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Napa Valley Wine Tasting Notes
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2005 Ghost Pines Winemaker's Blend 60% Napa County, 40% Sonoma County Merlot $23 Score: 93.0 I've had a lot of wines of cult status and four times the price that are not as good as this outstanding debut. Ghost Pines is a second label of Louis M. Martini, reserved for wines of multiple AVAs (American Viticultural Areas), in this case Napa and Sonoma, which is actually nothing new for Louis Martini, a Napa winery that has owned vineyards in Sonoma and Lake County for decades. The fruit is explosive -- cherries, blackberries and plum with an integrated layer of spice (cinnamon, clove, vanilla, fennel), superb balance, contained tannin, and great vibrancy that resonates from the nose through to the long, satisfying finish. This is an absolute steal at $23. Lay in a case. |
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2005 Rutherford Ranch Napa Valley Merlot $38 Score: 93.0 You'll love this super elegant, perfectly balanced Merlot showing flavors of blueberry, cherry, black truffles and bittersweet chocolate, with a silky mouthfeel. A reasonable 13.5% alcohol. |
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2003 Martin Ray Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon: $ Score: 91.0 This will remind you of a Rutherford cab -- cherry and cassis, a light mineral background, supple tannin, subtle oak tones. It's a beautiful expression of variety and place. |
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2006 Rutherford Ranch Napa Valley Chardonnay $15 Score: 92.0 For a couple of decades Chardonnay (particularly from California, Chile and Australia) has been maligned for an excess of oak and alcohol. Nevertheless, Chardonnay is one of the world's great white wines, and I'm always thrilled to come across one as well balanced as this rendition. Rutherford Ranch's 2006 Chardonnay has layers of tart fruit -- lemon, peach and nectarine -- as well as mineral notes and muted oak flavors of vanilla, butter and green olive. Everything is in excellent balance, the texture is silky and the pleasant finish lingers for minutes. This was a big favorite of our consumer tasting panel and I'm astonished by the value. |
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2001 Chateau Potelle VGS Mount Veeder Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon $60 Score: 91.0 There is a sense of great finesse, of a certain intensity from the nose through the finish. The flavors are a balance of oak and fruit, with a core of blackberry, raspberry fruit, and back notes of vanilla and licorice. The tannin is evident but not obtrusive. Special now and likely to evolve and improve over the next decade. Just 793 cases produced. |
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2002 Trinchero Lewelling Vineyard St. Helena Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve $50 Score: 93.0 The finish gives this wine its complexity and quality. Deep and rich flavors of ripe blackberry, cassis, toast and hints of dark chocolate, with soft tannin and silky texture. On first impression this is not a terribly complex wine, but it's superbly balanced and extraordinarily long, giving back all of the wonderful flavors over the next five minutes. |
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2005 Trinchero Mary's Vineyard Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc Reserve $16 Score: 85.0 Tart and bone dry, exhibiting austere citrus flavors with a slight grssyness, as well as an elusive flintyness (now it's here, now it's gone). A great wine for crab, shrimp or oysters. |
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2005 Trinchero Vista Montone Vineyard Napa Chardonnay Reserve $25 Score: 87.0 Grown in the bayside region between Vallejo and Napa, this cool region Chardonnay is rich and full-flavorred, but not fat or flabby, with a crisp acidity. The flavors range from lemon chiffon to sour apple. The barrel fermentation and lees contact give the wine a creamy texture on the mid-palate, while the finish is intense and tart. |
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2003 Robert Mondavi Winery Napa Valley Pinot Noir Reserve $50 Score: 93.0 Fabulously aromatic nose of violets, black cherry, cardamom and nutmeg follow through to the palate with modest tannin. The only knock is the high alcohol, which gives it a warm, blocky finish. |
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2004 Robert Mondavi Winery Carneros Napa Valley Chardonnay Reserve $35 Score: 89.0 Complex barrel fermentation notes mingling with lemon chiffon fruit. The finish is extraordinarily long, though a bit warmer than I'd like. |
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2001 Robert Mondavi Winery To Kalon Vineyard Napa Valley Fume' Blanc Reserve $35 Score: 88.0 Austere, yet intense in its minerality. Neutral fruit and Bell pepper, very long, crisp finish. |
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2002 Vine Cliff Winery Napa Valley Merlot $30 Score: 91.0 Blackberry-cherry jam with scents of mint that carry through to the palate with subtle soil-mineral notes, silky texture, soft tannin, good acidity. Easy drinking now, it will reward further ageing for the next 7 to 10 years. My favorite Vine Cliff to date. |
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2002 Pine Ridge Charmstone Napa Valley $30 Score: 84.0 Pine Ridge?s second Bordeaux-style offering (after Onyx) is Charmstone, a Merlot dominant blend, with support from Malbec, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon. It tastes of blackberry, toast, molasses, fennel and vanilla. While it has some complexity, the flavor profile is far too reliant on oak. Best for near-term drinking. |
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2002 Pine Ridge Onyx Napa Valley $55 Score: 85.0 Onyx is a Bordeaux-style blend where the lesser-known Malbec takes center stage, with support from Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. From first sniff you know this is a serious wine with aspirations to age. It serves up black currant aromas (with its tobacco leaf overtones), black pepper and roasted meat. Much the same on the palate, with the addition of some dark chocolate notes, the tannin gives the finish a bitter edge. Made for the long-term, it should only get better over the next decade. Only 500 cases produced. |
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2004 Pine Ridge Dijon Clones Napa Valley Chardonnay $33 Score: 82.0 I've been a fan of Pine Ridge wines for years, but this 14.6% alcohol rendition is just too ripe. The flavors are awkward, if abundant, and the balance problematic. Serve well-chilled. |
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