A Rhone style blend with a petite (Syrah) twist.  I haven’t visited Zayante, and the label had a bit to say about organic farming… Does that mean the goats squach the grapes?  My taste buds thought so.  We were drinking this while watching “Bottle Shock”, and after about 45 mins couldn’t take it anymore.  I got up to open something else, and to my surprise found a bottle of chardonnay that had been sitting in the fridge since August.  It was an apropos recovery.

paid: $17

scored: 80

Twenty minutes from my house.  Yikes.  Named after a mercurial mineral.  Sure.  Situated in a sleepy little town.  Why not?  Producing delicious Cab.  Of course.  Similar to the Cooper Garrod, although now I realize I am dying to taste them side by side.  I am very much at a loss for how to describe this.  Imagine a silky, translucent negligee, wrapped around a petite but curvaceous young lady.  Or don’t.  Subtle and whsipy and full.  I suspect there will be more Cinnabar gracing these pages…

paid: $26 (club price)

scored: 90

Another backyard but top-notch operation.  We found this winery by accident after mountain biking around Wilder Ranch down in Santa Cruz (we were looking for Bonny Doon).  After sampling their wares, we couldn’t leave without this Pinot.  It has a delicious fruity aroma that only gets better when you taste it.  Light, mineraly, balanced and incredibly smooth.  For the cynics who would be tempted to conclude that at this price, it better be a jewel… take note: the other Pinot on offer (different vineyard, up the road a bit) was not nearly as tasty yet cost every bit as much.

paid: $50ish

scored: 92

I had no idea this winery was hiding up in the mountains behind my house.  The tasting room is adjacent the stables and the whole spread is reminiscent of New England.  You don’t see as much cab coming out of this region, due to the cooler and more varied climat.  The result is a hard to describe:  how can a cab be “light” ?  The fruit is softer, too.  You have to try it to believe it.

paid: $35

scored: 90

I don’t tend to like zinfandel.  At all.  And then there is the Ridge winery… Interestingly, I tried their 2003 York Creek effort and liked it less than the 2006.  Impossible to say if it is the age or the extra Petite Sirah in the ‘03.  I had no idea a zin could be so smooth and deep.  That spice is still there in the finish, but subtle enough that it didn’t distract from the balance.  Aside:  again, I missed the trip to the tasting room.  But finacee’s parents had so much fun they brought back two bottles.  Poor me.

paid: $30 (about)

scored: 91

My fiancee’s friend was in town and they went up to Ridge Winery for a tasting and picnic;  they returned with this gem.  I’m not normally interested in Zinfandel, I find it too spicy and too fruity.  But the York Creek edition is blended with a healthy does of Petite Sirah, which tones down the fruit and heightens the dryness.  Very enjoyable, and a nice lingering finish, too.  But with the privilege of hindsight and the constraint of a budget, I must say I probably would not be willing to plump for this wine again:  there are just too many other great wines at 1/3 the price.

paid: $32 (so I’m told)

scored: 90

OK, so this wine is not really in keeping with the general spirit of this blog.  Why not?  Um, well, I paid $35 for it…  We went tasting at the Thomas Fogarty winery last weekend.  They have some good stuff going on, including a Barbera/Nebbiolo blend which I really liked.  We decided to buy this bottle to go with some killer steaks… I guess to sum up if you are looking for an indulgence and like Bordeaux blend wines you will be very pleased.  Silky smooth but not as long a finish as I might have liked.  Nevertheless, highly worthy.

paid: $35

scored: 90