frank family with scott lloyd/ major brands

Frank Family out of Napa...

Chardonnay Carneros 2012  partial ml but still subtle.. light oak... nice long finish

Reserve Chardonnay Carneros  2012... to me it was not that much different and much more expensive... for the money give me the regular.

Pinot Noir Carneros. dried fruit.. juicy on the palate of red berry not overwhelmed at the price but still nice.

Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 2010... everything that cali cab should be.. up front fruit.. tannins and long silky finish... nice...

Zinfandel Napa 2011  even though it registers 14.5 on alcohol it is a more delicate less robust version of napa zin.. structure and finesse

Peay Vineyards/ Pinnacle/ Andy Peay

Cep Vineyards Sauv Blanc 2013  light salty? due to the proximity to the coast. almost muscadet in style

Peay Vineyards Pinot Noir Pomarium 2012  masculine style pinot noir... tannins flush with a long finish
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Peay Vineyards Chardonnay Sonoma Coast 2012  smoky toasty .. but nice acidity coffee toffee on the finish from the oak

Gramercy Cellars/ Appellations

gramercy cellars washington wines by way of new york

Third Man 2010  grenache based.  earthy on the palate.. missing some middle depth.. my least favorite of the bunch

I'diot du Village 2011 my favorite name of a wine this year.. mostly mourvedre.. very tight on the palate.. but juicy on the back... a little iodine

Syrah 2010  showing the iodine and medicinal aromas that come from this varietal

Tempranillo 2011 one of the prettiest noses i have experienced in a long time. i wish that had translated into the finish.. very nice but it was intense..

laird family napa/ appellations

2012 laird sauvignon blanc oak knoll grassy nos that follows through... true grapefruit not the steroid version from new zealand..

2010 Laird Cold Creek Chardonnay Carneros.. smoky toasty nose, butter yellow color but not a butter bomb on the palate.. a little restrained there.. nice finish

2012 Laird Ghost Ranch Pinot Noir Carneros.. not my favorite.. some nice fruit on the front but the end was a little tar and mushroomy

2010 Laird Cabernet Sauvignon Yountville dark fruit.. long finish.. lots of grip and structure on the palate.. this is the kind of cab that is worth twice the price

2010 Suscol Ranch Syrah Napa  dark color extraction.. coffee and pepper on the nose and spices on the finish but not the bacon meatiness I was hoping for

Meyer Family Cellars. Matt Meyer. Vintegrity

a bit of napa royalty.. matts father was justin meyer who helped start silver oak... his mothers name Bonny was the name of the famous single vineyard for many years

Chardonnay Donnelly creek Vineyards Anderson Valley 2012. light style.. not a lot of ml  soft

Rose of Syrah 2013.. one of the nicer rose i have tried recently.. pretty strawberry nose. long finish

Syrah 2010 Yorkville Highlands.. birght fruit nose, a little rustic  on the palate.. dark fruits... was hoping to like it

Cabernet Sauvignon Spitfire Napa 2011 earthy  tannins dark fruit.. light bretty nose. lean and linear... example of a cool vintage

Port 8 a zinfandel port that I didnt like at first but over a few seconds it got me... very jammy done in a solera style where some of the original1978 zinfandel is still evident.. molassis then mocha chocolate

Joullian with Ridge Watson/ Bommarito

Joullian Sauv Blanc Carmel Valley 2013 rich  and lush.. long finish... good acidity.. just what you want from a SB

Joullian chard Monterey 2012... a restrained style given the location of fruit.. one can find chard grapes from this region a little more fruity.. and low use of ml or oak make it more refreshing

Joullian Chardonnay Sleepy Hollow 2012.. more fruit.. more minerality and slight oak compared to the Monterey version.

Joullian Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 Carmel Valley spice box nose and traditional cab flavors

Joullian Zinfandel Sias Cuvee Carmel Valley 2010 a more delicate style of zin.. bright fruit.. good tannins.

marian with terra ferma

Orizzonti Montepulciano  dark fruits.. earthy some licorice...

Agua de Piedra Malbec 2013.. very restrained.. not a fruit bomb

Villa Pucini Toscana 2009 earthy with some nice red cherry fruit.

Weingut Weber Riesling Auslese 2011.. honey and diesel on the nose, long finish.. lots of viscosity.. long finish

odisea with pinnacle

With the closure of JK wines, Odisea has moved to pinnacle

Dream Albarino 2012 showing a little bitterness and a slight banana aroma.

Cochon Blanc vermentino, viognier and roussane grenache blanc... very disjointed... green olive.. will turn into honey one day... needs time

Unusual Suspects 2011  no kaiser sousa.. carignan, grenache tempranillo and graziano.. spice box nose, juicy with an A-1 or Heinz 57 nose

Pape Rocks 2011... cdp blend... lots of high nose, acidity... i really wanted to like this..

Smashberry white and red.. we wont even really discuss

willamette valley vineyards oregon glazer d & e

Willamette pinot gris 2012  slight muscat and pinot blanc added for texture and aroma... slightly sweet with some minerality.. good for seafood shellfish

Willamette Riesling 2012... i swear I smelled menthol.. citrus.. menthol followed through on the finish. not overly sweet

Willamette Pinot Noir Whole Cluster 2013.. made in the carbonic maceration style of beaujolais.. but didnt show the fruit like i thought it might.. the wine was a tad bit warm.. so a little flabby..

Willamette Pinot Noir Estate 2010 from 3 sites in oregon/ spice box and laveue nder on the nose that became a little woodsy as it stayed open.. long finish.. nice tannin on the midpalate