This blend of Syrah (80 percent), Cabernet Sauvignon (12 percent) and Mourvedre is suave and silky, and packed with luscious...
Masut Vineyard and Winery, Eagle Peak (Mendocino County, California) Pinot Noir 2013
The label states the alcohol level is 14.9 percent, though I tasted the wine before scrutinizing the number and didn’t...
Appreciating Flowers
Long before inland California wineries and grape growers made a rush to the Sonoma Coast for the production of cool-climate...
Cabernet Franc Finally Finds Footing in California
For a grape that is a parent (with Sauvignon Blanc) of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc doesn’t get much attention in...
Make No Mistake: Don’t Dismiss Napa Cabs from 2011
The Nov. 15, 2014, issue of Wine Spectator magazine includes a story on 2011 California Cabernet Sauvignon. The...
MacRostie: Shining Brighter than Ever
I’ve enjoyed Steve MacRostie’s wines since the early 1990s, when a retailer recommended a MacRostie Carneros...
Talbott Vineyards, Santa Lucia Highlands (Monterey, California) Pinot Noir 2012
Talbott’s wines have improved remarkably under the direction of winemaker Dan Karlsen. This flagship Pinot Noir from...
Dry Creek Vineyard, Sonoma County (California) Zinfandel 2012
Budwood from Prohibition-era Zinfandel vines was grafted onto new rootstock, perpetuating the old-vine character in this...
Cameron Hughes, Oak Knoll District (Napa Valley, California) Merlot 2012
Negociant Cameron Hughes has mostly hits (and a few misses) on his “lot” wines, with Lot 410 Merlot being a definite...
Sonoma Legacy in a Bottle
I’m a sucker for a good wine story, particularly when I’ve experienced a tiny bit of it myself and know it to be...
Longoria Wine, Sta. Rita Hills (Santa Barbara County) Pinot Noir 2011
Fe Ciega (“blind faith”) is Santa Barbara County winemaking stalwart Rick Longoria’s top Pinot Noir. ...
Foppiano Vineyards, Russian River Valley (Sonoma County, California) Pinot Noir 2011
Winemaker Natalie West, a relatively recent addition to the venerable Foppiano brand, shepherded this wine from vine to...