• California,  Cellar Selection,  Sonoma,  Syrah

    Cellar Selection

    Ramey Syrah 2010 Sonoma Coast Ramey Wine Cellars crafts outstanding quality wines that are both delicate and magnificent and comes from some of the finest Sonoma vineyards.  Ramey selects vineyards for their ability to continue producing the highest quality fruit.  The soil, climate and terrain must be in alignment for the varietal to produce a premium quality product and gives the wine its individual appeal.  David and his wife Carla founded Ramey Wine Cellars in 1996 after spending time at Matanzas Creek, Chalk Hill, Dominus and Rudd.  Ramey Wine Cellars is located in Healdsburg, in the heart of the California wine country.  Ramey’s varietals are basically Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and…

  • Cellar Selection,  Napa,  Petite Sirah,  Syrah

    Cellar Selection

    Shafer 2010 Relentless Napa Valley We went to visit my sister-in-law Cindy, who is recuperating from a bad fall that broke her shoulder.  I wanted to make her dinner and bring a nice bottle of wine, so I reached for Shafer’s Relentless.  Shafer is an outstanding Napa Valley winery that makes exceptional wines.  Shafer’s beginnings trace back to 1972, when publishing industry veteran John Shafer move to Napa and set down roots by purchasing a 210 acre estate in the Stags Leap District, and replanted the vineyard, which dated back to the 1920’s.  Shafer had their first crush in 1978, producing 1,000 cases, and a year later began construction on…

  • Cabernet Franc,  Cabernet Sauvignon,  Cellar Selection,  Merlot

    Cellar Selection

    Girard Artistry 2010 Wanting something nice for the weekend to sit and enjoy, powerful, but not as big as a 100% Cab, but has some finesse, I found this little Gem from Girard Winery, their Artistry 2010 which is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (58%), Merlot (17%), Cabernet Franc (11%), Malbec (8%) and Petit Verdot (6%), a Bordeaux style blend (five permitted red Bordeaux grapes).  Girard’s Napa roots go back about 30 years ago, about the time Napa was getting world accolades as a premier wine growing region, and they have become a fine producer of quality wines.  Since about 2000, Pat Roney, a longtime California vintner (Sonoma wineries Ch.…