North Coast Wine Tasting Notes

1998 Robert Mondavi
North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon
Score: 89.0
"Tart herbal blackberry fruit, dry, with good aromatics and expansive, tart fruit in the mouth. Moderate tannin, mouthwatering finish. "

1998 Pepi
North Coast Barbera
Score: 87.0
"Nutmeg, allspice, plum and cherry nose, full-bodied with canied plum mlavors, moderate tannin, and a long spicy finish. Forceful, angular, a big wine with some stuffing. Drink now or age another 5 years."

1988 Napa Ridge
North Coast Chardonnay
Score: 88.0
"Its funny-a lot of very expensive Chardonnays layer on the techniques to come up with a complex wine, only to produce a wine that is totally out of balance. This inexpensive Chardonnay also uses a lot of the bells and whistles (barrel fermentation, malolactic, sur lie aging, French and American Oak) but the result is a well balanced Chardonnay that displays bold varietal and oak flavors (vanilla, ripe apples) coupled with a velvety texture. Its an excellent value. "

1998 Farallon
North Coast Chardonnay
Score: 86.0
"Light and appley with a hint of vanilla, silky on the mid-palate and crisp through the long finish. A pleasant quaff at a bargain price, with firm structure to serve well with such fare as pasta alfredo, scallops, and bechamel. A natural for the restaurant environment, where it will sell for around $20. "

Venezia Nuovo Mondo
North Coast Sangiovese
Score: 83.0
"Light, supple cranberry fruit, light, dry finish with a bitter edge. Pair with pasta."

Louis M. Martini
North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon
Score: 92.0
"This wine defies the accepted 'wisdom' that single vineyard, single appellation wines are always better. This is a classic-quintessential Cabernet Sauvignon character of cassis and olive, complimented by subtle oak spice in a perfectly proportioned package, with even intensity from nose to finish. More evidence of Martinis resurgence as a major, if under-appreciated player on the California wine scene. Need we say, a bargain at the price?"

1996 Beringer Vineyards
North Coast Zinfandel
Score: 89.0
"Concentrated blackberry - black cherry and spice, firm structure, moderate tannin, excellent length. Classic and an excellent bargain."

1997 Beringer
North Coast Pinot Noir
Score: 93.0
"Served in an appropriate balloon shaped glass, Beringers '97 Pinot is a stunning wine, big, rich, yet elegant. The fruit mimics cherry pie enhanced with nuances of toast and complex forest floor flavors. Its silky smooth on the palate, with firm well-integrated tannins that promise a long life. A versatile food wine, it would be perfect with prosciutto, beef, lamb or venison. Needless to say, its a great bargain."

Bonterra Organically Grown
North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon
Score: 91.0
"Falls in the middle between the fat, rich California-sty le, and the lighter, leaner Bordeaux-style. Refusing to be emphatic, Bonterra always strikes a more subtle chord, yet this wine is undeniably complex and well-balanced, with bright cherry fruit, graham cracker and cinnamon, and a resplendant finish. Damned impressive. "