The Wine Dilettante's Tasting Notes

Review the rating system before accusing me of incompetence.

2004 Tasting Notes.
2003 Tasting Notes.
2002 Tasting Notes.
2001 Tasting Notes. The 1999 vintage is shaping up to be a blockbuster. I've had a number of Zins and Syrahs that make me positively swoon.
2000 Tasting Notes. As of March, I've only noticed the California '98 Chards hitting the shelves, otherwise, it's the same vintages as in 1999. From my limited sample, these are as good as recent years, quite a feat. The only thing that seems guaranteed in wine these days, though, is rising prices.
1999 Tasting Notes. This is a great year to be enjoying California wine. The astounding '97 Chards in release are perhaps better than the '96's. The Cabs seem to be better--richer and more concentrated. The early Syrah releases are outstanding, riper and more tannic, yet drinkable now.
The Zins are much richer and probably better. I attended the ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates and Producers) San Diego tasting March 22nd, and was generally impressed by the new and upcoming releases. Some seemed just a tad green--maybe some winemakers panicked and picked early--but overall it is a more rich, darkly fruity, and complex group of wines. Whereas forward, fruity Zins prevailed last year, the richer fruit has led to more use of oak (for example), yielding a different style of wine on average. On the downside, prices are up. Grab the cheaper 94's and 95's while you can.
1998 Tasting Notes. A year for friendly Cabs (1995 Vintage) and killer Chards (1996 Vintage). The Wine Spectator doesn't think much of this year's Zins, but they reviewed just a few that I've tasted this year (our reviews are consistent). I think they have some preconceptions about what Zin should be like (huge and black), and they tasted them before many of the better Zins were released. This year's Zins are lighter and lower in alcohol levels (14.5%), making them better suited to drinking with normal food. Moreover, they're more affordable than Cabs, Pinots, and Merlots.
1997 Tasting Notes. A great year for ageable Cabs (1994) and Chards (1995). Many wines were tasted at San Diego Wine Company.
1996 Tasting Notes. This was the first year that I started taking tasting notes, so you will find that they are inconsistent in many ways. At the time I was buying wines primarily from Trader Joes, with a few from Barons. Also includes trips to Chateau St. Michelle and Napa Valley. Many of the Zins were tasted at a wine tasting party.