Rubicon/to be named Inglenook with Erin Adams

Everything old is new again
When Coppola bought the Inglenook estate he took over a old property that had gone through some bad name branding. Coppola has taken the name Rubicon away from his high end wine and will rename it Inglenook in honor of the early estate name. This will happen with the release of the 2009 vintage.

Edizione Pennino Zinfandel 2008 named after his Grandfather who came to the US as a child from the old country. a dark color wine with dark fruit flavors.. lots of grip or texture.. a little heat on the finish but high alcohol on zin is not unusual . and not overpowering

Rubicon Estate Cask Cabernet 2008.. a slight vegetal nose on the front. 100% cab with all american oak.. the fruit comes across more on the palate... lots of tannin

Rubicon Estate Rubicon 2008.. slight vegetal/tobacco nose. lots of grippy tannins.. should soften the tannins with some age.. vanilla and cassis on the last of the finish... a big masculine monster

Bernie Lee Pinnacle wine

2010 Schug Sauvignon Blanc Sonoma Coast.. lots of aromatics.. clean finish with a nice hint of lemon on the back

2011 Domaine Lafond Lirac Blanc .. surprisingly sweet.. almost cloyingly... viscous for sure.. not a fan here

2011 Borsao Rose.. light, lumeniscent light red berry nice for summer

Hamacher Pinto Noir Oregon 2008 .. pretty inscence nose.. light on the fruit.. with some texture on the finish

Peter Franus/ Bommarito

Sauvignon Blanc Napa 2010 from the musque clone.. more round less herbacious than most california wines tend to be.

Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 2007 very floral and pretty on the nose, good tannin structure and grip on the finish.. nice example

Napa Valley Red wine 2007  bordeaux blend that is not made every year. very drinkable with  a plummy finish..

Brandlin Zinfandel 2009... made from 85 year old vines on Mt Veeder.. juicy long finish.. not the overly alcoholic version... nice finesse to it.

Stolpman Vineyards with Peter Stolpman/Missouri Beverage

Stolpman is a dynamic producer in the South Central Valley of california.

Sauvignon Blanc Santa Ynez Valley... rounder than a lot of california sb.. kind of reminded me of the Musque clone from Franus... good acidity  not as herbacious

L'Avion Roussanne Santa Ynez Valley.. golden yellow in the glass.. again with round aromas and flavors.. not as green olive as expected but still think it will taste incredible in a few years

La Coppa Sangiovese 2009.. light and juicy.. definitely the american style of sangiovese... not showing much earthiness.. more about the fruit

La Cuadrilla (Vineyard block) 2010... a blend of rhone varietals that is used to teach vineyard workers how to better maintain the vineyard sites. juicy and enjoyable..

Estate Syrah Santa Ynez 2010.. dark brooding color.. juicy with good dark fruit flavors.. long finish.. I would have loved some bacon fat on the finish but it was a good drink.

Donnafugata with Silvio di Silvio.garco

Donnafugata one of Sicily's most famous wineries.

Anthilia 2010 Mouth watering and round, very pleasant alternative to Pinot grigio.. Catarato and Insolia blend

Lighea 2011..made from Zibbibo which is a version of Muscat. dry.. pretty floral nose, starts of sweet and ends on the dry side

Sedara 2008.. named for the young girl in the Donnafugata story.. soft fruitnose, and fruity but some rough edges..

Tancredi 2008.. a touch of wood and cab but mostly Nero d'avola. good tannin and a little hot on the finish

Mille e una note 2007.. 1001 nights because the story isthe thing.. 90 % Nero and the rest are heirloom grapes. good grip on the palate.. aromatics are pretty.. some dirt on the finish. very nice.
but pricey

Ben Rye 2009.. made from the dry moscat grape.. juicy and apricots. viscous.. definitely an enjoyable dessert wine. lots more acidity than a sauterne.

Seghesio with Garco

Seghesio Pinot Grigio 2011. pretty vanilla nose, with soft flavors on the palate.. more depth than italian versions.

Seghesio Sonoma Zin 2010.. briary and dark fruit..nice grip on the palate..

Seghesio Old Vine Zin 2009 jammy and rich.. lush.. hits all the right notes for zin

Seghesion Sangiovese 2009.. rustic nose, not as earthy as the italian counterpart. some heat on the palate

Montefalco Sagrantino 2007..earth and raisins.. juicy with a soft mocha finish

Shane wine/ Massandra

Shane was involved in the winemaking process for many well known world wide wines.

Shane Grenache Blanc 2011 Santa Rita? no ML and no new oak.. lean and angular but pleasant on the finish.

Rose MaFille( my daughter) 2011.. Syrah rose beautiful strawberry color but a more subtle sweetness on the fruitforward finish.

Shane The Unknown Syrah 2009.. dark in color.. roasted coffee and meaty.. pepper... lovely aromatics.. my favorite

Crush/Major Brands/Craig Rohner

a new division of major brands.crush will feature more attention paid to wines.
Patricia Green Reserve Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2010. mushroom and floral.. light textures and body

Patricia green Estate Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2010 light bodied.. very similiar to the Reserve... some heat on the finish

Patricia Green Four Winds Pinot Noir Willamette 2010 pretty nose much like the first two.. a more aggressive wine on the mouth but the finish went quicker than expected

Spire Collection/Major Brands

Mt Brave Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 2008... the old Chateau Potelle property.. proper nose with dried red berries on the finish.. good grip..

Anakota Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Dakota Vineyard 2005.. dusty nose juicy on the mid palate but a dull finish that isnt very appetizing.

LaJota Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 2009 .. winner of this little tasting.. very fruit forward with vanilla on the finish.. soft and silky tannins.. yummy by itself or would handle food too

Les Cadrans de Lassegne Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2008.. light in color and flavors.soft minerality but tasted after the Lassegue

Lassegue Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2007. french stink from start to finish. where is the fruit?? very dusty.. not my style for sure.

patz and hall/kevin hinchman/ bommarito

Patz and Hall only produces Pinot Noir and chardonnay, but they do it from several locations through out Sonoma and Napa.

Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2010... lush and toasty but not over handedly so... surprisingly light finish. made from select vineyard sights in the sonoma coast ava.

Dutton Ranch Chardonnay 2010 fermentation in barrel, from some of the oldest vines available to P & H. again slightly oaky with 100% malolactic I was expecting the butter bomb but they handled it very well.. light caramel finish.

Hyde Vineyard  Chardonnay Carneros 2009  a year older and still as vital.. fruit forward with a little softer hand on the oak at the finish

Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2010.. more dried fruit on front with a cranberry tart finish... lots of grip and substance

Hyde Vineyard Pinot Noir 2009.. a year older and darker color than the first pinot. intense fruit on the palate.. rich and meaty.. coffee and mocha finish.. could stand up to most food very well