--Amador Cellars--
03, 04 Chardonnays – Didn’t take any notes. Not much there to like.
2002 Barbera - On the nose it has toasty oak and savory meaty notes. Flavors of cranberry, maraschino cherries. Has a slight ripe herb finish. Score: B, Price: $16
2005 Barbera (Barrel Sample) – Nose of red candied cherry. Flavors of vibrant red ripe cherry. Score B to B+.
2003 Syrah – Toasty tangy wild berry nose. Light and fresh red fruit flavors. Score: B, Price: $18
2003 Rapscallion (Mostly Zinfandel) – Herbal, earthy and blackberry nose. Flavors of red bright fruit. Score: B, Price: $16
2003 Zinfandel – Nose of Toast, chocolate, black berry and black plum. Flavors of plum, raisin, blackberry that leads to a long ripe finish. Score: B+/-A, Price: $16
2002 Zinfandel – Faint Port and Raisin nose. Concentrated and ripe with raisin, black berry and black cherry flavors. Long caramel and vanilla finish. Score: B+, Price: $18.
2004 Rocky Point Zinfandel (1/2 – 1% residual sugar, 16% alcohol) – It has a nose of toasted oak, rich dark chocolate and black cherry. Flavors are focused around sweet candied black cherry. A concentrated wine. Score: B, Price: $24
2004 Syrah – Very ripe fruity nose. Focused ripe cherry and black berry flavors. Score: B/B+, Price: $25
2005 Rocky Point Zinfandel (Barrel Sample) – Still very young and very primary tasting. Fresh ripe cherry nose and flavors. Score B to A-
-- Terra Rouge Winery --
Year??? – Vin Gris d’Amador – Nose had gross barnyard flavors. Did not taste.
2004 Enigma White – Sierra Foothills - Slightly floral nose with notes of vanilla hand lotion. Flavors of butterscotch with a caramel finish. Score B-/B, Price: $22
1999 Terre Rouge Noir “Grande Annee” – Nose of slight Madera notes, fruit liqueur, and a gamey meaty quality. Flavors are dry red ripe fruits. Slightly earthy. Medium Body. Score: B-/B, Price: $25
2001 Terre Rouge – Hearty nose of rare roast beef. Flavors are smooth and round with faint sweet ripe fruit. Has clear secondary characteristics. Score: B/B+, Price: $22
1999 Terra Rouge Syrah, Sentinel Oak Vineyard – Nose of leather, gamey meat, very ripe raspberry and slight blackberry notes. Earthy flavors of blackberry with smooth round tannins. Score: B+
-- Easton Winery --
2004 Sauvignon Blanc – Slight lime scent on the nose. Flavors of ripe orange, lime and lemon with a butterscotch finish. Score: B, Price: $16
2001 Barbera – Slight Madera/port characteristics on the nose with herbal notes. Flavors of sweet concentrated rich ripe fruit. Score: B, Price: $20
2001 Zinfandel – Nose of port, game and sweet dried fruit. Light fruit flavors with a short dry finish. Score: C+/B-
1998 – Estate Zinfandel – 50 year old vines. Nose has notes of red licorice, dusty earth and a bit of leather. Flavors are earthy and ripe blackberry fruit with some raisin notes. Score: B, Price: $40
2002 Late Harvest Zinfandel – Gamey sweet nose. Flavors are sugary sweet raisin with dusty earth. Score B-
2004 Muscat Petite Grains (fortified desert wine) – 16.5% Alcohol - Rich, complex stone fruit nose and flavors. Score: A
-- Vino Noceto Winery --
2004 Noceto Sangiovese (5000 Cases made) – Nose is cherry, black berry and earth. Flavors of ripe red and black fruit. Drying tannins on the finish. Medium Extraction. Score: B+, Price: $16
2004 Riserva Sangiovese – Fruity red liqueur nose. Flavors of extracted red fruit, oak and tobacco. Medium tannins. Score: B, Price: $24
2006 Rosalo Sangiovese (a rose wine) – Skunky (in a good way) and herbal nose. Sweet red fruit flavors. Score: B-/B, Price: $13
2005 Nutz’ Red Wine – Nose of Red fruit. Sweet and ripe red fruit with oak and earth notes. Score: B, Price: $10
2004 Dos Oakies Sangiovese – Prune, raisin and black fruit nose. Flavors of rich and round raisin and cherry flavors. Finishes with a tart acidity. Score: B, Price: $26
2004 OGP Zinfandel (Planted in 1860) – Rich intoxicating nose of vanilla and black fruit. On the palate there is sweet black fruit, rich prune, white pepper and vanilla. A smooth and well-extracted wine. Who knows how many of the vines actually date to 1860 but this is textbook old vine foothill zin. Score: A, Price: $28.
2003 Mistura - 180° Selection – (blend of Portuguese and Meridional varities including Alvarelhao) – On the nose it has bright candied black berry fruit. Seems old world in exotic flavors but has new world layers of sweet ripe candied fruit. Score: B/B+, Price: $28
2006 Frivolo (Sweet, spritzy dessert wine) – Bright and sweet mandarin orange nose and flavors. Score: B+, Price: $13
--Renwood—
2003 Old Vine Zinfandel – Earthy red fruited nose. Flavors of tart red slightly raisined fruit with drying tannins. Score: B, Price: $17
2004 Fiddletown Zinfandel – Grapey and jammy ripe plum nose. Flavors of smooth slightly sweet black berry and vanilla. Score: B, Price: $25.
2003 Grandmere Zin – Jammy, prune and plum nose. Smooth and fairly light blackberry flavors. Score: B-, Price: $35
2003 Grandpere Zin – Light nose with notes of raisin, port and blackberry notes. A dry light wine with ripe and raisin fruit. Lingering dried fruit aftertaste. Score: B, Price: $40
--Amador Foothill Winery—
2002 Ferreor Zin (50 year old vines) – Red berry and plum nose. Concentrated plum and essence of blackberry flavors. Almost cough syrup in its extractedness but stays just this side of cloying. Score: A-, Price: 15
2004 Esola – Nose has a wiff of white pepper but not much else. Flavors of red fruit and white pepper with a dry tannin finish. Score: B-, Price: $17
2002 Syrah – Jammy plum and grape jelly nose. Flavors are jammy with ripe red fruit. Score: B, Price: $14
2003 Sangiovese – Has a strong concentrated blackberry nose. Earthy fruit with medium tannins. Score: B+, Price: $18
2001 Grand Reserve Sangiovese – Nose of dried herbs, cherry and red berry. Flavors of earth, red berry fruit and rhubarb with a drying tannin finish. Score: B, Price: $30.
2004 Katies Cote – (57% Syrah, 43% Grenache) – Nose of spice, cherry and toast. Flavors are of ripe and smooth fruit with a lingering fruit finish. Score: A-, Price: $18
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