Bottle Notes, Syrah

2011 Sandlands Syrah Santa Lucia Highlands – Bottle Notes

Sandlands is the personal project of Tegan and Olivia Passalacqua. Tegan is the Winemaker and Vineyard Manager at Turley. The line-up encompasses some of the forgotten classic California varieties, primarily grown in decomposed granite from regions and vineyards that have been farmed for many generations but have remained the outliers of California viticulture. Crimson in color. 12.9% ABV. Savory nose…

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Bottle Notes, Cabernet Sauvignon

2001 PlumpJack Cabernet Sauvignon – Bottle Notes

Gavin Newsom and Gordon Getty established PlumpJack Winery in 1995, inspired by one of Shakespeare’s most memorable characters, Sir John “PlumpJack” Falstaff. PlumpJack Winery sits squarely in the heart of Napa Valley’s renowned Oakville region, surrounded by a 42-acre estate vineyard highly regarded for the quality of its Cabernet Sauvignon. Aaron Miller is the winemaker at PlumpJack. PlumpJack holds a special…

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Random Musings

The Week in Zinfandel (1/1/18)

Welcome to the first installment of The Week in Zinfandel for 2018.  If I missed your post or story please send me a link and I will be sure to include it next week. Cheers! ENOFYLZ Wine Blog writes The Singular Beauty of California Field Blends. David Honig reviews the 2015 Ridge Zinfandel East Bench. Esther Mobley writes Winemakers to…

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Bottle Notes, Cabernet Sauvignon

1991 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley – Bottle Notes

Silver Oak Winery was founded in 1972 by Raymond Twomey Duncan, a Colorado entrepreneur who began investing in California vineyards in the late 1960s, and Justin Meyer, a winemaker and former Christian Brother. They produced 1,100 cases of their inaugural vintage. Over the next two decades, Silver Oak grew in popularity. The Napa Valley and Alexander Valley Cabernets sold quickly upon their…

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Random Musings

The Week in Zinfandel (12/25/17)

Welcome to the latest installment of The Week in Zinfandel. It was a quiet week for Zinfandel. Hopefully more content will surface in 2018! If I missed your post or story please send me a link and I will be sure to include it next week. Cheers! Randy Caparoso writes A Look Back at 2017 – a Year of Change, Innovation…

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Cellar Management

Pick My Next Bottle – 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon

The December installment of Pick My Next Bottle focuses on Cabernet Sauvignon from the 2002 vintage. As I mentioned in the first installment, the purpose of this series is to provide insight into specific wines or producers you may currently have in your cellar. 2002 was a better than average vintage in both Washington and California. The contenders in this…

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Bottle Notes, Zinfandel

2010 Carlisle Zinfandel Bedrock Vineyard – Bottle Notes

Carlisle Winery & Vineyards was founded in 1998 by Mike and Kendall Officer. Their passion is clear: Small lots of Zinfandel and Syrah from exceptional, historic vineyards. Many of these vineyards are heritage sites planted by Italian immigrants and date back to the late 1800s . They have also added their first whites, two blends from historic, old-vine vineyards plus Sonoma County’s…

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