Elegant spicy-oak and ripe-pear nose, nicely integrated toasted oak; dry honeyed flavors, ripe peaches; complex, long finish.
Forward dried-cherry and cedar aromas; massive tinnins, concentrated fruit flavors, good texture…
Appealing aromas of oak and cherry. A burst of strawberry on the palate, bright and ripe. Vibrant.
Pleasant, light cherry-berry aromas are joined on the palate by a touch of cream vanilla oak. A touch of cranberry-like acidity brings some tartness to the finish.
A light and delicate Central Coast style with fresh cherry fruit and fragrant herbs. Wood spices up the finish, lending a sandalwood and smoked bacon richness. The texture is supple and soft, the delicate fruit persistent to the end. A satisfying Pinot for crispy duck.
Luscious dark raspberry fruit balanced by crisp herbs gives this wine a solidity and depth. Warm and spicy from the alcohol, it's well managed by the fruit presence, with a touch of pinot noir complexity in the finish.
A delicious opening of dark chocolate and black pepper leads to a rich earthy center, and explosion of blackberry fruit, and a velvety texture. The finish is long and satisfying, with echoes of the opening of fruit.
Heady aromas of plums, chocolate, blackberries, and raisins. Flavors are fruity, and tannins are considerable, as is the oak. Although the alcohol is only 13.9 percent, it drinks a little like a Port - thick and chewy. Will seem cloying and out of balance to some; others will be thrilled.
Dark color. A brooding wine that smells yeasty and young - like berry jam with violets and plums. Tannins are considerable, but well crafted. Very dry, with good acidity. A big red wine, it's best to age it a few years and see what happens.
Ripe and oaky, with black-currant and olive notes, along with smoky oak and vanilla nuances. Pretty good extract and spice combined with soft, velvety tannins make for easy, pleasurable drinking.
If the 1998 is anywhere near as tasty as the 1997 (93,$24), this should be on your list.
Packs in lots of complex flavors, with ripe fig, pear, melon, hazelnut and toasty oak notes, all woven together in a tightly knit frame.
Claret-like but the wine has the long finish of zinfandel. An enticing whiff of raspberry.
Claret-like but the wine has the long finish of a zinfandel. An enticing whiff of raspberry.
an underrated varietal that's making a comeback.
Low-keyed, but fairly correct in aroma with oak-accented notes of berries its essential theme, this simple, relatively straightforward Zin counts cleanliness and good balance among its major virtues.
The outstanding 1997 Legacy offers copious quantities of smoky, toasty oak, jammy black currant and cassis fruit, full body, and moderate tannin…
Ranked 17: Stonestreet's Chardonnays are seductive, both in flavor and price.
Ranked 59
The most opulent, sexy, and immediately charming of this admirable quartet of Lokoya Cabernets is the 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain. It exhibits a saturated purple color in addition to an explosive nose of licorice, cedar, roasted herbs, and black plums and currants. Full-bodied, with a voluptuous texture, low acidity, and heady alcohol, this offering possesses considerable tannin, but it is beautifully submerged by the wine's depth of extract and high glycerin. Impressive, with a flamboyant personality.
…reveals crème de cassis/mineral aromas, a superb mid-palate, and a full-bodied personality with impressive length and purity. It is not for readers desiring immediate gratification as it requires 4-5 years of cellaring.
Softer in the mouth, but full-bodied, dense, and rich, it is an immensely impressive effort.
It offers a distinctive kirsch, black cherry liqueur, and loamy soil-scented character to its full-bodied richness. Along with the Diamond Mountain, it is the most expansive and charming of these blockbuster Cabernets. Full-bodied, with admirable depth and purity, this wine can be drunk over the now as well as over the next 20 years.
An earthy, gamy, briery, bramble-like perfume jumps from the glass of this medium ruby-colored, luscious, decadently rich effort.