Like the legendary snap dragon flying overhead, the flavors and aromas of the 2007 Snap Dragon Chardonnay curl and whirl across the tongue in a myriad of sprightly tropical flavors, fleshed by ripe yellow peaches and warm apple notes. Accents of vanilla and allspice enhance the complexity of this inviting and enjoyable wine. Sipped on [...]

Don’t let the animal on the bottle fool you, Maipe Malbec Lujan de Cuyo is a VERY serious wine. No offense to the “critter” wines out there, but they are rarely memorable, where as this Malbec continues to overdeliver, vintage after vintage. “…glass-coating purple color with a striking perfume of violets, black cherry, and black [...]

Kaiken Malbec is the second wine from the high-end Montes Winery, based in Chile. This side project is a venture into Argentina, and produces tremendous value wines! This Malbec boasts gobs of dark fruit; blueberry, plum, blackberry, with a nice, oaky finish. A perfect compliment to grilled steaks, Malbec in general (along with Zinfandel) is [...]

Shooting Star Riesling really shows what can be accomplished with the quality grapes of the Lake County area, and a fantastic winemaking team. Have you ever smelled the aroma of grape flowers blooming? This is what this Riesling smells like; a combination of honeysuckle, citrus, and apricot. The fruit comes alive in your mouth with [...]

Ex Libris Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, from the Champoux Vineyard in Washington State (pronounced shampoo) is a tremendous value in today’s Cabernet selections. Ex-Libris is a latin term for “from the library,” and was the guiding principal for this proprietary project. Through connections with some top wineries in Washington and California, we were able to go [...]

Monsieur Touton White Bordeaux is a 100% Sauvignon Blanc from the Entre Deux Mers area of Bordeaux. This word here is CRISP. And more crisp. And at the end of the day….crisp. If you are looking for subtle, pick again, this bottle will blow-up your taste buds…but in a good way. A bit of lime, [...]

Newton Chardonnay Red Label 2007 is a great value from Sonoma/Napa. Exhibiting all the expected characteristics of superb Northern California Chardonnay it has enticing and delicate notes of honeysuckle, white nectarine and peach are intertwined with baked apple, vanilla spice and freshly baked bread aromas. On the palate, stone fruit flavors combine with ripe melon [...]

Sterling Vineyards Pinot Noir Vintners Collection 2007 is a great little value Pinot Noir from a fine, established wine maker. Clear deep ruby, with complex, vibrant varietal aromas of briar fruit and ripe black cherries, with hints of vanilla. The fruit jumps out of the glass, with big black cherry flavors from entry to finish. [...]

Chateau Pascaud Bordeaux Superieur 2007 comes from the area nearest St. Emilion on the right bank, in Bordeaux. As such, it is a merlot-dominated Bordeaux from a microclimate very similar to that of  St. Emilion, this remarkable value is ripe and balanced. An earthy nose, leads to ripe black fruits and a lingering, pleasant [...]

Banfi La Rime PG/Chard is a perfect wine for summer. Showing the crispness of the Pinot Gris grape, offset with the fullness from the Chardonnay, this wine happily toes the line between the two. I will often find Pinot Grigio to be a bit unsatisfying, and Chardonnay does not always lend itself to overly warm [...]