Wine Type: USA Red
Robert Biale Zinfandel ‘Black Chicken’ Napa Valley 2008
'Black Chicken' Zinfandel, Robert Biale, Napa Valley 2008
Wine Spectator 91 points! Dense yet sleek, with blackberry and cracked pepper aromas and complex, layered flavors of plum, licorice and roasted sage, finishing with firm, loamy tannins. Needs time. Best from 2012 through 2016. This is a highly Allocated wine in California, similar in style to a Turley zin, and every bit as rare!
- Price (bottle) ~ $100.00
‘Le Mistral’ (Rhône-Style Blend)
Joseph Phelps 2003
- Price (bottle) ~ $75
Merlot Blackstone
Blackstone 2003
Always a good solid choice that won't offend anyone. Easy drinking if a little predictable.
- Price (bottle) ~ $41
Carignane ‘Ancient Vines’
Cline 2004
- Price (bottle) ~ $41
Zinfandel ‘Ancient Vines’
Cline 2004
Nice example of a simple sonoma zin - they make it best here, well balanced with typical black plum and berry flavors and a judicious smattering of new american oak.
- Price (bottle) ~ $45
Pinot Noir ‘Las Alturas Vineyard’
Belle Glos, Santa Lucia Highlands 2005
Belle Glos is Caymus Vineyard's Pinot Noir division. If you are familiar with Caymus, progeny of Napa Valley pioneer Charles Wagner, even by reputation you'll know that it's legacy is for elegant, silky, sexy wines with opulent texture and fruit that lingers on the palate, evolving with each sip. This single vineyard Pinot Noir is from the Santa Lucia Highlands region, where Gary Pisoni has pioneered a sort of Pinot Noir revolution. It only stands to reason that if one were after the perfect Pinot Noir, they might want to situate there. Smart people, them Wagners.
- Price (bottle) ~ $125
Pinot Noir ‘Gary’s’ Vineyard’
Testarossa, Santa Lucia Highlands 2004
The Gary's are indeed two - Gary Pisoni and Gary Franscioni. Planted in 1997, these guys have a rep for growing the most coveted Pinot Noir (and Syrah) in California, bar none. They sell their grapes only to select vintners, friends and revered colleagues - Testarossa being one such. It's expensive for a reason: low cropped to less than 1.5 tons per acre, and hand cultivated by two of the craziest guys in the biz. This vineyard is considered to be one of California's 'grands crus' and the origin of the cuttings is also stuff of legend ... one which isn't talked about openly, but suffice to say there's another big reason the grapes are so good ...
- Price (bottle) ~ $175
Zinfandel Painter Bridge
Vineyards 2005
- Price (bottle) ~ $32
Pinot Noir ‘La Bauge Au-Dessus’
Au Bon Climat, Santa Maria Valley 2001
- Price (bottle) ~ $75
Syrah ‘Parker Station’
Fess Parker, Santa Barbara County 2003
Nice medium bodied example, good varietal character with dark plum fruit and grilled notes with a hint of leather and black cherry on the finish.
- Price (bottle) ~ $49
Syrah Morgan
Syrah Morgan Monterey 2002
- Price (bottle) ~ $53
Syrah ‘SLO’
Adelaida, Paso Robles 2002
- Price (bottle) ~ $47
Mourvedre ‘Ancient Vines’
Cline, Contra Costa County 2003
- Price (bottle) ~ $45
Cabernet Sauvignon Silver Oak
Alexander Valley 2001
- Price (bottle) ~ $145
Zinfandel ‘Lytton Springs’
Ridge, Sonoma 2003
- Price (bottle) ~ $75
Zinfandel ‘Annette’s Reserve’
Rosenblum, Redwood Valley 2003
- Price (bottle) ~ $75
Cabernet Sauvignon Château Souverain
Alexander Valley 2002
- Price (bottle) ~ $55
Zinfandel ‘Old Vine’
Ravenswood, Mendocino 2002
- Price (bottle) ~ $45
Zinfandel Artezin
Mendocino/Amador/Napa Valley 2003
An elegant zin from the makers of Hess Collection, refined and well put together with outstanding balance.
- Price (bottle) ~ $47
Syrah ‘Icon’
Ravenswood, Sonoma 2003
- Price (bottle) ~ $49
Pinot Noir Rodney Strong
Russian River Valley 2001
- Price (bottle) ~ $41
Zinfandel ‘Liars Dice’
Murphy-Goode, Sonoma 2003
Raspberry jello come to mind - really! get it while it's hot, i think there's one bottle left!
- Price (bottle) ~ $40
‘Tete à Tete’ (Rhône-Style Blend)
Domaine de la Terre Rouge, Sierra Foothills 2004
Lovely and fun blend of classic Rhone varietals Syrah, Mourvedre, Grenache and Cinsault. Medium to full bodied with lots of plummy fruit, but well designed, refined and not jammy at all. LOVE this wine!
- Price (bottle) ~ $48
Dominus
Moeiux (Magnum) 2001
- Price (bottle) ~ $395
Opus One
Mondavi-Rothschild 2001
- Price (bottle) ~ $350
Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Cliff
Oakville (Magnum) 2002
- Price (bottle) ~ $320
Cabernet Sauvignon ‘Special Selection’
Caymus 2002
This is one wine considered to be the pinnacle of Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa Valley - it ranks with Dominus, Montebello, and Insignia as its peers, not a common wine in the bunch.
- Price (bottle) ~ $220
Cain Five
Spring Mountain 2002
Spring Mountain is a sub appellation of Napa Valley and lies above and to the west of the valley proper. Cain Five sits at the highest point on Spring Mountain, and from its 360 degree view of the surrounding valleys you can see everybody's business ... all the top vineyards are in sight of this remarkable property, planted primarily with the Bordeaux varietals on high wind-swept rocky slopes. The altitude lends acidity, and the attention to detail is evident in every sip. Winemaker Christopher Howell is a master, and Cain Five is truly a masterpiece.
- Price (bottle) ~ $250
Cabernet Sauvignon Caymus
2005
- Price (bottle) ~ $160
Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Cliff
Oakville 2002
- Price (bottle) ~ $175
Cabernet Sauvignon Grgich Hills
2001
- Price (bottle) ~ $150
Merlot Duckhorn
Vineyards 2003
- Price (bottle) ~ $145
Cabernet Sauvignon Shafer
2002
- Price (bottle) ~ $120
Merlot Grgich Hills
2002
- Price (bottle) ~ $110
Merlot Grgich Hills
2002
- Price (bottle) ~ $110
Paraduxx
Paraduxx 2002
- Price (bottle) ~ $100
Merlot Shafer
2003
- Price (bottle) ~ $95
Napanook
Dominus Estate 2001
- Price (bottle) ~ $95
Napanook
Dominus Estate 2002
- Price (bottle) ~ $85
Cabernet Sauvignon Château Montelena
2002
- Price (bottle) ~ $80
Cabernet Sauvignon ‘Reserve’
Raymond 2002
- Price (bottle) ~ $75
Zinfandel Green and Red
Chile’s Mill Vineyard 2002
- Price (bottle) ~ $65
Merlot Freemark Abbey
2002
- Price (bottle) ~ $60
Zinfandel Storybook Mountain Vineyards
Mayacamas Range 2002
- Price (bottle) ~ $70
Merlot Rutherford Hill
2002
- Price (bottle) ~ $55
Cabernet Sauvignon Courtney Benham
2002
- Price (bottle) ~ $55
Pinot Noir Macrostie
Carneros 2002
- Price (bottle) ~ $50
Pinot Noir ‘Justice Vineyard’
Westrey Wine Co., Willamette Valley, Oregon 2004
- Price (bottle) ~ $75
Pinot Noir Iris Hill
Oregon 2004
- Price (bottle) ~ $49
Cabernet Sauvignon ‘Stomp!’
Dusted Valley Vintners, Columbia Valley, WA 2004
a spicy little number with well rounded tannins and loads of black berry fruit. Big in the mouth, echoing flavors of cocoa and spice on the finish.
- Price (bottle) ~ $45