mount eden with jp vintegrity

2008 wolfe vineyards, cinnamon on the nose, bright aromatic fruit for chard... aromas of toasty oak that are evident on the palate but not overwhelmingly so

2007 Saratoga Cuvee Chardonnay, darker in color than the first chard... this wine is not ashamed of its oak treatment but not over the top...well integrated...

2007 Saratoga Pinot Noir, from the original Martin Ray vineyards in Central Coast... light opaque purple, bright tart fruit... good acidity and rich finish for the price.

2007 Estate Pinot Noir... intense nose, tea, cola and dried fruit, texture, style and quality in the glass. silky and seductive.'

2006 Saratoga Cuvee Cabernet Sauvignon... the weakest of the tasting, soft on the palate, touch of oak, not complex at all.

2006 Estate Cabernet Sauvignoon, dark purple concentration, cassis, mouthfilling texture and flavors.. silky tannin and long lovely finish..

dry creek wine with matt mccormick

Dry Chenin Blanc 08 minerality..crisp...sweetness that isnt over the top cloyingly so

fume blanc, sauv blanc 2008 redundant... light, not a lot of acidity... citrus, spice..

sauv blanc..dry creek valley as opposed to sonoma... 2008 stainless steel.. melony mouth, a little more viscous..

dry creek chard russian river,06. french oak, toasty on the end.. some ml but really good expression of fruit.

heritage zin 2007 sonoma with 12 % petite sirah, lighter in alcohol... bright fruit, good acidity.. red fruits.

cabernet sauvignon 2006 bordeaux varietals, juicy...nice texture..some cinammon.. medium finish.

the mariner dry creek valley 2005 2nd vintage... big brother to meritage wine, all five bordeaux varietals... nice blend of oak, dark fruit... a sign of what aging can do, when I tried this originally it was way to over oaky...

wine with craig from pinnacle

Image via Wikipedia

dog point vineyard sauv blanc 2008 cat pee on the nose, typical sb from nz juicy, a little sweet on the finish...a touch watery on the finish.

loring Keefer ranch green valley 2007... green valley is located sonoma, cool climate area where pinot noir does very well.. tangy fruit, tea and cola... surprisingly long finish... for the money a very good offering

Atalaya Almansa, 2007 a blend of monastrell, garnacha et al. light purple color, pretty red berry flavors, great value wine

Torbreck Woodcutters Shiraz Australia 2008
there isnt a lot of complexity to this vintage. juicy fruit that literally tastes like grape juice....

Kai Errazuriz Carmenere 2005 ... lots of oak, and juicy fruit... hot on the palate... way overrated for my taste... maybe over time it would settle down...

Haymans Old Tom Gin.... old tom is a style of gin popular in the 18th century...juniper nose but also some sweetness, extremely sweet on the palate...can see how this was used for slow gin fizz...

alecs blend from lewis cellars

Alec is the son of the winemaker...at one time I was able to get this wine then when it got popular it became restaurant only, then low and behold the recession knocks restaurant sales drop and all of a sudden I am able to buy for the store again... I wonder if it will be in the store after the recession is over???

2007 alec blend is syrah, cab and merlot..dark purple in color, lots of upfront fruit and aromas of coffee and tobacco...I was expecting a longer finish but there is a lot going on in the mouth....

Hirsch wines with Robert

Hirsch Chardonnay Sonoma Coast 2008 light yellow...all estate fruit, vanessa wong winemaker..some ml and mostly stainless steel... nice viscousity..

Hirsch Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2006 garnet color, beautiful rose, and tobacco on the nose, sweet fruit with cocoa and acidity...

Hirsch Pinot Noir San Andreas Sonoma Coast 2007. named after the fault which runs through the area...maple seems to me the predominate flavor that comes out... silky finish...great acidity..

Chateau Rock de Candale Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2005 merlot based... tight nose, red berry fruits, very finessed.

Fleur de Fonplegade Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2005 dark purple with edges of rust... cedar, sweet fruit.. nice finish. in the store.

Portal Vintage 2000.. dark purple fruit in the nose, sweet nose, dark fruits, very thick on the tongue... and not overly cloying long lasting flavors...not in the dumb phase at all.

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• Early thoughts on the 2008 California Pinot Noirs (steveheimoff.com)

testing testing

Image of Lail Vineyards via Snooth

The other day Robin Lail of Lail Vineyards was in our store.

Terlato wine with Matt Murphy/Kasey Degraffenreid

Hanna Sauv Blanc 2008.. crisp but didnt really want that to be the first flavor in the morning...

Tamari Torrontes Argentina 2008 honeysuckle on the nose, lots of aromatics and sweetness, again.. things tasted odd this morning...went to a beer tasting last night and it affected the palate a bit.

Mischief and Mayhem 2005 Chard and Pinot Noir from Burgundy... too cute name and too cold wine

Tamari Malbec Argentina 2008... juicy and showing some depth with cocoa and dark fruits..

Hanna Cabernet Alex Valley 2005... too cold, showing off the oak and tannin... it wanted to be silky it was just too cold to show off

Sanford Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills 2007... stinky but in a good way, nice fruit but too cold also.