1 | Wine | Page 70

"Rich, enticing layers of complexity, starting with that first irresistible sip. Ripe fruit, intense with flavors of boysenberries and sweet cherries. Luscious vanilla, caressing the palate from barrel aging in American and French oak. Juicy and silky throughout, with a finish that lingers of black licorice and spicy pipe tobacco."

"Aromatic crisp green apple, mineral and honeysuckle notes."

"The 2010 Malbec offers up an aromatic array of wood smoke, Asian spices, lavender, and black cherry. Intense, layered, and lengthy, this tasty effort will drink nicely over the next 5-6 years."

"Bright violet color. Powerfully scented with blackberry and blueberry, with a more serious licorice character coming up in the glass. Flavors of dark berries, bitter cherry and mocha show both depth and verve, sweetened by a touch of vanilla. Gains firmness with air and finishes with good clarity and length. Definitely shows the polish I've come to expect from a Ben Riggs wine."

"The nearly picture perfect growing season of 2012 has imprinted its own character on the 2012 Sauvignon Blanc. Make no mistake, the slate and minerality typical of Frog’s Leap Sauvignon Blanc is all there in spades and anchors the wine in its Rutherford roots. It’s just that there is something more. A hint of white peach or perhaps a bit of lychee that only is there in the best years. The result is a bit of expansion in the culinary possibilities."