2006 Alexander Valley Vineyards Zinfandel Redemption – USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley (4/21/2010) Stinky with burned stewed plums and the hint of the smell of poopy diapers. Not as bad in the mouth as the aroma — boysenberry syrup and charcoal. Rough mouthfeel with a too-healthy dose of alcohol. Out of balance. Not worth the ~$20 price I see. (78 pts.)

2005 Four Vines Zinfandel Old Vine Cuvée – USA, California (4/21/2010) Kirsch, grape jelly, sweet. Thin middle. Not a bad value for a weekday wine though (~11 bucks). (82 pts.)

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2000 Cristom Pinot Noir Reserve – USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola – Amity Hills (4/15/2010)
Tasty, tart bing cherries. Color still vibrant. Refreshing with an acidic zing and elegant fruits. Supported by dark earth, green herb, and mushroom flavors. Very nice now but no rush. (88 pts.)

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2001 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon – USA, California, Napa Valley (3/28/2010)
Full throttle, big, syrupy blueberry, milk chocolate, new oak. Cloyingly sweet. I found it overbearing and rather one-dimensional though I know this style is (or at least has been) very popular among some critics and collectors. I bought these wines early in my collecting “career” and now am disappointed more often than not. My opinion is that this style is unbalanced. Checking in on the wine on Day 2, it is all prune flavor. (85 pts.)

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2006 Piron-Lameloise, Domaine Chénas Quartz – France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Chénas (3/22/2010)
Sour, unripe plum with — perhaps only by the power of suggestion — a quartz, stony line. Unpleasant by itself, but worked “okay” once the meal of flank steak marinated in BBQ sauce started. Pass at prices greater than a couple of bucks. (79 pts.)

2005 Domaine Ruet Brouilly – France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Brouilly (3/24/2010)
Lovely dark color to this medium bodied wine. Long, slow legs. Initial grapey flavor develops nicely with air to cherry, sweet balsamic vinegar, and pine needles. Good value at ~$18 from a local grocer. Respectable daily drinker and party wine for guests. (88 pts.)

2008 Domaine de Colette Régnié Sélection Vieilles Vignes – France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Régnié (3/23/2010)
Thin, not much flavor. Tart cherry, hot alcohol. Simple and forgettable. (75 pts.)

2006 Dominique Piron Brouilly Domaine de Combiaty – France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Brouilly (3/22/2010)
Brett. NR (flawed)

2006 Dominique Piron Morgon Côte du Py – France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Morgon (3/21/2010)
Tart black cherry, fig, crushed mint leaves, and a touch of black pepper. Light to Medium bodied, silky texture. Nice wine with no sharp edges. Excellent QPR for $17.99 from Whole Foods (Oakland). (85 pts.)

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1998 Raymond Vineyard & Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve – USA, California, Napa Valley (4/5/2010)
This was one of my favorite wines from the 98 Napa vintage. It seriously over-performed for most of its life, but, like an aging rock star, the live concert isn’t quite as good as it once was and depends on nostalgia to make up for the shortcomings of overage. Initial notes were promising — deep cherry, raspberry, wood smoke, and saddle leather but grew too astringent within 30 minutes of opening. Flavors continued to thin out leaving just a stemmy, cherry shell of its former self. Drink up if you still have them.

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1989 Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon – USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District (4/29/2010)
Although I own a few bottles of various vintages from Togni, this is the first I’ve opened. They are known to be notoriously slow agers, needing far more time in the cellar than most Napa Cabs. If you are turned off by green pepper and veggie flavors in your wine, this wine is not for you. My wife didn’t like it at all, but I did, especially once the NY Strip arrived. It is remarkably youthful in appearance. The nose initially screams Jalapeno but as the wine opens up a bit, lovely currant came through as well. In the mouth the fruit is bright with a heavy dose of bell pepper. Secondary flavors of tobacco, espresso, and sage complement. Acid is high and tart, tannins are smooth, and the fruit is big. The green element plays a too forward a role for me. I would hope with even more time in the cellar, this characteristic will back off giving a chance for this wine to bump up a point or two. Like most 20 year olds, this one needs to mature. (88 pts.)

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2004 Kathryn Kennedy Syrah – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains (4/28/2010)
Cranberry fruit cocktail, mint leaves, crushed cooking herbs, just a touch of char-grill. Very nice, but turns a bit sour in the middle. Drink over the next 3-4 years. (87 pts.)

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2005 Shibumi Knoll Chardonnay Buena Tierra Vineyard – USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (3/20/2010)
Tropical fruit, a banana pina colada with some sweetness. River rock. Every once in a while I’d get some buttered popcorn notes but this is not a stereotypical buttery chard. Big, unctuous, but balanced with good acidity. Much more impressive than I recall my first bottle being back in 2008. I think this wine has upside potential until at least 2014. (91 pts.)

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2001 Darioush Cabernet Sauvignon Signature – USA, California, Napa Valley (3/12/2010)
One of my better Darioush experiences: I still think the wine is overoaked, but the monster has been tamed a bit by time. Cassis, stewed fruit, espresso, toasted oak, with a long finish of dusty tannins. Bottle opened at 2PM, decanted at 6, drank at 8. This wine needs significantly more time in the cellar. (88 pts.)

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2003 Robert Foley Claret – USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District (3/12/2010)
There’s quite a bit good and a little bit bad going on in this wine. It shows big, juicy raspberry jam, Christmas baking, chocolate chip cookies, cherry flavored candles, and pine flavors which form a rich, lush package. However, the alcohol really stands out throwing off the balance and I would expect the wine to be less primary in its 10th year. Still, it’s a good example of the Foley style and amazing to have been produced in the 2003 vintage. Few achieved this level of ripeness without wrecking it. Sloan Estate, for example, totally blew it that vintage while basically aiming for the same target. Opened and let stand for ~ 5 hours. I’m surprised by the Cellartracker average rating of 94.5 but it certainly is a strong 90 in a very specific style. (90 pts.)

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