Yupples Rating:
91 of 100

Price Range:

In full disclosure, this wine was provided to us by the winery.  We tried not to let that fact affect the impartiality of our review, and think we have succeded.

We did not know anything about this wine, from the Gunsalus Vineyard, and after brief research found that 2007 was the first vintage from the vineyard.  We hope that there will be more.

Yupples Rating:
94 of 100

Price Range:

This was a fantastic example of what California Chardonnay is capable of. This wine is exceptionally well balanced with nice structure. It is not a hot chardonnay and not over oaked or overly buttery, yet still retains some creamy characteristics.

Yupples Rating:
90 of 100

Price Range:

This was a nice bottle of wine. We enjoyed this wine, and while it is drinking very well right now, I think it can improve even a little more with age. Overall, we would recommend this wine, which, while not blowing you away, will still be pleasing.

Yupples Rating:
86 of 100

Price Range:

This wine was ok, nothing special or exciting about it. It starts out with nice red fruit (especially cherries), but then finishes with acidity. For my taste, a little too much wood.

Yupples Rating:
80 of 100

Price Range:

This was quite a disappointing wine. Initially, we thought that if it were priced at under $11.99 we would consider buying it again, but as we continued to drink it, we disliked it more and more. There are too many other wines at that price point that would be more enjoyable. We would not recommend this wine, even at a low price point.

Yupples Rating:
92 of 100

Price Range:

While this wine embodied ripe dark fruit on the palate and to us tasted quite like a California zinfandel, we definitely enjoyed it.  It was very tasty and easy to drink.  The wine was expressive and well integrated.  I would recommend this wine for those looking for a somewhat heavy and thick wine, but with good flavor and a big, fruity character. 

Yupples Rating:
87 of 100

Price Range:

This wine was tasted in a blind tasting between a few California Cabs and some Mendoza Cabs.  This one was the hardest of the California cabs to place, but still distinctly a Napa wine.  Overall, it was a decent bottle. 

Yupples Rating:
82 of 100

Price Range:

I am glad that we only got a half-bottle of this wine.  Maybe it was still too young, as the tannins made the wine almost entirely unapproachable; or, perhaps it needed to be decanted for a few hours.  However, when the wine did open up a little bit and the tannins became more manageable, the wine lacked in body.  We could taste a bit of fruit, but it was difficult to get much out of the wine.  The wine seemed to lack body and complexity and really did not carry to many traditional pinot noir characteristics.

Yupples Rating:
80 of 100

Price Range:

A lot of big California merlots seem to be hitting the market and this is one of them.  Unfortunately, this merlot was not one that we would order again or buy in the store.

Yupples Rating:
96 of 100

Price Range:

This was an awesome merlot.  It is so nice to taste a merlot that is not trying to be a cabernet; instead this merlot was truly retaining its own unique identity and let its own characteristics shine through.  This wine was incredibly supple, round, mouth filling and smooth.  The tannins tasted ripe and full, but still soft- an excellent example of merlot’s capabilities.