Displaying 12726 - 12750 of 14960
Score
Cenyth
2010 Red Blend
90(+?) Points Stephen Tanzer, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 90 (+?) points

Deep ruby. Savory, reticent aromas of cherry, dark chocolate and spices show more lift than the 2009. Firmly built and rather backward, with flavors of plum and black raspberry joined on the back by a hint of leather. Quite tannic.

Arrowood
2005 Monte Rosso Cabernet Sauvignon
90(+?) Points Josh Raynolds, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 90 (+?) Points

Deep ruby. Intensely perfumed nose offers redcurrant, cherry and tobacco, with a suave floral quality adding complexity. Deep, chewy red and dark berry flavors are framed by velvety tannins and pick up a sweet tobacco note on the back end. Youthfully tangy on the finish, with the cherry and tobacco notes repeating. This needs some cellar time.

Anakota
2011 Helena Dakota Cabernet Sauvignon
90(+?) Points Stephen Tanzer, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 90 (+?) points

Bright, deep ruby. Reticent aromas of blueberry, licorice and crushed herbs. Less sweet in the mouth than the 2011 Helena Montana, with strong spice and floral notes dominating the dark berry flavors. Tannins are a bit youthfully tough today.

Anakota
2004 Helena Montana Cabernet Sauvignon
90(+?) Points Stephen Tanzer, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 90(+?)

The soil here is rich in white volcanic ash. Good full ruby. Black fruits and a hint of game on the nose. Silky on entry, then more complex and less oaky in the middle palate than the Helena Dakota bottling, offering an attractive combination of ripeness and verve. But not at all overly sweet. Finishes with substantial but ripe tannins and a juicy quality that suggests this will age gracefully. According to Barbara Banke, co-owner of Jackson Wine Estates with her husband Jess Jackson, this winery used two sorting tables beginning with the 2004 harvest, and also introduced a Mistral machine that blows away damaged and dried-out grapes and bits of stalks.

Vérité
2000 La Joie
90(+?) Points Stephen Tanzer, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 90(+?)

Medium ruby. Cool, somewhat medicinal aromas of blackcurrant, bitter chocolate, licorice, minerals, and fresh herbs. Bright and dense but quite closed and tannic today; very much in the style of a Northern Medoc wine. Distinctly tough now and in need of at least five or six years of patience. This was far silkier from barrel a year ago, but my early early sample contained a much higher percentage of Merlot.

Vérité
1999 La Joie
90(+?) Points Stephen Tanzer, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 90(+?)

Medium ruby. Cool, somewhat medicinal aromas of blackcurrant, bitter chocolate, licorice, minerals and fresh herbs. Bright and dense but quite closed and tannic today; very much in the style of a Northern Medoc wine. Distinctly tough now and in need of at least five or six years of patience,. This was far silkier from barrel a year ago, but my early sample contained a much higher percentage of merlot.

Stonestreet
2001 Christopher's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
90(+?) Points Stephen Tanzer, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 90(+?)

Full ruby. Riper aromas of blueberry, boysenberry, sassafras, allspice and chocolate. Juicy and intense in the mouth, with lively flavors of berries and bitter chocolate. Finishes with strong tannins that reach the front teeth, but also very good length and lingering sweetness.

Stonestreet
2010 Bear Point Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
90(+?) Points Stephen Tanzer, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 90(+?)

Bright red-ruby color. Dark aromas of black cherry, licorice, bitter chocolate, menthol and black pepper. Tightly wound and youthfully medicinal, with dark berry, herb and licorice flavors complemented by iron and gravel nuances. Quite dry and light on its feet but imploded today and in need of at least a couple years of bottle aging.

Stonestreet
2008 Black Cougar Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon
90(+?) Points Stephen Tanzer, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 90 (+?)

Good deep ruby-red. Aromas and flavors of black fruits, bitter chocolate and licorice, with a pronounced gravelly quality. Ripe and chewy but medicinal and backward today, with density building toward the back. Just a bit of tannic dryness but this is still a baby. There's very little topsoil at this site, notes winemaker Graham Weerts, and the diurnal shifts are more pronounced here than at Stonestreet's higher-elevation cabernet vineyards. This should reward bottle aging.

Stonestreet
2008 Rockfall Cabernet Sauvignon
90(+?) Points Stephen Tanzer, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 90 (+?)

Bright ruby-red. Almost mute on the nose today, with a lightly dusty quality to the black fruit and mineral aromas. Then suppler, sweeter and more pliant than the Christopher's but with a bit less spine and energy than that wine. Here the slightly medicinal tannins arrive earlier.

Stonestreet
2009 Bear Point Vineyard Chardonnay
90(+?) Points Stephen Tanzer, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 90 (+?)

(from vines at 1,000 feet): Palish yellow with a green tinge. Cool aromas of lime ice, menthol and dusty stone, with a lightly metallic quality. Supple and quite dry, with subdued flavors of citrus peel and dusty stone. Very laid-back today, with the metallic quality carrying through in the mouth. This uncompromising chardonnay offered a hint of fresh apricot with air but its rather forbidding texture did not loosen up even after 24 hours in the recorked bottle.

Hartford Court
2012 MacLean's Block Pinot Noir
90(+?) Points Josh Raynolds, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 90 (+?) points

Vivid ruby. Pungent aromas of dark berries, cherry pit and smoky minerals, with a hint of fresh herbs in the background. Juicy and precise, offering bitter cherry and black raspberry flavors that gain in sweetness and energy with air. Closes on a spicy note, with strong mineral cut and silky, slow-building tannins. This youthful pinot responds nicely to aeration.

Hartford Court
2009 Sevens Bench Vineyard Pinot Noir
90(+?) Points Josh Raynolds, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Bright ruby. Cherry, dark berries and minerals on the nose, with hints of licorice and pepper. Offers a restrained sweetness and good depth to its dark fruit flavors. Shows a youthful, medicinal quality, a hint of black cardamom and dusty tannins on the long, incisive yet broad finish. This could use a bit of time to stretch out.

Hartford Court
2005 Land's Edge Vineyards Pinot Noir
90(+?) Points Josh Raynolds, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 90(+?)

Deep red. Spicy cherry and cassis aromas are a bit musclebound but slowly open to show subtle floral and iron qualities. Powerful, deeply concentrated cherry and cherry skin flavors dominate the palate. Finishes with solid tannins and a hint of espresso. This needs time.

Hartford Court
2004 Arrendell Vineyard Pinot Noir
90(+?) Points Stephen Tanzer, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 90(+?)

Good deep red. Complex aromas of raspberry, blackberry, kirsch, flowers and wild herbs. Juicy and tightly wound, but already demonstrating a strong kernel of dark berry fruit and lovely definition and verve. Tighter than the Seascape bottling and thus a bit less broad today. The acids carry the fruit on the finish, which shows a piquant note of pomegranate.

Hartford Court
2002 Velvet Sisters Pinot Noir
90(+?) Points Stephen Tanzer, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 90(+?)?

Good, bright ruby-red. Aromas of raspberry, strawberry, menthol, earth and violet. Flavors are distinctly purple: blackberry, violet and minerals. Supple but not yet filled in; in a rather closed stage today. The fruit character is complicated by a suggestion of exotic woodsmoke. Finishes firmly tannic and in need of patience.

Hartford
2008 Highwire Vineyard Zinfandel
90(+?) Points Josh Raynolds, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 90 (+?) points

Bright, saturated ruby. Youthfully brooding aromas of blackberry, mulberry, cocoa powder and licorice, with slow mounting spiciness and a hint of dried violet. Deeply pitched dark berry and bitter cherry flavors are slow to unwind, showing serious structure without coming off as hard. The gripping finish is a touch rigid but packs a lot of rich fruit. Give the bottle a little age.

Hartford
2003 Dina's Vineyard Zinfandel
90(+?) Points Stephen Tanzer, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 90 (+)

Good full ruby. Aromas of black cherry, blueberry, gunflint, smoke and slate. All crushed fruit in the mouth: black cherry, boysenberry and blackberry. Juicy and imploded today, with very fresh acidity intensifying the fruit. Finishes with powerful but ripe tannins that will require at least a few years of bottle aging. Very bright, structured zinfandel.

Murphy-Goode
2022 Liar’s Dice Zinfandel 
90 Points Tonya Pitts, Wine Enthusiast Magazine Best Buy

Neatly delineated aromas of fresh raspberry, candied cherry, licorice, and caramel drive the nose of this wine. The palate is decadent, displaying opulent mouthfeel, supple tannin, and soft acid, along with flavors of sweet berry coulis, cherry compote, lemon zest, and minty herbs.

La Crema
2024 Chardonnay Monterey
90 Points Matt Kettmann, Wine Enthusiast Magazine Best Buy

Clean aromas of lemon zest, lime pith, and sliced apple show on the nose of this always-reliable brand. The palate is energetic with familiar flavors of Meyer lemon and nectarine.

Hartford Court
2023 Marin Pinot Noir
90 Points James Molesworth, Wine Spectator

A nice version of the bracing style, with pinpoint acidity that lets raspberry and damson plum coulis notes ripple along, set against a backdrop of red tea and rose hip. Drink now through 2028. 125 cases made.

Penner-Ash
2023 Hyland Vineyard Old Vine Riesling
90 Points Courtney Humiston, JamesSuckling.com

Aromas and flavors of lemons, yuzu and mangoes. Wonderful balance of acidity and sweetness, giving a nice plumpness in the middle and a clean, fresh finish that carries citrus and tropical flavors. Drink or hold.

Gran Moraine
2023 Flavorscape Grenache
90 Points Courtney Humiston, JamesSuckling.com

Fresh and pretty with aromas of gravel, pink peppercorns and watermelon. Candied cherries follow through to the lively palate, offering light body and rosewater flavors. Fun, bright and enjoyable chilled. Drink now.

Gran Moraine
2023 Flavorscape Gamay
90 Points Courtney Humiston, JamesSuckling.com

Aromas of dried strawberries, cranberries and cherries, alongside forest and sandstone. A big pop of bright red fruit and flowers on the palate, with red minerals and light to medium body. Pretty, fresh and fun. Drink now.

La Crema
2023 Saralee's Vineyard Chardonnay
90 Points MaryAnn Worobiec, Wine Spectator

Juicy tangerine, white peach, lemon sherbet and pear pastry flavors show notes of vanilla cream and spices, plus a hint of graham cracker, all on a sleek, polished, mouthwatering frame. Drink now. 1,470 cases made.