A light, refreshing, amazingly clean and delicious wine. With only 8% alcohol but 9.7% residual sugar, it’s a tasty sweet-toother that delivers plenty of wonderful ripe fruit and spice. It’s almost delicate, the wine equivalent of a well-made crème brûlée—which it would pair with beautifully.
— S.H.
(12/31/2000)
This illustrates one trend in California, toward making riper, sweeter, softer and oakier Sangioveses, more akin to St.-Julien than Chianti. In the process, it loses the varietal’s delicacy, but there’s no denying this is a sumptuous, delicious, complex red dinner wine, like a light but fine claret.
— S.H.
(9/1/2000)
A luxuriously smooth and fruity wine that drinks well now, it has pretty aromas of wild berries, herbs and bacon, and very extracted berry and spice flavors. Dry, but has a sweet glycerin-laden mouthfeel and a long finish. Mainly Sangiovese, with smaller amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Teroldego and Cabernet Franc.
— S.H.
(9/1/2000)
Better than most California Sangioveses, with rich berry-spicy aromas and flavors, and a silky texture. It’s youthful and vibrant now, and should be drunk young. Contains 3% Zinfandel and 2% Charbono. The odd-shaped bottle contains only 2/3 of a regular bottle.
— S.H.
(10/1/1999)
Zesty and zippy. Absent are the lean grapefruit and bitter-almond flavors common to this varietal; they’ve been benched for a fuller-bodied style with texture and orange and tangerine qualities. Best lightly chilled, it’s the perfect foil for cheese.
— M.S.
(11/15/1999)
The flagship of La Famiglia, this represents a supreme effort to perfect Sangiovese in California. Dry berry fruit is wrapped in soft acids and low tannins that make for elegant drinking. It’s a good wine but struggles to find complexity and nuance. Yet Colmera is a wine to watch. Contains 83% Sangiovese, with 14% Syrah and 3% Teroldego. —S.H.
— S.H.
(5/1/2002)
Winemaker Tim Mondavi has been trying as hard as anyone to add complexity to this workhorse grape. Aromas are of berries, chocolate, herbs and earth. Dry and fairly rich, though not a blockbuster.
— S.H.
(9/1/2000)
A comforting and easy-drinking wine that has levels of complexity and interest. Bone dry, with dusty, soft tannins and soft acids that frame flavors of cherry, tobacco and dried herbs. Delicate in structure, yet authoritative and versatile at the table.
— S.H.
(9/1/2003)