3:30pm
Dad (John) and I are here at the Wine Bloggers Conference in Sonoma County, California. We are just about to begin the Live Wine Blogging segment which will feature 14 wines from 14 wineries. We will update this post as we go.

3:36pm
2004 Bonterra The McNab (Mendocino, California): 60% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Petite Sirah (Old Vine). Organically grown, biodynamic, single vineyard. Raspberries up front. Listed as 14.1% alcohol but tastes hot. Long but not a great finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
Price: $45

3:42pm
2005 Bink Pinot Noir (Yorkville Highlands, Mendocino County, California): Weir Vineyard. Aromas and flavors of cherry, strawberry. Very smooth. Nice, pleasant finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
Price: $40

3:47pm
2005 Clos LaChance Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (San Martin, California): Big, bold with good fruit (predominantly red fruits and plums). Young wine so tannins are a bit rough now but should soften.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
Price: $30

3:54pm
2006 Sean Minor 4 Bears Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley, California): Red fruits dominate, especially cherry and raspberry. Smooth and approachable. Moderate tannins.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
Price: $17

3:58pm
2006 Boho Vineyards Chardonnay (Central Coast, California): Premium wine in a 3L box. Equivalent of four standard bottles. Will stay fresh for at least six weeks. First sniff is a bit off-putting. But tastes better than it smells.
Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
Price: $24

4:04pm
2007 James David Cellars Muscat Blanc (Paso Robles, California): First release from this new winery. Dry, barrel fermented. Aromas and flavors of apricot, peach, and honey. Smooth with a pleasant finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
Price: $18

4:14pm
2006 Twisted Oak The Spaniard (Calaveras County, Sierra Foothills, California): Tempranillo, Graciano, Garnacha. Very heavy bottle with a deep punt. Black fruits dominate (blackberries and blueberries). Crisp, smooth. Long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
Price: $49

4:20pm
2006 Dark Horse Treborce Vineyard Zinfandel (Dry Creek Valley, California): Fruit-forward with hints of oak. A bit hot at 15.4% alcohol. Not as well-balanced as I would like.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
Price: $34

4:24pm
2006 Small Vines Wines Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast, California): Biodynamic farming. Will be released to mailing list members in November. Aromas of strawberry and raspberry. A bit fizzy.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
Price: $65

4:29pm
2007 Cupcake Vineyards Chardonnay (Central Coast, California): Vanilla and oak on the nose. Typical value Chardonnay. Smooth but not much to it. Just a pleasant sipper on a hot, summer day.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
Price: $12

4:34pm
2007 Kanzler Pinot Noir (Sebastopol, California): Barrel sample. Will be bottled in January 2009 and released in April. Red fruits, especially strawberry, on the nose and palate. A bit tight, would like to try it again in a year.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
Price: $48

4:43pm
2007 Lionheart Wines McGinley Vineyard Roussanne (Santa Barbara County, California): Lime, pear, and floral aromas. Pineapple and lemon also come through on the palate. Crisp acidity and a bit creamy. Good mouthfeel. Smooth finish. Very refreshing.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
Price: $30

4:52pm
Whew! This concludes the Live Blogging segment. You may notice that we reviewed 12 wines instead of 14. Unfortunately, we ran out of time and two of the wineries had not yet made it to our table.

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