A bunch of random wine on our Napa tour

It's not all from Napa, but we've enjoyed a nice amount of random wine on this trip, which I'm reviewing below. When I say "random" what I really mean is it wasn't from any of the wineries that we visited on this trip (which, I hope, goes without saying on the wines from Italy and Spain).

2013 Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio ($21,99)

Bone dry with notes of red apples and balanced acidity, this lovely Italian white was a nice find (in Target of all places). 87.









2010 Pesquera Ribera del Duero Tempranillo ($33.99)

Smoke, cherries and cola on the nose with some floral notes. Some red currant and just a touch of pepper. Well structured and would probably improve quite a bit with some more time in the bottle. I'll be looking to pick up another one of these to put away for a while. 90.






2010 Darioush Cabernet Sauvignon ($100)

As I mentioned in my vacation blog, I picked this up as a "Earthquake special" for only $60. Apparently it had been thrown off the shelf during the recent Napa quake and their loss was my gain. For the money I paid, this was an absolute steal. Lots of sediment made it obvious this had been recently shaken, but luckily we travel with an aerator so that was no issue.

Blackberry and blueberry on the nose and palate, with a bit of earth on the finish. Tannins are well developed but firm enough that it's obvious this is built to improve with medium-long term aging. This is actually a blend that is comprised of 78% C.S., 14% Merlot, 4% Cab Franc, 3% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot. 94.

2010 Grgich Hills Chardonnay ($45)

Peaches and citrus on the nose, with just a touch of minerality and vanilla on the long finish. Very fruity and lively. Lacks the buttery notes that a lot of this varietal displays. If you don't like your Chardonnays buttery, you will LOVE this one. 88.