About the California wine region
Though less than half a century old, and remarkably young compared to its European counterparts, the wine industry in California has managed to enchant the country’s wine buying public as well as receive accolades from “across the pond.” This may be because of two realities. First is the undeniable quality of the wines—remarkably fruity, full and satisfying, rarely too austere or tannic to be savored from the first day. The second is the “buy American” angle. A very high number of American wine buyers simply prefer domestic to foreign wines.
The state plays host to an enormous range of microclimates and soils as well as a lot of sunshine, hot summer days and dry harvests. All these factors contribute to healthy ripe fruits that make European producers, in less dependable climates, green with envy. More than three out of every four years, California’s best sites produces excellent wines.
The U.S. is not protectionist when it comes to taxing imported wines compared to many other countries, but the California wine industry is inherently protected because of consumers wanting to buy American.
To most people, the Napa Valley is the home of California wine, and Cabernet is the clear king in Napa. Burgundy varieties like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir have moved to cooler areas, for the most part closer to the Pacific. This includes the western stretches of Sonoma County, the Anderson Valley in Mendocino County, and the Santa Maria and Santa Ynez valleys of Santa Barbara County. In regions as contrasting as Mendocino County, the Sonoma coast, Carneros, Paso Robles, and Santa Maria Valley, Syrah vines have yielded interesting wines. Excellent Zinfandel is also produced all over the state and may be the only California wine emulated abroad.
The only one of the Dominus wines to show more than a hint of wood, the 2023 Dominus matured in 40% new French oak, leaving it marked by caramel and cedar overtones. Yet that oak aging is balanced by plenty of black...
The 2021 Opus One is composed of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, and 0.5% each of Merlot and Malbec. It was bottled in July 2023. Deep garnet-purple in color, it comes barreling out of the...
This takes a graceful tack, offering supple, cedar-lined notes of gently mulled red currant and black cherry fruit that glide through the tobacco-, mint-, licorice- and sandalwood-accented finish. Offering charm rather...
Spellbinding aromas of rose petals, strawberries, citrus and bark, with hints of lemongrass. Medium-bodied, tight and structured, this offers a captivating combination of linear intensity and calmness, so classy and...
This delivers a pure and steady beam of cassis and plum puree carried by gentle underlying succulence. Flashes of hibiscus and iris filter through the fruit, adding to the overall elegant feel. Drink now through 2034...
98+ The 2023 Pinot Noir DuMOL Estate Vineyard is a real head-turner, just as it was in barrel. Dark, sumptuous fruit, leather, incense, tobacco, dried herbs and graphite open first, buffered by brisk acids and beams of...
Herbal in cedar, this medium-bodied wine is simply layered, with a thickness of tannin and oak, its mouthfeel substantial yet smooth. Black fruit speaks loudest—a mix of black cherry, blueberry and blackberry jam. —...
95+Minty herbs come together with hints of mocha, then dried violets, stone dust and finally wild blueberries as the kaleidoscopic 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Patrimony reaches up from the glass. Cool and collected, this is a...
This wine is a great value for the quality, a blend of 88% estate Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% estate Malbec from the producer's high-elevation site. Aged two years in all French oak, it is smooth, supple and rich in...
The nose of this old vine Zin brings concentrated cherry, raspberry liqueur, and cinnamon aromas, while the palate brings plush tannin, supple acidity, and flavors of roasted cherries, berry compote, plum, and licorice...
Offers beautifully rendered notes of hibiscus, rose petal, damson plum and mulberry that stretch out lengthily thanks to the fine-beaded acidity and taut, precise tannins. The sapid finish lets in tea and incense hints...
Excellent quality, fresh and full of personality. Black cherry, sandalwood, rose bud, liquorice root, crayon, graphite, totally delicious. Love the expansion through the palate and the juicy finish, this is concentrated...
For fans of bigger and more powerful Pinot Noir, the 2010 Bernardus Pinot Noir from their Sierra Mar Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands hits all the right notes. Visually opaque with a deep brick red hue, this wine is...
A blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot and 2% Petite Sirah, Realm's 2021 The Bard is a terrific effort that must be called something of a value in the context of Napa Valley...
This intense Pinot brings on the sultry aromas, with baked cherry, toasted nori, black tea and grilled mushroom notes on the complex and evolving nose. The palate is equally vivacious, with the plush tannins balancing...
Refined and polished, with a simmering power beneath the surface, offering expressive flavors of raspberry, garrigue and savory that gather richness toward fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2034. 1,900 cases made.
The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon reveals expressive notes of mocha, licorice and dark chocolate, plus plenty of mixed red and black cherries. It's full-bodied, framed by soft tannins, but it still retains some dustiness on the...
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2021 Irmgard Pinot Noir soars form the glass with vibrant notes of fresh cranberries, Bing cherries, and red roses, followed by hints of wild strawberries and underbrush. The medium to...
The 2019 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills is an attractive, ethereal wine. Sweet dried cherry, mint, tobacco and sage are some of the aromas and flavors that open in the glass. I would give this a few years in bottle to soften...
The 2016 Pinot Noir The Settler Cleary Ranch Vineyard is an intriguing wine that nicely shows off the Ernest house style. Crushed red berries, blood orange, chalk and mint give the Settler its distinctive upper register...
A beguiling blend of dusty violets, crushed stone, musky black currants and grilled herbs makes the 2020 Estate Cuvée impossible to ignore. Racy yet supple, this soothes with its ripe red and black fruits while also...
This is deep and winey, with cassis, plum paste and linzer torte notes leading the way. Structured but succulent, offering singed apple wood, bay and cast iron accents that support the fruit through the long and focused...
This is a meaty, powerful wine made in a dense, full-bodied style that possesses underlying grace. Black fruit dominates around a secondary tier of currant, clove and iron, the oak is present and yet behaved and...
The 2011 Rapszodia, a blend of 62% Cabernet Franc and 38% Merlot, may be the finest wine of the vintage for Kapcsandy. Sadly, only 75 cases were made. Much lighter than the 2010 Rapszodia, the 2011 offers sweet currant...
(98+ points) You can safely put the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select up with the top vintages of this cuvée, yet it's much more in the style of say, the 2010 or 2018, than a more opulent year, and is going to...
(94+ points) The 2022 Pinot Noir MacIntyre Estate Vineyard was harvested on August 24 before the Labor Day heat wave. It has intoxicating aromas of pomegranate, rhubarb, hibiscus tea and iodine. The light-bodied palate is...
The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Perseid is deep garnet-black in color with cassis, kirsch, redcurrants and blackberries on the nose plus cedar, cigars, earth and bay leaves notes. The palate is medium-bodied and lively with...
Leave it to this pioneering Central Coast producer to craft an appellation cuvée that tastes exactly like this region smells. Aromas of sagebrush, pepper, iron and red plum lead into a palate of juniper, bay leaf and...
Showing results from page 1 of 12 pages total.
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