1996 Ridge, Syrah, Lytton Estate

Dark. Aromas of raspberry and strawberry on the nose. Slightly overripe raspberry and strawberry fruit flavors, high acid, large amounts of softer tannins, long fruity, hot finish. This wine still has lots of tannins, but I am not sure it is getting any better. The fruit tastes overripe and it has a hot finish. The label says the alcohol is 14.2%. It is 95% Syrah and 5% Viognier. Not rated.

1988 Ridge, Petite Sirah, York Creek, Devils Hill

Dark. Tight nose with a little raspberry aromas. Raspberry flavors, moderate acid, still hard tannins, and a long finish. Rather modest fruit flavors. My rating 82.

2002 Savannah Chanelle, Pinot Noir, Laetitia Vineyard, Arroyo Grande Valley

Medium dark garnet. Red and black cherry aromas on the nose. Big red cherry forward fruit, high acid, soft tannins, and long fruity finish. This is a good Pinot with big fruit flavors and very lively acid. I think this was around $25. My rating 86.

1990 Caymus Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

Medium dark, brick colored. Cherry and chassis on the nose. Red and black cheery fruit with dusty, earthy overtones, moderate acid, soft tannins, and a long, fruity finish. This is an elegant, mature Cabernet. This bottle showed a little more complexity than the previous bottle in January. My rating 87.

2004 Loring Wine Company, Pinot Noir, Rosella’s Vineyard

Medium dark. Cherry and strawberry on the nose. Big strawberry and cherry fruit flavors, moderate acid, soft tannins, and a long fruity, slightly hot finish. This is a big Pinot, with big fruit flavors, and high alcohol (14.9%). I liked it, although the finish seemed hot at times. My rating 89.

Two 1983 Sauternes

I happen to have these two wines just days apart.

1983 Chateau Raymond-Lafon, Sauternes

Medium dark gold. apricots, peaches and honey on the nose. Apricots, pears, and honey furit flavors, surpisingly high acid, and a long fruity finish. This wine still tastes amazingly youthful, with high, lively acid. I’m guess this will continue to hold and maybe even improve slightly. My rating 89.

1983 Chateau Rieussec, Sauternes

Very dark, amber golden color. Deep aromas of apricots and honey. Apricots, pears, peaches, and honey fruit flavors, good acid, and a long fruity finish. A delicious Sauternes. This wine is not getting any better, drink up. My rating 91.

These are both very good, mature Sauternes, but the Rieussec is clearly the stand out of these two, with deep, more intense fruit flavors. On the other hand, the Raymond-Lafon seems like a young Sauternes with many years ahead of it, while the Rieussec seems fully mature.

2000 Ridge, Zinfandel, Nervo, Late Picked

Very dark color. Very ripe raspberry aromas on the nose. Overripe black raspberry flavors, moderate acid, moderate softer tannins, and a long fruity finish. This a hard wine to pair up with food. I had it with some curried chicken dish, and the fruit is so intense it held up well to the spicy curry, but at 15.7% alcohol it is not really a food wine. My rating 80.

2000 Ravens Wood, Zinfandel, Cooke Vineyard

Dark. Aromas of cherry and eucalyptus on the nose. Forward cherry fruit with mint and eucalyptus, moderate acid, soft tannins, and a long fruity finish. This is a good Zinfandel with unusual fruit flavors for a Zin. Some people may not like the eucalyptus on this wine, but I think it makes it more interesting. It is very fruity, without being overripe, which makes it a good food wine. My rating 88.

1983 Chateau Suduiraut, Sauternes

These tasting notes are from a half bottle. Dark golden color. Aromas of apricots and wood on the nose. Rich flavors of apricots, carmel, and pears, moderate acid, and long apricot finish. This Sauternes is beginning to lose its sweetness, at least in this half bottle size, although it is aging very gracefully, with big complex fruit flavors. To my taste it seems much bigger and more appealing now then when it was younger. I had a full case of half bottles, but it is almost gone now. I appear to have one more half-bottle left. My rating 88.

1987 Ridge, Petite Sirah, York Creek, Devils Hill

Very dark. Raspberry and strawberry aromas on nose. Black raspberry flavors, moderate acid, still hard tannins, and a long astringent finish. Tasting notes for this bottle are similar to the other bottle I had in April. I don’t have anymore, but you have to wonder if the fruit will be gone before the tannins ever soften out in this one. Other vintages from Devils Hill have not had this problem. My rating 84.

2003 Ravens Wood, Merlot, Sonoma County

Medium dark. Cherry aromas on the nose. Nice black cherry fruit, with some smoke, moderate acid, solid structure, some hard tannins, and long fruity finish. This not your usual wimpy Merlot. It needs a few years of aging to soften out the hard tannins. People who drink Merlot because it is not tannic when young, should avoid this wine, but for everyone else this is a good value. List price $18.50. Should be discounted in the $12 to $15 range. 5600 cases produced. My rating 84.