Category: Wine Reviews
2001 Howell Mountain Vineyards “Beatty Ranch” Zinfandel, Napa
Two vineyards are better than one, certainly, but combining two properties to create a new winery doesn’t always make for
2001 Handley Pinot Noir, Mendocino County
Quaint is perhaps the best adjective to describe Handley Cellars, a small family run operation south of Mendocino in the
2001 Skewis Pinot Noir, Floodgate Vineyard, Anderson Valley
There’s something to be said for focus — doing one thing and doing it well. But why is it that
2003 Palama Salento Rosato Metiusco, Puglia, Italy
The winery at Azienda Vinicola Palama has been around since 1936, and is still in the Palama family. While proprietor
2002 Salvatore Murana Zibibbo Bianco, Pantelleria, Italy
Imagine yourself shipwrecked and storm tossed in the middle of the ancient Mediterranean. By some stroke of luck you find
2000 Morgan “Gary’s Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands, California
It’s not a huge leap from veterinary medicine to winemaking, and that leap is made even shorter when you’re enrolled
2001 Joseph Swan “Cuvee de Trois” Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, Sonoma
Vineyards are often the stuff of dreams, the long sought after goals of some, or simply an inevitable plan for
2000 Ceja Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa
Many of the small production wineries and their wines that I feature here are built with the help of migrant
Hartford Family Vineyards’ Current Releases
I’ve reviewed at least one Hartford Family wine here already, but on a beautiful, sunny Father’s day afternoon this week,
2001 Gargiulo Vineyards “Money Road Ranch” Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville
I think there’s an interesting phenomenon happening in Napa right now. It seems every day there’s a new small Napa
2001 Liparita Chardonnay, Carneros
Liparita was launched in 1987 with 100 cases of Chardonnay and derives its name from from the Sicilian island of
2001 Stephen Ross Pinot Noir, Bien Nacido Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley, California
Continuing with my tastings in recent weeks of wines from the California Central Coast here is a great Pinot from
2001 Detert Cabernet Franc, Oakville
It seems like many of Napa’s best small producers have the same story: earlier in the century someone buys a
2002 Jacques & Francois Lurton “Les Fumees Blanches” Fume Blanc, Vin de Pays d’Oc, France
Jacques and Francois Lurton preside over a modern-day wine dynasty that breaks the mold of their predecessors. The sons of
2001 Chase Zinfandel, Hayne Vineyard, Napa
Sixty acres of old-vine Zinfandel, Petite Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon have been handed down through the Chase family since before
2001 Gulfi Estate Vineyards Rosso “Nerojbleo” Nero D’ Avola, Sicily
As some readers know, I’m a pretty big fan of Italian wines, especially those of Tuscany and Piedmont. I’ve recently
2001 Westerly “Estate” Sauvignon Blanc, Santa Ynez Valley California
It’s unfortunate how sometimes the best way to describe something you like is a word or phrase that doesn’t normally
2002 Qupe “Bien Nacido Cuvee” White Meritage, Central Coast
After a recent review of a nice Edna Valley wine, let’s move south and west along the central coast to
2001 Cinnabar Estate Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains
Cinnabar has been around since 1983, when owner Tom Mudd, a scientist and researcher, decided to take his interest in
