Library of Wine

Sunset Spire POMEROL, FRANCE: The sunset frames the spire of a church looking across the vineyards of Chateau Pétrus in Pomerol, on Bordeaux's Right Bank. Pétrus became famous in the late 1800s after winning a gold medal at the Paris Universal Exhibition, beating out many more famous estates. One of the most expensive and sought-after wines in the world, Pétrus is widely regarded as the single best bottling of Merlot to be found, and remains the shining star of the Pomerol apellation, which has never been classified. Consequently it cannot truly be called a First Growth, though it clearly ranks among them in both price and quality.

INSTRUCTIONS: Download this image by right-clicking on the image and selecting "save link as" or "save target as" and then select the desired location on your computer to save the image. Mac users can also just click the image to open the full size view and drag that to their desktops.

To set the image as your desktop wallpaper, Mac users should follow these instructions, while PC users should follow these.

BUY THE BOOK: This image is from a series of photographs captured by Andy Katz in the process of shooting his most recent work The Club of Nine, a visual exploration and celebration of Bordeaux's top Chateaux. The book is available for $60 on Andy's web site.

PRINTS: If you are interested in owning an archive quality, limited edition print of this image please contact Andy directly.

ABOUT VINOGRAPHY IMAGES: Vinography regularly features images by photographer Andy Katz for readers' personal use as desktop backgrounds or screen savers. We hope you enjoy them. Please respect the copyright on these images. These images are not to be reposted on any web site or blog without the express permission of the photographer.

Source: Vinography Images: Sunset Spire

The English Bar Company sells original styled antique bars/pubs for home and residential use. The bars are sold direct and manufactured exclusively for sale on englishbars.com.

The current styles offered include:

• English Tavern (ET)
• Second Empire (SE)
• Sir Walter (SW)
• The Grand Devon (GD)
• Canterbury (CT)

And the newly introduced,

• Lady Victoria The Lady Victoria follows on the heels of the hugely successful English Tavern – a very popular copied bar style.

Welcome to my weekly roundup of the wine stories that I find of interest on the web. I post them to my magazine on on Flipboard, but for those of you who aren't Flipboard inclined, here's everything I've strained out of the wine-related muck for the week.

A Heavy-Handed Marriage Of White Wine And Oak Endures Because people like it

Are Wine Choices in the Blood? Oliver Styles argues it doesn't matter.

When Critics Get It 'Wrong' Be kind, exhorts Matt Kramer.

A 'Wine Lover's Daughter' Savors Her Dad's Vintage Story Only tangentially about wine...

Northern California grape growers begin to face smoke taint damages Esther Mobley continues her excellent coverage.

Understanding Smoke Taint A good overview.

Purgatory Cellars Makes Wine Using Ancient Croatian Traditions Amphora wines in Colorado, no less.

Isabelle Legeron Is Leading the Natural Wine Revolution BonAppetit offers something of a paean.

Wine Country fires destroyed 8,889 structures The numbers keep rising

Wine thief steals 55 bottles of red from Lake Tahoe grocery That scarf looked suspicious from the get-go.    

The Rise of Chardonnay in Central Willamette Valley Elaine Brown looks at Oregon Chard.

How California Wine Country is Rebuilding After the Fires Slowly but surely.

A Wine Wizard Speaks Luck, Genius And Fortune Tom Mullen on Henri Duboscq

Winemakers warming to reality of climate change, but issue is sensitive Wildfires seem constant excuses to discuss such things...

Why It's Time to Stop Fetishizing Wine Expertise Interesting article, but are sommeliers are fetishized any more than other craft celebrities?

Is it Better for Wines to Focus on Strength or Complexity? Does it really have to be an either / or?

Source: Wine News: What I'm Reading the Week of 11/5/17

KYTileCloseouts specializes in discounted premium tile. The selection includes a variety of closeouts, end of production run, excess, seconds, firsts – and any other possible way a manufacturer decides to blowout their inventory at a reduced price.

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There's a reason that I publicize large tasting events here on Vinography. There's simply no better way to learn about wine than to wander around for a few hours tasting many multiple examples of the same grape or wines from the same region.

Pinot Noir has been hot since Sideways made the grape a household name, and there are a couple of tastings every year that allow wine lovers to completely immerse themselves in Pinot. Perhaps foremost amongst these opportunities is a tasting known as PinotDays, where every year, members of the wine-drinking public can spend an afternoon wandering in a sea of Pinot Noir, as scores of different producers (primarily California, but also Oregon and occasionally elsewhere) offer their wines for the tasting.

This year's event takes place this coming Saturday at San Francisco's Westfield Shopping Centre on Market Street. If you love Pinot Noir, it's hard to think of a better way to spend a few hours than wandering around tasting great juice.

13th Annual PinotDays San Francisco 2017 Grand Tasting Saturday, November 11, 2017 2:00pm-5:00pm Bespoke at Westfield 845 Market St #450 San Francisco, CA 94103 (map)

Tickets are $75 for the grand tasting, and an additional $25 for VIP (read: early) access to the tasting. But wait, I've got a deal for you! Enter the promo code VINOG17 for a 33% discount. Who loves you baby?

Get your tickets here.

My usual tips for such public tastings apply: get a good night's sleep; go with a full stomach; drink lots of water; wear dark clothes; and remember to spit!

Source: 2017 Pinot Days Tasting: November 11, San Francisco

Most wine lovers have heard a thing or two about Central Otago Pinot Noir. Found at the bottom of New Zealand's South Island, the wine region of Central Otago has become synonymous with Pinot Noir, thanks to a strong track record of production in the last twenty years. The wines have gained strength and notoriety over the last decade to the point that the region is readily acknowledged as one of the top producers of Pinot around the world. But unlike many of the other regions around the world that have also made a name for themselves growing Pinot Noir, Central Otago has been focused almost singularly on the red Burgundian grape variety, nearly to the exclusion of its traditional white counterpart, Chardonnay.

California's Sonoma Coast, the Russian River Valley, Santa Barbara, Champagne, Australia's Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley, Tasmania, Canada's Okanagan Valley and Ontario regions, Southwestern England, even South Africa's Coastal Region or Chile's Casablanca Valley -- all of these regions have followed the Burgundian model and planted both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in accordance with the time-tested supposition that both grapes grow well in the same places.

So why isn't there more Central Otago Chardonnay? It's an interesting question, and one that became much more important to me after tasting the most recent vintage of producer Felton Road's Chardonnay, which I found, in a word, stunning.

So I put the question by e-mail to Blair Walter, the winemaker at Felton Road, and here's what he wrote in reply:

"It's a very good question and one we have always wondered and theorised ourselves. When Central Otago largely got planted from the late 90's through the early-mid 2000's, it had become recognised that it was a good region for Pinot Noir, hence the 80% that it occupies. I can't really speak for the growers/producers as to why they did not choose Chardonnay, but I suspect it was because at that time, Chardonnay was grown widely and successfully elsewhere in NZ and perhaps the market was seen as more saturated. I am not sure if it was an ABC [Anything But Chardonnay] issue or that Chardonnay in NZ plays second fiddle to Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris became the most planted white as it was popular/trendy, easy to sell, in demand.... Riesling is the next most planted white in Central Otago as it was perhaps seen as more interesting and seemed quite suited to our schist soils and climate. Also, I think a lot of the people planting were new to the industry and not as experienced or as committed to the Pinot Noir/Chardonnay ancestral home connection. An exception to this though would be why would Burn Cottage [a winery, shown in photo above, whose owner is an importer of Burgundy] not be committed to planting Chardonnay? I have often given Marquis and Ted a hard time about this! Also Rudi at Quartz Reef is another example. It would be nice to have more interesting top Chardonnays coming out of the region.... I will admit though, that it did take us a while (and the region at large), to be able to hone in on the style that we have today. Central Otago Chardonnay does not like to be pushed into a riper and richer style. It must be captured early and celebrate the acidity and leaner, more citrusy/floral characters. I believe our combination of high sunshine, warm daytime temperatures, yet very cool nights, can easily make a big disconnect between flavour and the acidity that we will still always have. We have the largest plantings of Chardonnay in Central Otago and just this spring (last week in fact!) have replanted a couple of sections of Block 2 that contained Pinot Noir and Riesling (that were on their own roots) over to Chardonnay. The schist soils in Block 2 with their seams of calcium carbonate are showing that they are particularly suited to Chardonnay."

Central Otago has somewhere north of 4746 acres planted to grapevines. The vast majority of which are Pinot Noir, which fills 3707 of those planted acres. Only 136 acres have been planted to Chardonnay, and as Blair noted, with somewhere close to 5 acres planted and a production of around 2000 cases each year, Felton Road is the region's single largest Chardonnay producer.

It seems quite plausible to me that the lack of Chardonnay in Central Otago might be due to trends more than anything else. New Zealand remains a very young wine region, and frankly speaking, not nearly enough experimentation has been done around which grapes are suited where. Those early pioneers in Otago might very well have seen plenty of Chardonnay elsewhere in New Zealand and decided to forego planting it in yet another place, despite centuries of precedent linking Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Regardless of the reason, one taste of Felton Road's 2016 Chardonnay should be enough to convince even the most skeptical that this lack of Chardonnay in Otago has been a major oversight. And one that should be rectified in short order.

The world needs more Central Otago Chardonnay, especially if it bears resemblance to these wines, which will be released in the USA in the coming months.

2016 Felton Road Chardonnay, Bannockburn, Central Otago, New Zealand Palest gold in the glass, this wine smells of cold cream and lemon curd with a hint of toasted sourdough. In the mouth, the wine is wonderfully juicy and bright, with tangy lemon curd and green apple flavors layered over crushed stones and white flowers. Killer. Great acidity and texture. 13.5% alcohol. Score: between 9 and 9.5.

2016 Felton Road "Block 2" Chardonnay, Bannockburn, Central Otago, New Zealand Pale greenish gold in color, this wine smells of white flowers and lemon zest. In the mouth, wonderfully floral notes of white flowers mix with pomelo zest and wet chalkboard minerality that has a deep stony quality. Gorgeous acidity and phenomenally silky texture. Finely balanced and stunningly deep and pure, this is definitely the best Chardonnay I've had from New Zealand, and by far the best that this producer has ever made. 13.5% alcohol. Score: around 9.5.

Source: Why Aren't There More Central Otago Chardonnays?

Hello, and welcome to my periodic dig through the samples pile. I'm pleased to bring you the latest installment of Vinography Unboxed, where I highlight some of the better bottles that have crossed my doorstep recently.

This week included a few more new releases from Ridge Vineyards, including the inimitable Montebello Cabernet, which in the 2014 vintage, continues its reputation of one of the finest Cabernets made in America. I don't think the 2014 is quite as good as the 2013, which was spectacular, but this is a mighty fine wine, indeed. Along with the Montebello, I tasted the Ponzo Zinfandel, and the surprisingly elegant Petite Sirah from the Lytton Estate, which will delight anyone who appreciates both power and grace.

There were a bunch of Italian samples this week as well, from the likes of Viticcio, whose Chianti in particular was worth paying attention to. From farther north, I also tasted Oddero's Rocche di Castiglione Barolo, which needs some time to get out of its youthful tightness into a more relaxed state, but when it does, will be quite enjoyable.

Finally, I tasted the first vintage of a new Cabernet project named Cornell Vineyards. The first bottle I opened was disjointed and lopsided, and a second bottle proved that simply to be a faulty number. The wine is lovely, and will please any California Cabernet lover, especially those who don't like to be hit over the head with oak.

All these and more below. Enjoy.

2014 Viticcio Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy Medium to dark garnet in color, this wine smells of dried cherries and dried flowers. In the mouth, beautifully earthy flavors of cherry and sandalwood mix with a touch of dried flowers. Excellent acidity and very fine grained tannins round out a lovely package. Good length. 13.5% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $17 click to buy. 2013 Viticcio "Monile" Red Blend, Tuscany, Italy Inky garnet in color, this wine smells of cherry and wet earth. In the mouth, a muscular fist of tannins tightly grips flavors of cherry and wet earth and wet wood. Somewhat narrow and tight, this wine needs some time to come into its own. Good acidity. 14% alcohol. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $44 click to buy.

2013 Viticcio "Riserva" Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy Dark garnet in color, this wine smells of dark cherry, wood and wet earth. In the mouth notes of violets and black cherry mix with wet earth and a touch of citrus zest. Dark and brooding with that wonderful floral character shot throughout, this is an unusual and distinctive wine. Good acidity and great length. 14% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $28. click to buy.

2014 Viticcio Morellino di Scansano, Tuscany, Italy Medium to dark garnet in color, this wine smells of dark cherry fruit and cassis. In the mouth, juicy flavors of cherry and cassis have a hint of blueberry to them as tightly wound tannins grip the edges of the palate and lovely acidity makes the mouth water. Nicely balanced, with a touch of earth and citrus lingering in the finish, this wine will blossom in the coming 5 years. 14.5% alcohol Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $??

2013 Oddero "Rocche di Castiglione" Barolo, Piedmont, Italy Light brick red in color, this wine smells of wet wood, dried flowers, and dried berries. In the mouth, tightly wound, muscular tannins grip flavors of dried flowers, dried berries, leather and earth, squeezing them into a narrow expression on the palate. Orange peel citrus brightness keeps the wine lively. This wine needs 5 to 10 years at least to open up. Good length. 14% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $70. click to buy. 2014 Ridge Vineyards "Montebello" Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mountains, California Very dark garnet in color, this wine smells of cassis, coconut, and green herbs. In the mouth, gorgeously smooth flavors of cherry, cassis, and green herbs are tinged with the coconut and whiskey barrel scents of American oak. Amazingly supple, fine grained tannins and fantastic acidity make this wine, as usual, quite regal. Still a baby, this wine will reward 10+ years of cellaring. A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. 13.5% alcohol. Score: around 9.5. Cost: $190. click to buy.

2015 Ridge Vineyards "Ponzo" Zinfandel, Sonoma County, California Dark garnet in the glass, this wine smells of chocolate and blackberry pie. In the mouth, sweetish flavors of blackberry and blueberry mix with licorice and a touch of black pepper. Excellent acidity means the wine finishes without a trace of sugar on the palate, and faint tannins add backbone and complexity. There's only a tiny bit of heat that betrays the 14.9% alcohol. Contains 3% Petite Sirah. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $36. click to buy.

2015 Ridge Vineyards "Lytton Estate" Petite Sirah, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma, California Inky purple in the glass, this wine smells of struck match and cassis. In the mouth, mouthwatering and smoky flavors of blackberry, blueberry and cassis have a nice wet chalkboard mineral undertone to them, and surprisingly fine grained tannins, which gain strength by the minute and double by the sip. At a mere 13% alcohol, this wine is remarkably light on its feet. Delicious. Score: around 9. Cost: $36. click to buy.

2014 Cornell Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County, California Inky garnet in the glass, this wine smells of ripe cherry fruit and oak. In the mouth, dark black cherry fruit and oak have a rich, palate staining depth to them, with the oak strong but quite well integrated into the wine. Excellent acidity and fine grained tannins. 14.5% alcohol. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $150. click to buy.

2013 Monticello Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Oak Knoll District, Napa, California Dark garnet in color, this wine smells of ripe cherry and raisins. In the mouth, flavors of raisins, chocolate, dried cherries, and a touch of oak have a nice brightness thanks to excellent acidity, but turn slightly bitter in the finish, as muscular tannins grip the edges of the mouth and stain the teeth. I wish this were just slightly less ripe. 14.4% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $70.

Source: Vinography Unboxed: Week of October 29, 2017

The Hammer MARGAUX, FRANCE: Tools of the trade show their age at the in-house cooperage at Chateau Margaux in Bordeaux. Margaux is one of four original Premier Grand Cru classÉ wines according to the famous 1855 Bordeaux Classification. The estate is located in the commune of Margaux on the left bank of the Garonne estuary in the Médoc region, in the department of Gironde.

INSTRUCTIONS: Download this image by right-clicking on the image and selecting "save link as" or "save target as" and then select the desired location on your computer to save the image. Mac users can also just click the image to open the full size view and drag that to their desktops.

To set the image as your desktop wallpaper, Mac users should follow these instructions, while PC users should follow these.

BUY THE BOOK: This image is from a series of photographs captured by Andy Katz in the process of shooting his most recent work The Club of Nine, a visual exploration and celebration of Bordeaux's top Chateaux. The book is available for $60 on Andy's web site.

PRINTS: If you are interested in owning an archive quality, limited edition print of this image please contact Andy directly.

ABOUT VINOGRAPHY IMAGES: Vinography regularly features images by photographer Andy Katz for readers' personal use as desktop backgrounds or screen savers. We hope you enjoy them. Please respect the copyright on these images. These images are not to be reposted on any web site or blog without the express permission of the photographer.

Source: Vinography Images: The Hammer

One of the longest running wine tasting events in San Francisco is also one of its best. While the city often plays host to really huge public tastings like ZAP, Family Winemakers, and PinotDays, some of the better tastings are more intimate and focused. Both words appropriately describe PinotFest, a low-key event held every year at Farallon Restaurant.

Despite practically non-existent marketing or announcement, PinotFest quietly pulls together 60 or so top producers of West Coast Pinot Noir every year for a dedicated crowd of Pinot lovers in San Francisco. This year will be the event's 19th annual incarnation.

Attendees get nibbles from Farallon's kitchen, and access for a few hours to many hard to find Pinot Noirs that often don't appear at the larger public tastings.

This year's wineries will include:

Alma Rosa, Au Bon Climat, Big Table Farm, Bonaccorsi, Byron, Calera, Charles Heintz, Chehalem, Cobb, Costa de Oro, Cristom, Domaine Drouhin, En Route, Ernest, Etude, Failla, Fiddlehead, Flowers, Foxen, Freeman, Gary Farrell, Gloria Ferrer, Handley, Hartford Family, Hitching Post, Joseph Phelps, Keller Estate, Kendric, Kosta Browne, LaRue, Littorai, Lutum, Lynmar Estate, Marimar Estate, Melville, Merry Edwards, Morgan, Nicolas Jay, Paul Hobbs, Paul Lato, Peay, Radio Coteau, Saintsbury, Siduri, Sinor LaVallee, Soter, Talisman, Talley, Testarossa, Tendril, Thomas Fogarty, Twomey, Wayfarer, Whitcraft, WillaKenzie, and Williams Selyem.

While, at $125, this tasting may be expensive for some, it is only the price of approximately 1.5 bottles from most of these producers, and by far the least expensive way of getting a chance to taste a lot of them in one setting.

This year's event will also feature a raffle (tickets will cost you $25 each) whose proceeds will benefit the Redwood Credit Union Fire Relief Fund. Items to be raffled off include multiple magnums of Pinot Noir, special private vineyard/winery tours and tastings, Sophienwald fine stemware, and a grand prize of a 2-night stay at The Inn at Union Square which comes with a magnum of Pinot Noir and a set of Sophienwald wine glasses.

It's a great event and one that no California Pinot Noir lover should miss.

PinotFest 2017 Saturday, November 18th 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM Farallon Restaurant, 4th Floor 450 Post Street San Francisco, CA 94108

Tickets are $125 per person (a price which hasn't gone up in years and years) and can be ordered online or by calling 415-956-6969. This event will almost certainly sell out.

I recommend arriving exactly at 3:00 PM, wearing dark clothes to minimize spills, eating a hearty lunch ahead of time, and swallowing only a few wines so you can taste a lot more.

Source: 19th Annual PinotFest: November 18, San Francisco

Hello, and welcome to my periodic dig through the samples pile. I'm pleased to bring you the latest installment of Vinography Unboxed, where I highlight some of the better bottles that have crossed my doorstep recently.

This week included a few gems from Italy, starting with the very fresh Vermentino from Olianas, a label out of Sardinia. Vietti also sent along some of their latest releases, including their Barbera and Dolcetto which are among some of the best values in the wine world, in my opinion. Young now, these two wines will age beautifully for a few years, and the Barbera for more than a decade.

Closer to home, I started tasting my way through the latest Pinot releases from Big Table Farm, the little biodynamic producer in Oregon recently anointed by the New York Times as among the most impressive small labels from the Willamette Valley. The wines just keep getting better and better, and they deserve all the accolades they're getting.

There were a couple of new releases from Ridge Vineyards there as well, including the always impressive Lytton Springs bottling which, along with its cousin Geyserville, is usually one of the best red blends made in California each year. The 2014 doesn't disappoint.

Finally, we move into big shouldered territory with a few releases from Shafer Vineyards, including their very impressive 2013 Hillside Select. This wine is not always my style, massive and ripe though it is, but the 2013 is undeniably seductive, and will make those who want a big Napa Cab gaga for its ripe espresso and cherry goodness.

All these and more below. Enjoy.

2016 Olianas Vermentino, Sardinia, Italy Light gold in color, this wine smells of poached pears and wet chalkboard. In the mouth, snappy wet chalkboard minerality is shot through with pear and citrus pith brightness. Notes of lemon zest linger in the finish with a hint of bitter pear skin. Tasty and fresh. 13% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $15. click to buy.

2015 Sanford Rosé of Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Barbara, California Palest salmon pink in the glass, this wine smells of rosehips and strawberries. In the mouth, tart crabapple and green strawberry flavors have a nice zip thanks to excellent, even severe acidity. Citrus notes linger in the finish. 13% alcohol. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $22 click to buy.

2015 Big Table Farm Pinot Noir, Yamhill-Carlton District, Willamette Valley, Oregon Light to medium ruby in the glass, this wine smells of wet leaves, dried flowers, and cherry fruit. In the mouth, wonderfully bright flavors of cherry, earth, carob, and sandalwood mix with the scents of dried flowers and herbs. Faint, very powdery tannins hang back at the edges of the mouth. Excellent acidity and length. 14.3% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $48. click to buy.

2015 Big Table Farm "Sunnyside Vineyard" Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon Light to medium garnet in color, this wine smells of cranberry and cherry fruit tinged with earth. In the mouth, exceedingly silky and elegant flavors of raspberry, cherry and wet earth have a weightless quality to them that is very appealing and delicate. Excellent acidity and length with basically imperceptible tannins. 13.9% alcohol. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $48. click to buy. 2015 Vietti "Tre Vigne" Barbera d'Asti, Piedmont, Italy Medium garnet in the glass, this wine smells of mulberries and leather and dried flowers. In the mouth, intensely citrusy flavors of mulberry and cherry mix with deeper notes of leather and potting soil. Excellent acidity and faint tannins round out the package. Good length. 14% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $18 click to buy. 2015 Vietti "Tre Vigne" Dolcetto d'Alba, Piedmont, Italy Medium to dark garnet in color, this wine smells of cassis and blackberry. In the mouth, blueberry and black cherry flavors mix with leather and earth scented with dried flowers. Powdery tannins coat the mouth, but not enough to make the wine feel heavy. Excellent acidity lifts everything, lingering floral in the finish. 13.5% alcohol. Score: around 8.5 . Cost: $22. click to buy. 2015 Shafer Vineyards "TD-9" Red Blend, Napa Valley, Napa, California Dark garnet in color, this wine smells of ripe cherry and tobacco leaf and oak. In the mouth, rich, vaguely sweet and layered flavors of cherry, chocolate, plum and mocha frapuccino mix with a dollop of oak nestled in a bed of faint, velvety tannins. Decent acidity keeps the fruit fresh, and there's not much sign of the wines prodigious 15.3% alcohol. A blend of 56% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon and 16% Malbec. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $65 click to buy. 2013 Shafer Vineyards "Hillside Select" Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District, Napa, California Inky garnet in the glass, this wine smells of black cherry, dark chocolate and toasted oak. In the mouth, teeth staining black cherry and cassis flavors mix with chocolate and rich espresso notes. The wood is present but pretty nicely integrated here, and the tannins velvety, voluminous and smooth. Ripe, as this wine always is, but nicely balanced despite its 15.5% alcohol. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $299. click to buy. 2015 Ridge Vineyards "Pagani Ranch" Zinfandel, Sonoma Valley, Sonoma, California Dark garnet in color, this wine smells of freshly baked blackberry pie right out of the oven. In the mouth, tangy blackberry and blueberry flavors are utterly appealing with their mouthwatering acidity and a caramelized brown sugar finish that lingers for some time on the palate. A blend of 83% Zinfandel, 10% Alicante Bouschet and 7% Petit Sirah. High octane at 15% alcohol, but remarkably balanced and tasty. Score: around 9 . Cost: $48. click to buy. 2014 Ridge Vineyards "Lytton Springs" Red Blend, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma, California Dark garnet in color, this wine smells of ripe cherries and black plums. In the mouth, beautifully intense flavors of blackberry, black cherry, licorice, peat and sage have a mouthwatering brightness thanks to excellent acidity. Gorgeous length and depth, with a finish that sails on for minutes as faint tannins strengthen their grip on the edges of the palate. A blend of 72% Zinfandel, 16% Petite Sirah, 8% Carignane and 2% Mataro (aka Mourvedre). 14.5% alcohol. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $39. click to buy.

Source: Vinography Unboxed: Week of October 22, 2017