Winemaker and owner Steve Clifton has garnered an incredible reputation in California, his projects include the Brewer-Clifton wines which are near impossible to get.  While Brewer-Clifton focuses on the grapes of Burgundy (Chardonnay and Pinot Noir), Palmina focuses on Italian grapes and wine styles.  Very few Californian wine producers have managed to produce excellent wines from grapes such as Barbera, Dolcetto, Nebbiolo and Sangiovese and my experiences has shown me that the best results come from winemakers that have produced world-class Pinot Noir - which is the case here.

 

This Sangiovese has the hall-mark notes of a wine grown and produced in Tuscany, the notes of cherry, tobacco and earth combined neatly with impressive balance of tannins, alcohol and acidity. Oh and Robert Parker Jr. seems to like this wine as well.