Wine notes | Search | Blog

Welcome to the wine notes page. The idea here is very simple. We have over 5000 ratings in our wine tasting database that we'd like to share with anyone who might find these opinions useful. The number of ratings grows weekly.

Our primary focus is on the wineries of the Sacramento region. We spend our time tasting in Lodi, Amador County, El Dorado County, the valley and the Gold Country. Of course, we attend the weekly tastings at BevMo as well, so we get a good selection of California and world-wide wines in our database as well.

Below you'll find a list of our 20 most recent ratings. But to search the whole database for what you're looking for please visit the search page. We have a total of 4944 wines in our database currently.

WinerySpecial DesignationVintageVarietalRatingDateTastedNotesBuy Again?
BeringerRhine House Reserve2016Cabernet Sauvignon949/5/2026We picked this up at the TWE store where they have a lot of great deals on damaged labels. This 10-year-old is kickin it! It has so much fruit, and it is getting some nice bottle age notes as well. We get blackberry, dried black cherry, raisin, raspberry, cooked oats, leather, black plum, dark earth, coffee and dried herbs. The palate is lush, fully concentrated, firm tannins, med+ acid, long finish, high intensity and full body. Bottle age is more prevalent on the palate. Black plum, tart, dried cherry and cranberry predominate. I hope folks realize how many great single vineyard cabs, merlots and cab francs Beringer puts out. This is just one of many we have tried that are showstoppers. Try this, marinate a couple steaks or lamb chops overnight in a rich vinaigrette, grill them and this wine will accompany them like the instrument you were missing in a song. But this wine has enough port qualities that it would be great with charcuterie. y
Trader JoesReserve, Sonoma Coast, Lot #2782025Chardonnay939/3/2026Ummmm, what is going on here? This is delicious. We have tasted dozens of Sonoma Coast Chardonnays in the last few years. This is right up there with the best of them. It has green apple, caramel, pear, sweet, cantaloup melon, stone fruit, baking spices and great minerals. The palate is very concentrated with all of the fruit notes above. The texture is amazing. The finish is med+, but the initial flavors are powerful, rich and alluring. The thick fruit tricks the tongue into thinking this might be mildly off dry, but it`s just the insane fruit! This is a chardonnay that should be consumed by itself. You are not going to get oak or butter -- just a ton of great fruit!! But you also get great acidity, minerality and balance. Ok, if you want food -- consider it with triple cream cheese, nuts, olives and charcuterie. It is the perfect appetizer wine. Baked Brie!!!y
Trader JoesReserve, Santa Barbara County, Lot #2412024Pinot Noir919/3/2026Raspberry, black cherry, vanilla, brown sugar, strawberry, graphite and honeysuckle. The palate has med+ intensity, concentration and body. The tannins are light; the acidity is high. The finish is medium. The wine is nice, has plenty of fruit and would be great with grilled chicken and rice. It would pair nicely with gentle Mediterranean foods.y
Trader JoesPlatinum Reserve, Stags Leap District, Napa Valley, Lot #1322023Cabernet Sauvignon959/3/2026Blackberry, black cherry, vanilla, anise, yellow peach, cedar, cardamom, carnation pink, black pepper, barley, wet potting soil, steamed milk, speculoos and warm hay. The palate has sizzling tannins, full body, high concentration, intensity and acidity. The finish is med+. All in all, this is an incredible cab with a flavor profile like a speeding bullet. It is streamlined, textured, sleekly flavored and intense. It hits you head-on without pulling any punches. This wine is screaming out for Au Jus French dip sandwich, onion soup, gently spiced lamb shank or grilled steak. Also, think Middle Eastern food like Spanakopita, hummus, Tzatziki, garlic naan and tabouli salad. Or drink it by itself. Consider this for a wedding where you want cases of wine that will be enjoyed (wowing the wine people) and won`t break the bank. 94 pts upon opening, 95 after breathing 1-2 hours. But boy is it worth it!! This might be the pinnacle of the recent TJs releases.y
WrathKW Ranch, Santa Lucia Highlands2021Pinot Noir969/2/2026 y
DeLille CellarsRose2025Rose928/28/2026Mourvedre, Grenache, Consault blendy
DeLille CellarsColumbia Valley2023Blend (Red Table Wine)948/28/2026This wine is composed of 64% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Malbec, 4% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. This is a classic Washington version of a Right Bank blend. For the price this the deal of the year. I picked up a half case.y
DeLille CellarsHarrison Hill Snipes Mountain2023Blend (Red Table Wine)958/28/202667% cab, 24% merloty
DeLille CellarsChaleur Estate, Red Mountain2022Blend (Red Table Wine)958/28/202665% cab, 24% merlot, 9% Cab franc and 2% petit verdoty
DeLille CellarsChaleur Estate, Red Mountain2023Blend (Red Table Wine)978/28/2026This wine is composed of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. It is stunning wine with dark fruit, massive palate with concentrated long finish. I took half a case of this home.y
DeLille CellarsRed Willow, Yakima Valley2023Malbec948/28/2026 y
DeLille CellarsGrand Ciel, Red Mountain2022Cabernet Sauvignon958/28/2026 y
DeLille CellarsFour Flags2022Cabernet Sauvignon948/28/2026 y
DeLille CellarsLe Dessien2022GSM938/28/2026 y
Quilceda CreekColumbia Valley2025Sauvignon Blanc948/28/2026This is a lovely made of Sauvignon Blanc that has been aged in large puncheons, partly used and partly new. And it gives the wine a really lovely texture. It has soft minerals, high acid, classic melon, pear, citrus and tropical fruits and stone fruit.y
Quilceda CreekCVR2024Blend (Red Table Wine)978/28/2026We got so much berry out of this wine. Blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, cranberry, pomegranate molasses. It has nice acidity, rich berry fruit, cocoa, lilac. The palate has high acid, concentration, body, intensity, silky tannins and a long finish. You get a wine that is almost perfect and has really great fruit. It needs no aging. Get it and drink it now!y
Quilceda CreekColumbia Valley2023Cabernet Sauvignon998/28/2026One sniff of this and you fall in love. It has roundness, balance and perfection. We got blueberry, blackberry, leather, cocoa, coffee, licorice, cassis. It has full, silky tannins, long finish, high concentration, intensity, full body and balanced acidity. You can`t hold your breath as long as this finish lasts. Paul Golitzen and his team and running a 12 cylinder here at 200MPH. Stunning wine. And this is the basic cab! They have several others as well.y
CanvasbackRed Mountain, Washington State2022Cabernet Sauvignon948/27/2026Notes of black and red licorice, leather, cocoa, cassis, blackest of blackberry, cinnamon, cedar and black plum. The palate is rich, dark and concentrated with high, silky tannins, high acid and long finish. Got this at SeaTac airport for $80.y
Black KiteAngel Hawk, Sonoma Coast2022Chardonnay938/22/2026 y
Black KiteWendling Vineyard Anderson Valley2024Pinot Noir968/22/2026 y
        
<< Prev      Next >>

Login