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Amador County Wine Tasting Notes
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2006, Shenandoah Vineyards, ReZerve Paul's Vineyard, Amador County, Zinfandel $24 Score: 90.0 It's full aromas of blackberry and cocoa are a catch-all for red varieties, but the varietal definition comes into focus on the palate with bramble berry, raspberry, nutmeg and vanilla. The tannin is chewy but sweet, and the finish lingers for minutes. Though the alcohol is higher than I'd like, it's balanced and should age well over the next decade. Only 277 cases produced. |
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2006 Sobon Estate, Amador County, Cabernet Sauvignon $15 Score: 93.0 This brilliant, classic-style California Cab has great balance and nuance, displaying light herbal tones that lend an air of complexity to dried cherry, cassis and subtle oak flavors. The tannins are soft, and it finishes with a blend of mineral and sour Bing cherry. Dirt cheap and world class. Drink now through 2015. |
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2007, Sobon Estate Old Vines Amador County, Zinfandel $13.95 Score: 91.0 This is an intensely jammy, spicy wine with concentrated raspberry-boysenberry character from the nose through the finish. The spices are a melange of cinnamon and allspice. The texture is velvety smooth, as the tannins are kept in abeyance, and the finish is on the warm side. It has enough residual sugar to make it obvious, though most people will simply identify it as super-fruity. I'm reminded of a 1974 "December Harvest" Zinfandel from Monterey Vineyard, made by Dick Peterson. If the style indicates the wine's longevity, you'd be best served by drinking it before 2012. For such a unique and distinctive wine, it's an amazing bargain. |
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2006 Sobon Estate Amador County, Syrah $15.95 Score: 90.0 My first impression was ho hum. I put the wine aside for a day, decanted it and it opened up into a lush, expansive wine with juicy blackberry-black plum flavors. It's full bodied with soft tannins and a lingering fruity finish. Very good now, but it should be capable of ageing a decade or more if you're into older wines. Only 744 cases produced. |
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2006 Sobon Estate Old Vines Amador County Zinfandel $14 Score: 88.0 Not as spicy as I'd expect from an "old vines" zin, but it was nonetheless a hit with okur tasting panel, whose members commented on its silky texture, and on its forward blackberry-plum flavors. |
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2006 Sobon Estate Rocky Top, Amador County Zinfandel $17 Score: 89.0 A bit heavier and more concentrated than Cougar Hill, Rocky Top vineyard displays the darker fruit flavors of blackberry and blueberry, coupled with dark chocolate. It's almost dessert-like in its concentration, yet it will still pair nicely with barbecue, lasagna and enchiladas. |
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2006 Sobon Estate Cougar Hill, Amador County Zinfandel $17 Score: 88.0 While it's obviously a serious wine showing concentration of raspberry fruit and supple tannins, it does come across as excessively alcoholic, despite a claim of 14.2% on the label. If you disregard its slightly unbalanced character, it does have a lot of charm, shows a touch of licorice and vanilla from the oak aging, as well as good length. So we advise you buy it, but drink it soon and pair with dinner or cheese. |
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2006 Sobon Estate Amador County Viognier $15.50 Score: 87.0 Lovely restrained floral scents, dry, silky smooth and full bodied on the palate, with white peach on the mid-palate and a hint of minerality through the somewhat warm finish. |
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2005 Sobon Estate Amador County Syrah $16 Score: 90.0 This is the best from Sobon in a long while. The blueberry and plum fruit shows licorice and classic gamey overtones, medium body, soft tannins (but firm structure), and an underlying silky texture that will come to the fore when the tannins fully resolve in another 3 to 4 years. It's a mouthfilling wine with crisp aicity and spice---perfect to accompany beef, barbecue etc. |
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2005 Montevina Sierra Sunrise Amador County Rosé $10 Score: 90.0 A rosé by its very nature is not terribly complex, so I cannot give this wine 100 points. Yet this one is more complex than a lot of white wines, and it is about as good as rosé gets. So within the rosé category it deserves at least 98 points. It's totally satisfying. A blend of 60% Nebbiolo, 20% Syrah and 20% Zinfandel, it's light salmon-pink in color, dry and silky on the palate, offering luscious pink grapefruit and white peach aromas and flavors. It's classically structured and surprisingly long. A rosé this good pairs with any light to medium flavored fare, such as seafood, poultry, veal and even hamburger. Avoid heavily spiced dishes. |
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2005 Sobon Estate Amador County Viognier $15.50 Score: 89.0 Some Viogniers emphasize tropical fruit. This one emphasizes floral aromas and flavors. A blend of 92% Viognier, 6% Roussanne, and 2% Marsanne, this full bodied wine offers apple blossom, lavender and honeysuckle scents, while the palate adds a hint of savory herbs. My only reservation is the hot and comparatively short finish. |
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2004 Sobon Estate Cougar Hill Amador County Zinfandel $15.95 Score: 89.0 This blend of 84% Zinfandel and 16% Petite Syrah displays a very attractive nose of spicy raspberry. Add a touch of chocolate and the slight bitterness of cranberries on the palate. The finish is predictably warm -- the label states 15.9%. Only 400 cases produced. |
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2004 Sobon Estate Amador County Rose $9.95 Score: 84.0 A blend of 72% Grenache, 19% Syrah and 9% Carignane, this is a dry rose in the style of a southern Rhone, with a bit of strawberry and lavendar character. Only 770 cases produced. |
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1997 Sobon Estate Amador County Zinfandel Score: 89.0 "A nicely balanced wine with soft spicy berry fruit, moderate oak, some dark smokey chocolate notes, and slightly bitter tannin. Quite complex and in need of a couple more years of aging. " |
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1998 Cameleon Cellars Amador County Barbera $17.00 Score: 86.0 "Plum and cranberry fruit with crisp acidity, light tannin and a spicy finish." |
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