Marimar Estate 2005 Dona Margarita Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

The Marimar Estate 2005 Dona Margarita Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir just got rave reviews from Wine Enthusiast, 96 point, and seeing it in my local wine store for "only" $35.99 I had to bring it with me home. Said and done, excited about this "gem" we tasted it that very evening.

It has a dark, clear, intense, garnet color in the glass.

On the nose it shows black cherry, dark raspberry, currant, sweet floral, and earth. It is luring with both darker and more floral/red fruit elements. Curious at this point how it will play out on the palate.

In the mouth is expresses dark fruit, red cherry, wild berries, and oak. Again both red and dark fruit intermingling with oak and also earthy components. The acidity is vivid, and the tannins young and firm.

Overall it is supple in nuanced fruit and has good complexity with some elegant elements reminding slightly of a Burgundy with a more silky and lean texture once you get past the young tannins.

Find this wine at the winery's website for $45, or for a better deal go to Wine-Searcher.com where you can find it from $37.95.

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Waltzing Bear 2003 Rancho Ontiveros Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir

Waltzing Bear Winery is an artisan winery where owner and winemaker Brad Lowman focuses on producing small lots of ultra premium wines.
The Waltzing Bear 2003 Rancho Ontiveros Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir is made from the first fruit of a new block planted and grown by James Ontiveros in the southern end of Santa Maria Valley, near Bien Nacido Vineyard. Only 74 cases made.

The wine has a dark garnet color in the glass.
The nose showing deep cherry, earth, mushrooms, and oak. The earth/mushroom components being dominant.
On the palate is earthy and rich with dark cherry, dusty raspberry, and red fruit. The wine is nuanced with good acidity, and a long, smooth, finish with soft, lean, tannins.

This is definitely a slightly different, very interesting Pinot Noir. I can't quite put words to it so you just have to experience it yourself. The winery is right now selling it to a reduced price of $33.75. Give it a shot! I do not think you will be disappointed...


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The Bohan-Dillon 2006 Hirsch Vineyards Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

Visiting Selland's Market earlier this week, to bring home some of their fabulous carnitas for dinner, I could not resist taking a look at their wines and of course "accidentally" one of them ended up coming home with me...

Tonight it was time to try the "errant bottle", a Bohan-Dillon 2006 Hirsch Vineyards Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. Made by Hirsch Vineyards from 97% estate fruit for the cost of $29.99 (at Selland's), compared to the Hirsch Vineyards 2006 Sonoma Coast for $55 (made from the same fruit), I hoped for it to be a high quality wine for a bargain price.

It has a clear ruby red color in the glass.
The nose displays cherry, raspberry, red currant, tobacco leaves, tea, and vanilla notes.
The palate showcasing light plum, cherry, sweet tobacco, and heat from the alcohol (14.6%), backed up by good acidity and sturdy tannins. The heat being a little unflattering, but as you sip the wine and get to know it, it becomes less noticeable.

Overall I definitely enjoyed this wine. As I said, it is certainly a flaw that the alcohol shines through but considering the relative complexity and balance of the red ripe fruit/berries, acidity and tannins, I have a tendency to forgive. At $25 this is definitely a wine to enjoy, alcohol traces or not. This wine will give you a good idea of what the Hirsch Vineyards Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is about, for under half the price. Don't miss out!
Surprisingly enough the best deal I could find online is actually from the winery itself for $25.

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Bonaccorsi 2003 Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir

Not the first time I have had and reviewed a Bonaccorsi Pinot Noir, and although I always think they are stellar, for some reason I am particularly enjoying the 2003 Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir tonight.

I decided to try all new recipes for dinner and served it with BBQ red wine flank steak, bulgur/roasted beet/mushroom/red onion pilaf, and a red wine vinegar braised carrot and leek dish. It turned out awesome! (both the food and the pairing)

The 2003 Santa Maria Valley has a dark, dense, slightly cloudy, garnet color in the glass. To me indicating big, lush, savage, fruit. But I should have known better. Bonaccorsi usually leans toward the more elegant side, although the dark fruit is there. It stays true in this case as well.
The nose, sure enough, displays black cherry, raspberry, blueberry, vanilla cola, and notes of dried grass. All powerful but with the recognizable finesse.
On the palate dark raspberry, black cherry, a touch of blackberry and subtle spice. The berries are accompanied by good acidity that keeps the wine lively, and well integrated but still noticeable, on the firmer side, tannins.

This wine definitely makes a statement with its dark and powerful, but more on the elegant side fruit, balanced nicely with proportionate acidity and tannins. All laced with oak.

Find it at...(?) I am frankly not quite sure where to find it. No sources online that I usually use seem to offer it. I paid $35 for it about 3 years ago. If you can get your hands on it now, 3 years later, for under $55-60, I would jump on it and give it a try. This Pinot is definitely worth it.


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Paul Hobbs 2002 Hyde Vineyard Carneros Napa Valley Pinot Noir

Paul Hobbs 2002 Hyde Vineyard Carneros Pinot Noir has a dark dense garnet color in the glass.
The nose shows vibrant dark raspberry, cherry, and vanilla.
The first thing that hits you on the palate is ripe, deep, blackberry, supported by cherry, spice, and a nice vanilla/oak component. The acidity is still going strong and the tannins are smooth and well integrated. The balanced medium to long finish has beautiful, elegant, dark fruit and berries, with a trace of pencil lead at the very end.

I bought this wine in a local wine store, Capitol Cellars, about 3 years ago for $60. After some research at the Internet I come to the conclusion that this wine is hard to get a hold of. I could not find a single store/website that carries it.
It really drinks beautifully at this point and if you can get your hands on a bottle do not hesitate to get it.

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Stone Corral Vineyard 2005 Edna Valley Pinot Noir by Talley Vineyards

Strolling through Winecask Wine Store in Santa Barbara we saw a bottle of the Stone Corral Vineyard 2005 Edna Valley Pinot Noir produced by Talley Vineyards. We have enjoyed several vintages of their Rincon Vineyard and Rosemary Vineyard Pinot Noir, and having heard about the newer Stone Corral Vineyard, but never tasted it, we just had to give it a try. At $55 a bottle we saved it for enjoyment with a Saturday night dinner.

This wine has a clear, dark garnet color in the glass.
The nose shows floral notes, raspberry, and subtle round oak.
The palate displaying raspberry, restrained cherry, spice and notes of green tea. The fruit persistant and showing throughout the whole palate. Relatively high acidity and tight tannins with a “green” finish.

We really liked this complex, still refined pinot with plentiful fruit that made a statement without being to large or lush. Although very enjoyable right now I would definitely put this away for a year or two as for the tannins to loose the green edge and become more integrated.
Only 2328 bottles were produced of this vintage and you can find it at Wine-Searcher.com form $44.99.

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Nagy2 2005 Garey Ranch Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir

I picked up a bottle of Nagy2 2005 Garey Ranch Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir at El Rancho Market in Solvang when I was in Santa Ynez Valley a couple of weeks ago. I was on the hunt for something new to try and this bottle came highly recommended by the “wine guy” that helped me in the store. El Rancho has as lot of wine from local wineries that can be hard to find in other grocery stores/wine shops. This bottle was no exception. The only other place I could find it online was at WanderingDogWinebar.com, located in Solvang, for $32.

The color in the glass; a dark, dense garnet color.
On the nose smoky oak, dark raspberry, blackberry and vanilla.
The palate showing dark cherry, dark raspberry, blackberry and a hint of pencil lead at the very finish.
This is initially a very mouth full and fruit forward wine on the palate that unfortunately goes a little thin on the mid palate and finish. Moderate acidity and young light tannins. Thin finish or not, we still enjoyed this wine and think it is a great effort from Jonathan and Clarissa Nagy.
John Nagy is the winemaker for Byron Winery and Clarissa Nagy is the wine maker for Bonaccorsi Wine (a favorite of mine). I believe this is the first vintage they have made together under their own label Nagy2, but don't quote me. Only 60 cases produced of this Pinot. Hurry up and get one yourself before they are all gone. I think greatness is to be expected from this winery in the years to come…

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Walter Hansel 2005 South Slope Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

Last night we opened and old favorite of a new vintage, the Walter Hansel 2005 South Slope Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir.
The apperance in the glass; a light, clear, garnet red color.
The nose showing raspberry, red cherry, slight hint of strawberry, herbal tea, and touch of basil at the end.
The palate tasting of fresh raspberry, cherry, earth, and pencil shavings at the very finish. This pinot has great acidity and young but relatively soft tannins.

A beautiful elegant style Pinot Noir with bright red fruit and good structure. We really enjoyed it , as we have earlier vintages of this wine, and at $ 33.99 I dare to say that it is good value for the buck at this level of quality.
Find it at Wine-Searcher.com from $33.99.


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Melville 2006 Estate Verna's Vineyard Pinot Noir

Melville 2006 Estate Verna's Vineyard Pinot Noir is made from 100% Melville fruit from their Los Alamos Estate. Aged in 20% new French oak.

The wine has a ruby red color in the glass with slight cloudiness.
The nose shows ripe lush raspberry, strawberry, sweet red cherry, sweet floral, and a hint of baked rhubarb.
The palate displays raspberry, cherry, and red fruit with spice. Soft and round on the palate with young tannins matching the fruit, good acidity and a long savory finish.
The wine is medium bodied, fruity, and was really nice with salmon, or great just to sip on it's own.

Find this wine at Wine-Searcher.com from $19.99, a great price for this very enjoyable wine.


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Lorca 2001 Gary's Vineyard Monterey County Pinot Noir

Lorca Wines is located in Rutherford, Napa Valley, and produces Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc with grapes from Monterey County, Pinot Noir form French-clone vines of Gary Pisoni and Gary Francione of Santa Lucia Highlands, and an old vine Petite Syrah from Napa Valley.

The Lorca 2001 Gary's Vineyard Monterey County Pinot Noir has a dark ruby red color in the glass with a hint of purple.

The nose is pretty intense and complex with dark cherry, raspberry, dried herbs, earth with a hint of smoke, vanilla, and a trace of liquorice.
The palate is less intense with more dusty earth accenting the black cherry and dark raspberry, all with a touch of spice. The tannins are somewhat smooth but still has a "wood" quality to them. We are not talking splinters in the mouth but still a notable amount. Moderate acidity.

I found this wine at my local Total Wine & More for $23.99 and it is sold for a surprisingly higher price online. They best deal I could find was at WineZap.com from $45.99.

This was an enjoyable wine for the price I paid. However if I have to pay closer to $50, as seems to be the case in most stores, I have several better options in mind.

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Seagrass Restaurant, Santa Barbara

Saturday night me and my cousin went to dinner at Seagrass Restaurant, a newly opened restaurant located in the old spot for Sage and Onion (that I miss so much!). Seagrass' chef and owner team is the same as that of Bouchon, a highly regarded restaurant in Santa Barbara. As the name suggest this newest venture has extensive seafood options on the menu, but also beef, chicken, etc.

A small remodeling has been done to the space, with new colors, wall coverings, light fixtures and removal of the bar. It certianly got a face lift even if I did not quite agree with everything in the decor.

We had reservations and were promptly seated upon arrival. Fresh warm bread was served shortly after menus were presented, as I decided on a bottle of Roar 2005 Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir with dinner. I have had this pinot before and is was as lush in red fruit and berries with, raspberry, cherry, and earthy notes, as I remembered it to be. Great supporting acidity and tannins, and developed a great smoothness in the glass as it got a chance to breath for a while.

We started our meal with sharing the Seared Gigant Sea Scallop. It comes with a choice of three preperations. We chose the coconut black rice with green curry and spiced apricot chutney. The scallop was perfectly cooked and the curry gave the dish a slight bite countered by the sweet chutney, fragrant from ginger. Very nice dish!

For entree I had the Buffalo Tenderloin with Demiglace, Creamed Corn and Potatoes au gratin. The chef recommended the tenderloin medium rare and it was perfectly prepared and tender. The creamed corn and potaoes au gratin made wonderful side dishes, the corn sweet and flavorful, the potatoes creamy and rich. A very satisfying dish.


My cousin had the Crispy Skin-on Pacific Wild Salmon on Sauteed Kale (or was it spinach?), with Saffron-Salsify Israeli Couscous, Gingered Carrots Julienne, and Beurre Noisette. I tried the dish which was light and delicate compared to mine, but also packed with flavor. Delicious.


The dessert choice was easy as soon as we saw the Warm Chocolate Molten Lava Cake with Cardemom, served with coconut ice cream. The hint of cardemom was very subtle and added a little twist to the chocolate cake. Altough I am not usually a huge fan of coconut, the flavor in the ice cream was so delicate that it only played a supporting role and married perfect with the chocolate and faint cardemom. A great ending to a delicous meal.

Service throughout the night was very attentive but never to much. I assume they have brought over staff from Bouchon or hired experienced staff as the whole evening ran very smoothly. That is unfortunately not always the case for a newly opened restaurant.
The clientel was definitely more mature and we felt slightly out of place to start with. But we soon forgot about that as we indulged in the food. I don't know if this was just a coincidence for the night, or if it is the normal case for this spot. Could perhaps use a little bit more "young and hip" influence to attract an extended clientel.
"Well done" would be my comment for this new spot in the Santa Barbara dining scene.

Seagrass Restaurant
30 E. Ortega St
Santa Barbara
(805) 963-1012


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Alma Rosa Winery and Vineyards wine tasting

Spending the weekend in Santa Barbara I decided to go to the Alma Rosa wine tasting at East Beach Wine Company last night. Stepping into the shop the place was packed and it took a minute before we reached the counter and could pay for two tastings and get our glasses. To our delight the owners, Thekla and Richard Sanford was there themselves, with their daughter Blakeney, to pour and talk to the customers. Nothing beats the opportunity to talk to either the owners or wine maker as you taste a winery's wine. Both Thekla and Richard where very nice and pleasant, and spent quite a bit of time with us. It was a true pleasure to talk to them, and you could tell how passionate and excited they are about their wines.

A short bio: Richard Sanford was the first to plant Pinot Noir in Santa Rita Hills in 1970. 1981 him and Thekla started Sanford Winery, and after parting with it in 2005, they founded Alma Rosa Winery and Vineyards at the location of their old winery. All grapes are grown organically with sustainable agricultural methods.

The tasting started of with the Alma Rosa 2006 Santa Barbara County Pinot Gris. A light crisp white with pear, citrus and notes of honeysuckle. Nice acidity and minerals on the finish.
Next up was the Alma Rosa 2006 Santa Rita Hills Pinot Blanc. This wine showing creamy citrus in a dry, still very crisp wine.
The Alma Rosa 2006 Santa Barbara County Chardonnay was fermented in partially new French Oak and then aged in stainless steel tanks, not undergoing malolactic fermentation. I really enjoyed this clean, crisp chardonnay, with notes of tropical fruit. Perfect poured chilled a warm spring or summer day.
The Alama Rosa 2005 El Jabali Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay went through a different process. It was fermented in stainless steel tanks and then aged in 20% new French Oak. The grapes comes from a older vineyard then the 2006 Santa Barbara County Chardonnay and you can tell the difference. This wine is heavier/denser in the fruit on the palate, with ripe tropical fruit, white fragrant floral, and round oaky vanilla notes. Still on the lighter side and with good fresh acidity, but the first Chard was my favorite.
On to Pinot Noir, which is what I really came for.
The Alma Rosa 2005 Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir has light bright fruit with raspberry, red cherry, and notes of oak/vanilla. All wrapped in good acidity and integrated, but slightly woody, tannins.
The Alma Rosa 2005 La Encantada Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir shows darker, deeper fruit with black raspberry, cherry, blueberry, herbs, and spice. While the 2005 Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir is made from all six clones in La Encantada vineyard this is only made from two of them. In this case resulting in a more concentrated Pinot.

Find all these wines at Alma Rosa's website.

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Pessagno 2005 Lucia Highlands Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir

We went to check out the newly opened Total Wine and More (an all beverage super maket) in Roseville last Sunday, and after spending more than 40 minutes walking through the seemingly endless ailes of wine and other alcoholic beverages, we left with three bottles of wine.

We opened the first one, the Pessagno 2005 Lucia Highlands Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands, Pinot Noir, a couple of nights ago for a glass of wine before dinner.

It showed a dark garnet color in the glass.

The nose had red ripe berries and fruit with massive cherry, red currant, light strawberry, and dried herbs/grass.

On the palate the cherry dominated, with blueberry and ripe currant backing it up with some smokey and grassy notes. This wine has a round mouthfeel with a spicy, hot quality to the finish. Good acidity and slightly edgy tannins.

At the amazing value of $11.99 at Total Wine and More I can't deem this anything but a good-great value. Normally retails for around $ 26-32 according to winery and other website. You can also find it at BevMo.com for $14.99.

FYI: Won Silver Medal at the 2007 Long Beach Grand Cru Wine Competition.

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Epiphany Restaurant and Bar in Santa Barbara

My brother is visiting from Sweden and last night we had reservations for dinner at Epiphany Restaurant and Bar while in Santa Barbara over the weekend. We have been there a couple of times in the past for a drink in the bar, but never for dinner.

The restaurant is located at 21 W. Victoria St, and the building in which the restaurant is located, was built in the 1800's. The decor is warm and modern with rustic architectural feature like the brick archways in between the small intimate dining rooms.

After arriving, being seated, and presented the menu, we were served an Amuse Bouche, White Asparagus Salad with Truffle Vinaigrette on Endive. Very light with subtle flavors. The salad also contained Granny Smith apples which added a juicy, sweet/tart crunch to the dish.

Warm, rosemary foccacia was placed at the table with olive oil and balsamic vinegar prior to our starters arriving.

For starter I had the California Halibut Ceviche ($12) which was served in butter lettuce cup. The halibut was tossed with citrus segments in a citrus/sesame marinade, and topped with semi dried, grated, carrots. Wonderfully fresh and delicate, with quite a bit of punch in the flavor. The serving was huge and would have been sufficient as a lunch, or even lighter main course.


The Dungeness Crab Cake ($14) my brother ordered was a big hit with him. Served with a cucumber/radish salad and a chipotle butter sauce. I had a bite and the cake was dense with fresh crab and the sauce added a nice spicy note.


My husband's Celery Root and Cauliflower Soup ($8) was also great according to him.

For main course I just had to have the Cracked Pepper Filet Mignon with Chive Mashed Potatoes ($32). Served with a cognac shallot cream sauce, topped with mushrooms, and on the side tender green beans and carrots. This dish was very satisfying. The filet was cooked exactly as ordered and the meat was incredibly tender and flavorful. A great dish!

Both my husband and brother had the Pan Roasted Herb Chicken ($25) with roasted golden potatoes, green beans and carrots, and natural jus. They both agreed that the chicken was moist and delicious. Not the best they had ever had but pretty darn good...

At this point we were all stuffed, but upon finding out that there was a chocolate souffle on the dessert menu, we decided to order one for the table. The Fire and Ice Molten Chocolate Souffle ($9) with vanilla bean ice cream and raspberry coulis was warm, gooey, outrageously good, and way to small, we realized as we fought over the last crumbs.


Now you can't have a good meal without a good bottle of wine, and last night was no exception. We had a bottle of the Demetria Estate "Jours de Bonheur" Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir. Unfortunately I forgot the vintage but I suspect it was a 2005. The wine showed medium bodied qualities with dark cherry and raspberry with good acididty and well integrated, relatively smooth tannins, and a nice earthy complexity. Quite nice wine that worked well enough with the whole meal (although I would have preferred a big Cab with my steak).

The service was attentive, but relaxed, throughout the dinner and the staff was knowledgeable when asked questions about the wine list. I love when they actually have tasted the wines and can speak from first hand experience.
We will definitely put Epiphany on our list of restaurants that we return to frequently.

Taz 2005 Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir

Today I am starting of with a fun little trivia: The name of the winery, Taz, is short for Tasmanian devil, which is winegrower Robert "Taz" Steinhaur's nickname.

The grapes for the Taz 2005 Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir comes from Northern Canyon Vineyard in Santa Maria Valley, and Fiddlestix Vineyard in Santa Rita Hills. 1/4 of the wine was aged in new oak and the rest in neutral barrels.

This wine shows a clear, bright, ruby red color in the glass.
On the nose red berries, red currant, a hint of blueberries, vanilla and some floral notes come through.
When tasting the wine darker berries emerges with dark cherry, ripe raspberry and spice. The acidity is good and tannins, although slightly light and tart, are also there in sufficient amount.

This wine is relatively light and lacking a little in complexity, but despite that I really enjoyed it. Bright, fruity and with the slight spice it is a great wine considering I only payed $14.99 at Costco. Normally price at $25 at the winery, this was a real find and a great value.

You can also find it at Wine-Searcher.com and WineZap.com from $17.95.


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Fiddlehead Cellars 2003 Lollapalooza Santa Rita Hills Fiddlestix Pinot Noir

Only 312 cases was made of the Fiddlehead Cellars 2003 Lollapalooza Santa Rita Hills Fiddlestix Pinot Noir.
Lollapalooza is an old English word for "the best of its kind".

A clear, dark, ruby color, with a touch of purple, meets you in the glass.
The nose shows dark cherry, raspberry, spice, and from 15 months in French oak, vanilla and oak.
The palate has similar character with dark cherry, ripe red currant, raspberry, nice, light spice, and brandied cherries at the very finish. Great acidity and well integrated, silky tannins, with a firm touch at the finish makes this wine a winner.

We had this wine about a year ago in a restaurant and picked up a bottle to enjoy it again at home at a later time. It is as good as I remembered it to be and wish I had picked up some more... Great balance between the fruit, acidity and tannins. The fruit is supple, beautiful, and not overwhelming. This is a great wine to enjoy with a meal, or by its own as we did.

Hard to find online but available through WineZap.com from $50, which is a good price for this bottle.


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Marshall Family Wines 2006 Barry's Blend California Pinot Noir

The Marshall Family Wines 2006 Barry's Blend California Pinot Noir is made from grapes from Russian River Valley and Mendocino, and was aged in French oak prior to bottling.

The color in the glass is dark ruby red and slightly cloudy.

The nose shows dusty berries of cherry and raspberry, earth, and floral notes.

On the palate medium to full bodied, with a meaty quality, cherry, dark raspberry, earthiness, and spice. Good acidity and young, green tannins on the relatively long finish.

This Pinot Noir can be found at Wine-Searcher.com from $19.95 or at the winery's website for $25.

This pinot has a slightly different style than I prefer. The more fruit forward tend to be my favorites but this was certainly not a bad bottle at all. For $20 I would say it's a good value, although I would most likely pick another bottle for that price range.

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Pisoni Vineyards and Winery 2004 Estate Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir

Last night we opened a bottle with dinner that I had very high expectations of. I have had several vintages of the Pisoni Vineyards and Winery Estate Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir before, and they have always been great. I assumed and hoped that the 2004 wouldn't let me down either.

The color in the glass is a vivid deep garnet.

The nose exudes black cherry, dark raspberry, notes of blackberry, sweet violet, and a touch of tobacco (?).

On the palate big, broad fruit and berries with ripe cherry, dark raspberry, vanilla, an earthy touch, and slight tart fruit at the finish. The acidity is plentiful and the tannins integrated with a young edge to them. This wine has a great backbone and complexity, and I wish I had another bottle to open up in a year or two to see how it develops.

As you understand this wine did not disappoint me what so ever and I would say that this is one of the more complex vintages of this wine. The earlier ones that I have had have been even more ripe, lush and fruit forward but perhaps lesser in depth and complexity.

My first encounter with this wine was the 2001 vintage at The Kitchen restaurant in Sacramento and I distinctively remember saying out load as I had my first sip: -This tastes like liquid blueberry pie! This vintage definitely does not warrant that expression but definitely shows its fair share of beautiful fruit and berries.

Find it while you can at RobertsMarket.com for $64.99 or at BlackTieWines.net for $76.99.

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August West 2005 Rosella's Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir

We ordered half a case of the August West 2005 Rosella's Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir after a restaurant visit this summer and having a bottle with dinner. We are now down to our last bottle and I thought I better review it before it is all gone!

It has a beautiful dark, clear, ruby red color in the glass.

The lush nose reveals raspberry, ripe cherry, sweet vanilla, and notes of herbs.

The palate follows with black raspberry, cherry and spice. The fruit carries nicely all the way through the long finish, with a hint of red liquorice at the very end. The acidity is sufficient, and the tannins are well integrated and matches the ripe fruit nicely.

Medium to full bodied, this wine is sure to not disappoint. We have not been as you can see, with only one out of six bottles remaining, although I planned to cellar a few... Oh well, very enjoyable right now.

Find it at WineZap.com from $45.

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Barham Mendelsohn 2003 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

This wine is made by winemaker Jim Clendenen of Au Bon Climat. His only bottling from Russian River Valley. 800 cases produced.

It shows a medium dark ruby color in the glass with medium dark berries, floral perfume, tea notes, cinnamon, cloves and vanilla oak on the nose. The palate shows young red fruit/berries, tart red currant, earthy spice, and a hint of black liquorice (?) and minerals at the very finish.

This medium bodied wine has good acidity but slightly harsh, still green tannins that shows on the the full length of the palate. The nose unfortunately promises more fruit than the palate carries.

Nice effort but, to me, not worth the $35 I paid for it. At $20 I could have seen it as a good value. The tannins and the tartness of the fruit did not quite fit my palate. It might however be the perfect match for someone else... I would love to hear your opinion if you have had it, and agree or disagree.

If you are interested in giving it a try it can be found at Winerz.com for $28.80.

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