Featured Wines - October 2004

“Huggable, extroverted, and enticing,” are just a few of the adjectives penned by panel members to describe the 2003 Castillo del Baron Monastrell. A delightful, exuberant wine without a doubt, the 2003 Castillo del Baron is a tour de force in winemaking for the soon to be famous Yecla and nothing short of an explosion of fresh ripe red and black fruits, infused with a warm, earthy Mediterranean twist of herbs and spices. Reminiscent of a first r...

The classically wrought 2001 Château Sergant is deep in color and heady with the scents of cedar, crushed blackberry, and chocolate. Opulent and medium bodied, this wine exhibits a complex cache of flavors in the mouth, including fresh berries, hints of licorice, and that certain something the French call je ne sais quoi, and unequivocally that is a very good thing. Fine, supple, and supremely elegant, the 2001 Château Sergant is drinking beautif...

Rich in robe and dominated by tropical fruit aromas, the 2002 Valley of the Moon Pinot Blanc is a veritable smorgasbord of scents and plush ripe flavors. Guava, pineapple, and hints of toasted coconut dominate the bouquet and savor of this pure, fruit driven Pinot Blanc. Reflecting its roots in the deep alluvial soil and coastal climate of southern Sonoma County, the 2002 Valley of the Moon Pinot Blanc epitomizes the exuberant ripe Sonoma-style o...

A rambunctious white wine, the 1999 Turramurra Chardonnay is about as flamboyant as Chardonnay gets. It sports a deep robe that hints at maturity, but in all other respects this full throttle white exhibits youthful exuberance along with a host of exotic flavors. A rich decadent nose, redolent with lavish fruit, vanilla cream, smoke, roasted nuts, and hints of butterscotch, more than amplifies the senses. Full, exotic flavors explode in the mouth...