Enobytes

The ’05 Sheridan Vineyard L’Orage is a blend of 65% Cabernet and 35% Cabernet Franc with aromas of dark fruit and chocolate. On the palate, it’s a slightly chunky wine with blueberries, blackberries and cassis with a medium-long, cigar box finish. I’d recommend decanting before drinking. Rating: Very Good | $42 | 14.1% ABV Find [...]

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This wine hit all the notes I’m looking for in a Cabernet franc and its a wine that deserves a little recognition. It’s extremely clean, a back to basics style that will really blow you away; forward, clean black fruit and violet flavors with a spicy, rich finish. I couldn’t get over how balanced the [...]

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Lean and mean, the 2005 Olga Raffault Chinon Les Galuches is firm without being huge and enjoyable for that trait. The fruit is restrained in a way the makes you think about it. Good enough to notice but you have to mentally dissect the flavors – why? Just enjoy the wine; it is unique and [...]

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Yes the dreaded 89. Why so many wineries despise the 89 is beyond me. It means it was almost an A (excellent) instead of just a very good. Vintages for different varieties (especially Cabernet Franc) can be quite varied in Napa – more than Sonoma (weather is a bit more consistent) but consistency in grapes [...]

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Just coming home from judging the California State Fair Home Winemaking Competition, I was reluctant about reviewing a wine from Georgia.  One thousand plus homemade wines were entered into the state fair competition so I had taken my taste buds to edge and survived and just off that regimen I grabbed this bottle from Persimmon [...]

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Gary Vaynerchuk, who runs the infamous Wine Library TV is hosting this month’s WBW and our theme is interestingly enough, French Cabernet Franc, a variety always waiting in the wings to take over the infamous Cabernet Sauvignon. Like most wine regions of France, Roman conquerors originally developed the Loire valley before Monks stepped in and [...]

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