Wine Reviews

An archive of all wine reviews

Eberle, Paso Robles (California) Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Robert Whitley
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March 20, 2012
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 There is no bigger believer in the quality of Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon than Gary Eberle.  His estate Cabs are among the finest made...
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Banfi, Toscana Rosso IGT (Tuscany, Italy) 2009
Robert Whitley
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March 20, 2012
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 It was because of wines like this that I made Banfi my 2011 Winery of the Year.  This outstanding producer from Tuscany’s Montalcino district...
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ZD Wines, Napa Valley (California) Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Michael Franz
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March 20, 2012
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 Packed with ripe but focused fruit and backed by plenty of punchy oak, this is a big mouthful of wine with lots of depth...
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WineWrights, Monterey (California) Pinot Noir 2010
Michael Franz
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March 20, 2012
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 Inexpensive Pinot Noir is a famously dicey category, and yet this wine is a shining exception to that rule.  It isn’t terribly complex, and...
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Domaine Carneros, Carneros (California) Pinot Noir 2009
Michael Franz
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March 20, 2012
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 Exceptionally well-proportioned and harmonious, this wine is an object lesson in the virtues of balance and integration.  Close scrutiny reveals ripe fruit that recalls...
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Fallbrook Winery, South Coast (California) 2008
Michael Franz
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March 13, 2012
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 This complex, impressively integrated Bordeaux-style blend shows excellent breadth and depth of flavor while also displaying a style that isn’t overt in its fruitiness...
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Crooked Vine Winery, Livermore Valley (California) 2009
Michael Franz
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March 13, 2012
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 This Bordeaux-style blend shows deep flavors and plenty of muscle, and yet the tannins are so fine in grain and the fruit coats them...
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Louis Martini, Alexander Valley (Sonoma County, California) Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
Tina Caputo
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March 13, 2012
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 With a deep, dark garnet color, this wine has aromas of blackberries and cigar box spice.  It has ripe blackberry flavor, along with good...
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Cakebread Cellars, Howell Mountain (Napa Valley, California) Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
Michael Franz
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March 13, 2012
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 This is a show-stopper.  It is broodingly dark and very dense on the palate, and yet the wine is extremely generous in both aroma...
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Grgich Hills Estate, Napa Valley (California) Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
Michael Franz
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March 13, 2012
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 This is classic Napa Valley Cabernet, but “classic” in a traditional rather than modern mode, meaning a wine more in the style of the...
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Frank Family Vineyards, Napa Valley (California) Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Michael Franz
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March 13, 2012
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 Another winner from this impressively consistent producer, this shows impressive density and depth without turning rough or raw at any turn.  Dark fruit notes...
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Jeff Runquist Winery, Clarksburg (California) Cabernet Franc 2010
Michael Franz
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March 13, 2012
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 This Cab Franc shows just the sort of fine-ness and femininity that I’d be looking for when ordering a Franc rather than a Sauvignon. ...
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