Vinanmeldelser

Onesta is Jillian Johnson's debut of her own wines; she previously made Cinsault-based reds and rosés for the Phoenix Ranch brand. She is not new, however, to the indelible Bechthold Vineyard and its…

The cool vintage resulted in an unusually lean and streamlined, but by no means uninteresting, wine. It's subtly fruity with hints of citrus zest and grapefruit. The main note, however, is gooseberry…

The winery's best Hilltops in years, dry and elegantly structured. There's real power to the baked black cherry and currant fruit, with all sorts of meaty, earthy, peppery nuances that linger long in…

This estate-grown offering was a standout among several dozen tasted for a feature story. It's loaded with bright fruit flavors of grapefruit and pear, and even in the warm 2012 vintage, it maintains…

The winery's Vintage Select Cabernet was famous in its day as one of California's greatest and most long-lived. It's not entirely clear why they changed the name to Vintage Selection, but this is sti…

Massive blackberry, cherry, currant and mocha flavors characterize this dry, potent Syrah. At the age of five, it's round and mellow in the mouth, with firm tannins and a gentle scour of acidity. Jus…

Your classic Sonoma Coast flavors have a feral element, suggesting foresty mushrooms, pine cones and mineral things alongside the pomegranates and cranberries. That's just what you get in this bottli…

A Cabernet Sauvignon from historic Livermore Valley vineyards, including Ghielmetti, Home Ranch and Smith Ranch, all single-vineyard designated Cabernets in their own right, The Premier represents th…

Brander's Au Naturel is the winery's highest expression of unoaked Sauvignon Blanc, and the 2011 is one of their greatest ever. Dry and crisp with acidity, it's fabulously complex with flavors of cit…

Brander's Sauvignon Blancs are so rich in their own right, they don't even need oak. But when you take a good one, as this is, and add some new French barrels, it becomes even richer. Blended with 35…

This wood-aged wine, one of the château's top white cuvées, needs to age. With its toast and ripe yellow and white fruits, it is rich and full, a reflection of good whites in a drab red Bordeaux vint…

Made in a firm, solid style, this wine shows considerable potential. Pure berry flavors are prominent along with the dense tannins. It is a good wine for the difficult vintage and will be ready to dr…

From one of the properties owned by Bernard Magrez, this wine exhibits the opulent character he seems to like. Rich and full of black-plum flavors, it offers all the fruit of the vintage with the rig…

This Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot dominated wine is dense with tannins, although with enough fruit richness to balance. It has a dark texture and shows plenty of wood flavors at this stage. Its weight w…

Spice and wood aromas show on this still-structured wine. It has fresh acidity, red berries and tight tannins that are still developing. The wine is light and fruity while also having enough structur…

One of the successes from Pessac-Léognan, this refined, structured wine is singing already with its fruitiness. Ripe and forward, it is developing into a medium-bodied, perfumed wine that will be rea…

Sweet, soft tannins inform the entry to this 100% varietal wine, a decadent exploration of dark chocolate and graham cracker. Powerful and intense, it smoothes out as it opens, revealing plush layers…

Earthy aromas of leather, truffle, game and ripe black-skinned fruit lead the way on the nose of this smooth, savory red. The structured palate offers juicy black cherry, blackberry, cinnamon and gro…

Layers of sweet orange marmalade, citrus rind and pollen mingle seamlessly into this deliciously honeyed ice wine. Intensely ripe, almost creamy in texture, its succulent sweetness is balanced neatly…

A tiny-production wine from a windblown ridge in the Petaluma Gap, Badger Block is earthy and piquant in wild strawberry. Spicy and soft, it's almost velvety on the palate. Persistent in depth and le…

Light notes of pomegranate and hibiscus intertwine with Earl Grey tea and lavender on the nose of this wine from one of the region's most famous producers. There's lots of California chaparral spice…

Still seeming to need time to open up and stretch its legs, this wine offers high-toned aromas of graphite, caramel, vanilla and plum. It's full and plush in feel with tart fruit flavors and a finish…

The nose evokes the idea of freshly cut red and yellow apple peel, drizzled with lemon juice. On the palate, there is a hint of a slightly bitter edge, like that of honeycomb. But it all remains ligh…

Fleshy plum notes rich with cinnamon set the tone on nose and lead to a big, bold and dense palate full of plum and black cherry fruit. Ripe tannins provide quite some grip but a vein of acidity keep…