California Wine Reviews
These are my most recent California reviews. I drank each of these California wines and this is what I think about them. My opinions about each wine are my own.
Wine reviews by: Jessyca Frederick |
Big, mouth-coating red wine featuring dark red fruits, black fruits, and a host of other savory flavors.
Tasting notes: dark red fruit, black fruit, pepper
2019 Dragonette Cellars Happy Canyon Sauvignon Blanc
Magic in a bottle. Bright, caramel, bruléed pineapple, guava, and a viscosity that coats your tongue making it all last even longer.
Tasting notes: caramel, pineapple, creme brulée, tropical fruit
2019 Story of Soil Duvarita Vineyard Pinot Noir
A complex, red-fruit forward, slightly smoky Pinot Noir that typifies the Sta. Rita Hills appellation and showcases winemaker Jessica Gasca’s love of letting the grapes shine.
Tasting notes: red fruit, smoky, smooth, cherry, cranberry
When I taste wines like this one, I’m reminded that Napa Valley wines are mostly overpriced and overhyped. It showcases Napa’s red wine grapes and terroir without breaking the bank.
Tasting notes: black fruit, graphite, chocolate, oaky, smooth tannin
2021 F. Stephen Millier Legend Series Santa Barbara Pinot Noir
For $15.99 this Pinot Noir was an impressive doppelganger for Santa Barbara’s more premium product, but the complexity and depth was missing.
Tasting notes: red fruit, earthy
Fruity and bright, light white wine that tasted a little bit hot to me (the taste of alcohol). As with most Naked Wines whites, a great price for an easy drinking wine.
Tasting notes: apple, baked pear, bright, lemon
A very subtle viognier offering typical varietal flavors like jasmine and honey, but the fruit profile was apple, not the usual stone fruits like apricot.
Tasting notes: floral, honey, apple
2021 Rick Boyer Unoaked Chardonnay
A beautiful expression of Central Coast Chardonnay which went easy on the winemaking to let the Chardonnay’s bright fruitiness shine on its own.
Tasting notes: creamy, fruity, bright
Great crowd-pleasing Bordeaux-style blend. Fruit-forward but balanced with smooth tannins, great acidity, and just a touch of vanilla from the oak.
Tasting notes: red fruit, vanilla, bright, smooth tannin
2021 “Special Club” White Wine Blend
The drier, lemony flavors of the Sauvignon Blanc sort of pushed and pulled on the fruitier, more aromatic Riesling and Chenin Blanc. Lacked expected brightness.
Tasting notes: lemon, fruity
Barrel fermented for eight months, this Chardonnay was not super oaky. Signature apple and pear flavors harmonized with a touch of creaminess.
Tasting notes: apple, pear, creamy, light oak
2018 Brander Merlot, Los Olivos District
I really enjoyed this Merlot which we paired with my spicy Turkey Chili. Flavors of dark red fruit, soft tannins, and a medium body made it quite enjoyable.
Tasting notes: red fruit, dark fruit, smooth tannin
2017 Dani Gold Cabernet Sauvignon
Easy-drinking, well-made California Cabernet Sauvignon featuring cherry, cassis, and soft tannins. Quite enjoyable.
Tasting notes: cherry, cassis, smooth tannin
2018 Courtney Benham Cabernet Sauvignon
It had all the hallmarks of a classic Napa Cab — blackberry, cassis, and pretty smooth tannins for a young wine. And it retails for $20!
Tasting notes: blackberry, cassis, smooth tannin
This red blend embodies all of the best qualities of its grapes — a bit of spice, a bit of oak, some red fruit, some black fruit, a touch of smokiness… without being a punch in the mouth.
Tasting notes: spice, oak, red fruit, black fruit, smoky
2017 Piedrasassi Sta. Rita Hills Syrah
There’s nothing subtle about a Moorman Syrah and the complex flavors of cherry, plum, and spice are what keep critics and wine lovers delighted.
Tasting notes: cherry, plum, spice
2019 Bernardus Winery Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands
A red-fruit forward Pinot Noir, well-balanced and bright but not overpowering acidity — all the things that make Pinot from Santa Lucia Highlands sought after.
Tasting notes: red fruit, bright
People who like a sweeter red wine, like a jammy Syrah, would enjoy this bottle. The sweetness was balanced with strong tannins in this full-bodied red wine.
Tasting notes: jammy, slightly sweet, red fruit, bold tannins
A subtle version of what this grape can produce, but a great introduction to it if you’re not familiar and looking for an alternative bold red wine to Cabernet Sauvignon.
Tasting notes: dark fruit, tobacco, spice, subtle
2015 Hersly Lazare Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
A true Napa Cab somewhere in the middle of its transformation from young and chewy to smooth and supple. Fruit flavors are fading faster than the tannins are integrating.
Tasting notes: spice, chocolate, dark fruit, grippy tannin
2015 Anthem Mt. Veeder Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
It’s hard not to be a fan of Anthem Winery’s transparency on their wine bottles, but what’s in the glass is always enjoyable, too.
Tasting notes: dark fruit, stewed fruit, soft tannin
Made in a popular style, this Cabernet uses conventional winemaking techniques to achieve a specific flavor profile from medium-quality fruit.
Tasting notes: spice, mocha, cherry
A somewhat complex Chardonnay from Northern California, showcasing vanilla and caramel from the oak and stone fruit on the palate.
Tasting notes: vanilla, caramel, apricot, peach
2017 COHO Headwaters Napa Valley Red Wine
Perfect medium-bodied, Bordeaux-style red wine to enjoy with any food not requiring a high-acid companion.
Tasting notes: red fruit, cherry, blackberry
2020 Barden Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills
A beautifully-made Pinot Noir from Sta. Rita Hills featuring organic fruit from top vineyards in the region: La Encantada, Sanford & Benedict, and Radian.
Tasting notes: red fruit, spice, earthy, mushroom, dried herbs
Notice: I hold no formal wine credentials. I am a wine geek who has consumed 1000+ of bottles from 100+ different wine clubs and 1000s more bottles that didn’t come from those wine clubs. I do not accept payment for wine reviews, and I do not accept payments to influence my opinions. I happily accept free wine (and I buy wine).
Why read my wine reviews: Wine taste is subjective. What I like may not be what you like. I try to leave room for you to form your own opinions, so I don’t provide a score or a rating. I do point out wines that are an incredible value or truly not worth the money. I note flaws, wines that don’t have typicity (because this matters if you are buying wine without having tasted it yourself), when wines are out of balance, and when wines lack appropriate body.
I don’t like wasting money (or anything for that matter). I’m careful about where I spend my money and my mindset as a reviewer is to be careful about where you spend yours. I don’t believe a high price tag equals quality and I know for sure there are wines of very good quality that are also a great value.
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