Bruce Dunbar

8.8

The 2016 Old Vines Zinfandel from Turley is inky and loaded with dark fruit and must on the nose. It’s smooth, rich, slightly oaky with very little tannin and has a nice pop of raspberries and cherries. A great value providing access to historic vineyards and maybe a taste of some of Turley’s marquee single vineyards in the blend. — 8 days ago

Bruce Dunbar

9.2

What a great wine. This field blend from a single block of the Evangelho vineyard is made up of Mataro, Zinfandel, and Carignan among others. It’s a dusty,deep purple in the glass with dark, subtle fruit in the nose. Full of dark fruit, a bit of berry it’s incredibly smooth and full bodied with enough twinge of acidity and mild tannins to give it great structure. Excellent. — 2 months ago

Bruce Dunbar

8.8

This recently released 2020 Blend of Syrahs from historic vineyards across California is a rich purple in the glass, doesn’t open with much of a nose, a delivers a smooth, rich mouthfeel with hints of violet and a little oak. Maybe not the greatest of vintages for this wine but still an easy drinking wine and a great value at +/-$25. — 3 months ago

Bruce Dunbar

9.0

Bedrock’s first effort at making a vineyard specific Carignan from their Evangelho site was a big success in my book. Milky purple in the glass, it opens musty and dusty for a young wine with a great balance of richness and acidity. A touch of minerality too. A great food wine — felt a bit like a Barbera to me overall. Sadly this isn’t planned as an every year wine from Bedrock, just when the barrel samples warrant it and aren’t headed for the field blends Bedrock is known for — 16 days ago

Bruce Dunbar

9.1

This is a delicious complex Chablis that is vibrant despite (or perhaps due to) being released 14 years after the vintage! Golden straw colored; super fresh nose of honeysuckle and pear; melon, crisp minerality. Perhaps a touch thin compared to the other ales Lys I have tried. But great nonetheless with years to spare. — 2 months ago

Bruce Dunbar

8.9

A lovely Bordeaux blanc blend that includes wine from the oldest Semillon vines in the country at 130+ years old. It lacks the depth of previous bottlings, perhaps in part because of an early harvest for certain parts of the blend due to fire risk. Still, lots of potential. Straw colored, honeyed nose, crisp, light, lemon and mineral. — 3 months ago

Bruce Dunbar

8.7

First time having the Turley California Zinfandel Rosé. It’s big on color — a neon pink/orange — but surprisingly subdued on the nose and palate. Slight minerality, dry, hints of strawberry and rose. An interesting take on rosé. — 20 days ago

Bruce Dunbar

8.9

Another strong showing from Bedrock benefitting from the vintage’s low crop yields and drawing from the Ubaldi, Judge and Bedrock estate vineyards. Pale gold, huge aromatics that are grassy, lemony and maybe a bit of melon; big mouthfeel with a nice jolt of acidity, a hint of oak, and some nice citrus and saline flavors. — a month ago

Bruce Dunbar

8.9

Another newbie out recently from Turley. Made from “young vines” (under 50 years old I believe is the Turley definition), the wine is opaque, unctuous and mouth coating, loaded with boysenberry and kirsch. Perhaps not as complex as some of the Old Vine blends or single vineyards and running a bit hot on its 15%+ abv at the moment, this is still a great drinking, bargain of a wine. — 2 months ago

Bruce Dunbar

8.9

Couldn’t resist opening one of the newly arrived 2016 Pajès from Roagna. It opens with an earthy/clay nose and is a translucent brick red in the glass. Hints of rose, cherry, cocoa and red berries mixed with sharp, drying tannins. High potential and glad to have a benchmark while I lay a few more of these and some Vecchi Vitis down for a while. — 3 months ago