Official Red Wine Review and Discussion Thread
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For those that haven't drank the hell out of Bogle, they are good value when your budget is tight or you are just plain tight. I'm in the latter group.
I find Kroger's house brand Estancia wines good value. Costco's Kirkland's too.
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I find most any sangiovese grape-based wine good to excellent. From straight sangiovese to basic chianti to chianti classico to super tuscan to my fav, brunello. Had it served to me a few times. Have only ever bought a couple of times on sale for $50-60 for Christmas. Normally easily $100.
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Jumping into this convo since I live out here. To start, when I moved here in 2005, I hated all wine. Couldn't find anything that tasted "good." Now, my wife, who's originally from Napa says she has created a wine snob. As far as "favorable" weather years where you can honestly taste a difference, at least recently are 2016 and 2019. 2023, still being crafted and sitting in barrels was supposedly "one for the ages" in a good way. When it comes to weather and everything being "right" for the grapes and harvest.
I prefer big bold reds, full bodies. Chardonnay and Pinot are my least favs over the years.
St Francis https://www.stfranciswinery.com/ we've been members 14 years. Always consistent and right price. What you see on store shelves is their Classic series. Very good choices, but as most all wineries, you can order their "Artisan" or "Icon" series online only or in person. Theyre known for the Zin's, but also offer Chardonnay and Cabs. All are top notch, though not a fan of their Chard personally. Price point is 15-25 for Chard, 30-60 for Zins and Cabs 60-70. Again, very consistent and my wine rack is probably 70% of their wines. They do a bordeaux style Cab that is very nice.
In 2021, a small boutique winery opened a tasting room in Sonoma https://www.sangiacomowines.com/ and I won a free tasting on Instagram. Unbeknownst to me, their focus are Chard and Pinot! We went anyway. I'll simply say, we signed up as members that day and drink the hell out of their Chards and Pinots!! They've been growing grapes since 1924, (same family) and sold their grapes to many others. They're growing but still small enough to get very personalized service. Home ranch and Green Acres chardonnays are top notch. 4 Siblings chard is outstanding. Their Sonoma Coast Pinot is consistently their best. However, they make a "ViMaria" Pinot that is very low production and easily the best Pinot I've ever had, and a nod to their heritage of VIttorio and his wife Maria who were the original owners of what was then a pear farm. I opened their 2016 ViMaria in 2022 and it was like velvet going down!
They have also turned out some Cabernet they grow in the Oakville area of Napa Valley. I have 2 magnums of that in 2019 and one regular bottle "resting" in the rack. Not sure when I'll ever open them but I can't wait till I do! If you visit them, tell them Roger recommended them. They know me pretty well!
Oh and they are a bit pricey 50-80 for any of their bottles.
If you're a Star Wars fan, find someone that lives out here and is a member to get you into Skywalker Vineyards for a tasting. Every guest member or not, MUST sign an NDA before booking your tasting. It's crazy. TONS of Star Wars memoriabilia and Lucas owns the worlds largest collection of movie posters. Pretty cool stuff to see. Their wine is both from here and France. Outstanding and pretty decently priced overall. Chard, Rose', Cabs
Last note; try a "vertical" tasting sometime. Get 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 of the same wine, zin or cab are best to try. Then open and taste the different years. Really cool to "taste" the difference and similarities.
Otherwise, other favs;
Sequoia Grove Napa for their Cabs
Cline does great Zins
J. Lohr puts out some very nice reds and whites and if Im visiting family in GA, I'll grab some of theirs off the shelf to enjoy.
Quilt Wines (Napa) which I've found at Walmart and Kroger is a VERY NICE off the shelf red. A small splurge in price is well worth it.
Hawley Wines in Healdsburg (Russian River Valley) is also a consistent white and red.
I prefer big bold reds, full bodies. Chardonnay and Pinot are my least favs over the years.
St Francis https://www.stfranciswinery.com/ we've been members 14 years. Always consistent and right price. What you see on store shelves is their Classic series. Very good choices, but as most all wineries, you can order their "Artisan" or "Icon" series online only or in person. Theyre known for the Zin's, but also offer Chardonnay and Cabs. All are top notch, though not a fan of their Chard personally. Price point is 15-25 for Chard, 30-60 for Zins and Cabs 60-70. Again, very consistent and my wine rack is probably 70% of their wines. They do a bordeaux style Cab that is very nice.
In 2021, a small boutique winery opened a tasting room in Sonoma https://www.sangiacomowines.com/ and I won a free tasting on Instagram. Unbeknownst to me, their focus are Chard and Pinot! We went anyway. I'll simply say, we signed up as members that day and drink the hell out of their Chards and Pinots!! They've been growing grapes since 1924, (same family) and sold their grapes to many others. They're growing but still small enough to get very personalized service. Home ranch and Green Acres chardonnays are top notch. 4 Siblings chard is outstanding. Their Sonoma Coast Pinot is consistently their best. However, they make a "ViMaria" Pinot that is very low production and easily the best Pinot I've ever had, and a nod to their heritage of VIttorio and his wife Maria who were the original owners of what was then a pear farm. I opened their 2016 ViMaria in 2022 and it was like velvet going down!
They have also turned out some Cabernet they grow in the Oakville area of Napa Valley. I have 2 magnums of that in 2019 and one regular bottle "resting" in the rack. Not sure when I'll ever open them but I can't wait till I do! If you visit them, tell them Roger recommended them. They know me pretty well!
Oh and they are a bit pricey 50-80 for any of their bottles.If you're a Star Wars fan, find someone that lives out here and is a member to get you into Skywalker Vineyards for a tasting. Every guest member or not, MUST sign an NDA before booking your tasting. It's crazy. TONS of Star Wars memoriabilia and Lucas owns the worlds largest collection of movie posters. Pretty cool stuff to see. Their wine is both from here and France. Outstanding and pretty decently priced overall. Chard, Rose', Cabs
Last note; try a "vertical" tasting sometime. Get 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 of the same wine, zin or cab are best to try. Then open and taste the different years. Really cool to "taste" the difference and similarities.
Otherwise, other favs;
Sequoia Grove Napa for their Cabs
Cline does great Zins
J. Lohr puts out some very nice reds and whites and if Im visiting family in GA, I'll grab some of theirs off the shelf to enjoy.
Quilt Wines (Napa) which I've found at Walmart and Kroger is a VERY NICE off the shelf red. A small splurge in price is well worth it.
Hawley Wines in Healdsburg (Russian River Valley) is also a consistent white and red.
Jumping into this convo since I live out here. To start, when I moved here in 2005, I hated all wine. Couldn't find anything that tasted "good." Now, my wife, who's originally from Napa says she has created a wine snob. As far as "favorable" weather years where you can honestly taste a difference, at least recently are 2016 and 2019. 2023, still being crafted and sitting in barrels was supposedly "one for the ages" in a good way. When it comes to weather and everything being "right" for the grapes and harvest.
I prefer big bold reds, full bodies. Chardonnay and Pinot are my least favs over the years.
St Francis https://www.stfranciswinery.com/ we've been members 14 years. Always consistent and right price. What you see on store shelves is their Classic series. Very good choices, but as most all wineries, you can order their "Artisan" or "Icon" series online only or in person. Theyre known for the Zin's, but also offer Chardonnay and Cabs. All are top notch, though not a fan of their Chard personally. Price point is 15-25 for Chard, 30-60 for Zins and Cabs 60-70. Again, very consistent and my wine rack is probably 70% of their wines. They do a bordeaux style Cab that is very nice.
In 2021, a small boutique winery opened a tasting room in Sonoma https://www.sangiacomowines.com/ and I won a free tasting on Instagram. Unbeknownst to me, their focus are Chard and Pinot! We went anyway. I'll simply say, we signed up as members that day and drink the hell out of their Chards and Pinots!! They've been growing grapes since 1924, (same family) and sold their grapes to many others. They're growing but still small enough to get very personalized service. Home ranch and Green Acres chardonnays are top notch. 4 Siblings chard is outstanding. Their Sonoma Coast Pinot is consistently their best. However, they make a "ViMaria" Pinot that is very low production and easily the best Pinot I've ever had, and a nod to their heritage of VIttorio and his wife Maria who were the original owners of what was then a pear farm. I opened their 2016 ViMaria in 2022 and it was like velvet going down!
They have also turned out some Cabernet they grow in the Oakville area of Napa Valley. I have 2 magnums of that in 2019 and one regular bottle "resting" in the rack. Not sure when I'll ever open them but I can't wait till I do! If you visit them, tell them Roger recommended them. They know me pretty well!
If you're a Star Wars fan, find someone that lives out here and is a member to get you into Skywalker Vineyards for a tasting. Every guest member or not, MUST sign an NDA before booking your tasting. It's crazy. TONS of Star Wars memoriabilia and Lucas owns the worlds largest collection of movie posters. Pretty cool stuff to see. Their wine is both from here and France. Outstanding and pretty decently priced overall. Chard, Rose', Cabs
Last note; try a "vertical" tasting sometime. Get 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 of the same wine, zin or cab are best to try. Then open and taste the different years. Really cool to "taste" the difference and similarities.
Otherwise, other favs;
Sequoia Grove Napa for their Cabs
Cline does great Zins
J. Lohr puts out some very nice reds and whites and if Im visiting family in GA, I'll grab some of theirs off the shelf to enjoy.
Quilt Wines (Napa) which I've found at Walmart and Kroger is a VERY NICE off the shelf red. A small splurge in price is well worth it.
Hawley Wines in Healdsburg (Russian River Valley) is also a consistent white and red.
Highly recommend the Corison vertical tasting experience if they still do it. You taste same cab vineyard across decades.
