Ballentine Vineyards has recently started to catch the eye and pen of the wine world. As a small winery, we appreciate the notice and the outstanding reviews. Here is a sampling of the most recent we have received.

2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Maple Lane
92 Points  "Impressive by any standard, this Cab is doubly so for having such great balance from a hot-hot vintage. The acids and tannins are firm, but best of all are the flavors, rich in ripe blackberry, cassis, spicy plum pudding and sweet new oak. Just a beautiful wine right now, and should evolve interestingly for 10 years"  August 2007

2006 Chenin Blanc
91 Points "Ballentine's Chenins nearly always impress, and this is one of their best. Bone dry and very crisp, almost tart, in acids, the wine shows intriguing lime, wildflower and sweet pepper flavors." August 2007

The Wine Report
89 Points 2005 Petite Sirah, Fig Tree Vineyards
Sept/Oct 2007

Wine Recommendation
2002 Zinfandel Block 9 Reserve, Pocai Vineyard (Napa Valley)
Reviewed March 21, 2007 by Alan Goldfarb

It’s a good thing Van Ballentine married Betty Pocai. Otherwise, they might not have made such a wonderful Zinfandel from the nearly 100-year-old Calistoga vineyard that Betty’s granddad, Libero Pocai, bought in 1905. It’s also a good thing that Bruce Devlin was promoted to winemaker in 2002, otherwise, one of his first wines for Ballentine might not have turned out the way it did.

What we have here is a wine with lots o’ menthol aromas, which mostly dissipate, only to reveal a wine with perfect pitch, in spite of the listed high alcohol percentage of 14.9. I suggest holding onto it for a couple of years to allow it to settle down, and then drink it over the ensuing 15 years.

The Pocai Vineyard is located on the valley floor, between Maple Lane and the Silverado Trail near Calistoga, just west of Dutch Henry Winery. The soil is called "Bg," for Bale gravelly loam. Yields are small, about three tons per acre. Only 700 cases were produced. The wine was aged for 17 months in 35 percent new American and 10 percent new French oak.

2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Maple Lane
94 points from JustWinePoints.com
March 13, 2007

Wine & Spirits
92 Points, one of "The Year's Best Merlot"
2002 Merlot, Pocai Vineyard
”Over the past year, Wine & Spirits tasted 269 Merlots and Ballentine’s 2002 Merlot was in the top 12! Delicate strawberry flavors last through this wine. It’s clean and firmly built, emphasizing freshness, lightness and a sweet savory balance. Impressively fruit driven, this is a refined Merlot for grilled pork tenderloin with a dry spice rub."

Wine Enthusiast Magazine
Top 100 Best Buys of 2006
92 Points
2005 Chenin Blanc, Old Vines Pocai Vineyard
The vines date to the early 1970s, and the vineyard is on the valley floor near Calistoga. Winemaker Bruce Devlin worked at Boschendal, South Africa's first winery to barrel ferment Chenin Blanc. Dry and crisp, this wine shows wildflower and citrus flavors, and a sweet, green-pea note with an edge of toasted wood. Not only is this an elegant table white, it should evolve over the next five to seven years.

Less than 1% of all wines tasted over the course of the year make it onto the Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s Best Buy list.  Wines designated as the Top 100 Best Buys of 2006 have wine-rating scores of 85 points or higher of the 100-point scale and generally have a suggested retail price of $15 or below. 

Wine Enthusiast Magazine
91 Points - 2002 Zinfandel Reserve, Block 9
“Shows the classic structure and balance of top notch Napa Zin. From a vineyard near Calistoga, the wine is mouth-filling big with black cherry, leather. Spicy plum and coffee flavors wrapped in significant tannins. Best to decant before serving.” December 1, 2006

Wine Enthusiast Magazine Buying Guide
92 Points & Best Buy - 2005 Chenin Blanc Old Vines, Pocai Vineyard
"The vines date to the early 1970s, and perhaps that accounts for the complexity of this variety, which is usually simple in California. Dry and crisp, it’s nuanced with wildflower and citrus flavors, and a sweet, green-pea note. Not only is this a good table white, it will probably evolve over the near term." July 2006

Wine Enthusiast Magazine Buying Guide
90 Points - 2004 Zinfandel Block 11, Pocai Vineyards, Old Vines
"Luscious, smooth, complex, complete, round, voluptuous, the adjectives go on and on with this incredibly ripe Zin. It’s fully dry, with amazing blackberry tea, cherry pie, mocha, root beer and spice flavors, but be forewarned: the alcohol is a whopping 16.7%" July 2006

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
90 points - 2004 Zinfandel Block 11, Pocai Vineyards, Old Vines
“The outstanding 2004 Zinfandel Block 11 Pocai Vineyard reveals strawberry, cherry, plum and blueberry fruit characteristics interwoven with a notion of spice box. Medium-bodied, intense, complex, savory, elegant and impeccably well balanced. It should provide abundant pleasure over the next 3-4 years.”  Issue 165 6/30/06

Pacific Rim International Wine Competition
Four Silver Medals for Ballentine Vineyards
2003 Cabernet Franc
2005 Chenin Blanc Old Vines
2004 Zinfandel, Block 11
2002 Zinfandel, Old Vines

The Press Democrat Wine of the Week:
Ballentine Vineyards 2004 Old Vines Block 11 Zinfandel
February 15, 2006
Rich, ripe and showy. Great structure, with firm tannins. Full-bodied. Aromas and flavors of raspberry and vanilla. Good mouth-feel.

Ballentine Vineyards Wins Four Gold Medals at the
2006 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
January 18, 2006   Read full article...

ZAP attracts thousands; Ballentine leads the charge
excerpted from Napa News.com, Thursday, February 3, 2005
By L. PIERCE CARSON read full article...

Ballentine Vineyards 2002 Syrah, Betty's Vineyard
Smoky, ripe red and black currants are found in the elegant, dark ruby-colored 2002 Syrah, Betty's Vineyard. Enjoy it now and over the next several years.
— Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, September, 2004

Ballentine Vineyards 2001 Reserve Zinfandel, Block 9
Smoth and pretty, with coffee, cola, dark plum, toast, smoke and spice flavors that leave a bright, fresh finish on the palate. Lively throughout the long finish. 88 Points
— Wine Enthusiast, November, 2003

Ballentine Vineyards 2001 Old Vines Zinfandel
Fairly elegant, with pretty toast, plum, blackberry, spice, vanilla and licorice flavors. The tannins are ripe, firm and focused, with hints of smoke and more toast on the finish. 88 Points
— Wine Enthusiast, November, 2003