WWSD: White Oak 2006 Napa Valley Syrah

Barrel tasting weekend netted me a number of really great bottle of wine at killer prices. At White Oak Winery I picked up a half case of their 2006 Napa Valley syrah for a mere $10 a bottle! That's borderline theft.

White Oak's syrah is a really nice every day wine. It is medium bodied, not to over powering, and is very drinkable with most any dinner choice.

The nose has aromas of coffee, cranberries and a hint of pepper. In the mouth I taste a lot of blackberry and pepper. Me likey. the finish is long and smooth.

If you can find this syrah I do recommend you give it a try. I think you will really enjoy it. Chances are you won't find it for $10, but you can get this online for around $25.

Enjoy!

WWSD: Soda Rock 2006 Meeks Merlot - Sonoma County

I could probably do a single line review of this merlot and it would suffice: This is the bomb!

But I'm not gonna do that to you. You took the time to come here and read about it so I might as well take the time to write something worth reading. Just remember this: the bomb!

I snatched this bottle from Soda Rock winery a few weeks ago after a tasting event and I can see why it has won an award or two. The big win for this wine was Best of Class 2012 at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

So how does it taste? Good! But let me expand on that. The nose is loaded with berry aromas mixed with a touch of earth. In the mouth this thing is a cherry bomb, but in extremely good way. The flavor is very intense but silky smooth. The finish is long and lovely. This might be one of the better bottles of merlot I've ever had. Seriously. But don't take my word for it. Go buy some and try it for yourself. You will not be disappointed.

You can find this bottle online at various outlets for around $30 or pick it up at Soda Rock's beautiful winery in Alexander Valley for $28.

Winery info here: www.sodarockwinery.com

Enjoy!

Denise's Pick: VINTJS 2009 Chalk Hill Chardonnay (Sonoma County)

Denise finally found a Trader Joe's labeled wine she likes: the 2009 VINTJS Chalk Hill chardonnay.

For those of you who don't know, VINTJS is basically a label TJ's has put on wine they purchase from negociants. (There is more to it than that, but we don't need to know all the details.) As far as the grapes are concerned, they are from the Chalk Hill AVA in Sonoma County. In order to put Chalk Hill on the label, at least 85% of the grapes used in this wine must be from the AVA. OK...enough of the technical mumbo jumbo...

For the money, this is a really good chardonnay. The nose is very aromatic featuring apple and vanilla scents. In the mouth you will taste pear, peach and vanilla flavors that finish smooth. This would be a terrific wine to have chilled on a hot summer day.

Head to your local TJ's and buy some. It's only $8.99 a bottle. That is a great deal!

Enjoy!

WWSD: Moondance Cellars 2010 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

I enjoyed a fantastic bottle of wine last night from Moondance Cellars. It was their 2010 Russian River Valley pinot. Since Moondance is quite possibly my favorite winery I will try to keep this wine review as unbiased as possible. Having gotten that out of the way...damn it that was a good pinot!

For those of you that have never heard of Moondance Cellars, you need to check them out. They make some fantastic wines. It seems everything they manage to put in a bottle comes out tasting wonderful.

This pinot has a wonderful fruit nose, and in the mouth you will taste a lot of cherry and strawberry flavors. The finish is long and smooth. This is a really fun wine to drink. I highly recommend you try it if you can.

The good folks at Moondance Cellars, and their pinot, can be found at their tasting room in Glen Ellen, CA or online at www.moondancecellars.com.

If you want to know more about tasting at Moondance check out my tasting room review here.

Enjoy!