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Welcome to the wine notes page. The idea here is very simple. We have over 5000 ratings in our wine tasting database that we'd like to share with anyone who might find these opinions useful. The number of ratings grows weekly.

Our primary focus is on the wineries of the Sacramento region. We spend our time tasting in Lodi, Amador County, El Dorado County, the valley and the Gold Country. Of course, we attend the weekly tastings at BevMo as well, so we get a good selection of California and world-wide wines in our database as well.

Below you'll find a list of our 20 most recent ratings. But to search the whole database for what you're looking for please visit the search page. We have a total of 5021 wines in our database currently.

WinerySpecial DesignationVintageVarietalRatingDateTastedNotesBuy Again?
Trader JoesPlatinum Reserve, Paso Robles, Lot #1182025Zinfandel9010/16/2026Black raspberry, cocoa, black cherry, honeysuckle, white pepper and pomegranate molasses. The palate is almost off dry. It has med+ tannins and body. The flavors, though intense, are a bit on the single note side. It has pleasantly high acid keeping the fruity sweetness at bay. And for the finish it is long. No matter whether you are drinking Cab, Pinot, Grenache or Zin -- Paso always has its own take on these wines. They always stand out from the rest of the west coast. This Zin is a different animal from Lodi, Amador or Sonoma. And it is a great Zin to check out just to experience the difference.y
Covale CellarsQuintessence Vineyard, Red Mountain2023Merlot9810/15/2026Raspberry, blueberry, boysenberry, cinnamon, cloves, cedar, oak, freesia flower, brioche and cream. The palate has high acid, balancing nicely with the concentrated, intense fruit. But the flavors and firm tannins are laced with cream cheese frosting, berries and game. The finish is intense, long and a pure pleasure to contemplate/savour. This merlot has such a great fruit forward character, complete with red and black fruits ? bright and dark. This is one to buy and lay down. It has all the structural components to hold for decades. With a wine like this that is highly drinkable now, it is only going to get better as bottle age character starts to set in.y
Trader JoesGrand Reserve, Carneros, Lot #202025Chardonnay9210/15/2026The nose has pear, green apple, honeydew melon, coconut, sweet hay, fig, caramel, toast, wet stone and apricot. Reminds us of a pina colada. The palate is amazing with high acid, great mineral balance, med+ intensity and concentration. The finish is med long. With that said, the palate has full coverage of flavors and beautiful balance. Another standout from TJs. For a modest price, this wine has a lot of bang!y
Trader JoesPlatinum Reserve, Carneros, Lot #792024Pinot Noir9310/15/2026Raspberry, black cherry, strawberry, tart pomegranate, honeysuckle and wet soil. The palate has high acid, med+ body, concentration and intensity. And this thing has a very lush finish with mouth filling fruit. Another big hit for TJs. If you want a great pinot for $15 that has a lovely berry-full nose and palate, and is every easy drinking, this is a great wine for you.y
Trader JoesDiamond Reserve, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France, Lot #122023Bordeaux, Pauillac9210/15/2026Wow . . . this is a really pleasurable wine and stands above the last few Bordeaux releases. It is a rich, intense and full of lovely scents and flavors. Start with the nose: dark berries, cocoa, black currant, cinnamon, clove, cedar, anise, bramble leaves and black pepper. The nose has medium intensity. The palate has med+ concentration of red and black fruits, medium intensity and body. The acidity is high. The tannins are med+ and plush. The finish lasts a good 20 seconds. It is a very pretty mouthful of wine. All in all, this is great wine for $20 bucks. And it you are just getting into Bordeaux, this is a really great place to start. y
Covale CellarsQuintessence Vineyard, Red Mountain2023Cabernet Franc9610/14/2026Start here: let this open for a while. It is young and needs air. And then it will really open up. We are getting black cherry galore, black plum and fig jam for starters. Then there is cocoa, leather and mint. After an hour we get blueberry, vanilla, baking spices and tart pomegranate. Wow. What a journey. This has tannins through the roof, but they taste like cocoa on your teeth. The acidity is high, the intensity and concentration are full. The finish is very long, punctuated with black cherry kirsch and cocoa. It is a chewy monster. Again, this needs time to breathe. This is the ultimate after dinner sipper that will wow the wine aficionados and really surprise the Somms.y
Covale CellarsQuintessence Vineyard, Red Mountain2023Cabernet Sauvignon9710/13/2026A big nose that jumps out of the glass at you. We get blackberry, Bada-Bing cherry, black plum, anise, coffee, leather, cocoa, red licorice, watercress greens, mushroom, butterscotch, toasty oak, nutmeg, coriander seed and black pepper. And if that?s not enough, the palate is pretty much ?FULL? everything. All of the notes we got on the nose are here on the palate with full intensity and concentration that create a chewy texture and a finish that goes a long way. High acidity and med+ cocoa/cola tannins make for a very nice balance. This is a unique cab that bucks most Cabernet trends in a wonderful way. And it really would like to stand alone as a lone-sipper, but BBQ?d red meats would be a great combination.y
JaineSolaksen Vineyard Columbia Valley2023Chardonnay9810/10/2026 y
Long ShadowsSaggi Super Tuscan2022Cabernet/Syrah9310/10/2026 y
Long ShadowsPedestal2021Merlot9410/10/202682% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdoty
Long ShadowsPedestal2021Merlot9410/10/202682% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdoty
Long ShadowsPirouette Bordeaux Blend2022Blend (Red Table Wine)9610/10/2026 y
Long ShadowsFeather2022Cabernet Sauvignon9710/10/2026 y
Long ShadowsChester-Kidder2021Cabernet/Syrah9410/10/2026 y
Long ShadowsSequel2021Syrah9510/10/2026 y
MatthewsReserve Cuvee2022Blend (Red Table Wine)9310/10/202661% Merlot, 18% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdoty
MatthewsRed Mountain2022Cabernet Franc9510/10/202686% Cab Franc, 14% Cabernet Sauvignony
MatthewsReserve Claret2022Claret9710/10/2026 y
MatthewsHorse Heaven Hills2022Merlot9510/10/2026 y
TenorColumbia Crest2022Grenache9610/10/2026 y
        
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