Awards & Accolades

2005 "Private Reserve" Zinfandel, Alexander Valley

• 91 pts Wine Enthusiast - April 2008

2005 Century Vines Zinfandel, Alexander Valley

• 92 pts Wine Enthusiast - April 2008

2004 Family Zinfandel, Alexander Valley

• Gold Medal  2008 SF Chronicle Wine Competition
• 87 pts Wine Enthusiast - April 2008
• Silver Medal 2006 California State Fair
• Silver Medal 2007 Zin Challenge Alameda County Fair

2004 "Private Reserve" Zinfandel, Alexander Valley

• Gold Medal 2006 Sonoma County Harvest Fair
• Silver Medal 2006 San Francisco Chronicle Tasting
• Silver Medal 2007 San Diego Wine Competition
• Silver Medal 2006 California State Fair
• 89 Points Wine Enthusiast
• 89 Points California Grapevine – Medium to medium-dark ruby; attractive, forward, intense, jammy, briary, slightly raisiny, sweet blackberry and black cherry fruit aroma with hints of dill and cocoa; medium-full to full body; rich, jammy, ripe blackberry fruit flavors with good depth and concentration; full tannin; relatively tight on the finish; lingering aftertaste.  Very drinkable now. 
  Highly recommended.
• 88 Points Wine Spectator - Ripe, zesty and distinctive in style, with wild berry, black cherry, spice and cedar aromas and juicy yet intense blackberry, roasted dill and licorice flavors that end on a rustic note.  Drink now through 2012.

2004 Century Vines Zinfandel, Alexander Valley

• Silver Medal 2006 San Diego Wine Competition
• 89 Points California Grapevine – Medium to medium-dark ruby; forward, jammy, toasty, briary, dark berry fruit aroma with hints of butterscotch and milk chocolate; full body; rich, supple, textured, ripe black raspberry and cherry fruit flavors; medium-full tannin; lingering aftertaste.  Enjoyable to drink now.  Highly recommended.

2003 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley

• Silver - 89pts - Sonoma Appellations
  
• Silver Medal 2006 San Francisco Chronicle Tasting
• Silver Medal 2006 Grand Harvest Awards
• Silver Medal 2006 San Diego Wine Competition
• 90 Points Wine Enthusiast - Made in a slightly old-fashioned way, with real tannins of the dusty, dry kind and a rich earthy, mushroomy angle to the blackberry fruit, this is a friendlier food companion than some of those opulent Cabs from “the other side of the hill.”

2005 Sangiovese, Alexander Valley

• Silver - 91pts - Best of Class Sonoma Appellations
• Silver Medal 2006 San Diego Wine Competition

2003 Family Zinfandel, Alexander Valley

• 87 Points Robert Parker the Wine Advocate
• Silver California State Fair Sunset Magazine "Our Picks Great Zins"
  Dusty white pepper and dried (but lively) cherry flavor
• California Grapevine - Medium-dark ruby; attractive, herbal, spicy, briary, toasty, black cherry and blackberry fruit aroma with notes of tobacco, black pepper, and creamy oak; full body; forward, rich, supple, jammy back fruit flavors; full tannin; hard edge on the finish; lingering aftertaste. Highly recommended. 14.7% alcohol; 4,000 cases; 100% Zinfandel; released April 2006. (Group Score: 16.1, 3/0/3; My Score: 16.5 [89/100], third place out of 17)

2003 Sausal, "Century Vines," Alexander Valley

• 96 points Connoisseurs Guide
  From very first sniff on through to its lengthy and characterful finish, this deep, exceptionally well-fined Zinfandel is both very long on handsome berry like fruit and crafted to vinuous perfection. It is among the richest and best balance of this month's entrants, and it serves as a most tasteful reminder that density, amplitude and varietal depth are attainable without resorting to barely controlled ripeness and high alcohol. Put this one on the shopping list and make the search of the market place that its brilliance has earned it.
• 87 - Points Robert Parker the Wine Advocate Silver California State Fair Sunset Magazine "Our Picks Great Zins"
  Dusty white pepper and dried (but lively) cherry flavors.
• California Grapevine - Medium to medium-dark ruby color; attractive, herbal, briary, peppery, slightly jammy, raspberry and blackberry fruit aroma,; full body; forward, moderately rich, relatively supple, spicy, jammy, black cherry and blackberry fruit flavors with good depth; medium-full to full tannin; lingering aftertaste. Very enjoyable and easy to drink now. Very highly recommended. 14.6% alcohol; 450 cases; 100% Zinfandel; released April 2006. (Group Score: 16.4 of 20 points, 4 of 10 first-place votes/2 seconds/1 third; My Score: 17 [91 of 100 points], first place out of 17)

2004 Sangiovese, Alexander Valley

• Silver Medal 2006 Los Angeles County Fair
• Silver Medal 2006 California State Fair
• Silver Medal 2006 Riverside International Wine Competition

2002 Family Zinfandel, Alexander Valley

• 87 points Connoisseurs Guide Sweet, slightly jammy, berry-like fruit is the lead player in this rounded, medium-full bodied wine, and, if never less than very ripe in character, the wine keeps its alcohol under wraps and is fairly easy on the palate. There is nothing complex about it, but it stays fruity throughout and will work well as a foil to sundry barbecued pork dishes.
• 89 points California Grapevine -- Medium-dark purplish ruby; attractive, spicy, cedary, very ripe blackberry fruit aroma with notes of cinnamon, dill, and vanilla; full body; big, forward, rich, jammy, ripe berry and brown sugar flavors; medium-full to full tannin; slightly harsh on the finish; lingering after taste. Highly recommended.

2002 "Private Reserve" Zinfandel, Alexander Valley

• 88 points California Grapevine -- Medium to medium dark ruby; forward, briary, herbal, very ripe berry and black currant aroma with a hint of coffee liqueur; full body; forward, rich, jammy, concentrated, black cheery and blackberry fruit flavors; medium-full to full tannin; lingering aftertaste. Highly recommended.

 

2001 "Private Reserve" Zinfandel, Alexander Valley

• 87 Points Wine Spectator 
  Elegantly styled, with vivid wild berry and blackberry flavors; it shows off smoky. toasty oak folding in nicely on the finish, making for a tidy package. Drink now through 2008--
  James Laube
• 89 points Connoisseurs Guide Concentrated raspberry fruitiness teams with lots of snappy acid in this ripe and lively wine, and its firm, distinctly piquant style makes for easy comparisons to good Barbera. Save it for service with tangy, red-sauced pasta recipes, and look elsewhere if big, palate-coating Zin is your aim.