AFTERNOON WINE PORN

Our RNDC/Barkley rep and good friend Lou came by with a stellar lineup as always:

Educated Guess Chardonnay Napa Valley 2007. Grade=Outstanding. I like this Chard, but it’s fairly one-dimensional. There are some nice stone fruit characters, with a hint of citrus and mineral. But it’s really just okay.

Jackson Hills Chardonnay Santa Barbara 2008. Grade=Outstanding+. Really elegant with Golden Delicious apples, creamy pears, apricots, pineapple, and toasted brioche. Medium-bodied with a soft and sultry finish. Well-made.

Educated Guess Pinot Noir Napa Carneros 2006. Grade=Outstanding. A decent effort with cherry, cola and red plum notes. Medium-bodied with soft tannins, and mild acidity.

Cherry Pie Pinot Noir Huckleberry Snodgrass 2007. Grade=Outstanding. Aptly named, this tastes of homemade cherry cobbler, with hints of toasted nuts, sassafrass, pluots and baking spices. Finishes soft and velvety. Might be a tad overpriced though.

Barossa Jack Shiraz Barossa Valley 2008. Grade=Outstanding. I remember this before as being very similar to the Layer Cake. This new version is a bit softer, more Rhone-like, though still possessing white pepper, blueberry compote and olive tapenade characters. Nice, but expensive.

Seghesio Zinfandel Cortina 2007. Grade=Amazing. A superstar single-vineyard Zin from the Sonoma masters, this gorgeous, blackberry-pie flavored seductress is rife with brambly, spicy, rich black and blue fruit aromas and flavors, a bit of earth and mineral, and some toasted oak tones. Phenomenal!

Seghesio Zinfandel Rockpile 2008. Grade=Amazing. Another out-of-this-world single-vineyard Zin, this monster has some massive cajones with dark black fruits, brambly spices and hints of black pepper. Delicious!

Educated Guess Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2007. Grade=Outstanding. Very consistent, this has become one of our favorites. Well-built, with notes of blackberry, black currant, a bit of tobacco and dusty earth, this full-bodied Cab is a great buy.

Jackson Hills Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Valley 2007. Grade=Amazing. Deep, dark and luxurious both in its aromas and flavors, there are rich tones of blackberry, black currant, plum, tobacco, cedar, mocha, espresso, tar, coffee, licorice, and spicy vanillin oak. Full-bodied and majestic, this is one for the cellar, or your next steak dinner.