Vinanmeldelser

Gravelly texture gives way to faint apple, preserved lemon and salt flavors in this medium-bodied, densely built white. An imprint of toasted oak barrel lingers on the finish.

This almost-opaque bottling from the Hidden Valley Vineyard unleashes a powerful wave of aromas, from concentrated blueberry to licorice and vanilla to plum sauce. Cassis flavors permeate the dense p…

From a vineyard above Santa Paula, this bottling shows black plum, underripe berry and cedar touches on the nose. Tart black fruit marks the palate, lifted by dried lilac elements and lava rock miner…

Supple pink papaya, underripe tangerine and bubblegum scents make for an intriguing combination on the nose of this bottling. The palate is tightly woven and full of citrus-driven acidity, with waves…

Intriguing red currant, elderberry, pepper and thyme aromas show in this blend of 63% Tempranillo, 15% Grenache, 14% Carignane and 8% Graciano that was aged in both French and American oak. The palat…

Niner's Paso Robles Bordeaux-style reds have attracted attention. Now the winery turns to Pinot Noir, but they wisely turn to the cooler Edna Valley. The resulting wine is dry, silky and crisp in aci…

At the age of four-plus years, this 100% Cabernet is not showing well. It's very tannic and dry, with mouthwatering acidity and a brittle mouthfeel. The flavors are elusive, suggesting black currants…

Very ripe and deliciously forward in cherries, cola, bacon, anise and sweet smoky sandalwood, with silky tannins. The acidity is a bit low, giving the wine a softness that limits ageability. Now–2011.

California Viognier doesn't get any richer than this. Although it's dry, it has high-alcohol glycerine that gives a honeyed sweetness to the flamboyant pineapple, nectarine, peach and lemon cream fla…

What a nice Riesling, and look at that price. It's crisp and rich, with an oily texture and interesting flavors of citrus, honeysuckle and that complex organic taste known as diesel or lighter fluid.…

Rich in smoky oak and ripe fruit, showing powerful, dry flavors of blackberries, black cherries, sour cherry candy and sweet herbs. The tannins are a bit scoury and edgy, like sandpaper on the palate…

Very rich, extracted and soft in tannins and acids, a melt-in-your-mouth Zin with almost sweet flavors of milk chocolate, crushed ripe cherries, licorice, caramelized wood and oodles of black pepper.…

Released too young, at just over a year of age, this Pinot tastes sugary, with primary fruit essence, glycerine, alcohol and caramelized oak giving it an uncomfortable sweetness. It's probably techni…

This is a well-made blend of Syrah and Grenache. On the palate, rich cherry flavor is accented with hints of mocha, prosciutto and rose petal. It finishes dry despite the ripe fruitiness with a strea…

With more than four years of bottle age, this Cabernet is soft, elegant and lovely to drink now. It has subtle but complex black currant, mocha and cedar flavors, along with rich tannins that will pa…

This is one of the best value-oriented Sauvignon Blancs in California. It's dry and tart with acidity, along with rewarding flavors of lemons, limes, golden mangoes and gooseberries.

An elegant Chardonnay from Anderson Valley's cool vineyards, this is fruity and accessible, but also nuanced with hints of beeswax, vanilla and delicate lemon. Subtly oaked, it finishes with a note o…

This Chardonnay is rich and decadent with plenty of ripe fruit and oak. It's a crowd pleaser with flavors of mangoes, pineapples, limes, buttered toast and vanilla, all brightened by acidity.

Grassy dill and citrus flavors give this Chardonnay a Sauvignon Blanc-style leanness, but it's balanced with notes of buttered toast and vanilla from new French oak. Brisk with acidity, it's the perf…

This estate-grown Pinot Grigio takes the variety's basic citrus, straw, green apple and tropical fruit flavors and lifts them with partial barrel fermentation. It's a rich, but balanced, wine for dri…

There's a little oak on this wine, just enough to give it a soft, smoky edge. Otherwise, the star is the Albariño grape, tart with acidity and juicy with citrus, green apple, peach and white-flower f…

While thick and viscous with ripe blackberry and blueberry fruit, Musician's Zin is smooth in tannins and texture. Fruit dominates to the finish with a hit of characteristic pepper on the finish.

Great price for a Chardonnay of this quality. The grapes come from cool coastal areas, and the wine brims with crisp, long hangtime ripeness, accented with toasty oak. Feels rich and creamy, with pin…

This is a big, rich, showy Chardonnay. Barrel fermented and aged in 80% new French oak, it shows buttered toast and charry vanilla bean aromas and flavors. The fruit below is good, if a little heavy…