1989 Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon – USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District (4/29/2010)
Although I own a few bottles of various vintages from Togni, this is the first I’ve opened. They are known to be notoriously slow agers, needing far more time in the cellar than most Napa Cabs. If you are turned off by green pepper and veggie flavors in your wine, this wine is not for you. My wife didn’t like it at all, but I did, especially once the NY Strip arrived. It is remarkably youthful in appearance. The nose initially screams Jalapeno but as the wine opens up a bit, lovely currant came through as well. In the mouth the fruit is bright with a heavy dose of bell pepper. Secondary flavors of tobacco, espresso, and sage complement. Acid is high and tart, tannins are smooth, and the fruit is big. The green element plays a too forward a role for me. I would hope with even more time in the cellar, this characteristic will back off giving a chance for this wine to bump up a point or two. Like most 20 year olds, this one needs to mature. (88 pts.)

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2004 Kathryn Kennedy Syrah – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains (4/28/2010)
Cranberry fruit cocktail, mint leaves, crushed cooking herbs, just a touch of char-grill. Very nice, but turns a bit sour in the middle. Drink over the next 3-4 years. (87 pts.)

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2005 Shibumi Knoll Chardonnay Buena Tierra Vineyard – USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (3/20/2010)
Tropical fruit, a banana pina colada with some sweetness. River rock. Every once in a while I’d get some buttered popcorn notes but this is not a stereotypical buttery chard. Big, unctuous, but balanced with good acidity. Much more impressive than I recall my first bottle being back in 2008. I think this wine has upside potential until at least 2014. (91 pts.)

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The 21st Amendment to the Constitution says that the “transportation or importation into any State, Territory, or possession of the United States for delivery or use therein of intoxicating liquors, in violation of the laws thereof, is hereby prohibited.” The Commerce Clause of the US Constitution says that Congress has the power to regulate trade between the states. Through many decisions over the years, the Commerce Clause has also been interpreted to mean that states are not allowed to establish anti-competitive practices: states were not allowed to discriminate against products or trade from another state. In 2005, the Supreme Court ruled in Granholm v Heald that states which allowed direct shipments to consumers from their own in-state wineries and in-state retailers could not prohibit out-of-state wineries and retailers from shipping to consumers. This decision opened the door for direct shipping of wine to many states where before it had never been possible. State legislatures had to choose to either restrict their own in-state industry or allow out-of-state wineries and retailers to fairly participate in their market.
Now, bill H.R. 5034 has been introduced to the US House of Representatives with the direct backing of the National Beer Wholesalers Association. It would prohibit wineries from bringing legal action against states who violate this provision of the Constitution’s Commerce Clause.
We believe that whether you ever order wine from out-of-state or even whether you ever drink alcoholic beverages, it is vital to our country’s economic health that free trade be allowed between states. Please contact your representative and let them know that you oppose HR 5034.

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PRESS RELEASE FROM NAPA VALLEY VINTNERS:
In an effort to turn back the clock on the direct shipment of wine to consumers, a bill has been introduced in Congress recently that would, in effect, overturn the 2005 “Granholm v. Heald” U.S. Supreme Court decision that helped pave the way for wineries to ship wine directly to many more consumers around the country.
H.R. 5034, crafted by the National Beer Wholesalers Association would make it practically impossible to bring legal action against states’ wine shipping laws that violate the Constitution’s Commerce Clause by prohibiting wine shipment from out of state, while permitting their own in-state wineries to ship direct. The end result would be a return to discriminatory wine shipping laws within the states, creating economic hardship for wineries that consider direct shipment and important sales channel and greatly restricting choice among wine consumers nationwide.
The NVV believes that consumers in all 50 states should have the ability to directly purchase fine wine. Many medium to small wineries have very limited distribution and garner little attention from the large distributors. These wineries survive by selling wine through mailing lists, wine clubs, and over the internet.
Napa Valley Vintners agree that the existing three-tier system should be augmented, not eliminated, and should provide controls and regulations necessary to respect local laws, avoid underage access and provide provisions to make tax payments. It is not the intent of any winery to sell alcohol to minors or to avoid payment of local, state or federal taxes on their wines.

2001 Darioush Cabernet Sauvignon Signature – USA, California, Napa Valley (3/12/2010)
One of my better Darioush experiences: I still think the wine is overoaked, but the monster has been tamed a bit by time. Cassis, stewed fruit, espresso, toasted oak, with a long finish of dusty tannins. Bottle opened at 2PM, decanted at 6, drank at 8. This wine needs significantly more time in the cellar. (88 pts.)

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2003 Robert Foley Claret – USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District (3/12/2010)
There’s quite a bit good and a little bit bad going on in this wine. It shows big, juicy raspberry jam, Christmas baking, chocolate chip cookies, cherry flavored candles, and pine flavors which form a rich, lush package. However, the alcohol really stands out throwing off the balance and I would expect the wine to be less primary in its 10th year. Still, it’s a good example of the Foley style and amazing to have been produced in the 2003 vintage. Few achieved this level of ripeness without wrecking it. Sloan Estate, for example, totally blew it that vintage while basically aiming for the same target. Opened and let stand for ~ 5 hours. I’m surprised by the Cellartracker average rating of 94.5 but it certainly is a strong 90 in a very specific style. (90 pts.)

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Inn Kensington (Kensington, CA) serves breakfast right — not fancy, just creative variations on the standards from American and Southwestern cuisine. And, if you just want bacon, eggs, and toast, they’re wonderful too… especially the whole wheat toast. Where do they get that bread? The food comes fast and your coffee cup stays full. My son loved his seafood omelet and my green chile omelet made me dream of home in New Mexico. Final damages to stuff a party of four — $51. Definitely worth the schlep up into the hills of the East Bay.
They don’t take reservations per se, but if you call ahead, they’ll add you to their table wait list.
Inn Kensington
293 Arlington Ave
Kensington, CA 94707
(510) 527-5919

2007 La Sirena Moscato Azul – USA, California, Napa Valley (3/16/2010)
So the other day I get a phone call from Heidi Barrett. Yes, that Heidi Barrett. Isn’t the superstar winemaker life glamorous? They get to call absent-minded customers. She was calling me because there was a case of wine that I had bought at a tasting in June 2008 that I never picked up. Heidi was especially concerned because in this case were several bottles of her 2007 La Sirena Moscato Azul… a wonderful wine but crafted to be enjoyed in its first year or two. I swung by Revana (where she also makes the wine) and picked it up yesterday. This was the first bottle from that batch. Aromas of peach jump from the glass but the flavors have faded to more of a lychee and lemon juice. It’s not bad, but could have been so much better. Drink them “yesterday.” Not rated because I was a doofus and forgot that I had wine to pick up from La Sirena.

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Oh Solano mio… just a few miles away, but the I580/80 curve and traffic through Berkeley can make you seem so far. However, just for sheer number and variety of great (and really good) restaurants, Solano Avenue, stretching across North Berkeley and Albany, is one of the best dining destinations in the East Bay. There are many places that are worth the trip.
Rivoli Restaurant is one of Solano’s shining stars. Three of us had never tried Rivoli and it had been years since the fourth had been there but excellent fare is the norm. Rivoli has been in The Chron’s Top 100 Restaurants of the Bay Area since 1996. Chef Wendy Brucker’s menu changes every few weeks and it just switched over. Wouldn’t you know it, right before I could refer to the online menu to write this post? But trust me, the girls said the vegetarian entree they ordered was delicious, calling it “the best vegetarian entree that they ever had.” We boys, stereotypically ordered steak, flank steak that is, and it was excellent as well. My goat cheese souffle with truffle oil appetizer was like music in the mouth. Service was attentive and professional. The very small dining room looks out over a cute “secret” garden and despite the room’s size, you can still hear your conversation partner without them having to yell.
Corkage at Rivoli is $20 per bottle. We brought:
2006 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Amber Ridge Vineyard – USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (3/19/2010)
Excellent rich, mouthfilling cherry, vanilla cream, and brown sugar flavors. Primary, but tasty, with everything in wonderful balance during a relatively short window. (89 pts.)
2004 Hartley-Ostini Hitching Post Pinot Noir Cargasacchi Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills (3/19/2010)
Quite interesting that if guessing blind, I would have identified this wine as the Russian River and the Kosta Browne as the Santa Rita Hills. There was significantly more ripeness and roundness in the KB. Both wines share similar fruit flavors (at times it would have been tough to tell them apart) but where the KB heads in a mouth-filling, candied direction, the HP Cargasacchi has more green herb and anise undertones — flavors I tend to associate more with Old World or Oregon Pinot Noir. (88 pts.)
Preference between these two wines would come down to preference of style instead of a “rating” though I would have to say on this night, the Kosta Brown was just a tad more enjoyable. However, it is worth noting that both of these wines were pretty much dead by the end of the night after being exposed to air for two plus hours. Drink up. They are not for aging.
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2005 Stefania Cabernet Sauvignon Uvas Creek Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Clara Valley (3/5/2010)
I really like this wine. Besides the fact that I think it represents one of the best values in California Cab, it never fails to provide an excellent experience. This was my 7th bottle. Cherries with whipped cream, touch of vanilla, and brown sugar. With some air, pine and a hint of black olive emerge. Rich, mouthcoating, sweet mouthfeel with an extremely long finish. Tannins are supple, but I’d recommend waiting a couple more years for maximum pleasure.

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