Tasting Notes
1990 Byron Vineyard and Winery Pinot Noir ($14)--Stylish cherry and cinnamon notes; good depth and an excellent fruity finish. The “Reserve” bottling is slightly richer, but this wine is a good value and will age nicely.
1990 Sanford Winery Pinot Noir ($16)--Superb tastes of cherry and clove, very fragrant. This soft and appealing wine needs little aging. Again, the “Reserve” is a bit more concentrated, but this wine can be found at nearly half the price.
1990 Talley Vineyards Pinot Noir ($15.75)--More concentrated than the above wines with deeper fruit, kind of berry-ish, with an aroma somewhat reminiscent of good Burgundy. There is a light smoked quality from the oak. It will age nicely.
1989 David Bruce Winery Pinot Noir “Estate Bottled” ($18)--A fairly powerful, dense wine with rich anise-scented fruit and a chewy, long finish. Reminds me of David Bruce Pinot Noirs of two decades ago. Needs time in the cellar to round out.
1990 Stonestreet Pinot Noir ($30)--A truly great wine with an “ouch” price tag. Winemaker Steve Test (formerly at defunct Laurier) used grapes from the cool Russian River area to craft an amazingly complex wine, both elegant and deeply fruity and complex. A note of toast in the aroma signals use of new French oak, and the aftertaste is long, complex and rewarding. Stonestreet, Kendall-Jackson’s small Sonoma County operation, is off to an impressive start.
1987 Geyser Peak Winery “Reserve Alexandre” ($20)--Excellent, deeply scented red wine blended in the Bordeaux tradition with blackberries and spice. When released, it was hard, but it has developed nicely. Good potential.
1985 Travaglini Gattinara “Numerata” ($25)--Attractive Nebbiolo with fine bottle bouquet and depth. Unfortunately, the finish is a little shy, making the wine a bit too expensive.
1990 Rodney Strong Vineyards Chardonnay “Reserve” ($20)--Loads of fleshy, creamy, oaky notes and a citrus-y undertone. Not a bad wine, but there are lots of Chardonnays with more finesse than this one, and at lower prices.
1990 Joseph Drouhin Volnay ($18)--Fairly rich, earthy-fruity aroma, but a coarse, hard finish. This is not a Volnay of grace, which is what Volnay is supposed to be. Too expensive for such a simple table wine.
1990 St. Clement Vineyards Chardonnay ($13.50)--California’s 1990 Chardonnays, as a group, are excellent. This one from winemaker Dennis Johns is exceptional, focusing on the grapefruit-y nature of southern Napa Valley fruit, exhibiting little oak. Complex enough to drink soon, but it will be better in a year or two.
1990 Rabbit Ridge Vineyards “Mystique” ($7.50)--Caymus Vineyards in the Napa Valley pioneered an interesting wine a couple of years ago when it first made Conundrum (a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Muscat) with other grapes too. Caymus’ 1991 version is very good, but it sells for $17 a bottle. Erich Russell of Rabbit Ridge has made a wine in a similar style. This wine, 50% Sauvignon Blanc, has less oak than Conundrum, but attractive fruit and generous flavors. May be seen at $6.25.
1990 Cuvaison Winery Merlot ($22)--Cuvaison’s first hit with Merlot from its cool Carneros vineyard was in 1984. Since then the winery has done well with the variety: Demand and price have risen. This wine is as good as any John Thacher has made, with marvelous fruit, herbs and depth, more complex than most. A bit pricey, but a great wine.
1990 Bel Arbors Vineyards Merlot ($5)--A fresh, fruity, soft and tasty wine with little pretense. It is easy to drink because of low tannins. A good value in wine for drinking right now.
1988 Stag’s Leap Winery Petite Sirah ($16)--Not as concentrated as some of the Petite Sirahs of the past from Stag’s Leap, but richly flavored, with the delicate scent of a Rhone and violet-like fruit. It has a delicate finish for such a rich wine, a nice marriage of flavors.
