2005 Anthill Farms Pinot Noir Tina Marie Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Green Valley (12/28/2007)
I opened … left on open for about 3 hours … then decided I wasn't taking it to dinner. Recorked and shoved in the closet. Drank the next night. Very pretty aromatics. Cherries, strawberries and a bit of wood. Tasty. Very fruity. Very clean. Really balanced acidity. Not much structure. Blue and red fruits. Creamy blueberry. Very ripe but not too heavy. Some chocolate on the middle finish. I really liked this but there was a little too much sweetness to take it to the next level. Time may sort this all out. (90 pts.)
2006 Sandler Wine Company Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley - USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley (12/26/2007)
Tons of complexity on the nose. Sweet fruit, oak and a nice floral perfume. This wine hits your mouth like a soft pillow. Perfectly ripe fruit. While I was drinking it I kept thinking it felt like a barrel sample (I re-visited Eric White's tn ... and he said a similar thing). I could see this wine being a little soft for some. The acid is there but the wine is very rich. I like Zins like this. It goes to the edge but it doesn't jump off and become barrel aged prune juice spiked with vodka. (93 pts.)
Cheers,
Jason