Tasting Notes From James and Mona's Honeymoon in the Wine Country
Paloma
2000 Merlot Napa Valley
Licorice, shoe polish, mint. Bottled in April. Includes 15% Cabernet. 30% new French oak. Big structure and concentration. Candy, mint, chocolate, prunes. Concentrated and a bit hot in the finish. Saddle leather and mocha.
$45
Pride Mountain
2002 Chardonnay Napa Valley
Vinified in Virginia oak again. Nice intensity, but vague fruit impression - pear and green apple. Decent.
$24
Pride Mountain
2002 Viognier Sonoma County
Light peach with baking spices. Nice.
$40
Pride Mountain
2001 Merlot Napa County 49% Sonoma County 51%
Delicious - Nice complexity - mint, chocolate, black fruits.
$48
Pride Mountain
2001
Cabernet Franc
Napa Valley
Violets, blackberry, cassis, Cocoa. Lush, silky open and approachable. Raspberry finish. Yummy!
$52
Pride Mountain
2000
Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley
Cedar, currant, raspberry and cocoa. Intense fruit. Tannins evident. Nice Cab, bit pricey.
$58
Hartford
2000
Chardonnay
Sonoma Coast
Mainly from Dutton, Durrell, and Seascape vineyards. Clean minerals, lemon cream. Crisp, pleasant. I wouldn't guess this was full malolactic.
$22
Hartford Court
1999
Chardonnay
Stone Cote Russian River Valley
More intense minerality with lemon and green apple fruit. Bit tart.
$30
Hartford Court
1999
Chardonnay
Seascape Vineyard Russian River Valley
Crisp minerals. Light French oak. Bit tart. Pleasant concentration. Pricey
$50
Hartford
2001
Pinot Noir
Sonoma Coast
Tons of clove and cinnamon on the nose. Herbs. A bit saline on the palate. Nice.
$25
Hartford Court
2000
Pinot Noir
Marin County Marin Vineyard
Interesting nose. Smoke, cola, rootbeer, pepper, bit less palate intensity than the Hartford Sonoma Coast.
$50
Hartford Court
2000
Pinot Noir
Dutton-Sanchietti Vineyard Russian River Valley
Structured with citrus overtones. Not my style of Pinot.
$50
Hartford
2001
Zinfandel
Russian River Valley
15.7% alcohol from vines that average 75 years old. Citrus, spice, raspberry. Decent, but this doesn't completely satisfy my Zin requirements.
$24
Hartford Court
1996
Zinfandel
Fanucchi-Wood Vineyard
Touch of tea with mothballs. Citrus. Past its prime, though could be much worse. 14.7% alcohol.
Hartford
2001
Zinfandel
Fanucchi-Wood Vineyard Russian River Valley
16.1% alcohol. Cinnamon, spice, clove. Exuberant nose with tons of Zinberry fruit. Now we're getting some where.
$34
Hartford
1998
Port
Russian River Valley
Made from Zinfandel. Not quite as sweet as some ports, might be mistaken in the right circumstances. Porty, pruney, alcohol, spice, tea. Sweet Cinnamon spice. Mona Likes it.
$40
Rafanelli
2001
Zinfandel
Russian River Valley
Yeasty, bread dough on the nose. Some decent fruit with a little spice. Claret-style I guess. Okay. With dinner at Mixx in Santa Rosa. $55 from the list.
$30
David Arthur
2001
Sangiovese
Napa Valley
Barrel Sample - Brown sugar, maple, and cherry. Not bad.
David Arthur
2001
Merlot
Napa Valley
Barrel Sample - To be bottled all in magnums. Cedar, herbs. Inky, medium-full bodied. Oak. Lowish acid feeling in the mouth. Nice.
David Arthur
2001
Cabernet Sauvignon
East Side Sylvan Vineyard
Barrel Sample -Creamy oak nose with sweet oak, brown sugar, blackberries, blueberries, chocolate. Dark chocolate. Oak builds with time. Great length. Well integrated. Delicious stuff. Mona is floored by it.
David Arthur
2001
Cabernet Sauvignon
West Side Sylvan Vineyard
Barrel Sample - Bob Engelhoff, the winemaker, says this will become Elevation 1147. Sweet oak, brown sugar. Sweet attack. Tasty. Less integrated than the East side with more structure, but still very nice.
David Arthur
2001
Meritaggio
Napa Valley
Barrel Sample - Mostly Cabernet with Merlot and some Sangiovese. Minty and a bit medicinal with eucalyptus. Flowers. Good length, but not nearly like the two Cabernets. Somewhat astringent.
David Arthur
1998
Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley
Nice for 1998. Shows some sappy green qualities. Bit hot in the finish. Verdict: okay.
David Arthur
1999
Meritaggio
Napa Valley
Ripe and fruity with a touch of mint. Okay.
Lang and Reed
2001
Cabernet Franc
Napa Valley
Built like a Chinon with brisk pencilly raspberry fruit. Pleasant lunch quaffer at Mustards Grill.
$16
Dylan
2002
Sauvignon Blanc
Rutherford
Crisp and grassey. Nice. Also at Mustards Grill.
$10
Elyse
2001
Rose
Napa Valley
Pleasant fruity rhubarb, strawberry fruit. Okay.
Elyse
2000
Chardonnay
Napa Valley
Mineralled French oak. Mid-weight lemon and spice. Applesauce finish. Okay.
Elyse
2000
D'aventure
Napa Valley
50% Syrah with other Rhone varietals. Cinnamon, clove and pepper on the nose Fruity. Nice.
Elyse
2000
#52 Mon Chou
Napa Valley
Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet, and others. Sappy sweet oak. Bit tart and citrusy. Pass.
Elyse
2001
Zinfandel
Napa Valley AKA
15.4% Alcohol. Cinnamon, clove earth, mocha, pepper. Spicy and peppery with a rustic finish.
Elyse
2001
Zinfandel
Howell Mountain
Leathery nose initially. Yeast. Sweet tart candy and structure. I prefer the AKA Zinfandel myself.
Elyse
1999
Cabernet Sauvignon
Morisoli Vineyard Napa Valley
Yum Yum nose. Sweet oak, cedar, butterscotch. Better nose than palate. Lacks concentration.
Elyse
2000
Cabernet Sauvignon
Tietjien Vineyard
Cedary butterscotch. Structure.
Jacob Franklin
2001
Petite Sirah
Chavez Vineyard
Dirt, bell pepper,. Peppery bretty. Musky apricots. Full bodied, monolithic. Includes 4% Viognier.
Jacob Franklin
2001
Petite Sirah
Hayne Vineyard Napa Valley
Includes 7% Viognier. Honey and apricots on the nose. Intense smelling. Spicy. Rough and a bit rustic.
Jacob Franklin
2000
Cabernet Sauvignon
Hoffman Lane
Tastes of rubbing alcohol. And paint thinner with some mint. Woody black currant and black cherry. Tannic, tannic, tannic.
Darioush
2001
Chardonnay
Estate Napa Valley
Light mineral-French oak. Pear. Tart, fairly crisp. Pleasant, nice nose.
Darioush
2001
Chardonnay
Signature Napa Valley
Almonds, minerals, smoke. Mona thinks baby food. Spicy with good concentration and acid. Nutty. Big boy Chard. Not my taste perhaps.
Darioush
2002
Viognier
Signature Napa Valley
Clean lime zest, apricot, spice and honey. Sweet attack. Nice and crisp. Best wine yet in this lineup.
$30
Darioush
1999
Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley Estate
85% Cabernet, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Merlot. Pretty nose of dirt, caramel and black cherry. Woody quality from the Cabernet Franc in the nose.
Darioush
2000
Merlot
Signature Napa Valley
Sweet cocoa smelling. Drinking nicely. Mona loves it. Sweet red fruit. Rich. Some structure. Nice Merlot.
$40
Darioush
2000
Cabernet Sauvignon
Signature Napa Valley
83% Cabernet Sauvignon. Cedar, mint, black currant. Piercing fruity espresso overtones.
Folie a Deux
2002
Menage a Trois
Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and musat. Conundrum-like. A bit sweet with some acid.
Folie a Deux
2000
Chardonnay
Napa Valley
Crisp, typical Chardonnay. Mona doesn't like it.
Folie a Deux
2000
Menage a Trois
Rouge
Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Spicy Zinny cedar. Tasty, fruity jammy red fruit. Okay.
Folie a Deux
2000
Zinfandel
DeMille
14.5% alcohol. Spicy, but watery and alcoholic. Pass
Folie a Deux
2000
Barbera
Harvey Vineyard Amador County
Spicy Zinfandel-like nose. A bit alcoholic with vanilla American oak. Okay. Bit astringent.
Folie a Deux
1999
Zinfandel
Bowman Vineyard
Honey, chocolate, cinnamon. Brambly, but a bit watered down. Brown/maple sugar. Okay..possibly fading.
Folie a Deux
2000
Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley
Pleasant cherry nose with some cedar. Decent fruit. Mid-weight. Coffee finish. Okay. Reasonably priced.
Folie a Deux
1998
Zinfandel
Grande Folie Harvey Vineyard Amador County
From 129 year old vines. 13.5% alcohol. Toasted seeds, yeast. Spicy cinnamon and heat. Okay, disappointing given the age of the vines.
Hanna
2001
Sauvignon Blanc
Russian River Valley
Crisp grassey nose. Clean lime citrus fruit. A bit too acidic at 10 am in the morning but could work with food.
$16
Hanna
2001
Chardonnay
Russian River Valley
Lighter styled French oak minerals. Pretty good balance of fruit and oak. Not bad and fairly priced.
$19
Hanna
1999
Two Ranch Red
Sonoma County
Mutt wine that is mostly Nebbiolo with some Cabernet, Merlot, and Sangiovese. Smells structured. Violets, tar, supple and velvety tannins. Earth and Cherry fruit. I think Mona kind of liked it.
$19
Hanna
2000
Cabernet Sauvignon
Alexander Valley
Canned tomatoes (Mona) Older wood and cherry fruit. Good sweetness, but a bit acidic. Pleasant.
$27
Hanna
1997
Merlot
Bismark Ranch Sonoma Valley
Sweet caramel oak. Mocha and tobacco. Hint of vanilla-tinged American oak. Sweet fruit. Pleasant. 14.5% alcohol.
$50
Hanna
1998
Bismark Ranch Noir
Bismark Ranch Sonoma Valley
Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petite Verdot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Sweet tobacco and herbs. Dust and cherries. A bit astringent on the finish.
$48
Hanna
2000
Zinfandel
Bismark Ranch Sonoma Valley
16.4% alcohol. Sweet jammy fruit with enough acid. Not noticeably hot. Could use more spice in the nose. As it is, it is very good, but just a bit sweet black cherry fruit bomb.
$49
Field Stone
2001
Sauvignon Blanc
Alexander Valley
Tank fermented. Crisp with decent balance.
Field Stone
2001
Viognier
Staten Family Vineyard Reserve
150 cases. Mid-weight with apricots, oranges, and candied fruit.
$20
Field Stone
2001
Chardonnay
Russian River Valley
Toasty mineral oak and smoke. Lighter pear and apple fruit. Mona likes it.
$16
Field Stone
2001
Gewurztraminer
Russian River Valley
.4% residual sugar. Spicy, obvious Gewurztraminer nose. Nice crowd pleaser.
$12
Field Stone
2002
Rose
North Coast
Rose of Sangiovese. Light nose of roses, strawberries. Pleasant and finds the right balance between dry and sweet in the finish.
Field Stone
2000
Sangiovese
North Coast
Touch of American oak with sweet candy, vanilla,. Sweetish cherry fruit. Good richness and acidity. This is pretty nice for California Sangiovese.
$18
Field Stone
1999
Cabernet Sauvignon
Alexander Valley
6% Merlot. Emphasis on fruit here. Candied cherry. Medium weight. Sweet fruit. A bit short. Sage and some tannin in the finish.
Field Stone
1999
Cabernet Sauvignon
Estate Reserve Alexander Valley
Sweet black fruit nose. Honey and caramel. Blackberry. 12% Merlot, Dry farmed. Rich fruit and decent length.
Field Stone
1999
Petite Sirah
Staten Family Reserve
Bramble, spice and black fruit. Sweet fruit with good length and some acid and structure. I liked this enough to buy a bottle at $36.
$36
Field Stone
2000
Vintage Port
Alexander Valley
Made from Petite Sirah. Pipe tobacco. Moderate sweetness with nice mouthfeel. Candy corn flavors. Not bad. 19% alcohol.
Unti
2002
Rose
Dry Creek Valley
Rose of Grenache. Very pale in color but very fragrant. Different kind of rose. Sweetly nutty. Almost not Rose in color.
Unti
2001
Sangiovese
Dry Creek Valley
From vines planted in 1992. Dust and pepper on the nose with a hint of new French oak. Dry earth and dusty cherry continue on the palate.
Unti
2001
Grenache
Dry Creek Valley
This is Unti's first harvest of Grenache from this vineyard. Smokey undergrowth. Musky. Includes some Syrah. Sweet strawberry fruit. Dry peppery. Pretty nice little Grenache. Metallic.
Unti
2001
Zinfandel
Dry Creek Valley
14.7% alcohol. Light spice on the nose. Green leaves, ivy. Sweet black raspberry fruit with good length and concentration. Not huge. Some American oak.
Unti
2001
Syrah
Petite Frere Dry Creek Valley
Smoky, Rhoney, Bretty nose. Sweaty leather. Pleasant fruit. Slightly Cotes du Rhone like.
$18
Unti
2000
Syrah
Dry Creek Valley
Captivating nose of licorice, graphite, black fruit, clove, mint, and liqueur. Nice. Smooth and supple on the palate. Bought a couple of these.
$26
Unti
2001
Petite Sirah
Dry Creek Valley
Inky color and reticent nose of white pepper. Black fruit and boatloads of tannin, but it is still interesting for us tannin pigs.
$28
Preston Vineyards
2001
Sauvignon Blanc
Hartsock Dry Creek Valley
Crisp grassy lemon-citrus nose. Sweet, balanced fruit. Slightly mediciney finish. Not bad.
Preston Vineyards
2002
Viognier
Dry Creek Valley
Heavy floral nose. Intense musky honeysuckle over lemon cream peach. Crisper on the palate and a bit tart.
Preston Vineyards
2001
Cinsault
Dry Creek Valley
Pencil lead and black cherries with sweet fruit attack and a sappy bitter finish.
Preston Vineyards
2001
Sangiovese
Dry Creek Valley
Medicine, licorice and cherry candy…
Preston Vineyards
2000
L. Preston
Dry Creek Valley
Syrah, Mourvedre, Carignane, and Cinsault. Candy, soap. Seems unresolved. Red juicy fruit. Sappy finish.
Preston Vineyards
2001
Zinfandel
Dry Creek Valley
Spicy nose with bramblefruit. Sweet smelling and a bit hot and spicu on the fruity palate. 14.6% alcohol.
Preston Vineyards
2001
Barbera
Cavallo
Juicy strawberry fruit. Decent acidity. Pleasant.
Preston Vineyards
2000
Syrah
Vogensann Bench Estate
Somewhat nondescript nose. Red fruit with a bit of pepper. Good body with a touch of green in the finish.
Preston Vineyards
2000
Semillon
Botritys Dry Creek Valley
13.6% alcohol. Moderate sweetness with fruit candied apricot spice. Long finish shows a taste of the botrytis. Nice.
Preston Vineyards
2002
Muscat Canelli
Dry Creek Valley
High acidity with light fruit. Like an Asti wine without the effervscence.
Rochioli
2002
Sauvignon Blanc
Russian River Valley
Crisp greenish fruit with moderate intensity. A bit disappointing.
$22
Rochioli
2001
Zinfandel
Russian River Valley
Dry earth. Pepper and spice. A bit pedestrian. 14.2% alcohol.
$24
Roshambo
2001
Sauvignon Blanc
Frank Johnson Vineyards Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley
Clean, grassy nose.
$14
Roshambo
2001
Chardonnay
Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley
No Obvious oak. Pear, green apple. Sweet attack with an acid backbone. Mona thinks it tastes like makeup
Roshambo
2002
Rose
Dry Creek Valley
Rose of Syrah. Light strawberry and pepper. Dryish finish. Sweet silky palate. Okay.
Roshambo
2000
Merlot
Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley Frank Johnson Vineyard
Oak nose. Green smellng with a hot finish. Pass.
Roshambo
2000
Zinfandel
Dry Creek Valley
14.9% alcohol. Spicy bramble fruit zinberry nose. Sweet palate. Decent intensity on the midpalate. Bit rougn on the finish.
Roshambo
2000
Syrah
Dry Creek Valley
Strawberry tar nose. Moderately saturated color. Touch of volatile acidity. Acidic finish. Okay.
Roshambo
2000
Zinfandel
Dry Creek Valley Taylor Vineyard
Similar nose to the other Zinfandel with less pepper and more syrup. Not bad. 15.8% alcohol.
Roshambo
2001
late Harvest Traminer
Sweet smelling floral, lychee nose. Simple and sweet but pleasant. Might go well with a tart.
Chateau Souverain
2001
Sauvignon Blanc
Alexander Valley
Includes some Semillon. Somewhat grassier and with higher acidity than the 2000 Sauvignon Blanc.
Chateau Souverain
2000
Sauvignon Blanc
Alexander Valley
This bottling includes some Chardonnay. Pear and hint of skunk? Round, sweet, pleasant wine with lowish acidity for Sauvignon Blanc.
$10
Chateau Souverain
2000
Chardonnay
Winemaker's Reserve Alexander Valley
Light oak profile with sweet, well-balanced pear and apple fruit. Nice length and concentration. Decent.
$20
Chateau Souverain
2000
Zinfandel
Dry Creek Valley
Smoky and a bit musty with saw dust. Spice and bramble dust. 14.3% alcohol.
$20
Chateau Souverain
1999
Cabernet Sauvignon
Alexander Valley
Cedar and red fruit up front. Pleasant fruit. Medium-full bodied with a pleasant coffee finish. Nice price.
$20
Chateau Souverain
2002
Viognier
Alexander Valley
Pleasant, standard Viognier. The tasting room staff swore it was their favorite, but I had trouble getting excited about it.
$20
Chateau Souverain
2000
Syrah
Alexander Valley
Includes 3% Viognier and 6% Mourvedre. First bottle: Animal fur, musk. Rather hard. Medium-bodied, not for me. New bottle: Much better fruit. Similar musk and fur but round, rich, and concentrated. Cinnamon. Nice.
$20
Chateau Souverain
1999
Cabernet Sauvignon
Winemaker's Reserve Alexander Valley
Rich, plush smelling on the nose. Red and black fruit. Cedar and a touch of coffee. This is a great Cab for the money.
$35
Gregory Graham
2000
Viognier
Knight's Valley
From a .375 at Syrah Bistro. A nicely balanced Viognier that I think drank better when it was younger. Good honeysuckle and apricots with a spice and mineral quality. Good with our salads and appetizers.
$28
Copain
2001
Zinfandel
Mendocino?
Intense and a bit angular, tough. Rather hot and served rather warm, but even after spending some time in the ice bucket it didn't seem to come together. Judgement reserved based on reputation. 15.5% alcohol. This was served with out entrees at Syrah. Enjoyed with Michael Dimock, who wound up dining with us.
$40
Rutherford Grove
1999
Petite Sirah
Rutherford Napa Valley
Great minerality in a tightly wound, inky Petite Sirah. Mouthcoating and long. Tight and a bit inaccessible. The next day it seemed to taste very primary and grapey.
$36
Mitolo
2001
Shiraz
Jester Tarlton
I chose this to take on the plane home because it is bottle with a wonderful screwcap. This is a full-bodied Syrah that appears to have had a fairly lavish oaking, but survived to tell the tale. Velvety mouthfeel with loads of baking spice and red and black fruit. Excellent value and fairly tasty in plastic cups at 30,000 feet. I found this discounted to $15.
$20
Cheers!
James
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