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Foppiano, Sonoma County (California) Petite Sirah 2009
Paul Lukacs
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February 7, 2012
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 One of the best Petites I’ve tasted in the past couple of years, this wine offers deep, dark flavors, firm tannins, and a wonderfully...
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Rubicon Estate, Rutherford (Napa Valley, California) 2008
Michael Apstein
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February 7, 2012
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 I tasted this sumptuous wine in a line-up of other Rutherford Cabernets, looking for that elusive “Rutherford dust.”  What I found in this wine,...
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Henry Fessey, Beaujolais-Villages (Beaujolais, Burgundy, France) 2009
Paul Lukacs
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February 7, 2012
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 The 2009 vintage produced wines in Beaujolais marked by deeper than usual flavors, with none of the irritating tropical or banana-like notes that sometimes...
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Santa Ema, Maipo Valley (Chile) Merlot 2008
Paul Lukacs
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February 7, 2012
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 There’s a lot of Merlot in Chile.  In good hands, the grape produces, supple, fleshy, but full-flavored red wines that can prove very satisfying. ...
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Monticello Vineyards, Rutherford (Napa Valley, California) Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
Michael Apstein
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January 31, 2012
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 The small, 7-acre, Tietjen Vineyard lies on the western side of Napa Valley at the base of the Mayacamas Mountains.  Planted in the 1980s,...
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Blason D’Issan, Margaux (Bordeaux, France) 2008
Michael Apstein
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January 31, 2012
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 Can’t wait a decade to drink the 2008 Château D’Issan (also reviewed this week)?  Try D’Issan’s second wine, Blason D’Issan.  Emmanuel Cruse, whose family...
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Pine Ridge, San Luis Obispo-Santa Barbara County-Sonoma County (California) Pinot Noir 2010
Robert Whitley
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February 7, 2012
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Were California Pinots to be ranked according to the Burgundian model, Pine’s Ridge’s Forefront would fit nicely into the "villages" category. The 2010 Forefront...
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Cline, Sonoma Coast (Sonoma County, California) Syrah 2009
Gerald D. Boyd
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January 31, 2012
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 The strongest case for the cool climate of the Russian River Valley and Green Valley is the Petaluma Gap, a natural conduit for drawing...
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Cline, Contra Costa County (California) Mourvedre 2010
Gerald D. Boyd
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January 31, 2012
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 The same Contra Costa County Vineyards that produced their Carignane are the grape source of this lovely Mourvedre.  Following a tank fermentation, the wine...
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Cline, Los Carneros (California) Syrah 2008
Gerald D. Boyd
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January 31, 2012
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 Cline Cellars is known for specializing in Rhône-style wines, including a string of Syrahs.  This 2008 is from their hillside estate vineyard in Sonoma...
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McManis, California (United States) Zinfandel 2010
Gerald D. Boyd
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January 31, 2012
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 Stylistically, California Zinfandel is all over the map, although there is  one characteristic constant, a jammy-spicy Zinness .  The 2010 McManis Zinfandel, aged for...
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McManis, California (United States) Pinot Noir 2010
Gerald D. Boyd
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January 31, 2012
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 This unusual blend of Pinot Noir and Petit Verdot, aged in French oak for six month, has very good Pinot Noir character.  The color...
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