The 2007 Casa Lapostolle Cuvée Alexandre Apalta Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is a single vineyard wine sourced from the Apalta Estate located in Chile's Colchagua Valley. It's composed of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot and was aged for ten months in French Oak Barrels.

On the nose this wine immediately sings true to Chile and the the great terroir of Colchagua. It has loads of scorched earth, black pepper, black currant, crushed rocks, anise, and gamey aromas. As the wine opens up the minerality, oak, and hints of black cherry begin to really come forth. There is also some very significant peppery aromas that definitely gives this wine a true Chilean aroma profile.

On the palate the wine continues to shows it's overriding rusticity and earthiness, with flavors of graphite, crushed rocks, soil, pepper, oak, plum, and tobacco. Fruit wise this is exactly what black currant would taste like with a bunch of graphite and crushed stones mixed in.

The wine finishes with a gritty and rustic bite and some sandy-like tannins. I would recommend grilled flank steak with this wine or perhaps seasoned lamb chops. It's an interesting wine but really lacks the harmony and grace that I was expecting for a wine in this price range. 84 points


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This 2004 Cloud 9 Composition is a proprietary blend of Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petite Verdot, and Barbera. It's produced from grapes grown in the Sierra Foothills region of California, but has a distinctive Napa Valley winemakers style. The wine is without doubt a "New World" style wine even though the grapes that make up the blend are all native to either France, Italy, or Spain.

On the nose I get lovely aromas of black raspberry, tart cherry, vanilla, oak, dark chocolate, and hints of cedar box. I love the bright cherry aromas as this wine opens up and the impression that this wine is something more than just a regular "Cabernet" type blend.

On the palate those sour cherry notes burst onto the palate and combine with red apple skin, vanilla, toasted oak, black licorice, cassis, cedar, and a touch of cinnamon flavor. The texture is soft and the tannins are well integrated. The finish has a very nice plum and tobacco note that accompanies the red cherry flavors.

This is obviously a very well made bottle of wine that even tastes better the second day of being open. It has a wonderful zip and tartness on the palate and only lacks just a touch of depth to make it a superstar effort. 90+ points


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The 2007 intelligent design cuvée made by wesley ashley wines if a red field blend of 51.5% Carignan, 15% Grenache, 14% Cinsaut, 11% Petite Sirah, 4.5% Mouvedre, and 4% Pinot Noir. The fruit was sourced from California's Central Coast appellation and the wine made by winemaker Stephen Tebb. The wine is a small 500 case production and was aged in 100% French oak for 18 months.

On the nose this wine is very aromatic and shows beautiful red raspberry, cherry pie, spice, oak, and candied cherry aromas. I think the combination of these varieties together makes for a very nicely perfumed wine.

On the palate the wine drinks with a bright intensity and shows a variety of berry fruits. It's almost like a mixed berry pie and even shows a hint of vanilla which reminds me of whip cream. It's not an overly complex wine but does seem to be very well balanced and quite fruit forward. It's a light bodied red that drinks like a bold style Pinot Noir and has a nice long berry finish.  88 points


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The "intelligent design"cuvée blanc is made from a composition of Rhone varietals grown in California's Santa Barbara appellation. It comprised of 50% Viognier, 30% Roussanne, and 20% Grenache Blanc. It's a small 250 case production made by winemaker Jason Welch.

On the nose I get fresh and bright citrus aromas that combine with a variety of stone fruits such as white peach and nectarine. There is also a touch of tropical fruit (papaya) and subtle floral notes.

On the palate the first thing that is undeniable about this wine is it's oily texture. It's extremely oily and almost feels a bit waxy too. The flavors I get are lime peel, vanilla, mineral, chalk, and a touch of apricot. The finish is long, but again I have to express the oily nature of this wine.

I definitely can see how this wine might pair well with the right seafood dish. Steer clear of the real fatty and oily type fish or you could be in way over your head! Perhaps some glazed giant prawns?? 85 Points


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Just a little picture I took in Block 12 of the famed Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard. It's amazing how much fruit is dropped these days in order to create a more concentrated crop.

Just a little glimpse of what Napa Valley is going through this time of year. Sad part is they're about three weeks behind because of the extremely cool 2010 vintage. Let's just hope that the rains don't come on time either, or the vintage could become a very tricky one.

Most vintners expressed their concerns about the cool whether, but are confident that if they can wait a few weeks longer to harvest that everything will turn out alright.

Still it would be smart to keep a close eye on the development of this situation before buying too heavily into your favorite Napa wines in this vintage.

The 2005 Girard Artistry is a proprietary blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Cabernet Franc, 14% Petit Verdot, 9% Malbec, and 1% Merlot. The fruit is primarily sourced from vineyards located in the Oakville and St. Helena appellations of Napa.

The first noticeable character of this wine is it's deep and dark color. Although it's five years old it maintains it's incredible dark ruby color.

On the nose I get intensely ripened black fruits such as black raspberry, black cherry, and black plum. There is also secondary notes of mocha, graphite, licorice, and oak. The nose is very typical of the current Napa style which seems to be switching to a more ripe and more chocolate laden aroma profile.

On the palate the wine continues to demonstrate it's ripe black fruit flavors with beautiful cassis, black licorice, and almost prune-like characteristics. There is some very pure black cherry notes that also combine with subtle hints of toasted oak.

Where this wine thrives is in it's overall balance and harmony. It has a silky smooth texture, is very well made, and finishes with some very nice sour black cherry flavor and soft tannins. Those who enjoy a very balanced meritage-style wine, will love this stuff. 91 points


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The 2007 R.A. Harrison Family Cellars "Nobility" is a fantastic example of the kind of quality dessert wine that can be made in California. It's a small production (333 cases, 375 ml bottles) late harvest Sauvignon Blanc - Semillon.  (78% Sauvignon Blanc - Napa County,  22% Semillon - Sonoma County)

The Nobility fruit was harvested on November 16th and 29th, 2007, with a brix level of 35.5. The juice for this wine was fermented in small French Oak barrels and held to age for 19 months.

As you can tell from the picture I just snapped, I have quite a hard time holding back on these type of wines. When asked what my favorite type of wine is I almost immediately shout out either Sauternes or Champagne.... I love dessert wines made in this style and am intrigued by the use of Botrytis cinerea "Noble Rot" to aid in the effort to bring forth this magical concoction!

Immediately upon opening this bottle I notice the amazing bouquet of intense dried apricot, sweet fig, orange marmalade, vanilla, honey, and a hint of spice and ginger bread. This wine has stunning aromatics with a broad range of complexity and an intoxicating spiciness.

On the palate the wine is thick and slightly oily with a nice spiciness the extends from the mid-palate through the finish. The rich honey and sweet fig flavors combine with layers of apricot marmalade, vanilla, spicy botrytis, toasted oak, and an underlining mineral component. The finish is extremely long.......

There is sufficient acidity to help this wine stay balanced, which I think is key in producing wines of this quality with such a high sugar content. Many California vintners try to emulate the great wines of Sauternes but often fall short of reaching this type of complexity and balanced acidity. With exception of only one other producer in Napa Valley, this wine eclipses every other domestic dessert wine I've tasted in my wine career. 95+ points


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I'm always excited to taste the newest wave of organic wines that are increasingly being put out in the market. These wines are unique in that they are the first and only C.C.O.F and Q.A.I. certified organic wines from California that have ever been placed in the "Tetra Pak" packaging. CALNATURALE has actually been around quite awhile (since 1980) and pride themselves on being environmentally responsible, premium wine producers.

They were kind enough to send The Blog Wine Cellar a couple samples for review, in order to help spread the word of the quality of their wines. As usual I will give my honest opinion of the wines, without any bias or pretense.

I have to be honest when I say that the first thing that comes to mind when sampling wines in this sort of packaging is "Where's the spit bucket?"

However, those of you that have been following the quality trail of wines packaged in both box and tetra pak, may not be quite surprised to find great tasting juice in these vessels. The box wine revolution is well under way and if you search the web for articles on the subject, I'm sure you'll find many who agree.

2008 CALNATURALE Cabernet Sauvignon - Paso Robles - French Camp Vineyard

Vineyard designate Cabernet Sauvignon in a Tetra?? Awesome!!

On the nose I get aromas of natural blackberry fruit that combine with black currant, licorice, spice, and hints of graphite. There is also a slight touch of soil and fresh tar if you over-analyze it like I always do!

On the palate the wine shows big bold flavors of blackberry, licorice, currant, pencil shavings, dark chocolate, and oak. It's quite a bold effort with a significant tannin structure and a medium length finish.

The wine actually improves quite a bit in the glass and the tannin that was once quite chunky and harsh right when I opened the wine, smooths out and becomes quite pleasant on the finish. I can see this wine pairing excellently with a seasoned flank steak and all sorts of grilled meats. In fact, if your having an outdoor BBQ this fall and need a good tasting wine, packaged in a fool-proof bottle, then this is perfect! 86 points

2009 CALNATURALE Chardonnay - Mendecino

This Chardonnay is really a fabulous representation of the varietal and exactly what a person would look for in a Chardonnay void of over-manipulation or too much spice. It's well balanced, has nice acidity, and is packed with crisp fruit flavors.

On the nose I get aromas of poached pear, yellow apple, vanilla, and citrus blossom. I would suggest pouring this wine into a "high dollar" bottle like a Far Niente or something of the like, and tasting your wine friends on it! Then reveal the true nature afterwords and I guarantee you'll have people changing their minds on how they perceive the wine world.

On the palate I get very intense pear flavors that combine with apple, citrus, and hints of toasted oak and vanilla. I enjoy the sleek and refreshing style this wine displays and the nice crisp acidity. 86+ points

To wrap it up I guess you could say I'm actually really impressed by the quality of this product. If your interested in learning more about these wines and where to pick them up locally then visit their website here: CALNATURALE

Summer time is the perfect time to break out the Beaujolais and put a nice chill on it. It's fruity, refreshing, and even holds enough complexity to help you stay interested. Beaujolais-Village of course takes it's name from a number of wine making villages (38 to be exact) in the Beaujolais production area.

Georges Duboeuf is very well known to those familiar with these fruit wines made from the Gamay Noir grape. In fact, many of you probably have seen his "nouveau" bottling every November with the flashy and flowery labels.

When I first poured this wine I immediately was impressed by the deep purple and almost punch-like color. The bouquet is packed full of fresh raspberry and candy-like aromas. There is also a hint of soil or a rustic metal aroma that keeps the wine from appearing too much like a popsickle.

On the palate the wine is very fresh and vibrant, and if you serve it during this time of year (summer) I would definitely suggest chilling it down a bit before consuming. I do get fresh raspberry and cherry flavors but they come across as almost candied or with hint of bubble gum. Many of you who have tried Beaujolais before are nodding your heads and remembering these same descriptors......

Over all the wine is a perfect summer red and goes down very smooth. It's also a wine that would do very well with poultry and pork dishes. 85 points


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