2008 Simi Sauvignon Blanc
Sonoma County
Moderate

Simi’s Sauvignon Blanc is consistently one of California’s most elegant and stylish wines from this variety that can be a bit brash and OTT. Here the wine is discrete, elegantly balancing crisp acidity with citrus tones of grapefruit and lime peel with subtle undertones of orchard stone pit fruits. Bright, silvery straw in color, the wine’s bouquet shows a touch of herbs along with those citrus notes that keep the wine fresh and bright.
Fruit for this vintage comes from most of Sonoma County’s major viticultural regions: from Alexander Valley to Knight’s Valley to Russian River Valley, the components add complexity and nuance to this distinctive Sauvignon Blanc.

2005 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley
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Freemark Abbey is one of the storied names of Napa when on its revival in the 1960s it began to make Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon that helped to establish Napa as a producer of world-class wines. Some of those early wines such as the 1968 and 1969 Chardonnays or the 1970 Bosché Cabernet Sauvignon are considered some of the greatest wines ever made in California. The masterly hand with Cabernet continues. The 2005 has the depth, complexity, slightly austere quality that makes this wine stand comparison with fine red Bordeaux.
Deep ruby in color, the bouquet shows classic cedar and ‘dusty’ Rutherford accents to the deep, restrained black currant flavors. In fact, 32% of the wine is from the legendary Bosché and Sycamore vineyard. Decant an hour or two if served now, but this wine will improve over10 years in a proper cellar.

2008 WillaKenzie Pinot Noir Estate Cuvée
Willamette Valley, Oregon
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2008 is a classic expression of Oregon’s and WillaKenzie Estate’s delicate touch with Pinot Noir. The fruit is from selected sites within the estate’s certified, sustainably-grown 68 acres of Pinot Noir. The bouquet opens with beautiful floral notes of roses and violets with high-toned raspberry and cherry fruit. On the palate the wine is taut, a silken texture with a crisp focused acidity that brightens the fruit. It’s only on the mid-palate and finish that you sense the well-judged use of oak as the spice from barrel aging adds its layers of complexity to the wine in the form of hints of darker tones. Enjoyable now, but this should age well for at least five years or more given its light tannin.

2005 Stella Maris
Columbia Valley, Washington
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Stella Maris is the second label of Northstar, whose aim is to produce great Washington state Merlot. The 2005 is open and on its plateau of drinkability though it will hold for several more years. Made from 77% Merlot with 16% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Syrah, the wine shows – with some airing – lovely cedar and spice along with ripe plum fruit. Some reasons for the fruit intensity in the wine is the inclusion of 25% whole berries and then instead of the must being pumped over the floating layer of skins (to extract color) the fermenting wine is punched down à la Burgundy. Each variety is separately fermented then each is aged in 60% French and 40% American oak barrels of which 65% are new.

2006 Spring Valley Vineyard Frederick Red Wine
Walla Walla Valley, Washington
Luxurious

Southeastern Washington’s Walla Walla Valley is home to some of the most prestigious and acclaimed wines: Cayuse, Leonetti, Pepperbridge, L’Ecole 41, Woodward Canyon, and Northstar among others. And now Spring Valley Vineyards, a small family concern. The winery names its wines after family ancestors. In the case of ‘Frederick Estate Wine,’ this is a meritage blend using all five of the classic Bordeaux varieties: 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec. Aged for 22 months in French oak barrels, 54% new, the result is a densely rich, opulently textured wine of ripe red fruit with accents of leather, earth, and game.

2009 Ferrari-Carano Fumé Blanc
Sonoma County, California
Moderate

Family winery Ferrari-Carano produces a particularly refreshing, floral-scented Fumé Blanc from vineyards throughout Sonoma County: Russian River, Dry Creek, and Alexander Valley. Warmer to cooler growing areas add complexity to the wine from a mix of grapes that emphasize a crisp herbal aspect to those showing more tropical fruit. About two-thirds of the wine is fermented in stainless steel and the remaining one-third is fermented and aged in seasoned French oak barrels for a delicate creamy mid-palate texture. The just released 2009 is very floral with intense citrus blossom aromas and a lime-peel fresh accent on the palate.

2008 Murphy-Goode Chardonnay
Sonoma County, California
Moderate

A particularly good value in a creamy-textured, medium weight, supple but fresh and tangy Chardonnay. Most of the fruit comes from the slightly warmer Alexander Valley but there are portions from cooler areas adding a crisp, tangy texture and freshness of fruit aromas and flavors to the wine. The color is bright medium-deep lemon yellow that leads to a bouquet combining the freshness and depth of lemon curd with touches of creamy lees with a core of ripe apple with touches of pineapple and peach. On the palate, the wine is supple, with balancing crisp acidity keeping it bright and focused to the end. A portion of the wine (23%) is fermented in stainless steel and the remainder in oak barrels for added dimension. Important to note that only a small percentage of the wine underwent a softening malo-lactic fermentation in order to maintain the lemon bright quality of the wine.

2007 Fess Parker Pinot Noir Ashley’s Vineyard
Sta. Rita Hills, CA
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Within Santa Barbara County the Sta. Rita Hills section is the site where some of California’s more exciting Pinot Noirs are grown. This area is particularly cool. The low yields (from 0.8 tons to just over 2.5 tons an acre) from the single vineyard named after Fess Parker’s daughter give a bright, deep ruby-colored wine with an intense bouquet of ripe Bing cherry, spice, and a touch of dark earth (Pommard anyone?). In spite of its ripeness, the cool climate preserves a fresh brightness. Oak is well judged as the wine is aged for 16 months in 50% new French barrels. Satin textured, the wine is a deep and rich and full expression of Pinot Noir made to match your richest flavored beef dishes.

2006 Treana Red
Paso Robles, CA
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Treana Red is a blend of the estate’s best barrels of Cabernet Sauvignon (70%) and Syrah (30%) grown in the limestone clay soils of Paso Robles in California’s central coast. As a vintage, 2006 was down 25% in yield, which shows in the wine’s concentration. The color is a glowing, dense, ruby black. An intense bouquet of ripe black currant and plum is deep, complex but oh so youthful: a splashy decanting is recommended to allow the wine to open a bit if served now. On the palate, the texture is tight, unevolved, crisp at the core with fleshy corners. Deep, super ripe fruit suggests black currant with spicy accents of pepper and anise. Though aged in 100% French oak, 65% new, the fruit concentration is such that the oak is completely absorbed. It’s certainly set for a long evolution.