Rhys, Flam, Sineann, Saxum, SQN

Last night, we took some friends of ours out to dinner to thank them for watching our dog while we were on a recent vacation to Israel. If I could have planned better, I would have opened some of the wines earlier but all of these had to be pop and pour. Still, they all showed well!

• 2009 Rhys Chardonnay Alpine Vineyard 94 Points

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  A absolutely fantastic bottle of Chardonnay. One of the best in the world IMO. Silvery green/gold in color. The nose is lemons and lemon chiffon. Creamy texture. On the palate, this is juicy with lemons and lemon curd. Nice bite of acidity. Long finish. Still very young, it is worth opening one now to enjoy at this stage. A unanimous crowd pleaser.

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• 2008 Flam Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 91 Points

  Israel, Galilee, Upper Galilee

  A very nice showing. Ruby/purple in color. This took a few minutes to really open, then was good to go. The nose is dusty with cassis and a bit of dried tobacco. Medium to full bodied. On the palate, this has a nice complexity and seems close to mature. Layers of cassis, cherries, dried earth and tobacco. Nice mouth feel. Solid finish. Worked well with food.

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• 2008 Sineann Pinot Noir Schindler 93 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

  The glass corked wines age very slowly IMO and this really hasn't budged much. Still very young. This was a great vintage for this wine as well. Deep ruby in color. The nose has cherries, cherry pie filling, and a slight bit of earthy/barnyard. Great voluptuous texture. On the palate, lots of fresh cherries, tightly layered with some earth. Wonderful balance. Worked well with food. Long finish. Years away from peak though.

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• 2007 Saxum James Berry Vineyard 98 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

  Wow. What a wine. The only thing that might have made this better is a decant for a few hours, but the logistics did not work out. Lots has been said bout this wine and I know its not for everyone, but my favorite part is that despite its ripeness, size and everything else, it is so light on its feet. The nose is amazing on popping the cork. Black raspberries, earthy, bacon fat, pepper. Great texture. Easy to drink but very complex. It worked just fine with our food.

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• 2006 Sine Qua Non Syrah Raven Series 97 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast

  Another fantastic wine. It was interesting to drink right after the 07 Saxum JBV. It has more grilled steak on the nose. A bit deeper and less exuberant in personality (relatively speaking of course), but still wonderful. Purple in color. The nose has black raspberries, grilled steak and black pepper. Full bodied. Less, "sweet/ripe" than the Saxum, but still a ton of fruit. Seems to be ageing very slowly and has years from maturity. Sensational.

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