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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 4727 wines in our database currently.

WinerySpecial DesignationVintageVarietalRatingDateTastedNotesBuy Again?
Rush Lattin CellarsRed Mountain2023Grenache964/13/2026Raspberry, strawberry, kirsch cherry, cherry Pez, black pepper, coffee and powdery bakers cocoa. The palate is medium + body, high acid, powdery tannins, long cocoa ganache finish with ample berry notes. Intensity and concentration of flavors is impressive. Upon opening, the flavors were muted. But even a half hour later, it was firing on all cylinders and our patience was rewarded. We tried this with spicy Mexican chicken quesadillas loaded with extra sharp Tillamook cheddar and Hatch enchilada sauce. The sharp cheddar absolutely brought out the dried cocoa ganache notes. What a treat! y
Rush Lattin CellarsColumbia Valley2023Cabernet-Syrah944/11/2026Black cherry, blackberry, flourless chocolate cake, cranberry, fennel root, white pepper, blueberry, toast, clove, red plum, brown sugar, dill A long, tart berry finish, semi-soft tannins and high acid feel bright and aggressive along with nicely concentrated, balanced fruit. Give this wine a half hour to open up. It starts tight with all the flavors edgy. But oh boy! Everything smooths out, the wine wakes up! And OH does this wine ache for food ? maybe rack of lamb, spicy tandoor chicken, BBQ sauce.y
Rush Lattin CellarsColumbia Valley2025Rose of Grenache944/11/2026Lemon drop, pear, stonefruit pit, watermelon, minerality and yeast. The palate is dry with great fruit that teases that it might be sweet, but it is very dry with really nice acid that balances with the fruit. Enjoy with creamy pasta, fish tacos, seafood, Thai satay with peanut sauce or simple buttered popcorn.y
Fiddlers BluffColumbia Valley2023Cabernet Sauvignon964/10/2026Blackberry, rich black plum, black cherry, black raspberry jam, baking spice, cocoa, coffee and toast. Intense fruit on the palate with a lengthy, firm berry tannin finish that last over a minute. Great body, high acid and silky intensity. All I can say is this wine is so young. 5 years from now with proper aging all the rough edges will smooth into an astonishing wine (if you can wait that long).y
Fiddlers BluffColumbia Valley2023Syrah944/10/2026Red cherry, black raspberry, pepper, strawberry jam, black plum conserve, wheat bread. Super plush palate with soft fruit, medium tannins and high acidity. The finish is extensive, body medium +, and all with soft, fruity concentration that gets thicker and juicier after the wine opens.y
Fiddlers BluffColumbia Valley2023Blend (Red Table Wine)954/10/2026On the nose notes of Coffee, sweet blackberry pie, blueberry, nori, grape sucker, cinnamon, cream cheese frosting. Beautiful fruit balanced with high acid. The tannins are firm but edging on silky with dusty blackberry fruit. It has a medium body, good concentration and intensity. This wine has such playful finesse, firm edges, big bones, acidity and intensity that will allow this wine to age 10-20 years with grace. But so much fruit that you?ll want to drink it now.y
BacaCats Cradle, Rockpile, Sonoma County2021Zinfandel904/5/2026 y
Nicholson RanchCactua Hill, Sonoma Coast2016Pinot Noir894/5/2026 n
ParadigmOakville, Napa Valley2019Zinfandel894/5/2026 n
Status QuoRussian River Valley2024Pinot Noir904/5/2026 y
Tolenas WineryTotality Suisun Valley2022Pinot Noir914/3/2026 y
Trader JoesGrand Reserve, Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley Lot# 1482022Merlot914/2/2026Notes of med+ intensity raspberry, black cherry, black tea, graphite, cranberry, honeysuckle and pomegranate molasses. This palate is very plush. The tannins are silky/firm. The concentration and intensity of the fruit is fairly high with the fruit predominately acidic pomegranate. It has a lovely sweet/tart mix. This is a TJs release that shouldnt be sniffed at. They dont always release amazing wines, but this one is pretty nice.y
Trader JoesReserve, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, Lot# 2792024Pinot Noir904/2/2026Starts soft but opens over a ten-minute period. We got nice, bright notes of red cherry, strawberry, lilac, brioche, potting soil, hint of sweet milk chocolate and roasted, buttery potato (this is not a negative note). The palate is lovely with strawberry jam notes, medium acidity, body and low tannins. All the flavors are bright, almost sweet like a Carneros Pinot Noir. I would love to know where this fruit came from. It does not have the same darker fruit intensity of other Russian River fruit that we`ve tried. But all in all, the wine is really worth a try.y
Covale CellarsQuintessence Vineyard, Red Mountain2024Cabernet Franc973/28/2026 y
Covale CellarsQuintessence Vineyard, Red Mountain2025Cabernet Franc973/28/2026 y
Covale CellarsQuintessence Vineyard, Red Mountain2025Cabernet Sauvignon973/28/2026 y
Covale CellarsQuintessence Vineyard, Red Mountain2024Cabernet Sauvignon993/28/2026 y
Covale CellarsQuintessence Vineyard, Red Mountain2024Merlot983/28/2026 y
Covale CellarsQuintessence Vineyard, Red Mountain2025Merlot973/28/2026 y
Covale CellarsEagle and Plow, Horse Heaven Hills, Barrel Tastee2024Chardonnay973/28/2026 y
        
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