Tag: wine

La Crema Chardonnay Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2014

I don’t like La Crema. And yet here I am on a cold winter night, wrapped in a warm blanket, supper furry UGG socks on, listening to the rain tap the window while the heater coughs up warm, if not a bit dusty, air. Oh yeah, and I’m drinking La Crema Chardonnay.

The act of drinking La Crema is, for me, a solo act — a bit like sneaking cookies after your parents go to bed. The utter butteriness, the creaminess that coats the mouth, that full-bodied, if not a bit fatty, texture on the tongue — you know you shouldn’t, and on most days you don’t. But when it’s what you’re craving…it’s what you have to have.

It’s ok, no one has to know. It’s our little secret. I won’t tell if you don’t…

(more…)

Zenaida Cellars Syrah 2014

I’m trying to plan a trip to Paso Robles. When I finally get there I know one of my first stops has to be Zenaida Cellars. They have killer Rhone-style wines — just check out their flagship red blend Fire Sign. But I think one of the main indicators of a truly stand-out Rhone-style winemaker are his or her take on the individual components: I want to know that the G, the S, and the M can stand on their own. Today I present to you the S of Zenaida Cellars — the 2014 Zenaida Cellars Syrah.

(more…)

Terra d’Oro Zinfandel 2014

On a recent visit to Amador County, my first stop was the historic Terra d’Oro. I went there honestly not knowing the significance of the place and expecting it to be the most “commercial” of my tastings that day. Luckily, I had a head start on fellow tasters that day, as I strolled into the winery at 10:30am on a Monday. I pretty much had the place to myself, which could have been awkward I suppose, if it hadn’t been for the knowledgeable staff who shared, not just wine, but stories as well.

(more…)

Scott Family Estate Russian River Pinot Noir 2014

Impulse buy. Total impulse buy. But I must say, I have good impulses. I was standing at the store with a wine in each hand debating back and forth between two Pinot Noirs. But what drew me to Scott Family Estate was its Russian River roots. Being a young wine, I knew that the freshness of the river’s soil, the bright fresh fruits, and that little something extra found in the valley would be found in the wine.

(more…)

Mer Soleil Santa Lucia Higlands Reserve Chardonnay 2014

I feel like this is a name I’ve seen around the stores for quite some time, but never actually grabbed a bottle. Maybe it’s because I’ve seen it so much, I just assumed it would be generic and unfulfilling. You’d think by now I’d learn never to assume anything when it comes to wine. Anyway, long story short, it was my partner in wine crime (who appears as a ghostly reflection if you peer into the bottle in the photo below) that picked this bottle out — kind of on a whim. Well, whim and assumptions aside, we were in for quite a treat when we popped the cork on this Mer Soliel Reseve Chardonnay.

(more…)