Drink the Bottles

  Having been together for twenty years, there is nothing we enjoy much more than a good love story.  And that is exactly what we found as we dug into the history behind this and every other bottle of wine from Barnett Vineyards.  Proprietors Fiona and Hal Barnett fell in love - not only with each other - but also with Napa Valley in the early 1980's.  They did what most wine enthusiasts only dream  about.  They bought what would eventually become 40 acres of prime grape-growing land up on Spring Mountain.  Five years later, the first yield of Spring Mountain Cabernet was born.  And the rest, as they say, his history! The 2022 Barnett Vineyards Sangiacomo Vineyard Carneros Chardonnay is a stand out wine in a year that produced lovely Chardonnay overall, despite some challenging heatwaves.  This wine produced 62 barrels and was aged Sur Lee in 20% new French Oak and 80% used, using barrel fermentation and natural malo-lactic fermentation....

  This is quite possibly the best Brut Rosé we have tasted in a number of years!  It is, without a doubt, outstanding.  If you're looking for a lovely sparkling wine for a celebration or to pair with lighter food, you've just learned what you need to know.  Go buy this wine!   Now, if you want some more detailed inforamtion, keep reading. The  Domaine Carneros Brut Rosé Cuvée de la Pompadour Sparkling Wine is a non-vintage stunner both in appearance and taste, born from estate-grown Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes.   Named in honor of Louis XV's great paramour, Madame de la Pompadour, this sparkling wine makes you feel regal and elegant from when you gently pop the cork until you take your final sip.  Pink and peach in color, micro bubbles prepare you for aromas of fresh, picked-from-the-garden strawberries, joined with sweet buttercream, ripe melon, rose and baking spices.  It is incredibly creamy with homemade biscuits making an...

  Hot days are made for cooler wines and Sauvignon Blanc almost always fits the bill.  But when you have a Sauvignon Blanc like this one that is so pure, straightforward and extremely easy to enjoy, you know you have hit the jackpot.  Don't mistake this as simple, because it isn't.  It is just very well made and exactly how we enjoy SB.   Shepherd Wines , aka Truchard Vineyards, presents a fine California example of this wildly popular grape.  Aromas of cooked pear, grapefruit and crisp linen resonate throughout the glass and intensify as the wine begins to warm.  Delicious and crisp citrus flavors lead to a zippy and memorable medium acidic finish.  Absolutely and easily a daily drinker! ABV:  13.9% Napa Valley, CA (Carneros Region) Suggested retail price:  $18.00 Drink The Bottles  score:  90/100

  We have tasted wines from Truchard Vineyards for several years now and it is always exciting to taste different vintages to see how the compare from year to year.  We last tasted this wine from the 2014 vintage.  The  2018 Truchard Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Carneros Napa Valley is a young wine, but feels more mature due to the older Carneros vines that develop the unique fruit for this example.  The 2018 vintage is comprised of Cabernet Sauvignon (88%), Cabernet Franc (10%), Petit Verdot (1%) and Malbec (1%).  This is a very similar blend to the 2014 vintage but a unique wine on its own.  Dark cherry, plum, violet and spice box aromas are at the forefront with beefsteak tomato appearing as the wine opens up.  The dark purple color is like an old friend, inviting you to sit and stay awhile and it is joined by raspberry, plum, vanilla and allspice to create a transformation that is rewarding and very tasty.  The wine has a softer finish t...

  It is always a pleasure working with a winery partner year over year and having the fortune to taste the same label but differing vintages.  We last tasted this wine for the 2014 vintage.  The 2017 The Shepherd Estate Red is once again a blend of Syrah, Zinfandel and Tempranillo.  All of the grapes are sources from estate vines and the mixture of each grape differs each year, depending on the quality of the grapes and the overall desired affect.  This wine is a dark inky purple in the glass and (although tough to see in the picture) the cork is nearly black and sexy.  Solid color to the edge of the glass.  Blueberry pie, cedar bark and plum primarily on the nose.  Baked cherry cobbler, vanilla bean and cremè de cassis are lovely flavors with hints of black pepper wrapped up in lush tannin.  These three grapes are always a favorite and this wine drinks very, very easily now or you can hold it for 5+ years.  Most of the wines are tasted...

This post is a couple of weeks overdue, but the timing is right considering the scorching heat that most of the US is experiencing right now.  Many people feel that heavier red wines are cumbersome when the heat index is hovering around triple digits and while I am not one of those people, I think some white wines (slightly chilled) are better suited for the sweltering heat.  With that, I give you the 2016 Frank Family Vineyards Carneros Chardonnay.   This is Chardonnay exactly - e x a c t l y - how I like it to taste.  Whether or not oak is your thing, this 100% varietal has just enough that isn't overpowering, but it definitely helps bring the flavors together.  This wine has a really welcoming light gold color with lemon candy and warm buttered bread dominant on the nose.  Extremely creamy on the palate (again, just how I love it), lemon cake, baked cinnamon apple and baking spices combine beautifully and create a finish that clean and extrem...

If you're looking for a very affordable and spicy Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvinon, this 2014 Truchard Vineyards wine should be on your radar.  Forward aromas of cherry, plum and spice box are framed with similar flavors that also include raspberry marmalade, vanilla and red licorice.  While the flavors all blend very evenly and compliment each other, the finish on this wine is the star, in my opinion.  The finish is long, spicy and very memorable.  Some air time in the decanter or some intense swirling really opens up this wine and softens the focused tannins.  You really can't go wrong with this wine and it should age gracefully for a very long time.   This would be a fun one to try again in 5 and 10 years as I think it will go through a beautiful transformation that will only further reward the wine fanatic.  This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (87%), Cabernet Franc (11%), Petit Verdot (1%) and Malbec (1%) and is beautifully blended....

While one of the most popular white wines in the world, I feel like Chardonnay has become a little more forgotten with the popularity of Moscato and Riesling continually on the rise in most areas.  Why is that?  Because, frankly a lot of Chardonnay is very similar in taste and presentation.  There typically isn't a lot going on that makes you get excited.  But the 2016 Truchard Vineyards Chardonnay is a real head turner and one that will re-kindle your love for this varietal.  This Chardonnay, while spending time in oak, is nice and bright in the nose and in the mouth.  Pear, pineapple and toasted brioche are what I picked up on primarily in the glass.  In the mouth were some lovely flavors of lemon pie, baking spices, fresh cut apple and a finish that was clean and refreshing with a mineral presence.  The wine is absolutely delightful and a change from many heavy Chardonnay that are on the market.  Don't get me wrong.  I love...

Once in awhile you pop and cork and get so excited because of the incredible color that is displayed on the cork.  When I pulled the cork out of this 2014 The Shepherd Estate Red wine, I knew I was in for a real good time!  Seriously, it was incredible.  Check out the picture HERE and I know you'll appreciate what I'm talking about.  So, I was completely unfamiliar with Shepherd Wines until I received this bottle.  Shepherd Wines is an offspring of my friends at Truchard Vineyards .  They currently offer 2 wines under the Shepherd label - a Sauvignon Blanc and this Estate Red. Seldom do I open a wine, roll my eyes skyward and then clinch a fist in pleasure before  tasting the wine.  But that is exactly what has happened here.  Before I get into that, I have to tell you that I literally cannot wrap my head around the fact that this wine has a $20 price point.  This wine is clearly worth at least twice that price and with just o...

Muted earth, rhubarb, tea leaves are joined with incredible ripe black cherry aromas that welcome you to this 2015 Truchard Vineyards Pinot Noir.  I found the color of this wine stunning and deeper than a majority of the Pinot Noir currently available.  It's sexy and the wine is very fine with a balanced acidity that doesn't necessarily give complexity, but it does make for a memorable finish.  Flavors of strawberry jam, cranberry, spices and plum are dominant and delicious.  This Pinot has about the perfect amount of sweetness for me and I'd call this one "elegant". ABV:  14.1% Napa Valley, California Suggested retail price:  $35.00 Drink The Bottles score:  89/100