Wine Reviews and News for Passionate Wine Lovers

2005 Château Boswell Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Reserve

(USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena)

I felt the regular Bosswell cab was a bit more exciting. The reserver was good quality and softer but not as BANG as the regular cab. Dark purple. Blackberries, chocolate on the nose and palate. Tannins are there but not as hot as the cab. I liked this wine but I would try the Bosswell Beckstopper cab for less money. The wine was together, soft and a good paring wine. Still had me thinking Harland estate on this wine. Nice but not a reserve.

Check out this other Chateau Boswell video

Tags: cabernet, chateau boswell, napa, Red wine, Wine Reviews

2006 Palmaz Vineyards Johannisberg Riesling - Palmaz web site

(USA, California, Napa Valley)

Soft and buttery wine with citrus, nice fruit base and strong golden pear. A touch spicy, just enough tannins and a well rounded reselling. I enjoyed this wine and it was refreshing and could be a nice tasting wine. Went great with a strong cheese. Give this a shot because it’s very enjoyable.

Tags: napa, Palmaz, Palmaz Vineyards vine, riesling, white wine, Wine Reviews

2001 Schramsberg Vineyards Reserve - Schramsberg web site

(USA, California)

Deep golden color,soft and smooth with a rounded feel. Citrus with green apple notes. a little short but clean, very crisp.

Tags: napa, Schramsberg, Sparkeling wine, Wine Reviews, wite wine

2002 Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot Howell Mountain

(USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain)

I have to say that Duckhorn is the only Merlot I like but I am starting to feel that its over priced.

Dark ruby. Nose is rich and creamy with ripe cherries and spices and a hint of vanilla.
Medium body, with ripe fruits, nice oak with a good dose of vanilla, little earthy, black olives and spices.
Not real complex and it a nice wine but, again, overpriced at 70 dollars.

Duckhorn Cabernet

Duckhorn Goldeneye

Tags: duckhorn, Duckhorn Vineyards, merlot, napa, Wine Reviews

2007 Château Boswell Jacquelynn Cuvée Blanc - Web site

(USA, California, Napa Valley)

Not even released yet and it was very good. Did a tasting at the winery with the owner josh. Very nice place. Small, quaint and reeks of quality.

This 2007 Cuvee Blac had a complex nose and was an big part of the experience. Smokey with melon, caramel and vanilla. A nice golden color, almost like a saturnine. The taste was almost as good as the nose but it clearly is young and will age well. nicely rounded pallet and had some good hang-time into the finish. The finish felt young but the overall palate was great with a Smokey herbal and fruit forward taste. 60 bucks might be a touch high for the blanc, but it is right on the edge. Overall, I highly suggest you try this wine. If you can get your hands on it, LOL.

Check out this other Chateau Boswell video

Tags: chateau boswell, Château Boswell Jacquelynn Cuvée Blanc, napa, Wine Reviews, wine tasting

1995 Quintessa

USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

Decanted for an hour. Beautifully nose right from the start of very old world, mature wine with softness. A great bottle of wine. The nose had cedar, vanilla, almond and loads of spice which matched with it flavors. It seems like this 95 has peaked. It wall full and bountifully and was well balanced. Dark fruits, ceder, spice, plum, and not hot at all after the decanting. There was not any one flavor coming through stronger than the others. Not too fruity or oakei. It was just a solid effort and was very adult. The finish was smooth and tastefully tailing off. Give it a try.

Tags: napa, Quintessa wine, Red wine, rutherford, Wine Reviews

2005 Château Boswell Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To-Kalon & Dr. Crane

(USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena)

Nice old world feel. Rich with mouth coating flavor and the tannins were perfect. Complex with black berry and coffee espresso and a bit earthy. AWESOME nose that is inviting with balanced oak and herbal. Great character in the palate with a finish lasting. This wine reminds me of Harland estate for much less money. Right about 90 bucks and if you like wines for an experience try this out. Not an everyday wine and a really nice old world tasting and feeling. Quality all the way.

Check out this other Chateau Boswell video

Tags: chateau boswell, napa, Red wine, wine review

2004 Duckhorn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Grown

(USA, California, Napa Valley)

Dark purple with aromas of jammy berry. Nice nose. Nectar with medium tannins. Thick wine with loads of chocolate, raspberry, blackfruit, vanilla, and a hint of citrus. The finish is long but a little disjointed. I like the Duckhorn merlot but I still feel the cabs are over priced at 100 Bucks. If you like this wine, try a Chateau Boswell for 95 bucks and taste the quality difference.

Tags: duckhorn, napa, Red wine, Wine Reviews

2004 Mount Veeder Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 - 89 points (USA, California, Napa Valley) Very nice nose and has an old world to it. Lots of smoke and oak on the nose. Red fruits on the palate with a medium length on the finish. The transitions and consistently full of flavor. Good quality and well balanced wine. Tannins are a plenty. Give it a few more years, or decant for a few hours. Definitely try for 30 bucks.

From Mount Veeder’s Website:

Rugged mountain conditions produce grapes with intensely concentrated fruit and big, rich tannins. Taming these tannins and preserving flavor are the high-altitude winemaker’s biggest challenge. Because Mount Veeder’s growing season starts late and often stretches well into November, harvest is a waiting game.  But patience is rewarded with fully-developed flavors and ripe, rich tannins in the skins and seeds. We handle Mount Veeder Winery grapes as little as possible, using tested techniques to bring out the concentration and power that mountain grapes reveal.  All lots are given a cold soak and frequent punch downs to achieve maximum extraction of fruit flavors and color, while extended contact with the skins encourages the tannins to soften and meld. Finally, aging in finely-grained French oak barrels promotes harmony and integration, and blending enhances the strengths of each varietal to achieve balance in the final wine.

Tags: Mount Veeder, Mount Veeder Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, napa, Red wine, Wine Reviews

Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Lieff Auberge Road Vineyard 2005 -89 points

Nice, old World Cabernet. What I like best?  The oak is really nice and rounded on the nose and pallet. I get prunes and black tea, with nice violets on the nose. I mean this is nice and floral. The palate has some nice tea leaves with vanilla and a hint of black liquorish. Tannins and well-integrated oak, balanced acidity, lingering finish but a hint of tree bark on the last parts. couple more years and I think this finish will round out. Pretty smooth wine. I would give this a “worth a try” however borderline for a 50 dollar bottle.

From Hall’s Website:

The Lieff Auberge Road Vineyard neighbors our Sacrashe vineyard in the hills of Rutherford. A bit like

borrowing eggs from next door, we have enjoyed sourcing fruit from this special piece of hillside that typically delivers earthy, Old World style Cabernet. Fared biodynamically in 2005, this wine has dense notes of prunes and baking spice, black tea, violets and toast. The palate is graceful while chewy with flavors of currant, anise and tea leaves. Framed with fine tannins and well-integrated oak, balanced acidity carries through to a tapered, lingering finish. The intricacies of this wine will continue to unfold over the next 5 - 7 years.

Price: $50/Bottle | $432/Case

Tags: Hall Cabernet, napa, Red wine, Wine Reviews

2004 The Hess Collection Cabernet Sauvignon Allomi - Hess web site

(USA, California, Napa Valley)

Holy tannins explosion. But in a good way because this is a nice balanced wine overall. The tannins really attack the sides of your tung and stay for a bit. Love the ceder and cherry on the nose. It had a hint of Welches grape juice feel to the nose in a nice way. This wine distinctive bing cherry and anise flavors and hints of plum and black licorice and a health dose of cedar. Nice deep Cabernet in color and taste. I thought this was beyond an everyday wine and I enjoyed the experience, and that is what this was, an experience. It really rounded out after about 30 minutes. 25 bucks is more than fair for this wine and I will be getting more.

Vineyard Notes:
Grapes were harvested from Hess Collection Veeder Hills vineyard at an altitude of 600 - 1,120 feet.

Production Notes:
21 months in 55% new French oak.

Winemaker Notes:
Blend: 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Merlot
The 2004 vintage started with an early spring giving the vines a boost to start off their growing season. This strong start was followed by a warm, consistent weather pattern in summer that ended with several hot fast ripening periods. This short and sweet harvest produced a memorable 2004 vintage with low yield, high quality grapes characterized by ripeness and intensity.

Tags: Allomi 2004, dry wine, Hess Collection, napa, Red wine, Wine Reviews

Girard Artistry 2004

Impressive nose. Very rich dark purple-red, almost inky, color. Very Minty with roses and lilacs and tons of eucalyptuses. Good oak balance. The taste has a good soft balance of tannins. Not too hot, just enough. Loads of berries and not too bold with a hint of oak. Give it about an hour in a decanter and it really gets impressive. Nice effort. Definite try for 35 bones.

Tags: Bordeaux, dry wine, Girard Artistry, napa, Red wine

DOLCE Far Niente 1998 - 89 points

How sweet it is. I tried this also in Atlanta. Really smooth desert wine. Lots of peach and plum on the nose and a very sweet smell. Really gold in color. The pallet was great. Hits of plumb with a touch of grapefruit. Not too sweet for a desert wine and a very long finish and transition. Just the right about of sugar. This is a solid wine. I’m going to get more. Simple, balanced, and how it should be.

From their site:

Exotic, tropical, apricot and melon notes combine with hints of honeysuckle on the palate. While undeniably sweet, the signature texture and long finish lead to a mouthwatering finish that is perfectly balanced and clean.  More subtle flavors of toasted almonds, fig and pear integrate nicely with notes of brioche and bread pudding.

Dolce is grown in the cool foggy Coombsville area to the east of the city of Napa. It is here that the fruit can get to full ripeness before getting concentrated by the actions of botrytis cenerea, a mold long associated with the world’s greatest dessert wines. We only harvest the best clusters or parts of clusters. Of course, this means that most of the grapes we grow never make it to the winery.

The resulting juice is so concentrated that yeast have a hard time fermenting. Greg, our winemaker, often is following fermentations well intl March or April of the next year.  He then oversees their slow development as the wine ages for 30 months before he determines the final blend and bottles the wine.

Tags: Desert wine, DOLCE Far Niente, napa, white wine

Artistry Proprietary Blend 2005 - 88 points Impressive nose on this wine. Very Minty, more eucalyptus, with roses, baked cherries, dark plum, lavender, cinnamon, allspice and freshly cut herbs. A little bit of tobacco. Good oak balance. The pallet has a good soft balance of tannins, medium tannins. Not too hot, just enough. Multiple layers to this complex blend that reveal themselves through decanting, it was about 20-30 minutes and this wine started to dance. Artistry is a proprietary blend of 5 Bordeaux-varietal grapes. Really Nice effort, It’s something different which, if you have been following me, is what I like.

Tags: Artistry Proprietary Blend, Bordeaux, napa, Red wine

STAGLIN Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford 2004

One of my favorites. Bold, rich and plush, and this wine has balanced nicley, with plum, wild berry blueberries and smoky mocha-laced oak that’s woven into the flavor. Nice dark purle, close to a light brown. Focused, deep and persistent. Has a long palate , with a nutmeg scent. This is a deep serous wine. Could use a few more years but if you decant for about an hour you will love it. I visited the winery and it is and impressive operation. The family takes pride in their property and wine making. Michael Roland was involved with the making while I was there.

This is a define try. About 150-175 per bottle so it’s not your average table wine.

From Staglin’s Website:

Tags: cbernet sauvignon, napa, Red wine, STAGLIN Cabernet Sauvignon, Wine Reviews