Displaying 16151 - 16175 of 23456
Score
Hartford Court
2012 Arrendell Vineyard Pinot Noir
92(+?) Points Josh Raynolds, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 92 (+?) points

Glass-staining ruby. Brooding dark berry, kirsch and licorice aromas and flavors are enlivened by a zesty blood orange nuance and an intense floral quality. Dense and chewy in texture initially but softens and becomes livelier with aeration. Shows excellent power and focus on the finish, which is firmed by dusty tannins and a touch of smoky minerality. The yield from this vineyard was reportedly under a half ton per acre in 2012.

Cardinale
2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
92 Points Stephen Tanzer, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Bright ruby-red. Classic cabernet sauvignon aromas of cassis, blackberry, bitter chocolate, coffee, shoe polish and mint. At once rich and suave, showing lovely purity and early sex appeal to the sappy flavors of blackberry, blueberry, dark chocolate, minerals and licorice. The broad finish features sweet tannins and lingering minerality. Winemaker Chris Carpenter gets first pick of Jackson Family Wines' Napa Valley cabernet, and his objective is to make a wine with early attractiveness. This one is especially lovely in the context of its vintage.

Arrowood
2009 Monte Rosso Cabernet Sauvignon
92 Points Josh Raynolds, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Ruby-red. Smoke-accented aromas of cherry compote, cassis and cured tobacco, with a subtle vanilla quality in the background. Creamy and round, offering sweet dark fruit and bitter chocolate flavors that become spicier with air. Finishes energetic and focused, with firming tannins and lingering sweetness.

Stonestreet
2011 Legacy Red Wine
92 Points Stephen Tanzer, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Bright medium ruby. Cassis, black cherry, licorice, loam and spicy oak on the expressive nose, complemented by a note of graphite minerality. Plush, ripe and sweet, showing excellent intensity to its flavors of blackcurrant, licorice, bitter chocolate and earth. This is creamier and more pliant than the cabernets that winemaker Graham Weerts makes under the Stonestreet label, but there's still plenty of spine. Lovely ripely tannic finish offers lingering notes of blackberry, cassis, minerals and oak. I'd wait two years and then enjoy this wine over the following ten.

Stonestreet
2012 Terrace Ridge Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc
92 Points Stephen Tanzer, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Very pale silver-yellow. Riper and more exotic than the Aurora Point sauvignon, showing an aroma of orange blossom. Fatter and larger-scaled on the palate but less expressive today, with concentrated melon and orange flavors showing a seamless texture. This lightly saline, very broad blend dusts the palate on the classically dry, lively back end. In a distinctly adult style and in need of a year in bottle to express itself more fully.

Stonestreet
2012 Broken Road Vineyard Chardonnay
92 Points Stephen Tanzer, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Bright, light yellow. Sexy, slightly high-toned aromas of pineapple, mirabelle, orange zest and spices, plus a hint of caramel oak. Rich, bright and dry, with flavors similar to the aromas. Conveys an impression of density without weight. Not hugely complex but concentrated and seamless. The long finish features notes of sweet pineapple and licorice.

Lokoya
2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain
92 Points Stephen Tanzer, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Full medium ruby. Riper on the nose than the Diamond Mountain District bottling, offering scents of cassis, blueberry, violet, espresso and minerals. Densely packed and chewy; in fact, amazingly ripe and successful for Spring Mountain in 2011. The dark berry, graphite and espresso flavors carry very well on the long, ripely tannic finish. Incidentally, Jackson Family Wines recently purchased Terra Valentine's winery and Yverdon Vineyard on Spring Mountain.

Lokoya
2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain
92 Points Stephen Tanzer, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Deep medium ruby. Explosive aromas of blackberry, blueberry, licorice pastille, menthol, spices and bay leaf. Fat, sweet and densely packed, with a low-acid impression to the concentrated flavors of black fruits, licorice pastille, mint and oregano. Here the wine's green notes contribute complexity without detracting from the fruit. Finishes with very suave tannins for the vintage and excellent length. A terrific showing.

La Crema
2011 Nine Barrel Chardonnay
92 Points Josh Raynolds, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Pale yellow. Powerful pit and orchard fruit aromas, along with notes of smoky minerals and honey. Weighty but surprisingly lithe on the palate, offering juicy nectarine and orange flavors that are given spine by bright acidity. Finishes with building minerality and excellent persistence, leaving a peachy note behind. This wine is literally a 9-barrel selection from the 290 that made up La Crema's Russian River Valley chardonnay production this vintage.

Hartford Court
2012 Far Coast Vineyard Pinot Noir
92 Points Josh Raynolds, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Bright ruby. Deeply pitched red fruit preserve, anise and incense aromas are lifted by a sexy floral element. Stains the palate with sweet raspberry and rose pastille flavors, picking up notes of mocha and vanilla with air. Distinctly energetic and pure, with a seamless texture and a firm spine of acidity contributing structure. Finishes sweet, floral and very long, with subtle tannins building slowly and fading smoothly into the wine's fruit.

Hartford Court
2012 Far Coast Vineyard Chardonnay
92 Points Josh Raynolds, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Pale gold. A heady, mineral-dominated bouquet evokes dried orchard fruits, white flowers, iodine and anise. Stains the palate with vibrant apple and tangerine flavors that become spicier and livelier with air. Rich but vibrant and light on its feet, finishing with powerful thrust and building smokiness.

Hartford Court
2012 Fog Dance Vineyard Chardonnay
92 Points Josh Raynolds, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Light yellow. Heady aromas of mineral-accented citrus and orchard fruits, fig, iodine and smoky lees, with a sexy floral quality emerging with air. Offers palate-staining pear and Meyer lemon flavors complemented by deeper notes of honey and sweet butter. Powerful yet lithe and precise, finishing with excellent cling and an echo of iodine.

Hartford Court
2012 Seascape Vineyard Chardonnay
92 Points Josh Raynolds, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Pale gold. A wild, highly complex bouquet displays orange pith, iodine, anise and shiso leaf. Spicy, penetrating and pure, offering an array of citrus and orchard fruit flavors that pick up a strong mineral quality with air. In a decidedly savory style, with strong finishing punch and lingering spiciness. Fruit is taking a back seat here today

Hartford
2012 Highwire Vineyard Zinfandel
92 Points Josh Raynolds, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Bright ruby. Intense red and dark berry scents show very good energy and pick up a dark chocolate note with air. Sappy black raspberry and bitter chocolate flavors are enlivened by juicy acidity, which adds bite to the back half. Closes with building, fine-grained tannins, an echo of bitter chocolate and excellent persistence.

Cenyth
2012 Red Blend
91-93 Points Stephen Tanzer, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Vibrant aromas of black fruits lifted by minerals and violet. At once sweet and penetrating in the mouth, with terrific definition and floral lift to the black fruit and bitter chocolate flavors. Still youthfully clenched but appears to have the sweetness of fruit to support its huge tannins. Clearly the longest wine to date for this new label.

Anakota
2011 Helena Montana Cabernet Sauvignon
91 Points Stephen Tanzer, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Bright medium ruby. Black cherry, leather and herbs on the nose, along with hints of menthol and licorice. Not an opulent style but pure, intense mountain cabernet nonetheless. showing lovely spicy definition and even a touch of delicacy to the black cherry, dark berry, violet and coffee flavors. Finishes with a piquant note of cranberry and dusty tannins that coat the teeth. It's always good when the spice holds the hand of the tannins, noted winemaker Pierre Seillan. Very small berries here yielded just 1.5 tons per acre, and production of these two 2011s is down about 60% from a normal year.

Stonestreet
2011 Rockfall Cabernet Sauvignon
91 Points Stephen Tanzer, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Bright ruby-red. Black fruits, coffee, licorice and oaky chocolate and mocha on the nose. Densely packed and firmly built, with a strong spine of ripe acidity giving definition and punch to the flavors of blackberry, black cherry, minerals and chocolate. Quite penetrating and youthfully tight but there's good underlying fat to support the youthfully edgy tannins. This will need a few years in the bottle to soften and blossom.

Mt. Brave
2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder
91 Points Stephen Tanzer, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Good ruby-red. Blackcurrant, graphite and licorice aromas are complemented by coffee and mocha oak nuances. Sweeter in the mouth than the La Jota cabernet from Howell Mountain (this fruit was picked a bit earlier), offering good texture to its dark berry, licorice, violet and coffee bean flavors. Less obviously herbal too, this bottling is more likely to expand with cellaring. Substantial tongue-dusting tannins call for some patience.

Matanzas Creek
2011 Journey Red
91 Points Josh Raynolds, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Inky ruby. High-pitched red fruit and floral aromas are complicated by notes of spicecake, cracked pepper and smoky minerals. Nervy and precise in the mouth, offering spicy red currant and bitter cherry flavors that put on weight with aeration. In a distinctly lively style, with noteworthy tension and tangy acidity adding lift and cut to a long, youthfully tannic finish. I'd give this wine at least another three or four years of bottle age.

Matanzas Creek
2012 Journey Sauvignon Blanc
91 Points Josh Raynolds, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Bright straw. Pungent, deeply pitched aromas of pink grapefruit, white pepper and ginger, with suave jasmine and mineral qualities emerging with aeration. Dry and sharply focused, with surprisingly dense citrus and orchard fruit flavors that are sharpened by a dusty mineral quality. There's no new oak in play here. Closes stony and long, with excellent clarity and an echo of white flowers. An intriguing blend of power and finesse, this is among the best New World sauvignon blanc bottlings I've seen this year.

Matanzas Creek
2012 Journey Chardonnay
91 Points Josh Raynolds, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Pale gold. Smoky melon and peach on the deeply scented nose and in the mouth. Round and expansive, with a lemony nuance adding focus and lift to the wine's lush fruit. Closes with repeating smokiness, a hint of vanilla and excellent, mineral-tinged length.

Maggy Hawk
2011 Unforgettable Pinot Noir
91 Points Josh Raynolds, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Bright ruby-red. Lively and assertively perfumed, displaying scents of raspberry, strawberry, potpourri and blood orange. Offers incisive red fruit and mineral flavors and a hint of cola that builds with air. Sharply focused and pure, with excellent finishing clarity and length and silky tannins that blend smoothly into the wine's intense fruit.

Maggy Hawk
2011 Afleet Pinot Noir
91 Points Josh Raynolds, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Ruby-red. Intense, spice-laced dark berry and cherry aromas, along with a touch of potpourri. The most exotic of this set of pinots, offering juicy red fruit liqueur and rose pastille flavors and a touch of vanillin oak spice. Finishes tangy and long, with resonating spiciness and gently gripping tannins.

La Crema
2012 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley
91 Points Josh Raynolds, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Vivid ruby-red. Fresh red berries, cola, gingerbread and potpourri on the highly perfumed nose. Silky and sweet, offering intense strawberry and black raspberry flavors with suggestions of candied rose and blood orange. Shows excellent clarity and intensity on the spicy finish, with barely a hint of tannins. This suave pinot is delicious right now.

La Crema
2012 Pinot Noir Anderson Valley
91 Points Josh Raynolds, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Bright ruby-red. Complex aromas of red berry liqueur, incense and rose oil, with suave vanilla and smoky mineral notes emerging with aeration. Sappy and penetrating on the palate, offering juicy raspberry and bitter cherry flavors that flesh out on the back half. Powerful but lithe and precise, finishing with strong thrust and silky, harmonious, slowly building tannins.