A Dark Wine for a November Night
Clay StationPetite Sirah Lodi2005 This inky, full-bodied Sirah has a surprisingly cedary, herbal nose, while the palate offers lots of chocolate and dark fruits,…
Wine Reviews
Fresh and Lovely—And a Little Dark, Too
Oxford LandingGSM (Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre) South Australia2006 This Rhône blend from Australia has a bright, lively spirit—with a dark side. In the glass it…
A Really Lush Zin
SeghesioSonoma County Zinfandel2006 Take small sips: this Zin is incredibly concentrated, lavish, and unrestrained. The nose bursts with the brightness of cherries, but is…
Shiraz/Syrah
Cape MentelleShiraz "Margaret River"2004 This Shiraz has some of the funkiness of French Syrah on the nose: dark chocolate, tobacco, earth, menthol, and red…
Yes, a Vermont Wine
Snow Farm VineyardVermont Léon Millot2007 Léon Millot is a hybrid red grape varietal grown primarily in the eastern United States. According to The Wine…
Halter Ranch “Ranch Cab,” Paso Robles
Halter Ranch VineyardsRanch Cab Paso Robles2004 Purple and highly extracted, this wine had lots of stuffing when we bought it in the spring, so…
Lyeth Meritage: Better the Next Day
LyethMeritage Sonoma County2005 This Bordeaux-style Californian is a blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 9% Malbec, and 2% Cabernet Franc. When we opened…
Vacqueyras “Vielles Vignes”
Tardieu-LaurentVacqueyras "Vielles Vignes"2003 This old vine wine delivers lots of aromatics: cedar, woodsmoke, licorice, lavender. It's big and woody on the palate, and though…
Summer in a Glass
Ferrari-CaranoFumé Blanc Sonoma County2007 This Fumé Blanc is at the low end of Ferrari-Carano's line, but that's still saying a lot. We've had some…
Flinty and Austere
Sterling VineyardsNapa County Sauvignon Blanc2006 Clean, dry, and serious, this Sauvignon Blanc from the reputable Sterling winery strikes us as intriguing if a bit…
Into the Woods
Martin RanchThérèse Vineyards Zinfandel2006 This zin is stiff, like so many of the other Martin Ranch bottles we've had (see our reviews of the…
Fruit Kapow
AlamosTorrontés2007 This Argentinian white is loaded with fruit and flowers, from apricot and peach through jasmine and lily of the valley. It has enough…