Red Grapes Cabernet Sauvignon The most popular red grape around the world. Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the most age worthy wines in existence. It is also one of the most strongly structured and complex wines. It is grown successfully in many areas of the planet. Typical flavors: cherry, cassis, currant, oak, cedar, leather, tobacco, vanilla, chocolate, mint, herbs Bordeaux has long been recognized as the finest producer of Cabernet based wines, where they are typically used in blends. California has matched this quality over the last couple decades with some superb Cabernets being produced in the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. While there is some cross over in stylistic approach and results, there are trends that can be pointed out. California is a warmer climate region and will often produce riper more forward wines while Bordeaux will often tend to be a bit leaner and more terrior driven. Certainly both regions are producing outstanding cabernets, but they are not the only ones doing so. Australia is quickly catching up with both of these areas also. Chile, Argentina Italy and South Africa also produce many outstanding Cabernet based wines. Some of the Best Cabernet Sauvignons and Blends: California: Abreau, Araujo, Beringer Private Reserve, Bryant Family, Dalle Valle, Dominus, Dunn, Flora Springs Hillside Reserve, Harlan, Peter Michael Les Pavot, Chateau Montelena, Paloma, Pahlmeyer, Pride Mountain Reserve, Ridge Monte Bello, Screaming Eagle France: l'Angelus, Cheval Blanc, Clinet, Cos d'Estournel, Ducru-Beaucaillou, l'Evangile, La Fleur de Gay, Haut Brion, Lafite Rothchild, Lafleur, Legrange, Latour, Leoville-Barton, Leoville-Las Cases, Lynch Bages, Chateau Margaux, La Mission Haut Brion, Montrose, Mouton-Rothchild, Palmer, Petrus, Pichon-Langueville Baron, Pichon-Langueville-Contesse de Lalande, Le Pin Others: Highbank, San Guido Sassicaia, Some good values from California: Markham, Hess Collection, Sequoia Grove, Beaulieau Vineyard Rutherford, Fife, Meridian, Ravenswood Gregory Merlot Merlot has become very popular in the United States among the low priced wine consumers. There has been a large number of vineyards planted over to Merlot in the past decade. Typically, Merlots tend to be softer and rounder with less structure than Cabernet Sauvignon but there are a number that show excellent structure and complexity none the less. The good part is, that while many of them will produce some fairly boring wine, there are starting to be a number of high quality Merlots in the market Typical flavors: cocoa, plum, black cherry, anise, coffee, cedar Although much of the Merlot grown in the USA produces middle of the road wines, there are a number of vineyards that produce world class Merlots. In Bordeaux it is the main ingredient in wines from the Pomeral region and a major ingredient in many other Bordeaux's as well. Some of the Best Merlots and Blends: See above, combined with Cabernet Sauvignon and Blends Pinot Noir Pinot Noir is one of the most difficult and finicky grapes to cultivate successfully around the world. They tend to be less powerful and structured than varietals like Cabernet and Syrah, but they do show a beautiful balance of flavors and texture, often times showing a more tart and acidic nature than many wines. Excellent food wines. Typical flavors: cola, red cherry, raspberry, mushroom, earth, forest floor, white pepper Burgundy is the region that has shown the most success to date. In the USA, California and Oregon have had a fair amount of success. Australia and New Zealand are beginning to show some similar success but are still a few years away from showing the quantity of good wines produced Some of the Best Pinot Noirs: America: Beaux Freres, Belle Ponte, Bethel Heights, David Bruce, Cristom, Dehlinger, Etude, Gary Farrell, Flowers, Foxen, Hamacher, Kistler, Landmark, Marcassin, Mueller, Ponzi, Rochioli, St. Innocent, Saintsbury, Sanford, Siduri, Talley, Williams-Selyem, Ken Wright France: Domaine Marquis d'Angerville, J Grivot, Domaine des Contes Lafon, Domaine Leroy, Domaine de la Romanee Conti, Lafarge, Michel Gaunoux, JM Pavelot, J Germain, R Chevillon, A Michelot, S Cathiard, R Sirugue, Mugneret-Gibourg, B Amiot, JF Mugnier, G Roumier, G Barthold, H Lignier, J Truchot, B Dugat-Py, B Maume, A Rousseau, R. Groffier, V. Girardin, Coche-Dury, Meo-Camuzet, C. Serafin, Jacques Prieur, Rene Engel, Henri Gouges, Denis Mortet, Bachelet, Domaine Leflaive, Michel Colin-Deleger, Patrick Javillier, Dominique Lafon, Bertrand Ambroise, Ramonet Jadot, Frederic Esmonin, Domaine Dujac, Domaine Pierre-Morey, Sylvain Cathiard, Arnaud Ente, Hubert de Montille, Meo-Camuzet, Mongeard-Mugneret, Joseph Drouhin, Comtes de Vogue Some good values: David Bruce Central Coast, Torri Mor Oregon, Kenwood Russian River Valley, Wildhorse, Santa Barbara Winery, St Innocent Shea Vineyard, Chauffe-Eau Carneros, Napa Ridge Syrah Syrah is one of the best red wine varietals in the world, seemingly just now beginning to reach it's own, in terms of popularity in the United States. They can be produced in a number of styles from the sublimely elegant to the monster powerhouse. They are typically very dark in color, containing the darkest tooth staining character of any wine on the market. They usually have smoother finer tannins than cabernet, while the acidity varies somewhat between regions. They age remarkably well despite stylistic differences. Typical flavors: blackberry, plum, coffee, anise, chocolate, black pepper, meat, bacon fat, smoke, earth, barnyard Syrah has traditionally been a mainstay of many Rhone Valley wines in France. In this cool climate they have produced some of the finest, most complex, Syrahs in the world that show excellent structure. They tend to be a bit more acidic and less ripe than most of the Syrahs from other regions around the world. Australia has been producing Syrah, where it is known as Shiraz, for over 100 years. The style there is very forward and jammy with lush fruit. The United States has also had some recent success with Syrahs from both California and Washington. Washington tends to be a cooler climate region while California seems to have a wide range in climatic conditions that effect the styles of wine being produced. I look at California stylistically as falling somewhere between French Rhone and Australia Some of the Best Syrahs: Australia: Coriole Lloyds Reserve, d'Arenberg Dead Arm, E & E Black Pepper, Fox Creek Reserve, Greenock Creek 7 Acres, Henschke Hill of Grace, Noon Reserve, Penfolds Grange, Rosemount Balmoral, Seppelt, Tattachilla Foundation, Dutschke, Yalumba Octavius American: Alban, Andrew Murray, Araujo, Arrowood, Cayuse, Dehlinger, Edmunds St John, Failla Jordan, Jaffurs, Glen Fiona, Kathryn Kennedy, Lagier Meredith, Neyers, Ojai, Paloma, Qupe, Sean Thackery, Sine Qua Non, Swanson, Truchard, Valhalla France: Chapoutier, JL Chave, August Clape, Yves Cuilleron, Delas, Guigal, Gangloff, Paul Jaboulet-Aine, Jasmin, Jamet, Ogier, Rostaing, Tardieu-Laurent, Alain Voge Some good values: Edmund St John, Graillot Croze Hermitage, Hamel, Peter Lehman, R.H. Phillips, Qupe Central Coast, Rosemount Diamond Label, Seppelt Chalambar, Sierra Vista, Tattachilla, Wildhorse Zinfandel Zinfandel is a wine that has been distinct to California up until very recently. Though it is also produced in a number of styles, typically it has a distinct fruit character to it, that is quite vibrant and briary. Typically Zinfandel is not a wine that will age a long time but there are many examples that defy that statement. Some rare bottles have even been known to last up to 30 years and still taste wonderful, I know because I have been lucky enough to taste a couple of them! Typical flavors: cherry, raspberry, cocoa, vanilla, pepper Almost completely synonymous with California, we are beginning to see other areas of the world make an attempt at producing these. Australia and even Croatia have made attempts to produce this varietal, but at this point California is still clearly the king of Zin. Some of the Best Zinfandels: California: Biale, Carlisle, Cline, Dashe, D-Cubed, Eric Ross, Hartford, Howell Mountain, Martinelli, Outpost, Rafanelli, Ravenswood, Ridge, Rosenblum, Saddleback, Storrs, Swan, Turley Some good values: Beauleau Vineyards, Cline, Easton, Gallo, Sierra Vista Sangiovese Sangiovese is the mainstay of many Italian wines, from Tuscany to the Piedmont. It produces wines with a wide range of characteristics, from light raspberry quaffers to very serious dark brooding wines with intense complexity. Typical flavors: cherry, raspberry, cocoa, vanilla, pepper, earth, cedar Think Sangiovese, think Italian where clearly the best examples of this variety come from. California and Australia are taking a stab at this varietal currently. There are some nice wines resulting from these attempts but they are clearly very different in character from anything ever produced in Italy. The Italian Sangioveses, while having a wide range in style, tend to be cooler climate renditions that show more terrior and earth components. Both the California and Australian Sangioveses are from warmer climate regions and tend to show riper less complex characters. Yet there are a few examples from California that show very good promise for the future. Some of the Sangiovese's and Blends: California: Altamura, Ferrari-Carano, Flora Springs, La Sirena, Staglin, Swanson Italian: P. Antinori Tignanello, Felsina Berardenga CCR Rancia and Fontalloro, Fontodi CCR Vigna del Sorbo, Ornellaia, Ruffino CCR Ducale