- 07 Rocca Bad Boy Red (Napa Valley): Mostly a very, very good boy. But something tells me he might be a Bad Boy when it comes to food. $32 B+ #
- 07 Torres Sangre de Toro Tempranillo (Catalunya): Summertiiiiiime, and the sippiiiiiiiin’s eeeeaaaasssyyyyy. Especially in this case. $11 B- #
- 07 Torres Ibericos (Rioja): A sprig of herbs has been stuck into those black cherries, stem and all. Careful with that oak, Eugene. $16 B #
- 09 Acordeon Torrontes (Cafayate Valley): Limes, pineapples & Jasmine, oh my!! You’d use multiple exclamation points too at this price! $9 B- #
- 09 Bonny Doon Vin Gris de Cigare (Central Coast): Tasty, refined Rose for smart people who still aren’t afraid to like strawberries. $15 B #
- 04 Hidden Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon (Sonoma County): U don’t like black cheery & licorice? Well, U like this black cherry & licorice! $75 A- #
- 06 Hidden Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon (Sonoma County): Their vineyard views are gorgeous & substantive. So is this dark-fruited beauty. $40 A- #
- 09 Bennett Lane White Maximus (Napa Valley): Shooting for vibrancy, tropical fruits & refreshing citrus. Pretty much a bull’s eye. $28 B+ #
- 07 Bennett Lane Reserve Chardonnay (Carneros): Can you balance creme brulee on citrus, acids, & booze. In this case, you come close. $45 B #
- 06 Bennett Lane Maximus (Napa Valley): Not distinctive, but this red goes down too juicy & easy not to drink lots of it for the price $35 B+ #
(yes, there’s even more of this stuff…)
- 06 Bennett Lane Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): How long will it age? Who cares – the cassis, licorice & leather kick ass now-ish. $55 A- #
- 06 Bennett Lane Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): Broad, dark, velvety, gripping leathery & terribly , terribly overpriced. $95 B+ #
- 08 Bennett Lane “Turn 4” (Napa Valley): Maybe the best $40 Napa Cab. that you will try for $20. Will race out of the gate for that coin. B #
- 08 Bennett Lane Lynch Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Calistoga): Promising & stellar standard-bearer for the new Cal. AVA. $95 (est.) A #
- NV Frank Family Blanc de Blancs (Napa Valley): No lack of clean, green apple & vibrant acidity, but definitely a lack of complexity. $35 B- #
- 08 Frank Family Chardonnay (Napa Valley): Creamy, solid, dependable, clearly well-made and clearly not my style of Carneros Chard. $32 B #
- 08 Frank Family Pinot Noir (Napa Valley): Lush but not overly done, smokey but not overly spicy, tasty but not overly affordable. $35 B #
- 08 Frank Family Sangiovese (Rutherford): Dark fruit, pungent tea leaf & little resemblance to its superior Old World counterparts. $49 C+ #
- 07 Frank Family Zinfandel (Napa Valley): Classic Napa jamminess, & nothing about it you shouldn’t like if you’re among the Zinful. $35 B+ #
- 06 Frank Family Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): The kitchen sink of Napa Cab flavors. A sink in a luxury kitchen, that is. $45 B+ #
- 08 Frank Family Reserve Zinfandel (Napa Valley): Heavy on the dark fruit finish, also a bit too heavy on the soda-pop cola action. $49 B #
- 07 Frank Family Winston Hill Red (Rutherford): Some wines give you a sign. This one says “Do not disturb me for at least a decade!” $150 A- #
- 08 Frank Family Reserve Chardonnay (Napa Valley): Well, sometimes big & moody just goes hand-in hand with intriguing & beautiful. $55 A- #
- 08 Frank Family Reserve Pinot Noir (Napa Valley): Pretty darn good, but you’d better be in the mood for jammy, ripe wild raspberries. $55 B+ #
- 07 Frank Family Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Rutherford): Could be used as a reference note for Wikipedia’s “Rutherford Dust” entry. $85 A- #
- 08 Somerston Sauvignon Blanc (Napa Valley): Another Napa SB tries to sucker-punch me with a heavy-handed 2×4 stick of buttery wood. $40 B- #
- 08 Highflyer Grenache Blanc (Napa Valley): A wine that is searching for itself but probably looking in all the wrong places. $17 C+ #
- 09 Priest Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): Broad & refreshing but with great structure & a more-than-great price to match it. $22 B+ #
- 08 Highflyer “Doctor’s Vineyard” Pinot Noir (Santa Lucia Highlands): SLH can produce something so mouth-wateringly good? Who knew! $38 B+ #
- 07 Highflyer “Centerline” Red (Napa Valley): Mix jam, berries, cocoa, & flowers. Add a heap of balance. Ferment, & expect Awesome. $28 B+ #
- 07 Priest Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): Playful (jammy fruit & vanilla) mixed with Serious (cedar & spice) make for Tasty $38 B+ #
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