Displaying 17076 - 17100 of 23456
Score
Stonestreet
2011 Bear Point Vineyard Chardonnay
91(+?) Points Stephen Tanzer, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 91 (+?)

Good bright, pale yellow. Bright, tight aromas of lemon, pear and brown spices. A bit aggressive on entry, then bigger and broader but less precise in the mid-palate than the Broken Road bottling. This more masculine, saline, tactile chardonnay will need some time to reveal itself.

Champ de Rêves
2011 Pinot Noir Anderson Valley
91 Points Josh Raynolds, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Bright ruby-red. A smoky, highly perfumed bouquet evokes black raspberry, cherry-cola, dried rose and anise, with a spicy topnote. Weighty dark berry flavors become livelier with air and pick up an element of minerality. Finishes tangy and quite long, with lingering smoke and vanilla flavors and gentle tannins. This 1100-acre property, situated just north of Boonville, was planted in 2006 by Jackson Family Estates and now has 85 bearing acres.

Cardinale
2011 Intrada Sauvignon Blanc
91 Points Stephen Tanzer, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Bright, pale yellow-green. Delicately perfumed aromas of lime oil, fresh herbs and green tropical fruits. Juicy, fresh and refined, with enticing lift to the intense flavors of grapefruit peel, pineapple and flowers and fresh herbs; reminded me a bit of riesling. Still a tad reductive; assistant winemaker Laura Diaz-Munoz blocked the malolactic fermentation but did a lot of lees stirring for creamosity. This was done in used barrels; Diaz-Munoz made the 2012 vintage in concrete eggs.

Arrowood
2010 Réserve Spéciale Chardonnay
91 Points Josh Raynolds, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Bright yellow. Deep, smoky aromas of pear, melon and nectarine, with a spicy topnote. Fleshy and smooth in texture, offering deep orchard fruit flavors and a jolt of bitter lemon pith. Densely packed but lively, with strong finishing cut and admirable clarity.

Yangarra Estate Vineyard
2010 Shiraz McLaren Vale
91 Points Anthony Dias Blue, The Tasting Panel

Deep, smooth and juicy with rich blackberry and cassis; bright, tangy and nicely structured; seamless, intense and nicely balanced; long and stylish.

Stonestreet
2010 Rockfall Cabernet Sauvignon
91 Points Stephen Tanzer, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Good bright ruby-red. Brooding aromas of blueberry, cassis and crushed stone. Deep and surprisingly sweet, offering rich, nicely delineated flavors of cassis, plum syrup and licorice. Finishes with suave dusty tannins and excellent mineral-driven length.

Stonestreet
2011 Aurora Point Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc
91 Points Stephen Tanzer, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Captivating aromas and flavors of pineapple, grapefruit, lemon ice, lime leaf and crushed rock are complemented by a leesy complexity. Supple, sweet and very easy to taste now owing to its richness of texture. A cool minty quality contributes to the impression of energy on the rising finish, which is crisp but not at all hard. This is very good.

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

Bright yellow. Vibrant aromas of candied citrus fruits, pear and jasmine, with subtle vanilla and nougat qualities building with air. Taut and focused on entry, then more broad in the middle, offering ripe pear and nectarine flavors and a touch of lemon zest. Finishes with very good grip and focus, leaving a bright mineral note behind.

La Crema
2011 Chardonnay Russian River Valley
91 Points Charles Olken, Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine 91 points - Two Stars

Simply put, this is a deep and fairly serious look at Chardonnay that ranks among the better bottlings we have seen from this label. It exhibits a raft of rich, optimally ripened fruit with a fine veneer of sweet oak and creamy accents of lees, and, if fleshy and fairly full on the palate, it is exceptionally well-balanced. It shows far more depth and fruity confidence than is the norm for the vintage, and it is certain to age with great grace for a number of years.

La Crema
2010 Chardonnay Los Carneros
91 Points Josh Raynolds, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Bright yellow-gold. A perfumed bouquet displays scents of fresh pear, smoky lees and honeysuckle. Appealingly sweet on the palate, offering a suave interplay of ripe orchard and citrus fruit flavors and showing a seamless quality. The persistent, mineral-driven finish shows a faintly smoky quality and a touch of iodine.

Hartford
2011 Highwire Vineyard Zinfandel
91 Points Josh Raynolds, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Dark purple. Sappy, liqueur-like aromas of fresh cherry and raspberry. Intense and concentrated but lively, with appealing sweetness to its sappy red fruit flavors. The raspberry notes lingers with excellent tenacity on the finish, which is lifted by zesty acidity and shows a touch of youthfully bitter tannins. Made from century-old vines, half head-trained and half trained on wires.

Hartford
2011 Fanucchi-Wood Road Vineyard Zinfandel
91 Points Josh Raynolds, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Glass-staining purple. Pungent red berry preserve and bitter cherry aromas show excellent clarity. Rich and surprisingly lively, offering broad black and blue fruit flavors and a jolt of peppery spices. Closes on a sweet floral pastille note, with subtle tannins providing grip. Hartford told me that there's a little bit of petite sirah in here.

Freemark Abbey
2010 Cabernet Bosché
90-91 Points Stephen Tanzer, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Good deep ruby-red. Cool aromas of blackberry, black olive, menthol and licorice. Offers enticing sweetness to the flavors of candied cherry, currant and tobacco accented by flowers, menthol and cedar. Has more texture to support its rather velvety, building tannins than the basic Napa Valley cabernet. The candied cherry quality carries through to the persistent finish. Perhaps not quite as deep as the 2009 version but a very good effort. The most recent replantings here were in 1991 and 1996.

Hartford Court
2011 Pinot Noir Marin County
90-91 Points Josh Raynolds, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Bright ruby. Sexy, high-pitched aromas of black raspberry, star anise, vanilla and smoky minerals. Sweet, seamless and expansive, offering lively red fruit flavors and a touch of candied rose. Open-knit and very fresh, with strong finishing cut and sneaky, fine-grained tannins adding grip.

Tenuta di Arceno
2009 Chianti Classico Riserva
90+ Points Editor, Decanter Highly Recommended (90+)

Pronounced and youthful nose with floral notes and classic Sangiovese characteristics of tomato and earth. Palate is concentrated and firm with carefully bound fruit, tannins and acid. Serious stuff and strong with loads of fruit on the finish.

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.

Edmeades
2010 Zinfandel Mendocino County
90 Points Anthony Dias Blue, The Tasting Panel

Fresh, bright and juicy with tangy acidity and lively black raspberry fruit; long and showing smoke, spice and chocolate.

Edmeades
2010 Zinfandel Mendocino County
90 Points Charles Olken, Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine 90 points - One Star

Edmeades Zins are typically on the riper and weightier end of the varietal spectrum, and this one is just that, but its primary message is one of deep, very honest blackberry fruit. It eschews jammy sweetness and shows the grape’s more serious side with blackberries, sweet oak, briary spice and suggestions of dark soil running its length. It is full, fleshy in feel and solidly built, with a little more tannin than is the varietal norm. It would be best to wait for a couple of years here, and the wine has the potential to improve for a half-dozen or more. Good Value.

Byron
2011 Chardonnay Santa Maria Valley
90 Points Anthony Dias Blue, The Tasting Panel

Smooth, creamy and ripe showing vanilla and butterscotch; lush and deep with good acid structure; long and dense.

Arrowood
2010 Saralee's Vineyard Syrah
90 Points Josh Raynolds, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Inky purple. Oak-spiced cherry and black raspberry aromas are complicated by notes of vanilla, olive and pipe tobacco. Lush and expansive, offering ripe dark fruit flavors that pick up smokiness and spiciness with air. Smooth and sweet on the clinging finish, the dark berry and spice notes repeating.

Arrowood
2010 Saralee's Vineyard Viognier
90 Points Josh Raynolds, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Pale gold. Ripe orange, melon and nectarine on the fragrant nose. Fleshy and supple in texture, offering vibrant honeydew and pit fruit flavors lifted by a nervier touch of citrus pith. A floral note comes up with air and carries through a long, seamless finish. Shows surprising restraint for a New World viognier; this will be extremely flexible at the table.

Arrowood
2010 Chardonnay Sonoma County
90 Points Josh Raynolds, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Bright gold. A perfumed nose displays scents of tangerine, peach, ginger and floral honey. Supple and round in the mouth, with silky-sweet, smooth pit fruit flavors complicated by a bitter citrus pith nuance. Finishes on a gentle smoky note, with very good lift, verve and persistence. Excellent value here.

Tenuta di Arceno
2010 Chianti Classico
90 Points Anthony Dias Blue, The Tasting Panel

Silky, fresh and ripe with lovely plum, black raspberry and spice; dense, rich and elegant with vibrant flavors and lovely balance; long and focused. 80% Sangiovese, 19% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Stonestreet
2011 Terrace Ridge Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc
90 Points Stephen Tanzer, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Bright pale yellow. Cool, rather unforthcoming nose offers lemon peel and oil, white flowers and pungent herbs. Then surprisingly supple in the mouth, with a layered texture and a touch of sweetness to the pineapple, grapefruit and herb flavors. Made from fruit from a cool area and it shows.

Mt. Brave
2010 Merlot Mt. Veeder
90 Points Stephen Tanzer, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Good full red. Sexy high tones to the aromas of currant, chocolate, graphite and coffee. A tad aggressive with alcohol initially, but proving increasingly precise in the glass, with ripe red fruit, mocha and dusty spice flavors already displaying considerable personality. Very pliant, classically dry merlot with a firmly tannic, persistent finish.