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Alright, the winemaker’s a friend… but seriously… this is some unreal Chardonnay. Really.

Picture a Chardonnay.

Whaddaya think of?

Lots of people think of a white loaded with oak. Some people think of fish. Some people think of half-naked blonde women wearing little other than gold jewelry on a summer evening. (don’t ask).

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Duckhorn Wine Co’s more affordable Pinot, made from grapes that didn’t quite make the cut for their Goldeneye brand is a great classic California Pinot…Tastes wholesome, like the kind of juice you pour for your five year old while he annihilates Pb&J. Fruity, maybe missing the depth of “world class” pinot noir (whatever the hell that is?), still, a very tasty pinot noir in the $20 price range.

Don’t let us mislead you into thinking this wine is just a good ordinary wine— I gotta say I’m enjoying the hell out of it. This isn’t one that you stand a fork up in or anything… but instead, place yourself into a spring afternoon… the weather’s not so cold that you want a robust, chewey Cab, and not so hot that you want a Chardonnay or… well… Coors… it’s just one of those comfy days where everything’s green and the wildflowers are crackin’. And you want some red wine, so you crack open this sumbitch, this bottle of Migration Pinot, and you say to yourself, “Damn, self, this is some good shit.”

Hopefully you’ll be with someone else, so you can skip the “damn self” part.

In retrospection, the damn “pour it for your five year old” comment may be plain unfair; the kind of short term thinking that earns you a kick in the nuts and a “insensitive bastard” moniker. Demonstrate some intelligence, pour a few sips as you open the botlte, let the alcohol take effect, and show some goddamn patience (an hour).

We give it a 92, then we’re gonna add 10 ’cause the sun came out, then it rained today, but then we’re gonna take away 12 because the five-year-old puked on my new carpet.

(OK OK, we’re lying about the five-year-old so please don’t send us any hate mail).

Napa Valley zin that’s a great trip up the middle of the road.

What They Say:
A wine of finesse and elegance with layers of flavors that are ripe and rich. Balanced aromas of blackberry jam, orange zest, nutmeg and clove.
Technical Data:

Harvest: October 2002
The Blend: 80% Zinfandel,
15% Syrah, 5% Petit Sirah
Barrel Process:
Aged 17 months in American oak barrels, 20% new
Alcohol: 15.5%
TA: .58g/100ml
pH: 3.79
Bottled: April 2004
Production: 4000 cases

What I Say
Right now I’m about 3/4 down this bottle of 2002 Napa Cellars Napa Valley Zinfandel, and I’ve gotta say it’s one hell of a wine. I think the word I’d use is “Round” when descibing this zin. It sorta rolls around on the tongue, real heavy on the berry flavors, light on the oak, then slowly just fades away just in time for the next sip. You can tell it’s been aged in mostly new oak, because the fruit is way out in the front here, which I like in a good dinner wine. Not overpowering or outrageously ballsy, but at a respectable 15% it won’t leave you feeling like you drank grape juice either. This is an excellent middle-of the road wine that you could take to a dinner party and everyone would like it– and they’ve done a great job on the packaging, so you’ll fool people into thinking you really laid down some cash too.

Which also makes it a great date wine, speaking of laying down… and that extra 1-2% alcohol common in middle-road zins might just get your date’s panties down around her ankles a tad quicker too.

All around, I’ll give this one a thumbs up for sure. Let’s say a straight-up 90 with 5 bonus points if it helps get you laid.

Now this is a 2002 Pinot Noir that will kick you square in the balls. Hands down the best Pinot under $50 that I’ve ever tried.Having never heard of these guys, I probably never would have stumbled upon this goldmine-of-a-wine had I not received a bottle of it as a gift this year on my Birthday. And what a surprise it was. This small, family-run winery specializes in handcrafted small-batch wines grown in the Sonoma and Mendocino County appellations… and this wine really flaunts the unique fruit that comes from this area.

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