THE WILDER SIDE OF CALIFORNIA
Doug Wilder, Issue 50

This is a milestone issue for The Wilder Side of California. I am proud of the progress we have made since this column started in March of 2005. Vinfolio has consistently presented the best new California wines, along with our professional opinions, before you read about them anywhere else. It isn't a simple thing to break into this list. Many wines will never be written about, while others that meet our strict criteria of recommendation (scoring 90 points or higher) are brought to your attention as soon as possible.

If you have been with us for very long, you have experienced the premiere of some remarkable wines: Scholium Project, Blackbird Vineyards, Dierberg Estate, Favia, Star Lane, Piedrasassi, Auteur, Martin Estate, Buccella, Derbes, Bugay, Luce Abbey, Maldonado, and most recently, Scarecrow.

California is an incubator of some of the most spectacular talent in the wine industry, and it shows no sign of slowing down. As I gear up for the next fifty columns, I wanted to look back in the archive and remind our members of the great wines still available.

2003 Favia - Red Cerro Sur, Napa Valley; Vinfolio rating: 98 points
The nose reminds me of forest floor; primitive, cool earth, with whiffs of spicy bay leaf and espresso. The palate shows incredible concentration with a velvety mouth-feel that is stunningly delicious. Layer upon layer of viscous chocolate, violet, sandalwood, and coffee are heaped on your tongue.

2002 Revana Family - Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley; Vinfolio rating: 96 points
The nose is chock full of roasted black fruits, anise and mineral. Slight hints of beeswax enhance the silky, exotic impression on the nose with an ultra-smooth mouth feel of concentrated blackberry, cassis, and a long, sweet finish complemented by excellent acidity.

2002 Showket - Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville; Vinfolio rating: 96 points
The nose is saturated with incredibly rich chocolate brownie, violet, lavender, and flinty mineral. On the palate, there is dizzying complexity to the creamy dark black fruits. This wine is dense with long, smooth tannins.

2002 Kamen - Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County; Vinfolio rating: 95 points
Supple and smooth throughout with medium to high acidity. Aromas of currant, minty plum, and chocolate.

2002 Chanticleer - Cabernet Sauvignon , Napa Valley; Vinfolio rating: 94 points
The 2002 Chanticleer is dark garnet in color with a radiant nose of dark cherry, chocolate and blueberry, followed by a palate brimming with sophisticated velvet-like smoothness, dark chocolate, spice and licorice. Gains complexity with air.

2002 Diamond Terrace - Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain District; Vinfolio rating: 94 points
Dark purple/black in color, lush, polished and concentrated, it displays gobs of blackberry, currant and mocha in the nose with seductive hints of powdered licorice. On the palate, wild anise and rich black plum/fig with touches of herb introduce the flavors of smooth creamy blackberry and smoky rich black stone fruit.

2002 Match - Cabernet Sauvignon Butterdragon Hill, Napa Valley; Vinfolio rating: 94 points
The nose, initially reticent and tightly wound, developed a powerful vortex of dark fruits, chocolate, and violets. There are pleasant levels of toasty oak and saturated plum and blackberry on the palate. The finish is soft and beautiful.

2002 Craig, Robert - Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder, Napa Valley; Vinfolio rating: 94 points
Concentrated and dense in the nose with a thick mantle of violet and cedar aromas merging seamlessly with flavors of lush cassis and black plum. A bit of brushy cedar adds to the full character of this winner.

2003 Arnot-Roberts - Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard; Vinfolio rating: 93 points
The wine shows the classically structured nose with deep aromas of appealing black fruits and blueberries. The palate offers flavors of pure cherry, currant, and anise. Overall the wine exudes a vibrant texture and firm tannins.

2003 Barbour - Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley; Vinfolio rating: 93 points
The nose shows rich shadings of nectarine, currant, and spicy chocolate mole. The palate is rich and smooth with roasted currant, chocolate, and anise pod.

2002 Bugay - Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Valley; Vinfolio rating: 93 points
The nose is quite dense at first, but with time it fleshes out to show some alluring, aromatic Asian spices with a spray of sea salt and mocha. The lush smoothness on the palate is evident early with a solid profile of chocolate and black fruit merging into the long finish. It develops flavors of bright red cherry and pomegranate with an hour of air.

2002 Cornerstone - Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain, Napa Valley; Vinfolio rating: 93 points
Deep, rich and very polished aromas followed by lush blackberry, focusing mineral, nectarine skin, plum and licorice on the palate.

2003 Anthony, John - Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley; Vinfolio rating: 93 points
The polished and pleasant nose consists of cinnamon, clove, black fruits, and briary cherry. The mouth-feel is equally lush with bright cranberry, lush, sticky blackberry, and spicy cherry.

2003 Melka, Philippe - Cabernet Sauvignon CJ, Napa Valley: 93 points
The nose offers up creamy vanilla and dark cherry with hints of violet and herbs. The palate has excellent structure, black cherry, dark currants and blackberry building to a smooth concentrated experience.

2001 Togni, Philip - Cabernet Sauvignon Tanbark Hill Vineyard, Napa Valley; Vinfolio rating: 93 points
Tanbark is dark purple in color, with aromas of cassis, cedar, black fruits, and a whiff of cocoa. The flavor profile matches the overall concentration of the Cabernet Sauvignon Estate, yet can be enjoyed a bit sooner due to the ripe cassis, cherry, and blackberry flavors. Well integrated tannins, however, make graceful aging possible as well.

2003 Amizetta - Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley; Vinfolio rating: 92 points
There is a forward, lush sweetness in the nose focused on black berries, currant and spicy black cherry. The palate is smooth with well integrated sweet oak, black cherry, berry and unobtrusive tannins.

2002 Husic - Cabernet Sauvignon Dos Palmas Vineyard, Napa Valley; Vinfolio rating: 92 points
The wine takes on a supple, smooth dimension showing exotic multi-scented perfume of spices and cherry, followed by flavors of white chocolate, black and red raspberry, and pomegranate.

2002 Oriel - Midnight Rambler, Napa Valley; Vinfolio rating: 92 points
The nose offers plenty of gooey blackberry extract, with deeply concentrated violets. On the palate, flavors of spicy sandalwood, blackberry, currant and polished oak tannins prevail.

2002 Rocca Family - Cabernet Sauvignon Yountville, Napa Valley; Vinfolio rating: 92 points
The nose is full of powdered cocoa, rich espresso, black fruit, boysenberry and cherry. On the finish, spice box and cinnamon are apparent.

2002 Ladera - Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley; Vinfolio rating: 91 points
The nose is rich and loamy with aromas of cherry and spicy plums. The palate fills with flavors of bing cherry, chocolate, finishing with blackberry and soft, manageable tannins...

2004 Scholium Project - BABYLON Tenbrink Vineyards, Napa Valley; Vinfolio rating: 94 points
Crude-oil black, intense, deep, briary raspberry nose with licorice, tar and roasted lemon peels. It is viscous and weighty on the front of the tongue, with vibrant purity, substantial tannins and grip. The wine is massive in every way--no subtlety.

2003 Carver Sutro - Petite Sirah Palisades Vineyard, Napa Valley; Vinfolio rating: 93 points
The wine is a deep clear purple in color with the unmistakable nose of earthy black cherry and smooth, spicy black fruits. It has great structure and will age well. There is substantial tannin masking the dense underlying fruit. Be patient as this wine will continue to evolve.

2003 Derbes - Pinot Noir Russian River Valley; Vinfolio rating: 95 points
The nose bursts with gorgeous aromatics of orange-scented spice box, dense cherry and tar. The mouthfeel is seamlessly smooth with a fat richness on the mid-palate continuing with mineral and smoky cherry. This is beautifully balanced wine with a long finish.

2002 Arcadian - Pinot Noir Dierberg Vineyard, Santa Ynez Valley; Vinfolio rating: 94 points
One whiff of the wine is all you need to be captivated; the perfume is indescribably exotic, the closest would be rose petals spritzed with the barest trace of honey leading into a bottomless core of sweet cherry and bright cranberry. The concentration is notable in this wine as it pulls everything together seamlessly with tremendous length to the juicy pomegranate and dark cherry finish.

2003 Foxen - Pinot Noir Bien Nacido Vineyard Block Eight, Santa Ynez Valley; Vinfolio rating: 94 points
The first thing to notice about the wine is the rich shadings of fruit in the nose evoking dark cherry, raspberry, blue plum, licorice and earth. On the palate it has a supple, creamy characteristic to its excellent concentration. All of the aromatic qualities are found in the flavors as well.

2003 Ancien - Pinot Noir Russian River Valley; Vinfolio rating: 93 points
I can smell the fragrant sassafras bark two feet away. The compelling aromas are supported by copious black cherry and hints of sweet herbs. With time in the glass, seamless elegance takes over. It is beautifully balanced. Where is the duck confit?

2003 Auteur - Pinot Noir Momtasi Vineyard, Oregon; Vinfolio rating: 93 points
The Momtasi Vineyard is planted primarily to Dijon 115 resulting in a wine that is seductively smooth and richly sweet on the nose. Blueberry, plum extract, spicy chocolate, and sandalwood on the palate. Very approachable, with a distinctive, black raspberry finish.

2002 Donum Estate - Pinot Noir Carneros, Carneros; Vinfolio rating: 93 points
The nose is an enticing combination of earthy chanterelle, sandalwood, cherry, raspberry and cinnamon. On the palate I find elegance and length to the soft shadings of cherry, chocolate and raspberry.

2004 Hirsch - Pinot Noir Estate, Sonoma Coast; Vinfolio rating: 93 points
The nose shows an extracted boldness with lapsang and cherry aromas, backed up by hints of flinty mineral. The flavors merge beautifully with the nose showing focused smoky cherry, blue plum, and orange peel.

2004 Lucia - Pinot Noir Garys' Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands; Vinfolio rating: 92 points
The wine possesses an expressive nose of red cherry, violet, and spice. The palate shows nicely integrated flavors of black cherry, earth, and mineral with supple tannins.

2004 Roessler - Pinot Noir Savoy Vineyard, Mendocino, Anderson Valley; Vinfolio rating: 92 points
Blue Jay has a brilliant dark ruby color and an exceptional nose of creamy, soft black cherry and bright, spicy red fruits. The mouth entry is velvety soft leading to a mid-palate of creamy cherry and crispy cranberry flavors.

2003 Black Kite - Pinot Noir, Mendocino, Anderson Valley; Vinfolio rating: 91 points
Black Kite carries a particularly inviting nose of crushed red cherry, hints of spicy brush and creamy notes. On the palate, there is plenty of nicely formed fruit showing broad strokes of lush cherry and smooth spice. The wine is well balanced overall.

2003 Roessler - Pinot Noir Savoy Vineyard, Mendocino, Anderson Valley Vinfolio rating: 91 points
The nose has hints of soft, sweet soy and cherry that merges with supple and smooth black cherry and creamy red and black berries

2004 Lucia - Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands; Vinfolio rating: 90 points
A nose full of spicy black cherry and plump blackberry combined with a palate that is smooth and creamy, showing hints of mineral and earth. Nicely defined tannins keep things focused.

1999 Parador - Reserva, Napa Valley; Vinfolio rating: 97 points
Made from an unusual combination of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Tempranillo, Reaches new heights in complexity, power and finesse, showing bottomless richness, with dense aromas of currant, plum, cherry and spicy nuances. On the palate you will find ripe, smooth black cherry, currant and anise. Only 200 cases produced.

2004 Orin Swift - The Prisoner, Napa Valley; Vinfolio rating: 96 points
Succulent nectar-like fruit aromas (blueberry, nectarine, and cherry) with flavors of dark cherry, tobacco, sweet essences of boysenberry, espresso and chocolate.

2003 Elyse - Le Corbeau Hudson Vineyard, Carneros; Vinfolio rating: 94 points
90% Grenache 10% Syrah. The aromas are of lead pencil, black and blue berry nectar, creme de cassis, powdered cocoa, and smoke. Beautiful structure with flavors of smooth and polished sweet cassis, nectarine, blackberry, plum, and toast.

2002 Oakville Ranch - Field Blend, Napa Valley; Vinfolio rating: 94 points
72% Zinfandel, 17% Petite Sirah, 11% Carignane. The nose is full of dark, macerated fruits with hints of creme brulee, violets, and forest floor. Exquisite flavors of gingersnap, pure blueberry, cranberry and spice.

2001 Parador - Reserva, Napa Valley; Vinfolio rating: 94 points
Seductively rich and polished offering aromatic elements of graphite, chocolate, black berries and cassis. Preserved lemon and dusty rose sachets are hints of the Old World. Flavors are more developed than before with excellent complexity. Vanilla bean, smooth chocolate, and lush black fruits finish with dusty black and red fruits.

2002 Vinoce - Proprietary Red, Mount Veeder, Napa Valley; Vinfolio rating: 93 points
Chocolate and cherry in the nose with excellent structure. Espresso and chocolate fudge hints throughout; soft and vibrant altogether. Experience has shown these wines need some time, which makes them great for aging.

2003 Stolpman - La Croce, Santa Ynez Valley; Vinfolio rating: 92 points
The 2003 La Croce is a blend of equal parts Syrah and Sangiovese that were co-fermented, it offers up an interesting perfume of mocha, chocolate, strawberries, coffee, and berries. This intriguing blend is meant to be consumed over the next 2-3 years.

2002 Showket - Sangiovese, Oakville, Napa Valley; Vinfolio rating: 94 points
The nose shows immense richness redolent of black cherry, crunchy cranberries, mouth watering cassis, and soft fragrant plum. There is a backbone of gooey, briary and earth scents. The flavors of black cherry, dark plum and cassis show superb concentration with a silky mouth-feel and a luscious finish.

2003 Stolpman - Syrah Hilltops, Santa Ynez Valley; Vinfolio rating: 95 points
Pretty peach nose, with hints of wild berries, probably derived from the primary racking onto fresh Roussanne lees--just think about that for a moment... The nose and palate are filled with sumptuous violet, caramel, cappuccino. Powdered white pepper and sweet on the palate with smooth chocolate.

2004 Arnot-Roberts - Syrah Hudson Vineyard North Block, Napa Valley; Vinfolio rating: 94 points
A dizzying combination of aromas and flavors coalesce seamlessly. Sweet anise, pulverized cherry, blueberry, and chocolate on the nose. The palate is saturated with smoky bacon fat, dark, spicy fruit, and bittersweet chocolate.

2003 Piedrasassi - Syrah California; Vinfolio rating: 94 points
Intense boysenberry, with hints of leather, bitter chocolate with white pepper, mineral vanilla bean on the nose. The palate is built for aging with firmly defined, densely packed fruits. Smooth rounded finish with essence of preserved plum spice.

2004 Scholium Project - SCYTHIA Donati Vineyards, California; Vinfolio rating: 94 points
The wine is immediately rich and forward, with aromas of pulverized huckleberries and hints of smoke infused plum. The flavors are refreshingly pure and straightforward with a layered feel to the intense black and purple skinned stone fruits.

2004 Arnot-Roberts - Syrah Alder Springs, Mendocino; Vinfolio rating: 92 points
The aromas remind me of fragrant blossoms of jasmine and gardenia, with polished plum, currant and blueberry. The flavor profile is generously ripe, showing smoky chocolate overlying plum and blackberry.

2003 Black Bart - Syrah Stagecoach Vineyards, Napa Valley; Vinfolio rating: 91 points
This Syrah is co-fermented with about 4% Viognier, giving the wine a certain citrus blossom component along with a nose of blueberry jam and hints of smoke. The massive body of the wine shows tempting strokes of cassis and blackberry. Best to hold this wine for another few years as the tannins will smooth out by then. If you must drink sooner, decant for several hours.

2003 Parmelee-Hill - Syrah Block B, Sonoma Valley; Vinfolio rating: 91 points
Parmelee Hill is classic Syrah--an exotic nose of cloves and plum butter, with a soft, focused core of black plum and red currant on the palate.

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