Jess Jackson Would Have Been Proud 2006 Zinfandel Vintner's Reserve

Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve 2006 Zinfandel, $12.00, 89 points, is as good as it gets at this price point for a very good Zinfandel wine, though not a typical Zin at this stage of its life, but with a beautiful dark ruby-red color and an aroma of cinnamon spice and just a hint of peppermint candy-cane, with a very smooth, but not lush feel, and a delicious flavor, but only a fair finish, this wine still "rocks" as a "red table wine" or as a standalone sipper.
I paired it with a Gruyere cheese and hot sopresata pizza.

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Edna Valley Paragon Vineyard Res. 2007 Chardonnay

Edna Valley Paragon Vineyard Reserve 2007 Chardonnay, 
$23.79-$27.99, 87 points, begins as a remarkable mirror image to the Hess SU'SKOL 2008 Chardonnay ( Hess-Suskol2008-chardonnay ), the aroma adds a bit of "burnt-butterscotch", the texture is good, but not as smooth, the finish too was similar, but the key to this wine is a sour hint. I was a bit disappointed, being that it was a wine hard to find and expensive; the Hess is a much better bargain, in my humble opinion.






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Chateau Ste Michelle Columbia Valley 2007 Syrah

Chateau Ste Michelle Columbia Valley 2007 Syrah, $8.49-$11.99, 86 points, is what it is: an entry-level Syrah, rich and heavy (Blackberry syrup), dense purple color, pungent grape and clove aroma, with early palate sweet "kerosene"  and late palate hints of espresso and mocha.
The finish is spicy and fair.
This Syrah paired well with steak-tips in an American cheese sauce, and paired very well with dark chocolate.

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Hess SU'SKOL 2008 Chardonnay

Hess SU'SKOL 2008 Chardonnay, $16.99-$24.99, 90 points, is a clean Chardonnay, from the Sauvignon Blanc-like color (Light Lemon-Lime), to its cool aroma of lemon-grass, warming to a soft oaky grape; these aromas carry-over to the palate, with silky smooth citrus and vanilla, finishing long with hints of ginger-spice.
This is a nice wine, and at the lower prices, is a great deal too; Chardonnays like this explain why I'm falling in love with some of these Chardonnay wines.

 
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Louis Latour Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Controlee

Louis Latour Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Controlee, $38.24-$44.99, 92 points, has a lovely Champagne color, and early cold aromas of tangerine, lemon zest, and lime. Very crisp and delicious cold, and as it warmed this wine became ever-so creamy and smooth, but very little in the way of Californian "buttery" Chardonnays.
There was a mineral ginger finish that lingered long and pleasant. 
Paired well with fried jumbo sea scallops. 
I think those who like Big California Chardonnay will find the elegance of this wine too light, too thin, and possibly unbalanced, but I enjoyed this wine very much, but Chablis is one of my favorite White Wines, and I think the Montrachet is a close cousin. However, the price is definitely a problem, and I think this wine will only appeal to a relative few.

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"Gnarly" Is Not A Word From Fast Times At Ridgemont High

Gnarly Head Lodi Old Vine 2009 Zinfandel, $9.35-$12.99, 86+ points, is, to me, the most recommended wine. Three times this week alone, someone was buying and recommending this wine to me. One man commented that Gnarly did not have much of a finish, but otherwise a rewarding wine. Another person said that the price made this wine their Zin of choice, and yet another said it just tasted good and the price was right.
So finally I've tried this wine, and especially for the woman at the NHLS Coliseum avenue, this review is for you (You know who you are).
The color is cranberry to crimson, and the aroma is fresh-crushed grapes. The texture is early palate rich, the flavor is early palate sweet (Too sweet for me), where cherry, licorice, and grape dominate. The B&W pepper finish is longer than expected, but only moderately so.
Gnarly paired okay with Gruyere cheese melted on Focaccia (Should have been a Chardonnay), but excelled with dark raspberry chocolate. QPR is definitely very good, and I can see why so many wine-lovers choose this wine, and for under ten-bucks, what a deal.

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Ridge Wines And Consistency 2007 Lytton Springs Through The Lens

Ridge Lytton Springs 2007 Red Wine 71% Zinfandel, (22% Petite Sirah, 7% Carignane) $29.74-$34.99, 92 points, is amazingly constant and consistent within the family of Ridge Dry Creek Valley wines, having an aroma of memories, aromas of autumn earth and wood, of fresh baked sweet spiced pie, of grape jelly, BlackBerry, and a hint of cigar.
Early palate lush to mid-palate tame-tannins, and a finish long and filled with wonderful flavors of licorice, plum, black and cayenne pepper. When I said "sweet" that sweetness is carried over and on the tip of my tongue enticing and appealing to the sweet-tooth I have, but with the near perfect balance of this wine, that sweetness is almost subconscious.
As with the previous wine (Toad Hollow), this one too is dark magenta in color, but the similarity ends there. The Ridge is twice the money, but three-times the wine. These kinds of judgments are "hard", but everyone has their opinions, and mine can be quite strong; here, I'd rather have this Ridge twice in one week than the other every night, but if I'm having a barbecue and friends over, then I'm going to be a "Toad".





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