Small, but not tiny, bubbles come off the glass in a relatively sparse mousse. Almond paste, hibiscus and lime peel make up the nose. On the palate, almonds and apples lead on the attack, followed by key lime emerging on the mid-palate. Apples linger on the finish, with a background
Small, but not tiny, bubbles come off the glass in a relatively sparse mousse. Almond paste, hibiscus and lime peel make up the nose. On the palate, almonds and apples lead on the attack, followed by key lime emerging on the mid-palate. Apples linger on the finish, with a background
Some restraint is shown with the application of oak, allowing minerals, honeydew, and very tart apple to show through. The finish is sour apple and salt. This is far from a typical California Chardonnay, and would balance well with sweet-read more-
Very fruit-forward with mixed black and red fruit, mulberry and sweet cherry, with leathery tannins and a little black pepper. It is smooth, slightly sweet, a little young, and one-dimensional. There are no changes from attack to mid-palate and the-read more-
The King Andrews Muscat Blanc is, well, muscat. Nothing problematic about it, but nothing particularly attention-grabbing about it, either. If you like the sweet version, however, be forewarned that this is made in a somewhat drier style. The winery describes-read more-
This was rich with dark blue and black fruit and a floral hint. Smooth, suede-like tannins were paired with a slight sweetness, a hint of astringency and appropriate acidity. WHO: Sparks Sunset Cellars WHAT: Petite Sirah WHERE: Suisun Valley, California-read more-
This was packed with caramel and pepper but its vague fruit and soft structure made it seem a bit syrupy and possibly heat damaged. The green notes made it very awkward. WHO: Shale Peak WHAT: Barbera WHERE: Suisun Valley, Solano-read more-