An interesting wine that combines cassis and blackcurrant notes with a rich earthiness suggesting sage and tobacco. This limpid, soft wine is easy to drink. It’s filled with summery berry flavors and mild, complex tannins and is nicely dry. Yet it has an elusive elegance that makes it special.
— S.H.
(6/1/2002)
A Mendocino wine with all five major Bordeaux varietals. Nonetheless Cabernet Sauvignon dominates, with blackcurrant and cassis notes and elaborate but not excessive wood. Very dry, this wine has higher acids than you get in Napa, meaning it’s not as plush. But it’s more food-friendly.
— S.H.
(6/1/2002)
This is an interesting wine that marches to its own beat. What gets to you is the dry, acidic structure and fruity, earthy flavors that are quite complex. Try this wine with roasted pork loin. If you like aging your California whites, this should fare well over the next five years.
— S.H.
(7/1/2006)
Inky dark, this is a big wine in every way. Rich, sweet aromas of blackberry cobbler drizzled with cassis suggest enormous fruit. The flavors follow up, big and jammy, filled with berries of every kind. But it drinks dry and mellow, with soft tannins and acids. This is an interesting but not great wine from a variety normally used for blending. —S.H.
— S.H.
(9/1/2002)
A little light, but very elegant and Bordeaux-like in its delicacy and finesse. Don’t expect anything remotely Argentinian. Shows polished black cherries, currants, cocoa, cedar and cinnamon spice. A real step forward for this winery.
— S.H.
(11/1/2009)
This cool region, above Anderson Valley, has produced a very acidic Sauvignon Blanc, so tart it makes your mouth water. Flavors are of wild grasses and lemons and limes and the wine is dry. It’s very delicious, and the acidity makes it perfect for the table.
— S.H.
(9/1/2003)
From a Mendocino winery that makes steady but sure progress in Bordeaux varieties, a rich, ripe wine, with big flavors of blackberries and chocolate.
— S.H.
(10/1/2004)
A glass of pretty aromatics, grapefruit and orange blossom mostly, with a range of depth and texture that speaks of serious wine. Made from organic grapes.
— V.B.
(2/1/2012)