the grapes for this Picket Fence pinot noir […]
I love reading wine labels, particularly when winemakers take the time, and make the investment to tell you a little about their wine. Gnarly Head, takes the time. And if you’ve read my post on Gnarly Head 2009 Chardonnay, you know how I feel about the Gnarly Head Brand. I’m a fan. I’m also a […]
After taking a few days off to enjoy the holidays — and recover from a cold — we’re back at it with at least a quick review tonight. We’ve reviewed a number of wines from X Winery in the past and we’ve never been disappointed. With tasty wines, cool labels and a commitment to sustainable […]
The Chardonnay grape deserves respect. The king of white wine has earned it. But with that earned respect comes great expectation, and these days low to mid-tier producers of Chardonnay face unprecedented levels of competition from varietals such as Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Viognier, particularly from up and coming foreign producers. So when I […]
Regular readers here should know that I’m a big fan of Chilean wines. But this wine is from California, so why am I talking about Chile? Because the founder of Estancia, Augustin Huneeus, was born in Chile. I’m not sure if that has any relevance to my appreciation for this wine or not, but I found […]
