The bottle had all the right notations:  ”estate bottled,” alcohol less than 14%, vineyard has a proper name… but the results just don’t stack up to my palate.  To be fair, there is bright fruit hiding in this bottle, but beneath a sharpness I couldn’t abide.  The most curious thing was I could swear I was tasting garlic in the finish.  And then I noticed:  the winery is in Gilroy.

paid: $13

scored: 75

Just outside the tiny town of Sunol (east of San Francisco) is a tiny winery.  We found this by accident.  The tasting room is in an aging Victorian House, and the wines were also strangely old.  Most places are pouring their 2007 efforts, Elliston is breaking out the 2001.  Wow.  The prices were also strangely low.  To be fair, this isn’t major league wine.  But you know its above average when it is drinking nicely 8 years after its vintage.

paid: $11

scored: 88

A rather pleasing aroma of fruit and oak, from a wine with a split personality.  Fruit from the central coast, but wine made in Livermore?  No need to seek this one out, but you’ll be pleased to stumble across it.

paid: $10

scored: 88