2021 Auteur Pinot Noir Anderson Valley

 Surprising density in the glass, it's ruby leaning to purple and very opaque. 

Aromas of cranberry sauce, cherry compote/Kirsch, hinting at blue fruit. It has a flinty minerality along with floral notes and fresh green herbs.

Flavors on the palate of blueberries, acai and black cherry cola with accents of vanilla bean, bay leaf and an almost "purple popsicle" suggestion. 

It is a full, rich style but not overbearing or does it feel too high in alcohol. The acidity is fresh and in balance. The flavors linger long. 

Be my Ballentine- 2019 Pocai Vineyard Cabernet Franc

 This has been a great Franc that I have enjoyed a number of vintages of.

This vintage by Ballentine, the 2019 is a rich, ripe expression. 

The nose is a luscious potpourri of red and black berry fruit with a range of clove, star anise and other exotic spices framed by sandalwood and cedar. There is such a range of florals and herbs that I have a hard time picking individual ones out. Slight hints of cola. 

The the palate, it enters big and a bit hot. By hot, I mean the alcohol is a bit aggressive. The rich texture and juicy ripeness harken to a Petit Sirah or Zin blend from Amador, Lodi or Paso Robles. For me, that leads to a touch of over-extraction from Napa fruit. But 2019 was a year that produced ready-drinking luscious qualities and this is in Calistoga, so it's damn hot up there. In those ways, I can make some accommodation for its ripeness and heat. 

The flavors are voluptuous and rich, almost decadent in its black plum, juicy raspberry, blackberry, black cherry and white pepper with the same suggestion of floral and herbal botanicals. There is a fun level of spice leaning to cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and perhaps even cardamom. It's a wine that will appeal to the folks who like that bigger, jammy and rich style. I tend to make those more occasional for me than regular drinkers, but every so often, ya gotta be a little slutty. This wine has curves and is "in the mood." 

Giant Steps Yarra Valley Chardonnay

 A nice Atlantic salmon filet took me to this wine.

Stony minerality of flint and chalk on the nose with underlying, subtle citrus aromas fresh lemon zest and Keffir lime. 

It enters the palate lean and crisp with a streak of Chablis-like acidity and minerality. Bright lemon and lime flavors with some underlying crisp peach and golden apple. It finishes on a richer lemon oil note with clean-washing acidity and a resurgence of flint. 

Blind, some could be inclined to peg this as Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre. It's acid profile suits this wine best to food rather than on its own. 

Ringing a 2018 Bell Reserve

 Bell Wine Cellars Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.

Aromatic with luscious, crushed red and black fruits. Creme de cassis, fresh currants, black plum, blueberry, acai and some savory blackberry leaf. It has a slight cedar/coconut shell accent a hints of fireplace embers. 

Wonderful, lush texture greets the palate and modulates the bright acidity. There is a Bordeaux-like tension in the initial structure as well as the fruit, which "pongs" between tart and wonderfully ripe. All the fruits in the nose show up here along with some black cherry, fresh garden herbs leaning into savory, cocoa shavings and some underlying minerality. There is well used and integrated oak, providing a rounded tannin profile. 

It lingers nice and long without being heavy or overt. It's a very nice wine with great complexity and numerous layers with everything in balance. The structure promises great aging potential and it's drinking nicely already now.