| Winery | Special Designation | Vintage | Varietal | Rating | DateTasted | Notes | Buy Again? |
| Blue Farm | Russian River Valley | 2023 | Pinot Noir | 95 | 1/19/2026 | Brilliant stuff and a regional blend to boot! | y |
| Turkovich | Yolo County | 2021 | Syrah-Viognier | 92 | 1/19/2026 | | y |
| Hollys Hill | East Slope El Dorado | 2023 | Syrah | 90 | 1/17/2026 | Bright red cherry, cranberry, dry soil, raspberry, dried herbs, kiwi and dark chocolate.
This wine has high acid, medium body and finish, med+ concentration, intensity and tannins.
A very light, easy drinking, smooth, complex wine with a great price. Hollys Hill is amazing with these Rhone varietals. | y |
| Hollys Hill | El Dorado | 2025 | Viognier | 92 | 1/17/2026 | Keep in mind, this wine was made last October and bottled last week. So, we will probably re-review this in 6 months. But for now -- this wine comes out bright, rich and complex. It has huge notes of peach, apricot, ambrosia melon, lychee and flowers.
The palate shows high acid, full body, richness in concentration and a long finish. This wine has so much promise, but it`s just a baby! It wins on rich flavors and textured mouthfeel. It has so much texture that it feels like it has seen some neutral oak. Definitely a wine to check out. | y |
| Hollys Hill | Estate El Dorado | 2024 | Mourvedre | 93 | 1/17/2026 | Strawberry, red cherry, cooked plum and raspberry, blueberry scone, violet and wet stone.
The acid is high, the body, concentration and intensity are Med+. Tannins are medium.
As this wine breathes it opens up nicely. At first it seemed two dimensional, but after a half hour it really launched ahead. But let`s be honest here -- this is not a Rhone style Mourvedre. This wine is bright, rich and fruity, rather than the dense, earthiness of Rhone Mourvedre. But who cares. It is just another expression of this amazing varietal. | y |
| Beaulieu Vineyard | George de Latour Private Reserve Rutherford, Napa Valley | 2012 | Cabernet Sauvignon | 95 | 1/16/2026 | | y |
| Opolo Vineyards | Summit Creek, Paso Robles | 2023 | Cabernet Sauvignon | 94 | 1/16/2026 | Great effort here. The `23 vintage is proving amazing across the board. This wine has a lovely blackberry, blueberry, green pepper, coffee, black plum, prune, coffee, cocoa, cassis, black currant. It just keeps going.
The body is full, acid high, long finish, complex notes and intensely concentrated flavors. This is a great wine. One of the reviewers already gave this a 93. I think it`s better than that. This wine is interesting. It has a balanced load of flavors that impress. And the flavors stand nicely apart enough that you can swap around each one or just enjoy them altogether. A bargain for $30 bucks. | y |
| Bogle Family Vineyards | Heritage Red, California | 2021 | Blend (Red Table Wine) | 92 | 1/15/2026 | This one has this interesting nose like coffee cake, cocoa, oak, blackberry, cinnamon, tobacco and black cherry. This is not a simple wine at all. Usually, you look at a ten-buck wine and think its gonna be simple. Not this one. Dont judge a . . . you know.
The palate has a great concentration and intensity. Acid is high, finish is long, tannins are medium+ as is the body. Very plush mouth feel, well balanced fruit/acid. It is fresh, firm and nicely concentrated, missing only a note or two on the mid-palate. A real keeper. Food your friends a blind tasting with this one. | y |
| Todd Taylor | Reserve Blue House, Shenadoah Valley, California | 2021 | Primitivo | 91 | 1/15/2026 | Blackberry, black cherry, bay leaf, fig, vanilla, hazelnut and lavender. The wine has a great concentration, firm tannins, long finish, high acid and full body. A very nice wine with good balance. Todd Taylor is a great place to visit. He makes Coombsville Cabs as well that are great and nowhere near the Napa prices. | y |
| Beringer | Napa Valley | 2022 | Pinot Noir | 91 | 1/11/2026 | | y |
| Beringer | Napa Valley | 2022 | Cabernet Sauvignon | 89 | 1/11/2026 | | y |
| Rams Gate | Sonoma Coast | 2021 | Pinot Noir | 91 | 1/11/2026 | | y |
| Walt Wines | The Corners Vineyard | 2023 | Pinot Noir | 96 | 1/11/2026 | | y |
| Walt Wines | The Corners Vineyard | 2017 | Pinot Noir | 95 | 1/11/2026 | | y |
| Walt Wines | Sierra Mar Santa Lucia Highlands | 2023 | Pinot Noir | 96 | 1/11/2026 | | y |
| Bogle Family Vineyards | California | 2022 | Merlot | 92 | 1/9/2026 | We got this for a Christmas gift and are only now getting around to trying it. Back in the day when we just got started tasting wine, Bogle was a go-to. But it has been years since we have tried anything by them.
It has a raspberry, blueberry, plum, floral and lead nose. The acidity is high, the tannins are medium. But this wine has a finish, concentration and intensity that is surprising. It is really pretty on the palate. The nose says it is a simple wine, but the flavors say otherwise. Nice stuff. A super surprise at this price point. | y |
| Wente Family Vineyards | Wetmore Livermore Valley | 2022 | Cabernet Sauvignon | 91 | 1/9/2026 | Blackberry, black cherry, stone fruit, green herbs, wet soil, cream cheese and grape sucker with a chocolate filling.
The palate is rather medium+ across the board. The Balance is good, but the flavors meld together a little too much, hiding the individual notes. But all in all, a pleasant, dark wine with descent intensity. | y |
| B Cellars Winery | Sugarloaf Vineyard Napa Valley | 2023 | Merlot | 93 | 1/8/2026 | Blackberry, raspberry, black plum, warm spice, a touch of anise, cassis, cream coffee and peach pit.
The body is full, the acid high, the finish long, tannins are medium, concentration and intensity are high.
Here is a 2023 (supposed to be the perfect year!) and it is really pleasant drinking. It has a nice tartness that balances with the fruit well. Keep your eyes open for 2023s. | y |
| B Cellars Winery | Sugarloaf Vineyard Napa Valley | 2022 | Merlot | 94 | 1/8/2026 | | y |
| B Cellars Winery | Stage Coach Atlas Peak | 2024 | Sangiovese | 91 | 1/8/2026 | Barrel Tasted | y |
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