Lovely warm nose of chocolate, violets, and blueberries, along with a hint of saffron. A bit tight at first and a tad more floral than one might expect, but it unfolds to a seamless melding of soft tannins with more-read more-
Somewhat disappointing on first taste with vegetal asparagus notes, but patience is rewarded. Those unhappy nuances float away into the ether once the major alcohol (14.8%) dissipates, replaced by a nose of ripe blackberries and spices—a hint of anise, perhaps.-read more-
The bottle says 14.5% alcohol. My nose and eyeballs suspect if might be well north of 15%. This is a big wine, with brawny red fruits, a bowl of mixed cherries ranging from barely ripe to nearly black and strawberries-read more-
A mouthful of wine, this Zin is a moderate (by today's standards) 14.8% alcohol, but has loads of black fruit, cocoa, and coffee. The nose is slightly vegetal, suggesting perhaps some whole cluster fermentation. Blackberries on attack are followed by-read more-
Littorai’s winemaker, Ted Lemon, brings remarkable balance to the pinot noirs he picks from various sites in Sonoma Coast, Russian River and Anderson Valley. Originating from the latter, the 2006 Roman Vineyard, originally released in late 2008, is a remarkable-read more-
A typical offering from Randall Grahm, a winemaker who doesn’t like to do things by halves. Have to mention the also usual intriguing Bonny Doon packaging—in this case, a label reminiscent of a medieval tarot card. Strong notes of black-read more-
I like to joke that some really hot Red Zin broke up my marriage with beer. But in the next breath I tell people that now, as a free man, I am having an affair with an aristocratic Italian beauty:-read more-
Most consumers didn’t realize it from the almost surreptitious announcement, but one of California's main wine producers got a huge boost a few weeks ago when Fetzer, the iconic Mendocino County wine company, was sold to a Chilean few Americans-read more-