2007 Trione Alexander Valley Red Blend

This is how I find great-value wines: First, I begin with talented growers that make their own wine. Not all growers, however, are great winemakers. The key is finding those that grow their own fruit and hire a tried-and-true winemaker to coax the full potential from the grapes.

For 35 harvests, the Trione family has carefully farmed and managed some of the finest grapes in Sonoma County. With painstaking devotion to the land, three generations of Triones – Henry, his sons Mark and Vic, and Mark's daughter Denise – have developed a reputation for producing ultra-premium wines from both the Russian River and Alexander Valleys.

Trione produces a wide range of wines – from Bordeaux-style blends to Pinot Noir – with fruit from their incredible vineyard holdings. The goal of Trione's winemaker, Scot Covington, is to achieve perfect quality each year, not perfect quantity. It's a luxury few winemakers can afford. Each year, Scot has the opportunity to select choice grapes from the best blocks of over 800 acres of highly coveted vineyards throughout Sonoma County. In doing this, he can ensure that he isn't pushing the vineyard on yield, and thereby attains amazing concentration and balance in his wines.

This is a classic representation of the Bordeaux-style blends Alexander Valley is capable of. Despite its enormous vineyard holdings, Trione Winery makes only about 500 cases of this wine each year. Don't miss this stunner!

Tasting Note
The 2007 is a polished and floral Bordeaux-style blend. I was shocked at the finesse this wine showed despite its obvious structure and bold personality. The nearly perfect currant and cassis fruit is beautifully accented by wild red flowers, sage and sweet oak on the nose. The palate shows a bit more of the luscious red fruit due to its beautiful and refreshing acidic backbone – it's like drinking satin. The tannins are substantial but incredibly smooth. This wine is drinking well now, but will benefit from a few years in the bottle. Pair this wine with filet mignon or simple lamb chops. (14.5% ABV)

—Devin Andolsen

Devin Andolsen grew up in vineyards, helping build and plant his family's 11 acres in Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley. He has over eight years of experience as a professional in the wine world, including four years in fine dining, as well as helping manage a small international distributor out of San Francisco and, most recently, managing Constellation's Fine Wine division for Northern California. He's also a professional wine judge. Follow Devin on Twitter: @IDevino