Blackstone

WOW! The blackstone reserve list is amazing. Excellent Pinot noir, balanced acidity, light but firm tannins, A mix of light and dark berries on the palate. Great chard as well, oakey but not overly oakey as well as buttery(I believe it is fermented in first year toasted french oak) but it is not offensive what so ever. Very nice finish. The merlot's I tasted were young and needed a few more years in the bottle but very promising to say the least. I was thuroughly impressed with both the wines and the warm welcome... It's a must visit!
The zin's and cabs were not as big as I expected but good none the less. The real gem was by far the Malvasia bianca, tropical, fun, fruity and just a great wine all around. I was also impressed with the Gewurtztraminer... Nice fruit and hints of all the right spices. Don't miss this one!

I am tasting today. Does anyone have any suggestions? Was thinking about heading up to the Alexander Valley area.

Newfound passion for local wines

This is my first blog session and I don't really know what I'm doing. I have lived in Santa Rosa for about 8 months now and I love everything about it "Especially the wine". I am a professional chef by trade here in Santa Rosa and want to share some great experiences I have had in the area. Here are a few great winieries to visit if yoou get a chance... That is if you havent already, and if you have visit them again! It's worth it! I'll start with a few at a time. Four a day is my limit...

1. Mauritson, Great Zin's from Rockpile
2. Mozzacco, Again, great zins, award winning
3. Robert Young, Don't miss this gem, it's worth the drive
4. Pezzi King, Was pleasently surprised, fantastic wines