Category Archives: California

Selections from Sarah’s Vineyard, Santa Clara Valley , 2013-2015

Posted on August 3, 2017 by mike

 Sarah’s Vineyard was founded in  1978.  It is tucked away in the southwestern part of the Santa Clara Valley where a coastal micro climate provides ideal growing conditions for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.  The vineyard is situated on a south-facing slope … Continue reading →

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Gary Farrell: New Releases 2015-2016 Russian River Valley

Posted on July 5, 2017 by mike

These new releases from the Gary Farrell Winery are mainly from the 2015 vintage, which was another great year for the winery and Russian River Valley. While the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay crops were small to moderate in size, the quality … Continue reading →

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Smith-Madrone: Current Releases from Spring Mountain District Napa Valley

Posted on June 30, 2017 by mike

Smith-Madrone is a small winery located in the Spring Mountain District of Napa Valley.  Founded in 1971 by Stuart Smith, managing partner and enologist, the winery’s vineyards, which are part of a 200-acre ranch sit at between 1,300 and 2,000 … Continue reading →

Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Chardonnay, Red Wine, White Wine, Wine Type | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Review of the 2016 Rosés: Focus on Pinot Noir

Posted on May 26, 2017 by don

Delicious, crisp rosés are already on the shelves waiting for consumers to welcome the coming hot summer with a chilled glass. In this, our annual rosé review, we review 60 rosés made from different grape varieties grown around the world. … Continue reading →

Posted in California, New Zealand, Oregon, Pinot Noir, Rosé, Uncategorized, Wine Type | Leave a comment

Dutton Goldfield New Releases from the 2014-2016 Vintages

Posted on May 9, 2017 by don

The Spring 2017 new releases from Sonoma County’s Dutton Goldfield winery include a sumptuous Pinot Blanc, vibrant Riesling, and spicy, very appealing Gewürztraminer from the 2016 vintage; a classic Green Valley Chardonnay and Russian River Valley Pinot Noir from the … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Countries and Regions, Pinot Noir, Red Wine, Uncategorized, White Wine, Wine Type | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Enkidu Winery: New Releases

Posted on May 3, 2017 by mike

Enkidu is a small artisanal winery owned and operated by Phil Staehle.  It produces a wide variety of handcrafted wines of high quality and originality from its custom crush facility in Sonoma,  sourcing grapes from top vineyards such as Bedrock … Continue reading →

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Wrath Wines: New Releases from Monterey and the Santa Lucia Highlands

Posted on April 10, 2017 by don

Sabrine Rodems (shown below with ceramic dolium) makes the excellent Monterey County wine at Wrath with the assistance of grower Steve McIntyre. Wrath Wines is located on the bench land overlooking the Salinas River and just across the river from … Continue reading →

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The Farm Winery: 2013-14 New Releases from Paso Robles

Posted on December 23, 2016 by mike

These six new 2013 and 2014  releases from The Farm Winery in Paso Robles are terrific.  We are enthusiastic about them because they reveal outstanding vineyard management and restrained winemaking.   As a group these wines offer fruit forward purity, … Continue reading →

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Gary Farrell Winery: More New 2014 Releases: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Zinfandel

Posted on October 13, 2016 by mike

This is the second installment of our reviews of Gary Farrell’s new 2014 releases of single-vineyard Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs and two single vineyard Zinfandels.  Readers who missed the previous reviews can find them here.  The wines reviewed here are … Continue reading →

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Testarossa Winery: New Chardonnay and Pinot Noir Releases

Posted on September 23, 2016 by mike

These new releases confirm once again that Testarossa Winery  is among California’s finest producers of premium Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.   As in previous years, it has released a bevy of outstanding handcrafted terroir-based wines from some of the top growers … Continue reading →

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