Welcome Distributors and wine-lovers! This page is to inform you on current reviews and ratings. For more information contact Tina Martin at Cline Cellars 707/935-4310. Cheers!
CurrentVintageAccolades
CLINE CELLARS
Carignane Ancient Vines Contra Costa County
1997 Carignane Ancient
Vines Contra Costa County
88 points -Wine
Spectator Magazine, February 28, 2001
Ripe, with an intense beam of blueberry, black currant, spice and game. Concentrated, with soft tannins and an
ironlike tang on the lingering finish. Drink now through 2003. 2,631 cases made. -J.L.
Food & Beverage International Magazine, March/April 2000
This is a serious wine and was an interesting surprise. The low yields have created a medium dark ruby wine. Brimming
with chocolate and black cherry spicy nutmeg and clove with orange rind flavors. The wine has fresh earthy aromas,
medium tannins, with a lingering vanilla finish. Drink this now, but in 3-7 years this will be very nice indeed.
84 points - Wine &
Spirits Magazine, February 2000
This wine leans into its extract, with tannic black fruit flavors emphasizing tar and earth. It's a bold carignane,
a good choice for bistro dishes like beef cheeks.
91 points - Wine Enthusiast Magazine, June, 1999
Red-purple with slight fade. Moderately full-bodied. Highly extracted. Moderately tannic. Crisp cherries, coal
tar, herbs. An impressive medicinal note to the nose, with faintly herbal and crisp-fruit aromas following on the
palate. Balanced, dry tannins. Very complex.
85 points - Wine Spectator Magazine,
January 1999
Fairly supple, with firm, ripe tannins, this wine shows black cherry, spice, vanilla and herb notes. Finishes moderately,
almost plush. Drink now through 2002.
91 points - 1999 Beverage Testing Institute - Exceptional!
Côtes D'Oakley Vin Blanc
Beginning with the 2000 vintage the Côtes D'Oakley
series name has been change to Oakley
1999 Côtes D'Oakley Vin Blanc
87 points- Wine
Spectator Magazine, March 31, 2001
Made with everything but the kitchen sink, this is viscous and round, with white raisin, pear , melted butter and
apricot flavors.
1998 Côtes D'Oakley Vin
Blanc - Last year we received a best buy, look what happened this year!
89 points - Wine
Spectator Magazine, February 2000
SPECTATOR SELECTION -
Lots of fun in this bottle of white. It's rich and gooey, with fresh fennel, papaya, tangerine and melon flavors
that are refreshing, not cloying. Drink now through 2002. A blend of Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier, Semillion and
others.
Two and a Half Stars - The
San Francisco Chronicle's Wine Selections, April 26, 2000
Peachy-mineral aroma with citrus back notes; sweet fruit, lively flavors, mineral and ripe peach, very good balance.
Vaule. Try with seared scallops over fruit vinaigrette.
88 points - The Beverage
Testing Institute Summer 2000
Pale straw hue. Floral and almost sweet aromas show a hint of toasty oak, big and weighty up front, with a moderately
full body and a thick mouthfeel that is not unlike a white Rhone varietal. Carries a little hint of off-dry sweetness
and a dry, almost minerally mouthfeel. BEST BUY.
Good Value - Wine &
Spirits, February 2000
A simple, floral white wine filled with green lily scents. The sweet and sour balance will play off take-out Chinese.
Côtes D'Oakley Vin Gris/ Oakley Vin Gris
Beginning with the 2000 vintage the Côtes D'Oakley
series name has been change to Oakley
2000 Oakley Vin Gris
4 stars - Press Democrat Food Section July, 11 2001
This rosé has attitude. Full-bodied, round, ripe and
complex. Fruit flavors of cranberry, coffee, anise and honey.
1997 Côtes D'Oakley Vin
Gris
86 points - 1998 World Wine Championships - Silver Medal
Côtes D'Oakley Vin Rouge
1997 Côtes D'Oakley Vin
Rouge
85 points -Wine Spectator Magazine March 1998. . . this wine is youthfully
fresh, while displaying the nicely balanced cherry, spice and plum flavors of a more mature red. Enjoyable now,
even better in a year or two. A good buy for all that it offers.
Marsanne Los Carneros
1998 Marsanne Los Carneros
89 points - Wine Enthusiast Magazine, March 2001
From the Cline Brothers, renowned California Rhône pioneers,
this 100 percent Marsanne wine shows typical aromas of citrus, nail polish, clove and dried herbs. Quite fruity,
with grapefruit, lemon and grassy flavors. Richer and fatter than Sauvignon Blanc. You could age this beauty due
to the high acidity.
86 points - The
Beverage Testing Institute Summer 2000- Highly recommended
Golden luster. Rich, buttery aromas. Smooth and glycerous with a full body and a silky, textured mouthfeel showing
butter character. Not very fruity but quite hedonistic.
Two and a Half Stars - The
San Francisco Chronicle's Wine Selections, April 26, 2000
Spicy-peach aroma, lime-juice back notes; medium acidity, fresh, lively flavors, concentrated ripe pear, long finish.
Nice choice with fresh oysters.
86 points - The Beverage Testing Institute - Highly recommended
Mourvèdre
1998 Mourvèdre Ancient Vines Contra Costa County
90 points -Wine Spectator
Magazine, February 28, 2001
Enticing flavors of roasted herbs, mint black currants and plum are loaded with intensity in this Rhone-style red
from California, while chocolate notes and firm tannins carry through the finish. Drink now through 2005. 3,099
cases made. -J.L.
1999 Mourvèdre Small Berry Vineyard Contra
Costa County
90 points - Wine
Spectator On-line, August 10, 2001
The Cline Mourvèdre Contra Costa County Small Berry Vineyard is remarkably harmonious with its chewy tannins and focused notes of eucalyptus,
bay leaf, spice and blueberry. Run don't walk to secure this striking wine. 1291 cases made. -- J.L.
1998 Mourvèdre Small
Berry Vineyard Contra Costa County
88 points - Wine
Spectator Magazine, February 28, 2001
Chunky, with pronounced mint, roasted herbs and plum flavors. Firm, with focused tannins and acidity. Drink now
through 2004. 1,000 cases made. -J.L.
Roussanne Los Carneros
1998 Roussanne Los Carneros
90 points - Wine Enthusiast
Magazine, August 2000
In California only a few wineries make top-quality Roussanne, and Cline is a leader of the pack. This one is a
big-style white with 14% alcohol (so you may want to hold off pooping the cork until after sundown). It has a lime-driven
personality, with some talc-like dryness. Underneath, however is where the real game is played. There's a warm,
honeyed core of spiced pear--also licorice and clove. Because it's on the large side, it deserves fine cuisine,
preferably a great piece of fish or grilled lobster tails.
89 points - The Beverage
Testing Institute Summer 2000
- Highly Recommended
Medium golden luster. Stony, honeysuckle aromas. Juicy, peachy fruit flavors with a moderately full body and a
bright, juicy finish. Very attractive.
86 points -Wine Spectator
Magazine, May 31, 2000
Rich honeysuckle, melon and butter notes combine in a viscous package framed by oaky vanilla flavors. Drink now.
Tasted twice, with consistent notes.
89 points - Wine Enthusiast Magazine, July, 1999
89 points - 2000 Beverage Testing Institute - Highly Recommended
Syrah
1998 Syrah California
87 points - Wine Spectator
Magazine Top 100 Wine Values Edition, October 2000
Rated the top Syrah in the California Reds division of the 100 Top Wines at a Glance.
Best Wine - Food & Wine American Wine Awards Issue, October 2000
Best Syrah $15 and under.This versatile Sonoma winery produces fine Zinfandels as well as Rhône blends and varietals.
Although Syrah, a Rhône grape, has become wildly popular only recently, proprietor Fred Cline recognized
its potential years ago. The 1998 Syrah, a blend of several different appellations, is immediately accessible,
a soft juicy red with a nose redolent of smoke and spice--a Rhône grape that's grown California ripe.
87 points - Wine Spectator
Magazine, May 31, 2000
Focused, with smoke, leather and spicy berry notes that remain
concentrated through the firm finish. Great bang for the buck.
Good Value - Wine &
Spirits, February 2000
A simple, fat and fleshy syrah with dry tannins and a little
musky, barnyard character. Open a bottle with grilled burgers.
1999 Syrah Los
Carneros
90 points - Wine
Spectator On-line, August 10, 2001 and September 2001
The intense Syrah Los Carneros 1999,is rich black cherry, game meat, mineral, leather and earth flavors. Run, don't
walk to secure this striking wine. 2842 cases made. --J.L.
1998 Syrah Los Carneros
4 Stars - Press Democrat
Food Section January 24, 2001
A big wine, complex and earthy. Notes of cassis, currant, sage
and toasty oak. A good quaffer. -P.M.
Viognier Los Carneros
1999 Viognier Los
Carneros
87 points -Wine
Spectator Magazine, February 28, 2001
Easy to like, with butter, caramel, peach and tangy citrus flavors through the finish. Drink now. 610 cases made.-J.L.
1998 Viognier Los
Carneros
Food & Beverage International Magazine, March/April 2000
Nice character, very smooth and non-overbearing. The surprise
is in the way the finish comes back at you. Decant and wait for the aroma to unfold and the full structure to come
forward. This Viognier would go well with olive oils or stir fried foods. Recommended.
89 points - Wine Enthusiast
Magazine, July 1999
84 points - 2000 Beverage Testing Institute - Recommended
Zinfandel
1998 Zinfandel Ancient Vines California
89 points - Wine Enthusiast
Magazine, March 2001 BestBuys 
Big, toothsome wine, chewy and assertive. Cline fans will recognize the style:
brambly, peppery, with enormous vitality and punch. Bright, spicy fruit backed with good acids and just enough
toast.
86 points - Wine Spectator, December 15, 2000
Big and ripe, with earth cherry, wild berry and even a touch of beet in the mix. Finishes with firm, leathery tannins,
so a little more time in the bottle won't hurt. Drink now through 2005. 8,061 case made. -J.L.
1999 Zinfandel California
86 points - Wine Spectator Magazine,
May
15, 2001 BEST
BUY and GREAT WINE VALUES, May
31, 2001
Lively in the mouth, with flavors of raisins, dried currants
and roasted herbs, highlighted by modest tannins. A very good Zin at a hard-to-argue-with price. Drink now through
2005.
87 points - Wine Enthusiast
Magazine, March 2001 BestBuys Full dark berry aromas and flavors anc classic pepper accents mark this very likeable
wine. Cocoa and meaty elements add a bit of complexity not necessarily expected at this price. Kept lively by its
brisk, but not sharp acidity, it finishes peppery with a tart-sweet profile. This straightforward, delicious wine
exemplifies how competitive California can still be, despite the trend to priciness.
Connoisseur's Guide to California Wine, January 2001
Coming close to the remarkable value that its 1998 predecessor
offered, this ripe, berryish, straightforward effort offers plenty to enjoy in its full-bodied, fleshy, ripe flavors
and mannerly tannin. If not likely to make you forget about the more costly and deeper versions of Zinfandel, this
one nonetheless must be kept in mind when value for money is part and parcel of your wine-buying equation.
Food & Beverage International Magazine, Wine Review, January 16, 2001
A very fruity wine, multi-layered with ripe berries. Fruit forward
aromas are laden with black cherries and spice. The flavors are round with more fruit complexity, adding raspberry,
spicy focused black pepper and rich oak and finishing long and supple. This is a high quality wine for the price,
try paring with roast chicken and wild mushroom lasagna in a fresh Roma tomato sauce.
1999 Zinfandel Big Break
91 points - 1999 Zinfande Big
Break October
2001 Issue
1997 Zinfandel Big Break
Global Vintage Quarterly Magazine,January - March 2000 Issue
Regional Winemakers Score 96 points
National Critics Score92.7 points
Global Vintage Score 93 points
90 points - Wine Enthusiast Magazine, September 1999
Open and accessible . . . showing the importance of terroir. Ripe, briary and peppery, it captures Zin's character
in an earthy, likable way.
1997 Zinfandel Bridgehead
90 points - Wine & Spirits Magazine, October 1999
² Super-concentrated, with juicy fresh berry and jammier fruit combining in a lucious, mouth-coating texture.
Oak influence shows up at the end, adding even more intoxicating richness.
Named One of the Top Ten Wines of the Year - San Francisco Chronicle, November 10,
1999
1997 Zinfandel
Fulton Road
88 points - Wine Spectator Magazine,
November 1999
Dark, rich and concentrated, with a ripe, rich core of mint and cherry, currant and wild berry flavors that are
well focused, finishing with firm, chewy tanning\s. Best to cellar into 1998.
Three Stars - Connoisseur's Guide,
July 1999
Highest rated wine in Connoisseur's Guide's July 1999 Zinfandel issue! The wine is big, ripe and well extracted
in the winery style, yet it is every keyed on neatly focused blackberry fruit and gives little ground to runaway
ripeness. Lots of sweet oak spice complete a rich and enticing picture, and while very tasty now, this deep, handsomely
crafted wine has the inner strength and solidity to develop nicely for five or more years.
93
points - 1999 Zinfande Live
Oak October
2001 Issue
1998 Zinfandel Live
Oak Contra Costa County
88 points - Wine
Spectator Magazine, December 15, 2000
A solid chunky, firmly tannic effort, rich with ripe plum and berry flavors flanked by tar and spice. Finishes
with a dry, tannic aftertaste, drink it now or cellars. Drink now through 2006. 1,331 cases made.
Jacuzzi Familly Vineyard
1996 Jacuzzi Family Vineyard Zinfandel
91 points- Wine
Enthusiast Magazine, May 2000
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