Williamson Wines was the top new find on our trip to Sonoma. After a few wines, co-founder Dawn Williamson joined us at the table for a lively conversation. Along with her husband Bill they provide a...
We met my brother Tom and his wife Ginger in Windsor for three days of wine-tasting and conversation. This is the overview of our three days in Sonoma County. We discovered a really good winery that...
This is Roger Nicolas’s first chardonnay and it sure is a winner. Aromas of wet slate and lemon curd lead gently to more minerality on the palate with hints of lemon and tropical fruit. A long finish...
We are long-time members of the RN Estate wine club. Today, as I was browsing the Eurocave™ I spotted this beauty on the shelf. Before I write about it, here’s some advice if you’re lucky enough to...
We’ve had this for a year or two and decided to open it for Easter dinner. Aromas of vanilla, plums, and other dark fruit. On the palate silky tannins, excellent acid balance and tons of fruit. Even...
We probably waited too long to open this. The aromas are a bit flat, featuring redwood bark and ripe Santa Rosa plums. The palate is multi-layered, opening with an explosion of juice followed by more...
Opened a bottle of RN Estate 2009 Cuvée des Trois Cépages tonight and it is terrific. Aromas of black cherries, blackberries and a hint of licorice. Long, complex palate starting with spice and...
On October 8 our very good friends at Artisan Wine Depot invited us for an exceptional tasting event. They were hosting a Heitz Cellars Vertical at Artisan. Heitz is, of course, world-renowned. They...
October 8 was a special day at Artisan Wine Depot. Heitz Cellars was pouring a vertical of their cabernets. The oldest was 1998 (!!). We’ll post a full review of this terrific event sometime...
For Labor Day we cracked open a couple of malbecs that had been in the cellar for a while. Both were from the infamous RN Estate. We’ve written extensively about Roger Nicolas and his Paso Robles...
Garagiste Southern Exposure, Solvang, February, 2016 from Norma Schroder on Vimeo. On February 11 we headed south. Our objective was the Southern Exposure edition of the California Garagistes on...
Our friends at Artisan Wine Depot invited us over for a tasting of Hall and Walt wines. We’ve written about Walt before (and consumed several bottles of their pinot noir) so we immediately accepted...
Our buddies at Artisan Wine Depot invited us to a mega-tasting December 4. Featuring 17 Burgundies and Champagnes, this event was a challenge to our palates. Rather than write an extensive review...
Almost exactly one year ago we were delighted to receive our 2011 Hawkster. We reviewed it very favorably. So last week when we received an e-mail offering the 2012 vintage, we jumped at the chance...
James and Christine invited us to Artisan Wine Depot for their second annual Rhône vs. Tablas Creek competition. We accepted eagerly. The justifiable famous Perrin et Fils represented the Rhône. The...