M by Michael Mondavi, Cabernet, 2005, Atlas Peak

Michael Mondavi came in with Jordan from Empire to taste the other Mondavi line. What an honor to be tasting with an icon in the wine industry. That being said, the M by Michael Mondavi kicked ass. Deep inky in color with an earty and dark fruit nose. The taste was amazing. High acid and tannin make this a candidate for the list to compete with Shafer and Groth. This is a meat lover wine that will have you going back for more and more. The finish lasted for more than a few minutes and really personified Michael's statement that they were looking for an iron fist under a silk glove. Good value considering the price of current cult cali reds. BTW, grapes came from one of the vineyards that previously supplied Opus One.

Very Good

Oberon Sauvignon Blanc, Napa, 2006

Tropical fruit nose without too much grassiness. Clear pale straw color. Melon and cream come across the palate. Light to medium bodied with meium acid and finish. Nice reception wine, and great value for napa fruit.

Good

Chateau d'Issan (Margaux) 1999

Deep ruby color with a clean earthy and dark fruit nose.

Dry, medium bodied with high acidity and smooth tannins. Cinnamon and chocolate come faintly across the palate and have a medium finish.

Good wine.

This wine had a really healthy dose of acidity which will lend it well to many foods, partricularly steak au poivre

Chateau Lagrange, 1986

Hazy brownish garnet color, pronounced earthy nose. Medium bodied with smooth tannins and crisp acidity. Cocoa powder and more earth on the palate, with a medium to long finish.

Paired with lamb chops with good results.

Nice wine at 23 years of age. i love my job

2007 Wakefield Estate Promised Land Unwooded Chardonnay

Really fun wine. Very developed tropical fruit nose, particularly starfruit. Triggered my memory of Matua Chardonnay from New Zealand. Medium to full bodied with fruit and acid very well balenced, Good food wine with grilled scallops and will make a great deck wine.

This is a very good value wine.

Wakefield Estate Chardonnay, 2005, St Andrews Vinyard

Justin Taylor was in town to taste his family's wine. He brought a lot to taste, but I'll start on the chards because...

We tasted the 2005 St. Andrews Chardonnay and the 2007 Promised Land Unwooded Chardonnay. The two wines were the exact opposite of each other. The unwooded was loaded with tropical fruits and a little grass that reminded me of a favorite NZ Chard from Matua.

The St. Andrews, on the other hand brought me to Burgundy. The St A's was full bodied with a developed butter, vanilla and nut nose(no Malo). Wow, super long finish and layers of complexity that keep on going and going. The St Andrews would go head to head with most one hundred dollar plus white burgundies.