Notre Vue Estate Balverne Forever Wild Pinot Noir 2019, Russian River Valley, California

Reddish in color with light to medium intensity.

Fruity nose of bing cherries, blueberries, strawberries, vanilla, light oak, light vegetables and spices.

Light to medium in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with cherries, blueberries, light wood, bitter herbs, earth, light vegetables and peppercorn.

Nice finish with fine grained tannins (after an hour of airtime) and strawberries.

This is an easy drinking Pinot Noir from Russian River Valley. Fresh and fruity. Light and engaging.

Still young, but already enjoyable, even by itself. A good pool or porch wine. Tangy and spicy.

Better after an hour of airtime, when tannins show up, but good right out of the bottle, too.

Would be nice to revisit it in 3 years. A nice good quality wine.

14.2% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$45.

Bee Hunter Wines Greenwood Ridge Vineyards Late Harvest Riesling 2014, Anderson Valley, California

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Deep yellow in color with a golden 24 carat hue.

Beautiful nose of yellow apples, ripen pears, minerals, tropical fruits, apricots and spices.

Fill bodied with high acidity.

Sweet on the palate with pears, apricots, honey, apples, tropical fruits and spices.

Long sweet finish.

This is a delicious Sweet Riesling from Anderson Valley. Nicely balanced and rich, with lots of acidity to balance the sugars.

This 7 year old is drinking beautifully now, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years.

Showing great complexity with beautiful flavors. Good by itself as a sipping wine.

I paired it with a chocolate cake, but I preferred it all by itself.

A special selection that was only produced in this vintage. Very special.

9.7% alcohol by volume.

94 points.

$32 (375ml).

Hawk and Horse Vineyards Block Three Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 Lake County, California

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It’s time for my #FridayCabernetfix. Here is a delicious one from California.

Dark ruby in color with a reddish rim.

Nice nose of blackberries, sweet plums, cooked cherries, cedar, leather, vanilla, spices, tobacco, chocolates, coffee, light earth, liquorice and black pepper.

Full bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and very fruity on the palate with blackberries, black plums, cooked cherries, figs, vanilla, cedar, licorice, chocolates, tobacco, herbs, light vegetables and peppercorn.

Medium plus on the finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

This is delicious Cabernet Sauvignon from Lake County in California. Fruit forward with nice complexity and a soft mouthfeel.

Still young and would be better in a few years. Would be nice to revisit it in 5 years.

Good right out of the bottle, and better with airtime. I gave it 90 minutes to open up and show the tannins.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with a nice piece of steak. Very tasty.

A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. Aged in French oak barrels. A small production of 150 cases.

14.3% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$60.

Chateau Loudenne le Chateau Bordeaux Rosé 2020, France

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Time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. This week we have a unique opportunity for a Rosé made with Merlot grapes.

Light salmon in color.

Nice fruity nose with lemons, citrus, light strawberries, earth, minerals, peaches, herbs and light vegetables.

Light to medium in body with medium plus acidity. Crisp and refreshing.

Dry on the palate with light red berries, citrus, grapefruits, green apples, limes, spices and black pepper.

Medium finish with bitter almonds and limes.

This is a nice and interesting Rosé from Bordeaux. Nice and easy drinking. Pleasant and light.

Crisp and refreshing and a good pool wine.

A good food wine that I paired with cheeses and light appetizers. Paired well with the mashroom Brie cheese.

12.5% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$30.

Montaribaldi Barbera D’alba DOC Dü Gir 2017, Italy

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Dark ruby in color with a red/purple rim.

Strong fruity nose of blueberries, sweet raspberries, cherries, licorice, light oak, vanilla, earth, herbs, spices, dark chocolates, tobacco and black pepper.

Full bodied with medium plus acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with black currants, black cherries, sweet raspberries, tobacco, light oak, vanilla, earth, licorice, spices, herbs, chocolates, peppercorn and light vegetables.

Short finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a nice Barbera from Italy. Much bigger than I expected it to be. Showing mild complexity with a nice mouthfeel.

Still young and would be better in a few years. Would be nice to revisit it in 3 years. A good quality wine.

Good right out of the bottle, and gets earthier as it opens up. After 90 minutes of airtime, tannins show up, and bring in more structure. After 3 hours, the tannins become grippy.

A good food wine that I paired with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

100% Barbera grapes were aged in New oak barrels for 20 months.

15.5% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$25.

Kenward Family Wines Tor Cimarossa Vineyard Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 Napa Valley, California

This 12 year old Napa Cabernet is drinking so very nicely now.

Showing black fruits with cedar, vanilla, leather, spices, earth, chocolates, cola, tobacco, coffee and peppercorn.

Full bodied rich, extracted and delicious.

Medium acidity with a long finish and soft tannins.

Dry on the palate and very fruity.

This Single Vineyard could age for another 10 years, but I really enjoyed it at this stage.

Wine spectator’s 97 points.

Very enjoyable and yummy. Good by itself as a sipping wine.

A very small production of only 9 barrels.

14.9% alcohol by volume.

94 points.

$155 (current vintage).

Castello di Amorosa Sprumante del Castello Brut 2017 Napa Valley, California

Pale lemon in color with a light golden hue.

Soft nose of citrus, lemons, apples, pears, yeast, white pepper, minerals and light spices.

Full bodied with medium plus acidity and small bubbles.

Dry on the palate with lemons, citrus, green apples, minerals, bread, spices, light yeast and white pepper.

Tangy finish with spices and limes.

This is a great Vintage sparkling wine from Napa Valley. Easy drinking with a nice mouthfeel. Shows nice complexity, once it opens up.

Would be nice to revisit it in 5 years. Will age nicely in the next 5 to 10 years.

Needs an hour of airtime to open up properly. As it opens up, more bread and yeast notes show up. Reminds me of a good quality Champagne.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with a smoked salmon with heirloom tomatoes, yolk dust and crispy capers.

A blend of 73% Chardonnay and 27% Pinot Noir. Made in the traditional method.

12.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$49.

Tenuta Sette Ponti Crognolo Toscana IGT 2018, Italy

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

On the nose, black plums, black currants, stewed cherries, vanilla, oak, light vegetables, coffee, licorice, spices and black pepper.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity and nice legs.

Dry on the palate with cherries, plums, black currants, oak, light vanilla, spices, licorice, tobacco, earth, herbs, dark coffee and peppercorn.

Medium plus in finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a very tasty and tangy Sangiovese based red from Tuscany. Showing nice complexity with a nice mouthfeel. Spicy, powerful and tangy.

Still young and would be better in 3 to 5 years. A good quality wine with good potential. Would continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.

Needs time to open up. I gave it 90 minutes, but I don’t think it was enough. Still a little hot, which will dissipate with time.

A good food wine that I paired with cheeses and olives. Will pair nicely with pizza.

A blend of 90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot.

14% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$25.

The Wine Foundry Broken Rock Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013, California

It’s time for my #FridayCabernetfix. Here is a gorgeous one from the great 2013 Napa vintage.

Dark ruby in color with a reddish rim. Not showing much age.

Gorgeous nose of blackberries, black currants, cooked cherries, raisins, figs, chocolates, cedar, light vanilla, coffee, licorice, light earth, tobacco, wildflowers, Mediterranean spices and a touch of pencil lead.

Full bodied, smooth and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black cherries, black plums, oak, vanilla, tobacco, licorice, herbs, spices, dark chocolates, coffee, peppercorn and earth.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a delicious Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. Rich, elegant and very tasty. Fruit forward with a beautiful nose.

This 8 year old aged very nicely and is drinking wonderfully now. Will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 10 years.

Good right out of the bottle, and so much better after 3 hours in the decanter.

Spicy with a soft mouthfeel. Shows nice complexity and balance. I just love these Napa Bordeaux blends.

A good wine to sip on all by itself, but good with food as well. I paired it with cheeses and crackers.

A blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Merlot and 3% Petit verdot. Aged for 28 months in (70% new) French Oak barrels. A small production of only 108 cases.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$115.

Chateau Bellefont-Belcier Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classé 2016, Bordeaux, France

It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Here’s a delicious one from France.

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

Strong nose of blackberries, black plums, black currants, cedar, tobacco, vanilla, leather, spices, dark coffee, milk chocolates and peppercorn. Pretty, once it opens up.

Full-bodied and smooth with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate and fruity, with blackberries, earth, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, vanilla, licorice, spices, light alcohol, chocolates, tobacco, mocha, leather, pencil lead, herbs and black pepper.

Medium plus on the finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a delicious 5 year old Right Bank Bordeaux. Drinking very nicely now, although still young.

This 2016 vintage is showing very nicely now. Well balanced with nice complexity and a great mouthfeel.

Still a little hot at the back of the throat, at this point, but I love the cedar and sweet cherry notes.

Needs 90 minutes to open up properly, so give it time. Good by itself once it opens up.

Will age nicely in the next 15 years, and has good potential to become even better.

Tasty, tangy and spicy. A delicious wine from a great vintage.

A good food wine too, that will pair nicely with BBQ Meats. I paired it with cheeses and green olives.

A blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Grapes are grown on limestone soil.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$55.