Capping off an already historic year for various wines across its portfolio, twenty of Foley Family Wines’ best were awarded scores of 90+ points by Robert Parker Wine Advocate.
Here’s a summary of each of those wines, their scores, and how to buy:
2017 CHALK HILL ESTATE CHARDONNAY
91 Points
The 2017 Chardonnay Estate opens with notes of toast, cream, lemon pith and hay over a core of Red Delicious apple and banana chips. The medium-bodied palate is rounded and creamy with toasty spice and honey notions, finishing long and lifted with juicy acidity.
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2017 CHALK HILL ESTATE SAUVIGNON BLANC, CHALK HILL AVA
91 Points
The 2017 Sauvignon Blanc Estate has a pretty nose of wet stone, kaffir lime leaf, lemon and lime peel with kiwi and starfruit at the core plus floral hints. Light to medium-bodied, its intense tropical fruits are checked by rocky notions and zesty acidity, and it finishes long and refreshing.
2016 CHALK HILL CHAIRMAN’S CLARA’S VINEYARD RED WINE, SONOMA COUNTY
93 Points
The 2016 Clara’s Red is made up of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot. Opaque ruby-black in color, it opens with molten chocolate, Morello cherries, blackcurrant bud and dried herbs with accents of cassis, cedar, pencil shavings and star anise. Medium to full-bodied, it offers silky-textured, ripe fruit flavor layers with very ripe, fine-grained tannins and a long finish lifted by just enough freshness. Lovely. The higher alcohol (15.5% is listed on the label) is well hidden.
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2016 CHALK HILL ESTATE RED BLEND, CHALK HILL AVA
92 Points
The 2016 Estate Red is a blend of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Malbec, 9% Petit Verdot and 7% Merlot. Deep ruby-purple, it’s scented of pencil lead, cedar, cassis, maraschino cherry, cigar box and chocolate with touches of cardamom and dried spices. The palate is medium to full-bodied and lushly fruited, with a firm frame of very ripe, grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long.
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2016 ROTH HERITAGE RED
90 Points
The 2016 Heritage red blend has a medium to deep ruby color and a nose of crème de cassis, chocolate-covered blueberries, black cherry jam, vanilla and nutmeg with notions of herbs and pencil lead. The palate is medium to full-bodied with good intensity and youthful fruit character. It has a firm frame and just enough freshness, finishing long.
2016 SEBASTIANI CABERNET SAUVIGNON, ALEXANDER VALLEY
91 Points
The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley has a medium to deep ruby color. The nose gives red plum, black and red currant, menthol and loamy earth notions accented by cedar, sweet spices and a mineral current. The palate is medium to full-bodied with a good fruit core, a pleasantly chewy frame and just enough freshness on the long finish.
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2016 SEBASTIANI GRAVEL BED RED, ALEXANDER VALLEY
93 Points
The medium to deep ruby colored 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Gravel Bed has a mineral-driven nose. With time, it opens to pure red and black cherries, cassis, loamy earth and exotic spice notes with a spark of menthol. It’s medium to full-bodied in the mouth, intense and grainy, with great freshness to lift the long, minerally finish.
2016 SEBASTIANI OLD VINE CABERNET SAUVIGNON
93 Points
The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vine has a medium to deep ruby-purple color. The nose is gregarious, with bold aromas of crème de cassis, baked black cherries and blackberries with layers of vanilla bean, cedar and sweet spice plus sparks of red cherry and touches of pencil lead and beef drippings. The medium to full-bodied palate offers intense, mineral-driven fruits with a firm, grainy frame and good freshness, finishing long.
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2016 SEBASTIANI MERLOT, ALEXANDER VALLEY
92 Points
The 2016 Merlot, medium to deep ruby in the glass, radiates scents of warm plum, black and red cherries, milk chocolate, cedar and sweet spices with nuances of graphite and dried herbs. It’s medium to full-bodied and lushly fruited, with a silky texture and great freshness on the long, chocolaty finish.
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2016 SEBASTIANI CHERRYBLOCK CABERNET SAUVIGNON
94+ Points
Medium to deep ruby, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Cherryblock Vineyard is intensely scented of cassis, baked black plum, blueberry coulis and red cherry preserves with touches of allspice, incense, cedar, dried leaves and warm earth plus a streak of graphite. The palate is medium to full-bodied with still youthfully wound fruit, a firm, grainy texture and juicy freshness to lift the long finish.
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2016 LANCASTER ESTATE CABERNET SAUVIGNON, ALEXANDER VALLEY
91 Points
The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Bottled has been blended with 5% Merlot, 2% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. It has a medium to deep ruby color and nose of cassis, blackcurrant bud, baker’s chocolate, cedar, Morello cherries and pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, it has a good core of minerally fruit with firm, chewy tannins, good freshness and a long, earthy finish.
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2018 LANCASTER ESTATE SAUVIGNON BLANC, SAMANTHA’S VINEYARD
91 Points
The 2018 Sauvignon Blanc Estate Vineyard Samantha’s has soft notions of guava, kiwi, poached pear and grapefruit with nuances of petrichor, fresh herbs and elderflower. Light to medium-bodied with a slightly rounded texture, it has a mineral-driven fruit core with juicy acidity and a long, textured finish. 500 cases produced.
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2016 LANCASTER ESTATE NICOLE’S RED WINE
92+ Points
The 2016 Nicole’s Red Wine Estate is a blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc. Medium to deep ruby in the glass, it gives up pretty scents of cassis, black cherries, allspice, warm earth, red currant and cherry with touches of leather, star anise and graphite. The palate isn’t as layered as the nose at this youthful stage, but it offers good intensity, firm, grainy tannins and good freshness on the long finish. Give this another year or two in bottle
2016 LANCASTER ESTATE SOPHIA’S HILLSIDE CUVÉE
93+ Points
The deep ruby colored 2016 Sophia’s Hillside Cuvée is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Malbec, 13% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. The nose is tightly wound, taking its time to give glimpses of cassis, menthol and Morello cherries with notions of dark chocolate, graphite and dried herbs. The medium to full-bodied palate is youthfully dense, with minerally fruit. It’s firmly structured and offers great freshness, but it will require plenty more time in bottle
2016 FOLEY SONOMA WINEMAKER SERIES COURTNEY’S CUVÉE, ALEXANDER VALLEY
91 Points
The medium to deep ruby-purple colored 2016 Courtney’s Cuvée features red and black plum, blackcurrant, cedar, potting soil and blackcurrant bud with touches of allspice and cocoa. Medium to full-bodied, it has good intensity with a grainy frame and juicy freshness, finishing long and spiced. 193 cases produced.
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2016 FOLEY SONOMA CABERNET SAUVIGNON WINEMAKER SERIES, ALEXANDER VALLEY
90+ Points
Medium to deep ruby-purple, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon is scented of blackcurrant leaf, crème de cassis, baked black and red cherries, vanilla, cedar and allspice with soil hints. Medium to full-bodied, it has good flavor intensity but is carrying a lot of new oak at this stage, with grainy tannins and good freshness.
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2017 FOLEY SONOMA CHARDONNAY, ALEXANDER VALLEY
90 Points
The 2017 Chardonnay has a reserved nose of baker’s yeast, poached pear, honeyed almonds, white peach and crushed stone. The palate is medium to full-bodied with a creamy texture, savory fruits and good freshness on the long, savory finish.
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2017 ARMIDA ZINFANDEL, DRY CREEK VALLEY
91 Points
Medium to deep ruby-purple, the 2017 Zinfandel has a gregarious nose of peach preserves, red berry jam, blueberry and blackberry notions with notes of warm earth, autumn leaves and sweet spices. Medium to full-bodied, it bursts in the mouth with intense tricolored fruits framed with chalky tannins and juicy acidity, finishing long and layered.
2016 ARMIDA ZINFANDEL GOLD MINE RANCH
92 Points
Medium to deep ruby-purple in the glass, the 2016 Zinfandel Gold Mine Ranch is earthy to begin, with damp soil and mint chocolate blossoming to pure rose petal perfume, peach, blackberry and sweet spices plus a rocky note. Medium to full-bodied, it has an intense core of earthy fruits, firm, grainy tannins and mouthwatering acidity, finishing long.
2016 ARMIDA ZINFANDEL MAPLE VINEYARD
92 Points
The 2016 Zinfandel Maple Vineyard is deep ruby-purple in the glass. The nose slowly gives scents of toasted coconut, warm apricot, blackberry preserves, floral perfume and tons of underlying spiciness with a core of warm red berries. Medium to full-bodied, the palate offers oodles of fragrant berries firmed by grainy tannins and great freshness, finishing long and perfumed.
