1996 Leoville Barton, St. Julien

Producer: Chateau Leoville Barton
Vintage: 1996
Appellation: St. Julien, Bordeaux

A beautiful wine with lots of deep, rich, dark fruit, wet stone and leather. Ruby red/purple with no visible signs of fading. It completely takes over the palate, expanding and unfolding, with a finish that seems to go on and on. Don't worry that this wine is already eleven years old as it probably has another fifteen years of life left in it. We tasted this next to the 1990 Gruard Larose, which currently does not seem to be drinking nearly as well. Do not hesitate to look for other vintages of Leoville Barton, too, because their quality to price ratio is usually unsurpassed in Bordeaux. 93 points. find it

Larkmead, 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon

Producer: Larkmead Vineyards
Wine: 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Winemaker: Andy Smith
Estimated Cost: $50

Medium body. Tons of forward, red fruits such as cherry and raspberry with a handful of blackberries thrown in for good measure. Warm and soft with lots of oak. Inviting and pleasing with a moderate finish. Should be a crowd pleaser. 88 points.

What To Drink On My Birthday?

Although I have a decent collection of nice wine, I have a hard time opening the really good stuff. No matter what the occasion I always find myself saying something like, Oh, it would be infanticide to open that one. Or I might think, I don't care if it is Thanksgiving, there were only 120 cases of this stuff imported. Other times I will look at what the wine is worth today and say to myself, No wine tastes that damn good! This wine is for selling, not for drinking. Although it pains me to do so, we decided that since Saturday was my birthday we would open up a couple of bottles of the good stuff.

We started with a beautiful chardonnay from one of the world's greatest terroirs, Batard-Montrachet. The wine was a 2001 Grand Cru from producer Bernard Morey. Although the '01 white Burgundies were for the most part overshadowed by the epic 2002 vintage, do not ignore 2001. There were some incredible wines produced in '01. While '02 generally produced rich, flamboyant wines with great fruit, the '01s I have tried have shown great structure and focus. In a blind tasting, however, I am sure I would guess the '01 B. Morey Batard-Montrachet to be an '02 due to it's richness and intensity. According to Burgundy Online, "While the white wines are in the barrels Bernard likes frequent batonnage (stirring up the lees or sediment at the bottom of the barrel to make wines thicker or “fatter”) and uses only natural yeasts." Golden in color, the wine is lush with notes of apple, pear, vanilla and lemon zest. The finish is extraordinary with creme brulee lingering on the palate for minutes. Although I do not believe this wine is available anymore, if you ever come across it I highly recommend you give it a try. 93 points.

We then moved on to one of our favorite Cabernets - Shafer Hillside Select. I have been hoarding a few bottles of the 1996 vintage, and as far as Napa Valley Cabernet goes it doesn't get much better than this. The '96 Hillside is at its pinnacle, so if you are holding onto any you will find that your patience has been rewarded. Fully mature, it has a rich bouquet of cherry reduction, cigar box, lavender, coffee and leather. Ruby red and medium bodied with firm, finely grained tannins, it feels like a top Pauillac in the mouth. Every component is so perfectly integrated that this wine is difficult to describe. The secondary flavors that come with maturation are present, but the wine has also retained its inviting array of lively red and black fruit. Lots of chocolate and espresso on the palate as well. 96 points. find this wine

Am I sad that I now have a few empty bottles of prized wine sitting in the recycling been? Not even a little bit. Both wines were drinking beautifully, and there is nothing worse than opening up what was once a great wine to find that it has passed its prime. Best of all, I was able to share the experience with my favorite tasting companion, traveling partner, dive buddy, cycling partner, confidant and best friend - my wife.

Marquis Philips, 2004 Shiraz 9

Very dark, inky purple. Lots of dark fruits, berries, raisin and vanilla. Deeply extracted. Although this wine was made with top quality fruit, it's heat and oak can be overpowering. Not a subtle wine. Certainly fun and enjoyable, though. I have had this wine on several occasions, but I found a perfect pairing for it last night - consumed from a plastic cup at the movie theater while enjoying a tub of popcorn. 88 points. find it

Trespass Vineyard, Cabernet Franc

While I was visiting Napa Valley a couple of years ago, my friend Geordie and I scheduled a day of tastings on Spring Mountain. This was much less of a commute for Geordie as he and his wife live at the top of Spring Mountain, almost directly on the Napa and Sonoma county line. I know.... I feel bad for them, too. The best tasting of the day went to Paloma Vineyards, which is owned and managed by Barb and Jim Richards. I'll write about them in a future post.

The worst tasting went to Philip Togni Vineyard where we were led around by the abrasive and arrogant Brigitta Togni, who was about as hospitable as one of Michael Vick's dogs. Before the tour and tasting each guest was interrogated by Brigitta in order to determine whether or not they were qualified to taste Togni's wines. We were also told how wonderful their wines are and that most other winemakers in the Napa Valley don't really know what they are doing. Apparently, none of us passed the interrogation because at the end of the tour we were each given a taste of their second label, Tanbark Hill - from a bottle which had been opened nine days earlier. Thanks for coming.

Overall, we had a great day. Our last tasting was at Pride Mountain Vineyards, and it was at Pride where I learned about Trespass Vineyard. I don't recommend tasting at Pride as their tasting room is more of a gift shop than a tasting room. Although their Reserve Cabernet is usually outstanding, the rest of their portfolio is good, but overpriced. They unfortunately do not even pour the Reserve Cab in their tasting room either, which is really the reason you just drove twenty-five minutes up the mountain. Thanks for coming.

The tasting room associate at Pride told me about a small, family-run winery at the base of the mountain called Trespass Vineyard, which produces about 600 cases per year of nice Cabernet Sauvignon. I called Trespass to schedule a tasting for the following day, and the owners, Donny and Dana Gallagher, were more than happy to accommodate us.

When the Gallaghers acquired their vineyard it was a small, undeveloped, five acre out lot at the end of a cul-de-sac sandwiched between Spottswoode Winery and a residential development. They immediately fell in love with the piece, and decided to fulfill their dream of starting their own label. There is no winery on the site, but the Gallaghers have built a small, stone patio in the middle of their vineyard for the purpose of hosting tastings and sharing their special property with others. The views from the base of the mountain are breathtaking, and on many evenings the Gallaghers find neighbors sitting on the patio in their vineyard enjoying a beautiful St. Helena sunset. The name Trespass is tongue-in-cheek as they happily invite others to enjoy their land.

The Gallaghers brought along a bottle of their 2002 Cabernet Franc to the tasting and offered it to us before we tasted the Cabernet Sauvignon. I immediately fell in love with this wine. I had not been very impressed with Napa Cabernet Francs up to this point, but Trespass gets it right. It is certainly not an "Old World" style Cab Franc with earthy, gamey notes and fierce tannins. On the contrary, St. Helena's warm climate and volcanic soils seem to coax all of the inviting, hedonistic characteristics of the grape to the forefront while leaving less desirable herbal properties behind. They had initially planted the Franc to blend with the Sauvignon, but realized during production that they had a "stand alone Cab Franc," and decided to bottle it separately.

I enjoyed the two vintages of Trespass Cabernet Sauvignon we tasted as well, but the Cabernet Franc is a unique and delicious wine not to be missed. I also highly recommend scheduling a tasting of Trespass with the Gallaghers if you are ever in the Napa Valley. It is an off the beaten path experience with great wine, great people, and great scenery that you won't soon forget.

Winery: Trespass Vineyard

Wine : 2002 Cabernet Franc

Winemaker: Charles Hendricks

Estimated Cost: $40 (find it)

Tasting Notes: Deep ruby/purple to the rim. Medium body and with a pretty nose. Gobs of blueberry, blackberry and Asian spice wrapped around a core of seamless, mouth filling tannins. Great, lingering finish. 93 points.

Winery: Trespass Vineyard

Wine: 2003 Cabernet Franc

Winemaker: Kirk Venge

Estimated Cost: $40 (find it)

Tasting Notes: Similar to the '02, but where the former can be popped and poured this one needs a few hours in the decanter to open up. A bit more restrained than the '02, which is typical for the vintage, this wine provides plenty of hedonistic, blue fruit and firm structure. The wine improves immensely as it sits in the glass. 91 points.

Seghesio Family Vineyard: Big Wines, Big Value

Since our first child was about six months old my wife and I have been going out at least once a week for date night. Sometimes we go to the movies, sometimes (rarely) we'll go to the gym, but usually we'll go to a nice restaurant. Last night was date night, and we had a great bottle of wine with dinner. In fact, it was really great, and I was going to write about it today until I realized that it is Independence Day. The wine we had last night was a '96 Bordeaux, and no red blooded American writes about French wine on the Fourth of July. That would be akin to treason, no? I mean, if I were to write about French wine on Independence Day I might as well start wire tapping U.S. citizens and outing CIA agents!

Sorry folks, that ain't me. I'm a patriot, and it's U.S. wine your going to read about in this post, whether you like it or not. Actually, I do think you will like it, or I would not waste my time writing about it. The varietal, Zinfandel, is considered to be indigenous to the U.S., and is rarely grown outside of California. I love a good Zin for its attractive, fruit driven nature, which begs to be enjoyed sooner than later. Most winemakers working with Zinfandel are able to create ripe, round, rich, jammy wines, and are not hesitant about allowing the alcohol to rise above 15 or 16 percent. The wines tend to be bold, powerful and delicious, yet for the most part short lived due to their low acid and moderate tannins. Another interesting tidbit about Zin is that they are usually head pruned (as in the image to the left), which gives each Zinfandel vine an aura of individuality.

Not as highly sought after as Cabernet or other noble grapes, many Zinfandels are a tremendous value. There are several boutique producers whose Zins are nothing short of stunning, however, when I reach for a Zin it is usually because it is a great food wine. It pairs well with anything from burgers and brats to pasta or filet mignon. One of my "go to" Zins has always been Seghesio because even their entry level wine is usually very enjoyable, and representative of the varietal. Many red wines at this price point are so manipulated and blended with other varietals that they show no varietal typicity whatsoever. The Seghesios have been producing wine in Sonoma County since 1895, and the winery is still a family owned operation today.

I tasted two Seghesio Zins today, and neither disappointed. The first was the 2005 Sonoma County Zinfandel, which can be found for about $16 a bottle, and the second was the 2005 Home Ranch Zinfandel, which can be found for about $32 a bottle. I preferred the Home Ranch Zin as it provided a broader, more sophisticated aroma, flavor profile and mouthfeel, but the Sonoma Zin was a close second.

Visually they are almost identical, with the Home Ranch being ever so slightly darker at the core. The nose on the Home Ranch is distinctly more attractive with notes of dark fruit and earth, where the Sonoma is very light and peppery. The Sonoma Zin is also lighter and brighter on the palate, leaning more toward red fruits, vanilla and pepper. It has a medium body, and it finishes nicely, although somewhat short. The Home Ranch is more complex and offers some dark fruits and earthy notes with well integrated oak and pepper. It is also richer, has more weight and a longer finish than the Sonoma. However, if I were going to purchase one or the other I would choose the Sonoma because it is such a good value. Seghesio produces approximately 30,000 cases of wine per year, so either of these wines can be found at better area wine shops.