Wine Tasting Archive #1
The following reviews are archived from the main wine page.
They occurred November 2023 – February 23, 2024
This Archive contains 172 ratings.
ARCHIVE #2: The archive for the Wine Blog is here with reviews from February 23, 2024 to July 23, 2024
Wine
Vintner: Beaulieu Vineyard
Description: Reserve, Rutherford, Napa Valley
Vintage: 2019
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Notes: Black kirsch cherry, raspberry, cocoa, anise, vanilla, light oakiness.
The tannins coat the teeth leaving a sweet, cherry note. The acid is high, the finish long and the body full. The concentration of soft fruit is really amazing.
The nose is elusive at first. It needs time to breathe. But from the start the flavors are open, concentrated and really plush. There is velvet here. It runs from 60-72 bucks depending on where you look.
Rating: 95
Date Tasted: 2/23/2024
Vintner: Charles Joguet
Description: Chinon Cuvee Terroir, Loire
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Cabernet Franc
Notes: black berry, black cherry, kirsch, vanilla, black plum, cassis, minerality, leather.
Full body, full acid, med+ tannins, pronounced, concentrated, long finish.
The wine is a little thin on the nose and the palate, but it is balanced by the kirsch cherry. This is a fruit forward Cab Franc from the Loire valley. It is not massive, but very pleasant drinking.
Rating: 90
Date Tasted: 2/22/2024
Vintner: Gary Farrell
Description: Petaluma Gap, Gap’s Crown Vineyard
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: This was tasted in company, and I did not have time to take not have time to take notes. From memory, we got cherry, strawberry and raspberry. It had great minerality, typical of Petaluma Gap.
The tannins were medium and the acid high. The finish was massive, tart, balanced by the fruit.
We have rarely gone wrong with a Gap’s Crown.
Rating: 95
Date Tasted: 2/22/2024
Vintner: Blue Oak Vineyard
Description: Coombsville, Napa Valley
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Merlot
Notes: Have you been to Blue Oak? It is a hidden gem. Michael, who runs the tasting room, is a knowledgeable, kind pourer, and he pours ample amounts. We first went there with some friends, and we really hit it off. The wines were so interesting and powerful that I couldn’t concentrate on any conversations I was pretending to be part of. They were amazing.
This Merlot is a classic. But the body on this wine is insane. Imagine the fullest body on a wine being like whole milk. Well, this exceeds that. It is more like full cream. The palate is medium+ tannins, full acid, concentrated, pronounced, lovely loveliness. The nose is classic Merlot. Do everything you can to get a bottle of this. It is possibly some of the best wine Napa has to offer. 90 bucks . . .
Rating: 98
Date Tasted: 2/21/2024
Vintner: Acumen
Description: Napa Valley, Mountainside
Vintage: 2019
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Notes: An attack of red licorice, raspberry, black berry, anise, cocoa, black cherry, plum, cassis and bitter black berry leaf.
Can’t call this finish long. But it does have a pronounced flavor. It just does not linger as long as it should. Still, the acid is high, the tannins medium and integrated. It has full body. Regardless of the slightly less than long finish, the flavors are concentrated red and black fruits with sizzling anise flavored tannins.
We opened this on 2/18. We corked it and let it breathe overnight. It was opening up on the 19th, but not enough. We sealed it well and let it stand. Now it is really nice. A quick decanter would have been more time-efficient, but we do weird things with wine once in a while.
Got this on WineAccess.com for $48 bucks.
Rating: 95
Date Tasted: 2/20/2024
Vintner: DeLille Cellars
Description: D2 Columbia Valley Red Wine
Vintage: 2018
Varietal: Red Blend
Notes: You get a Merlot red raspberry, red cherry mixed with anise, cassis, blackberry, black cherry from the Cabernet Sauvignon in this blend. The oak provides vanilla, toast, oakiness and some clove.
The wine itself is so concentrated — like someone removed water and just left pure juice. The wine has a long finish and pronounced flavors. There is medium tannin, full acidity and lovely balance. I wish I could get more of this.
Short story, this is my mom’s last bottle of wine from her collection. She passed away 6 weeks ago from Lewy Body Dementia. So, here’s to you, mom! Great pick!
Rating: 94
Date Tasted: 2/19/2024
Vintner: Siduri
Description: Rosella’s Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands, Monterey County
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Blackberry, black raspberry, sweet kirsch cherry, cranberry, black pepper, mint.
The palate contains full acid, med tannins, full body, full finish, concentrated, pronounced wine.
It is so much fun to try wines from different wineries that get grapes from the same vineyards. Walt gets an allocation of Rosella’s as well. And it is probably my favorite Walt Pinot. This one is right up there. It has some cool minerality, great acid that balances the thick, dark flavors.
Rating: 95
Date Tasted: 2/19/2024
Vintner: Coeur de Vigne
Description: Rutherford, Napa Valley, Sullivan Rutherford Estate
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Notes: A pronounced nose of black berry, black currant, clove, cassis, black licorice, leather, tobacco, kirsch cherry.
Lovely tannins that grow as the wine breathes. High acid, med+ concentration, long finish.
This wine is asking for oxygen. Let it breathe for 30 minutes and it will thank you. The wine will open up from a very closed state. You will get lovely mouth feel, soft licorice and meaty intensity. Also, the art on this bottle is lovely.
Rating: 93
Date Tasted: 2/18/2024
Vintner: Siduri
Description: Soberanes Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands, Monterey County
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: A pronounced nose of kirsch cherry, layers of raspberry, lilac perfume, vanilla, minerality, wet forest and toasty beach fire smoke.
With a long finish, pronounced, concentrated flavors, this wine speaks volumes. There is soft tannins, full body and acid that balance all the dark fruit. You will not find bright strawberry and red cherry in this wine. This is classic Santa Lucia Highlands. It is dark, meaty, BadaBing cherry flavored. Might need another bottle of this one.
Rating: 94
Date Tasted: 2/18/2024
Vintner: Shypoke
Description: Estate Calistoga, Napa Valley
Vintage: 2019
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Notes: Black berry, cassis, black currant, toast, clove, anise, cocoa
Lovely well integrated tannins, full acid, full body, concentrated, pronounced flavors. The wine has some bright fruit that balances out the acidity.
Shypoke is made by the same winemaker that produces Turnbull — making wine for the family winery. It is a lovely wine with deep, dark flavors, but balanced out with great bright fruit. Let it breathe!
Rating: 94
Date Tasted: 2/16/2024
Vintner: Siduri
Description: Perilune Vineyard, Santa Rita Hills
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Black Cherry, Strawberry, raspberry, clove, roasted acorn squash, violet, ginger, grated carrot.
Soft tannins, high acid, full body, concentrated with a long finish.
The nose on this thing is a lovely mixture of sweet berry, floral and spice. The vegetal carrot and squash really bring a fresh scent to this wine. This is the first Perilune Vineyard wine we have tried from Santa Rita Hills. Very much impressed. The clove, ginger and floral make this an excellent pairing with Asian food, and we found it excellent with pizza.
Rating: 91
Date Tasted: 2/16/2024
Vintner: Siduri
Description: Dutton-Perry Ranch, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Black cherry, blackberry, lilac, perfume, sweet kirsch, parsnip, clove and vanilla.
You wanna talk about concentrated flavors? There is a much pronounced flavor here. The acidity is nicely high, the tannins med- and the finish thick and long. The body is almost beyond full.
This wine has a touch of sweet to it, but the acidity balances it out nicely. This thing is a massive, thick wine. It is has no rough edges. It is more like a dessert. If you are turned off by thin, strawberry, minerally pinots, this one might be for you.
Rating: 93
Date Tasted: 2/15/2024
Vintner: Siduri
Description: Parsons Vineyard, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Cherry, black raspberry, strawberry jam, vanilla, forest floor, a hint of lime, red licorice.
Low tannins, high acid, pronounced flavors, full body and long finish. On the palate, you get a lovely soft sourness that balances with the cherry and strawberry jam. But again, Siduri is offering this lovely, darker fruited wine. It does have a Russian River fingerprint, but it has solid depth, less airy minerality, and more meaty fruit.
Rating: 93
Date Tasted: 2/14/2024
Vintner: Chris Hamilton
Description: Oakville, Napa Valley
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Merlot
Notes: Kirsch cherry, black raspberry, vanilla, cinnamon, toasty oak, cassis and cranberry.
You have full body, med tannins, full acid, pronounced, long finishing wine.
My buddy, David recommended this. It is $40 bucks at Back Room Wines in downtown Napa. It is really a well-balanced Merlot. It has that kirsch sweetness on the nose, balanced with the cranberry. Lovely berry/cherry, vanilla and toast are so perfectly merged. Just a little bit more concentration would have pushed this wine further up.
Rating: 92
Date Tasted: 2/14/2024
Vintner: Siduri
Description: Edmeades Vineyard, Anderson Valley, Mendocino County
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Black raspberry, black cherry, blackberry leaf, licac, vanilla, charred wood, strawberry
Full bodied, concentrated, pronounced flavors with med acid and tannins.
These single vineyard Pinots from Siduri are always a treat. This one is so dark fruited that you’d think it wasn’t a Pinot. It’s more like a fruity Syrah. But with that said, it is really lovely wine with interesting edges that make you want to smell and taste it again. It has a mouth filling flavor with a long, long finish. This is a standout from Anderson valley. But as this breathes you start to get some strawberry that was not there before.
Rating: 94
Date Tasted: 2/13/2024
Vintner: McHenry Hohnen
Description: Hazel’s Vineyard, Margaret River, Australia
Vintage: 2018
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Notes: Yah, this thing is just an anise/cassis monster. You get blackberry, anise, licorice, cassis, vanilla, bright cherry, oak, cedar, clove, smoke and dill.
The body is full, pronounced, concentrated, huge finish, med tannin, full acid. It is as though the wine had water removed from it, it is so concentrated. Beautiful balanced featured wine. We have not tried too many Margaret River Cabs, but this one has set the bar for future Western Aussie wines.
Rating: 95
Date Tasted: 2/13/2024
Vintner: Domaine Charvin
Description: Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Rhone Blend
Notes: We had this wine at Bistro Jeanty in Yountville. It was a lovely meal in honor of the passing of my mom. All the sibs were there.
The wine was good CNdP. I admit that I did not take notes, but it was a classic with dark berry, black cherry, cocoa and spice. We had a few nice fish appetizers, and the wine went great with all of them. As with a lot of these wines, it started out a little rough on the palate. But it smoothed out with a little O2. The finish was med+, the flavor pronounced, tannin med+ and the acid medium.
Rating: 91
Date Tasted: 2/12/2024
Vintner: Quilceda Creek
Description: CVR Columbia Valley
Vintage: 2017
Varietal: Red Blend
Notes: 96% cab, 3% Merlot, 1% cab Franc
Black berry, bramble, blue berry, black cherry, vanilla, oak, thyme, cola, anise, licorice, tobacco.
Full body, full acid, med tannins, concentrated, pronounced flavors. It was interesting that the finish started out med+ but after breathing it stretched out really long and luxurious.
For $69 a bottle at Total Wine this is a good deal for Quilly. The next bottling is $200. It is a lovely wine, a only a little lighter than the big Quillies. But dang good. There is big, dark meat on the palate with lovely dark berry and cherry.
Rating: 97
Date Tasted: 2/10/2024
Vintner: Col D’Orcia
Description: Brunello di Montalcino
Vintage: 2018
Varietal: Sangiovese
Notes: Cherry cream, blue berry, mushroom, raspberry, leather, thyme, cedar and fresh oak.
Full bodied, pronounced, concentrated, grippy tannins, full acid. Lovely stuff. Needs a good shake to oxidize. After about two hours this wine gets lovely. A creamy cherry note starts to emerge that drags you in.
Rating: 91
Date Tasted: 2/7/2024
Vintner: Chateau Pegau
Description: Setier Cotes du Rhone Villages
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Rhone Blend
Notes: A bit of well woven brett intermingles with black berries, pomegranate, brioche, red cherry, cola, vanilla, baking spice
Med+ acid, full tannin and body. The flavor is pronounced, concentrated and deep flavor and long finish. These tannins are grippy and gorgeous, teasing the teeth.
Rating: 92
Date Tasted: 2/6/2024
Vintner: Domaine du Banneret
Description: Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Vintage: 2018
Varietal: Rhone Blend
Notes: Blackberry, black cherry, black currant, black pepper, chocolate, cardamom, baking spice, anise, black plum.
Full body, acid, med tannins, long finish, pronounced, concentrated.
Lovely, balanced fruit and acidity. The cocoa is not over-done. Everything is balanced. If the concentration of flavors was more intense, it would have received at 95+.
Rating: 92
Date Tasted: 2/5/2024
Vintner: Summit Lake Vineyards
Description: Howell Mountain, Napa Valley
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Syrah
Notes: Raisin, blackberry, black plum, tobacco, black pepper, black cherry, vanilla, baking spices.
A friend gave me this bottle and I held onto it for a month because I had other wine matters to attend to. But I’m glad we tried it. This is a concentrated, pronounced wine with a fruity body, long finish and full body. It has some bramble on the palate with a slight bitter kick to it that helps round out all the amazing fruit — it creates interest. There is good acidity here and soft tannins. The alcohol is high, but feels balanced with the massive, fruity nose.
Rating: 92
Date Tasted: 1/29/2024
Vintner: Skyenna
Description: Santa Barbara County
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Syrah
Notes: Blackberry, sweet rhubarb, coffee, black pepper, raisin, cherry, cola, vanilla.
Med+ tannins and acid, full body, pronounced, dry but so thick and tart juicy that part of my palate wants to think this is sweet. It has a breadth of flavors, all the same, that balances this wine out and does not let it feel flabby.
Rating: 93
Date Tasted: 1/29/2024
Vintner: Lucien Lardy
Description: Cru Fleurie Les Moriers “Le Vivier”
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Gamay
Notes: Strawberry, cherry, chalk, black raspberry, cranberry, blackberry leaf, bitter herbs, red plum.
Medium tannin, acid and body. The finish is med+. The flavor is darker than some of the fruitier Beaujolais. It is really nicely balanced between red and black fruits. It has a lovely Pinot tendency. There is an herbal bitterness to do along with the fruit. This is a good, complex wine with pronounced flavors. This wine spent 12 months in neutral oak, which seems to only have imparted texture to the wine.
Rating: 91
Date Tasted: 1/27/2024
Vintner: Friday Night Tasting
Description: 5 Chateauxneufs and a Syrah from Melville.
Vintage: Multiple
Varietal: See below
Notes: I’ve been collecting these Neufs for weeks and finally got some wine lovers over to help me try through them. My buddy, Steve brought over the Melville that fit right in. All the wines were thick, dark flavor packed and with giant noses. Every sip was a pleasure and an education. Most came from Wine.com except the Clos Saint Jean from Wineaccess.com
2020 Domaine de la Charbonniere, Cuvee Vieilles Vignes – 97 pts
2020 Domaine de la Charbonniere Les Hautes Brusquieres Cuvee Speciale – 96 pts
2020 Domaine de la Charbonniere Cuvee Mourre des Perdrix – 95 pts
2020 Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Les Trois Sources – 95 pts
2020 Clos Saint Jean Vieilles Vignes – 95 pts
2016 Melville Block C West Native Syrah – 96 pts
Rating: See above
Date Tasted: 1/26/2024
Vintner: Sojourn Cellars
Description: Review of our trip to Sojourn to try all the new releases!!
Vintage: 2021/2022
Varietal: See below
Notes: It is always a pleasure to go tasting at Sojourn. It’s a small establishment and you get lots of attention. The new releases are stellar. Other reviewers are raving about the wines. So, here’s what we thought.
2022 Petaluma Gap (Sangiacomo, Gap’s Crown, Nightwing, Betroth vineyards). Lovely minerality, strawberry, cherry and dates – 93 pts
2022 Sangiacomo Vineyards (clones 115 and Mt Eden) Raspberry, strawberry, cherry, cranberry, minerals, med acid and tannins – 94 pts
2022 Gap’s Crown (clones 115, 828, 667) High acid, med tannins, strawberry, cherry, raspberry – 95 pts
2022 Nightwing (clones 115 and Pommard) Dark fruit, black cherry, black raspberry – 96 pts
2022 Sonoma Coast – Full body, med tannins, med+ acid, berry, cherry, minerals – 94 pts
2022 UV Lucky Well Vineyard – Good acid, soft tannins, full body, raspberry, cherry, strawberry – 96 pts
2021 Home Ranch Cuvee Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon – 95 pts
2021 Beckstoffer Georges III Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon – 96 pts
Rating: See above
Date Tasted: 1/24/2024
Vintner: Domaine Clef de Saint Thomas Pierre Troupel
Description: Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Grenache/Syrah
Notes: Blackberry, raspberry, black bababing cherries, kirsch, Dried herbs, cassis, fennel, cocoa, wet loam.
This wine is so multilayered, full bodied, pronounced, concentrated flavors. The tannins are soft, berry flavored and the acid nearly full. This has all the hallmarks of being able to age. It is 50/50 Grenache and Syrah. And it has such silky elegance.
Update: after 1.5 hours this just gets so thick, lovely, balanced, body of cream. I kept trying to make this a 97 but my wife kept saying 96.
Rating: 96
Date Tasted: 1/24/2024
Vintner: Le Vieux Donjon
Description: Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Grenache blend
Notes: flinty, raspberry, red cherry, strawberry wet stone, cassis, minerality, banana peel, bay leaf, meat, cayenne, allspice
Good tannin and acid, full body, deep color, long finish.
Rating: 94
Date Tasted: 1/24/2024
Vintner: Bernard Baudry
Description: Le Domaine Chinon
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: 80% Tannat, 20% Cabernet Franc
Notes: Blackberry, black currant, black cherry, touch of brett, cassis, black pepper, coffee, sweet licorice, eucalyptus, bayleaf, serrano pepper powder, green pepper
The Brett nose sometimes covers up the pure Cab Franc nose, but it comes and goes. The tannins are firm, the acid full, the body full and the finish long. The tannins make the wine seem drier than it is.
Rating: 92
Date Tasted: 1/23/2024
Vintner: Chateau Peyros
Description: Mideran Vieilles Vignes
Vintage: 2017
Varietal: 80% Tannat, 20% Cabernet Franc
Notes: The first thing that hits your nose is a sweet cherry, blackberry, cassis, anise, bramble, black pepper, coffee, bell pepper,
Full bodied, pronounced flavors, concentrated, high acid and tannin. We had to admit after leaving this corked overnight, the tannins softened a bit. At first, this was a mighty tannic wine. But it is worthy of ageing a bottle or two and see how this thing softens up, letting more of the fruit out.
Rating: 91
Date Tasted: 1/22/2024
Vintner: Camile Giroud
Description: Mercurey Grand Vin de Bourgogne
Vintage: 2019
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Strawberry, raspberry, red cherry, red currant, mushroom, forest floor, blackberry
High acidity, medium- tannins, full body, pronounced, concentrate flavors. This is very much like Sonoma Pinot but has a greater density of body thickness. There is a lovely tart blackberry on the palate That balances the wine well.
Rating: 92
Date Tasted: 1/21/2024
Vintner: Le Haut-Lieu
Description: Domaine Huet Vouvray Sec
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: Chenin Blanc
Notes: Green apple, pear, melon, honey, nectarine cardamom, turmeric, wet stone, lemon drop, white pepper.
A dry wine with full body, full acid and concentrated flavors. The finish lingers a long time with pronounced honey — like you just put a spoonful of honey in your mouth, swallowed it and could taste it for half a minute. But it’s dry. There is lovely white pepper and apple on the finish as well. The acidity is lovely and lively, balancing out the honey and fruit. Did I mention, It’s dry?
Rating: 93
Date Tasted: 1/21/2024
Vintner: New Frontier Wine Co
Description: Beckstoffer Dr Crane Vineyard Napa Valley
Vintage: 2018
Varietal: Cabernet Franc
Notes: Our host at the 49ers party cracked this open. It’s a pricey treat. It has notes of blackberry, stewed berries, cocoa, cassis, licorice, cloves, baked biscuit and kirsch.
The tannins are velvety, soft acid, plush mouthfeel and concentrated flavors.
Rating: 93
Date Tasted: 1/20/2024
Vintner: Sarah’s Vineyard
Description: Reserve Santa Clara Valley
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Notes: Had this at a 49ers watching party on Saturday night. It’s very nice wine with notes of blackberry, black cherry, cassis, asparagus, cedar, burnt sugar, toast, oak, black currant.
Medium tannins, light acid, soft, silky wine. Ful body with concentrated flavors.
Rating: 94
Date Tasted: 1/20/2024
Vintner: Domaine Durand Eric & Joel
Description: Cornas
Vintage: 2019
Varietal: Syrah
Notes: blackberry, black plum, black pepper, black currant, anise, leather, clove, nutmeg, allspice, cocoa.
On the palate, pronounced, deep flavors, full body, tannin and acid all give this wine a lovely, balanced mouthfeel. The finish is long. The tannins are sizzling with berry flavor. Lovely sweet/sour after aspirating the wine. The sweet is not residual sugar, but rather from the deceptive licorice/anise sweetness. Lovely wine.
But here is the thing, after being open for 3 hours, it just got better.
WineAccess.com $44
Rating: 94
Date Tasted: 1/21/2024
Vintner: Domaine Johann Michel
Description: Cornas
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Syrah
Notes: Nose of black plum, blackberry, cassis, black pepper, kirsch, black cherry, clove, vanilla, stony minerals.
At 100% Syrah, the wine has full tannin, acid and body. Bright berries coat your mouth, and the wine just keeps getting better over the hour that it has been breathing. It starts out very dry and wettens up after getting some O2.
WineAccess.com
Rating: 94
Date Tasted: 1/19/2024
Vintner: La Moulin Chapitre
Description: Chinon, Touraine, Loure, France
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Cabernet Franc
Notes: Classic Cab Franc with a toasted sugar nose, blackberry, cassis, clove, black currant, black pepper, green pepper, licorice, dried dates.
Very dry, full tannins, full acidity, full body, lovely balance. The flavors are rich and lovely.
Sort of a breath of fresh air after all the fruity Cru Beaujolais we’ve been drinking.
Rating: 93
Date Tasted: 1/18/2024
Vintner: Jean-Michel Dupre’
Description: Grands Cras Cru du Beaujolais
Vintage: 2019
Varietal: Gamay
Notes: Cherry, strawberry, raspberry and a lovely level of vineyard earthiness. Beneath that there is black plum and black currant.
Mouth-coating cooked cherry/berry, full body, concentrated and pronounced. This reminded us of a fruity Pinot Noir. Tannins are medium+ and so is the acidity. It is really well-balanced wine and worth the price twice over. $19.99 at Wine.com
Rating: 94
Date Tasted: 1/17/2024
Vintner: Chateau Thivin
Description: Reverdon Brouilly Cru Beaujolais
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Gamay
Notes: Starts out with a spicy funk, but the funkiness goes away after a few minutes. The minerality of this wine is nice. It puts it heads above some of the lighter, fruitier versions we have been trying (see below).
Notes of strawberry, cherry and pear. Herbal berry leaf, red plum with an overlay of stone and flint.
With a long finish, pronounced flavors and good concentration, this wine is very pleasant. The tannins are light and the acidity medium, the body medium. But it has a depth that puts into the heavier, fuller Beaujolais camp. We read a lot of good press from Wine.com and WineAccess.com on this wine, and the hype is warranted.
Rating: 91
Date Tasted: 1/17/2024
Vintner: Domaine Chignard
Description: Julienas Cru Beaujolais, Beauvernay
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Gamay
Notes: Red cherry, raspberry, red plum, cooked strawberry, banana, pear, melon — and after sitting open, we got a bready shortcake. That goes along with the strawberries above.
Great dry acidity that balances all this bright fruit. There is a nice tartness to this wine with lovely red fruit that is concentrated, pronounced and nearly full bodied.
Rating: 90
Date Tasted: 1/16/2024
Vintner: VieuxBourg
Description: Chenas Cru de Beaujolais Au Bois Retour
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Gamay
Notes: Bright fruit, pear, strawberry, sweet plum, candy cherry, banana, vanilla, touch of cinnamon, loquat.
Good acidity balancing the very fruity palate keeps the wine from being too flabby. The body is full and bright with tons of fruit. But it needs to breath for a bit. Then it becomes very bright.
Rating: 91
Date Tasted: 1/15/2024
Vintner: Walt
Description: New releases
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes:
Rosella’s Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands – 95pts
Rosella’s was our stand-out favorite last year at Walt. When we heard the new one was coming out, we rushed to Walt to have a taste. You get red currant, d’anjou pear, raspberry, cherry, cooked strawberry, cardamom, brown bread crust and pipe tobacco. There is lovely medium acid and tannin, full bodied. It is going to be one of the big hits this year at Walt.
Rita’s Crown Santa Rita Hills, Santa Barbara County – 94pts
Raspberry, strawberry, cranberry, minerality, medicinal, blackberry leaf, lovely tannins and acid balance out this full-bodied wine.
It feels a bit lighter than the Rosella’s, but it stands on its own nicely. Rita’s Crown has not been produced in a few years but we’re glad it’s back. Both these wines have already received high praise from the critics.
Rating: See above
Date Tasted: 1/16/2024
Vintner: Mangels Vineyards
Description: CAORA Estate Suisun Valley, Ca
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: White Blend
Notes: Apple, pear, mango, shortbread cookie, nectarine, lemon peel, melon and Passion fruit flavors jump out of the glass at you with this pronounced wine.
The palate is thick, full body, beautifully balanced hint of sweetness with medium+ acid. The flavors are nuanced and pronounced.
This white blend of Verdelho, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio and Viognier is a thick, juicy wine. The hint of sweetness lends to the tropical fruit notes. After her Verdelho (that sold out months ago), this is Gina Richmond’s white wine of the year for Mangels. It is still available in limited quantities. All you have to do is head over to Suisun Valley and check them out.
Rating: 92
Date Tasted: 1/14/2024
Vintner: Domaine de la Voute des Crozes
Description: Cote-de-Brouilly Beaujolais
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Gamay
Notes: Intense nose of spicy strawberry, raspberry jello. It is so intense at first that we let it sit to open up. It is easy to see why this was given a great score from another reviewer. There is a hint of banana, fruit salad, pear.
This wine is bright, dry, pronounced, medium complexity, medium+ body and finish. The tannin and acidity are light. The heavy fruitiness gives the flavor a slight flabbiness due to the lighter acidity that fails to balance the fruit.
Having tasted numerous beaujolais nouveau wines, this comes across as that type of wine with far more intensity, body and complex flavor after it had time to open. Before that, it was almost too tightly wound to appreciate.
This wine has been fun to review.
Rating: 90
Date Tasted: 1/14/2024
Vintner: Mangels Vineyards
Description: Estate Suisun Valley, Ca
Vintage: 2016
Varietal: Tempranillo
Notes: Blackberry cobbler, toasted sugar, boysenberry syrup, black pepper, honeysuckle, vanilla.
The palate shows med tannin and acid, full body, complex and pronounced flavors.
At $25 dollars a bottle this wine is a steal, but don’t let the price tag lead you to expect less. Gina Richmond has a star with this wine. Her wines just keep getting better and better.
Tucked away in Suisun Valley (just over the hill from Napa), Mangels is an affordable winery destination with a relaxed atmosphere — without the Napa traffic. Outside food welcome, pet friendly. Bring a picnic, the kids and try the large selection of white, rose’ and red wines.
Rating: 91
Date Tasted: 1/14/2024
Vintner: Dillian
Description: Vino Venti 20th Anniversary Blend
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Primitivo/Zinfandel
Notes: blackberry, cooked blackberry, dried date, mocha, black plum, black pepper, cherry pipe tobacco, vanilla, cooked peach.
On the palate you get medium but sizzly tannins, medium acid, long finish, full body, concentrated, pronounced flavor.
This wine is rich and beautifully balanced. Dillian is a hidden gem up on Steiner Road in Amador County. This is one of the best blends they have come out with. At under $40 a bottle, this is a steal!
Rating: 94
Date Tasted: 1/12/2024
Vintner: Sobon Estate
Description: ReZerve Amador County
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Primitivo
Notes: You can find Sobon as far away as Boston. They really get their wine out there. And most of their offerings are excellent. When I travel, all I have to do is head to any Total Wine and I can find familiar Sobon wine that I know will not disappoint. Even though they make large quantities their wines are amazingly good and consistent year after year. Sobon is located way up in Amador County, and it is well worth the trip up the hill. They have so many lovely reserve wines and zinfandels. Great wine for 1/5th the price of Napa/Sonoma.
On the nose: Heavy blackberry jam, cherry kirsch, blueberry, coffee, dried dates, vanilla, toast.
The palate is full body, huge finish, medium tannins and acid, pronounced, complex flavors. This wine is a bomb of flavors. It is rich and massive.
Rating: 94
Date Tasted: 1/10/2024
Vintner: Amador Cellars
Description: Amador County
Vintage: 2019
Varietal: Grenache
Notes: This is probably our first wine clubs in California since early 2000s. We have known the family for over 20 years and we love their passion and consistency in wine making. Amador County is still undiscovered, but we think it is about to break open.
On the nose: Blackberry, blueberry, oak, green pepper, vanilla, cherry and plum.
Long, complex, pronounced finish. Medium tannins and acid. The body, however, is full with dark fruit on the palate. This wine does not seem like it follows any of the Grenache rules, but it sure is pretty, more like a Rhone Syrah.
Rating: 92
Date Tasted: 1/10/2024
Vintner: Domaine de la Verpaille
Description: Vin de Bourgogne, Macon-Villages Vieilles Vignes
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Chardonnay
Notes: Lemon, pear, minerals, wet stones, nougat, mango
Medium acid, body and intensity. The wine is nicely balanced with a fairly long mineral finish.
We had to admit that the wine was closed up the first day. We drank 1/4 of the bottle, corked it and put it back in the fridge. The second night the nougat and mango appeared — and the palate became far more intense.
Rating: 90
Date Tasted: 1/10/2024
Vintner: Alain Graillot
Description: Crozes-Hermitage
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Syrah
Notes: Another messy, well-loved bottle. Scents of cinnamon, cloves, blackberry, oaky toast, black pepper, kirsch.
Medium tannins and acid leave a course velvet on the palate. Give it time to breathe because it comes around from being a bit thin to a lovely kirsch black cherry flavor that is not there at first. The body is full, complex and pronounced. It is ready to drink is probably not suitable for ageing longer than a few years. It is pretty now.
Rating: 92
Date Tasted: 1/9/2024
Vintner: Maison Passot
Description: Les Rampaux Beaujolais Fleurie Cru, France
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Gamay
Notes: Notes of dusty earth, truffle, strawberry, cherry, raspberry.
The mouthfeel is medium+ tannins, full acidity and a long finish.
This is a complex, fruity, lovely wine and it is inexpensive.
Rating: 92
Date Tasted: 1/5/2024
Vintner: Antoine Sunier
Description: Beaujolais Regnie Cru, France
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Gamay
Notes: The nose exhibits of lovely fruity character. You get strawberry, cherry, cranberry and banana. And there is a slight hint of brettanomyces, but it is well incorporated with the other scents.
So soft . . . fruity, light in acid, tannin. But the body is medium+ and the finish is just sub-long. It is heavier than a beaujolais villages, but fun to drink.
Rating: 90
Date Tasted: 1/5/2024
Vintner: Craggy Range
Description: Single Vineyard Martinborough New Zealand
Vintage: 2019
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Light bodied, soft tannins, gentle fruit. Cherry and strawberry predominate. But there is an interesting Hatch chili notes as well. Pleasant drinking wine.
Rating: 92
Date Tasted: 1/6/2024
Vintner: Siduri
Description: Gary’s Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Black cherry, nearly ripe blackberry, black plum, burned sugar oak, vanilla
Medium tannins, acid and alcohol, but the finish is long, as you would expect from SLH wine. The tannins are not silky, but they give this lovely texture to the mouthfeel. There is a light, fruitiness to this wine even though it has all this dark fruit. The flavors seem fruity and light and easily identifiable. It is a pretty, gem of a wine. I would like to shake Gary’s hand.
Rating: 95
Date Tasted: 1/5/2024
Vintner: Siduri
Description: Sealift Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Super bright strawberries dipped in cocoa, red plum, blackberry, black cherry, slight woody oakiness and vanilla
Medium acid and tannin. But the body is full, and the complexity is massive. The finish is long and lingering. And deep on the finish there is a hint of phreesia.
Siduri must get some amazing fruit and the wine maker really knows how to manipulate the fruit to get the best out of it, pulling out a lot of complexity and lushness.
Rating: 94
Date Tasted: 1/4/2024
Vintner: Siduri
Description: Skycrest Vineyard Anderson Valley
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Black cherry, black plum, warm oak, bitter herbs, vanilla, raspberry
The nose is slightly elusive but comes on after breathing awhile.
The palate is full tannin, medium acid, very complex, pronounced flavor. The finish is long.
Rating: 92
Date Tasted: 1/3/2024
Vintner: Siduri
Description: Van Der Kamp Vineyard Sonoma Mountain Sonoma County
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Strawberry, cherry candy, vanilla, lilac and rose, black raspberry, cocoa on the finish.
Good acid, long finish, full body and quite dry. When aspirated well the tannins are full.
Tart berries, floral notes and oak aged flavors merge nicely into a complex mouth feel. But the pinots we have been trying recently have been so dense with richness that this is a nice change of pace. Still, it is fairly rich. Well done, Siduri.
Rating: 92
Date Tasted: 1/3/2024
Vintner: Siduri
Description: Sierra Del Mar, Santa Lucia Highlands
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Jeez, this is a flavor bomb. We have been sitting on this one for months. It’s not a light, delicate pinot at all. It’s got blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, black and red very ripe plum, oak and toasted bread with a lovely vanilla finish.
On the palate it’s just plush, full body, balanced, very complex with a pronounced flavor and long, powerful finish. It can be described as thick. Seems like we keep running into SLH wines that are like this, such as the 2020 Wrath 115/667 clone pinot we tried a few days ago.
Rating: 96
Date Tasted: 1/2/2024
Vintner: Wrath
Description: Monterey Clone 115/667
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Black raspberry, black plum, black kirsch cherry, icing, dried dates, coconut, toast, black pepper, biscuit, anise, pronounced nose.
Long finish, medium acid, low tannin, full body, pronounced, complex flavors.
It’s a really big pinot. At first, we weren’t sure if we could drink the whole bottle in one sitting because it’s SO rich, but hey, we’re not quitters!
Rating: 95
Date Tasted: 1/1/2024
Vintner: Gala
Description: Vintage Champaigne, Brut Nature
Vintage: 2015
Varietal: Champaigne
Notes: This was a lovely, creamy wine, but the notes on the nose were pretty cool. We got sweet scone with lemon drizzle and a pronounced note lychee.
Rating: 94
Date Tasted: 12/31/2023
Vintner: Mumm Napa
Description: Blanc de Blanc, Methode Traditionelle, Extended Tirage
Vintage: 2015
Varietal: Sparkling Wine
Notes: Last night our neighbors cracked this open. And we are glad they did. This wine was perfectly aged. The extended tirage gave it a lovely biscuity nose and flavor and a creaminess that gave the wine amazing texture.
Rating: 93
Date Tasted: 12/31/2023
Vintner: Sangiacomo
Description: ViMaria
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Just beautiful. It shouts blackberry, cherry cooked strawberry, cranberry, boysenberry, leather and mineral.
A flavor bomb with so much intensity and length. There is a place for some of those delicate, minerally pinots . . . and there is a place for this. It was a “back up the truck” moment. But at $90 bucks you have to give it some thought.
Rating: 95
Date Tasted: 12/30/2023
Vintner: Sangiacomo
Description: Five Clone, Petaluma Gap, Sonoma Coast
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: You want to talk about a beauty? The nose is bright red raspberry, plum, cherry and Strawberry. Minerally grape sucker too. But when you taste it, it explodes. It is mouth-filling and lovely wine. Very well balanced and has a long finish.
My wife just kept saying she wanted to spend lots more time with this one. The price point is $75. That’s standard for Sonoma, but if you come with any kind of club or industry discount, it’s well worth it.
Keep in mind this wine is newly in the bottle. But is sure feels like a veteran to us.
Rating: 94
Date Tasted: 12/30/2023
Vintner: Black Kite
Description: Pinot Tasting
Vintage: Multiple
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: We took a drive out to Sebastopol Saturday to visit one of our grail wineries, Black Kite. See the winery review here. Ratings below:
2021 Jasper Freestone Vineyard Sonoma Coast Chardonnay – 96
2021 Wendling Vineyard Anderson Valley Pinot – 89
2021 Ferrington Vineyard Anderson Valley Pinot – 91
2021 Robert’s Road Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot – 92
2021 Gap’s Crown Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot – 93
2021 Jasper Freestone Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot – 93
2019 Kite’s Rest Vineyard Anderson Valley Pinot – 92
2021 SOAR Freestone Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot – 91 (2a clone)
2021 Angel Hawk Sonoma Coast Pinot – 93
Rating: See above
Date Tasted: 12/30/2023
Vintner: Multiples
Description: Pinot Tasting
Vintage: Many
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Our friends Steve and Marta came over Dec 29 and helped us taste a few Pinots that we’d acquired over the last couple months. Quick reviews below:
2021 Brewer Clifton, Sta Rita Hills Pinot – 94
2021 Raeburn, Russian River Valley Pinot – 91
2021 Bargetto, Regan Vineyards Reserve, Santa Cruz Mtns Pinot – 93
2016 Siduri, Lemoravo Vineyard Sta Lucia Highlands Pinot – 94
2019 Sanford, Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Sta Rita Hills Pinot – 90
2018 Ram’s Gate, Sonoma Coast Pinot – 92
Rating: See above
Date Tasted: 12/29/2023
Vintner: Daou
Description: Paso Robles
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Notes: blackberry, bramble, cassis, anise, black cherry, black plum, leather, tobacco, smoke, toast
high acid, high tannin, full body, pronounced flavors.
Rating: 90
Date Tasted: 12/28/2023
Vintner: Turkovich
Description: Yolo County, Syrah – Viognier
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Syrah/Viognier
Notes: Yolo county isn’t usually thought of as wine country, but Turkovich really does a great job with all their fruit. And every year their Northern Rhone blend is exceptional.
Notes of blackberry, cranberry, floral, butter, cream cheese, blueberry, black plum, coffee, cocoa, cooked oats.
Palate notes: medium acid, full body, medium tannin, complexity, long finish
Rating: 92
Date Tasted: 12/28/2023
Vintner: Tolenas
Description: Totality – Suisun Valley, Single Vineyard, Close 777
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Suisun Valley is just north of Fairfield, Ca. It gets pretty warm here. However, the wind blows from the ocean down through the gap along I-80 from May to September. This allows for quite a bit of overnight cooling and days that are 15 degrees cooler than just five miles further east. And Pinot Noir ripens well here. But this isn’t a Sonoma pinot. This is full body, darker fruit and more pronounced scents. If you like a pinot that jumps out of the glass and fills your mouth, this is for you.
On the nose: Raspberry, black and red plum, kirsch, black cherry, cream, vanilla, graham cracker, soft oak, dry dates, brambles and earth.
On the palate, medium+ acid, soft tannins, full body.
Rating: 92
Date Tasted: 12/27/2023
Vintner: Tolenas
Description: Totality – Suisun Valley, Single Vineyard, Close 777
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: This is the new Pinot Noir from Tolenas. Just a touch nicer than the one above. Again, very dark fruit, full body, light tannins. We love this wine.
Blackberry, raspberry, bramble, red plum, black cherry, oak, cream, cedar, wet stone, biscuit, fig, dried date.
On the palate: medium tannins, acid, full body, long finish, pronounced flavor.
Rating: 93
Date Tasted: 12/28/2023
Vintner: Walt
Description: La Brisa, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Introducing Walt. I love these guys. The folks that run the tasting are some of the most unpretentious pourers around. Great place to taste. They have tasting rooms in Napa and Sonoma.
Strawberry, cherry, cranberry, vanilla, cola, mushroom, forest floor. Pretty classic pinot. Full body, low tannin, medium acidity. It is one of Walt’s less expensive wines and really worth the money, especially if you have a club membership or are industry.
Rating: 93
Date Tasted: 12/25/2023
Vintner: Razi
Description: Napa Valley
Vintage: 2017
Varietal: Zinfandel
Notes: Blackberry, blueberry, coffee, cocoa, bramble, violets
Medium+ body and acid. Good tannins. Very sippable.
Rating: 95
Date Tasted: 12/25/2023
Vintner: B Cellars
Description: Monte Rosso Vineyard, Moon Mountain District, Sonoma County
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Zinfandel
Notes: Pickling spice, boysenberry, clove, green bell pepper, violet, tobacco, leather, vanilla, sweet cream cheese.
Rating: 93
Date Tasted: 12/25/2023
Vintner: Daou
Description: Pessimist, Paso Robles
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Red Blend
Notes: After breathing for a while this wine gets very plush and full. It is a very nice wine for the money. With blackberries, blueberries, cassis, cloves, leather, coffee, tart cherry and tobacco.
The tannins and acidity are gentle, so probably not a wine to hold onto, drink now.
Rating: 92
Date Tasted: 12/24/2023
Vintner: Holly’s Hill
Description: El Dorado
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: Grenache Noir
Notes: Lovely strawberry, earth, mushroom, cherry, red plum, blossom and vanilla. High acid, medium tannin and super silky mouth feel. Full body and aching to be quaffed. The color of the wine is so pale that you’d think you’re drinking a rose’. But the finish is long and luscious.
Holly’s Hill is parked way up in El Dorado county and takes some time to get there But once you’re there it is well worth the trip. They do a long series of Rhone varietals and they do them very well.
Rating: 93
Date Tasted: 12/22/2023
Vintner: Black Kite
Description: Kite’s Rest Anderson Valley
Vintage: 2018
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: This wine is a contrary beast. Take a look at the tasting notes: Black raspberry, red currant, black plum, earth, violet, black bitter cherry, vanilla, dandelion leaf, soft oak.
Some of these scents and flavors clash. There are lovely berry, cherry and vanilla notes that contrast with bitter cherry and weedy leaves. We sipped slowly on this for three hours and it held together well and some of the contrasting flavors dropped out. But, gosh, this wine was work to analyze. It never let us rest and enjoy it. However, it was fascinatingly complex.
Rating: 90
Date Tasted: 12/21/2023
Vintner: Pedroncelli
Description: Mother Clone, Dry Creek Valley
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Zinfandel
Notes: What a classy label. The manager at my store made sure to point this bottle out today, saying they had tasted it recently at a store tasting and loved it.
Nose: Blackberry, black plum, chocolate, coffee, a hint of a banana note that goes great with the chocolate. There is a cedar, pencil shaving playing in the background. Deep down you can smell the dirt in that vineyard, peppery earth.
Flavor is also fairly chocolate and coffee with smooth tannins, high acid, full body and full intensity. Pretty delicious.
Rating: 91
Date Tasted: 12/21/2023
Vintner: Clos Saint Michel
Description: Cuve’e Reserve’e Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Rhone Blend
Notes: Like drinking a dry blackberry cobbler. Intense flavors of blackberry, herbs, cocoa. So round and inviting. Very worth trying. That is all I am going to say.
Rating: 93
Date Tasted: 12/14/2023
Vintner: Black Kite
Description: Kite’s Rest Anderson Valley
Vintage: 2016
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: This wine was perplexing. It did not follow any Pinot Noir rules. But that is what we loved about it. Did it have strawberry/cherry and medium body? Heck no. It was all about aloe, black cherry, cracked pepper, cassis, tobacco, leather, black plum, crumb topping, light molasses. It was all dark fruit and lush.
Tannin and acid high, alc high, full body, long finish. It just got bigger and more mouth-filling as it went on.
Rating: 94
Date Tasted: 12/13/2023
Vintner: Luca
Description: Old Vine, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina
Vintage: 2018
Varietal: Malbec
Notes: Blackberry, black currant, raspberry, strawberry Rhubarb, chewy cream cheesy note, bay leaf, toast, smoke, dusty earth, vanilla-clove, turmeric.
Medium tannins, high acid, full body, high alcohol, long finish, complexity is full, full. Big, beautiful, giant berry cobbler mouth feel. It is like drinking whole milk with all the notes from above. This wine is dying for shawarma. Lovely stuff.
Rating: 94
Date Tasted: 12/12/2023
Vintner: Conti di Bregonzo
Description: Amarone della Valpolicella
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Corvina
Notes: First thing out of my mouth was, “That’s a chunky wine.” Layers of flavors, thick body, dry but way fruity. Medium acid and soft medium tannins. Huge finish. It is thick but not flabby at all. Imagine black cherries for Old Fashions, tobacco, coffee, but also lilac and currants. Blackberries, black plum, sweet raisins and nutmeg. This wine just keeps giving and sucks you in for more. So, Trader Joes has this for around $16 bucks. It is very good.
Rating: 92
Date Tasted: 12/11/2023
Vintner: Clos Saint Michel
Description: Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Rhone Blend
Notes: This is a delight to drink. At around $40 a bottle it is reasonable. I will probably buy more. Total Wine has it.
The nose has blackberry, black currant, black plum, black pepper, vanilla, cocoa powder, oregano and juniper.
Firm tannins balance out good acid, full body and lovely flavors.
Rating: 93
Date Tasted: 12/11/2023
Vintner: Stags Leap
Description: Napa Valley
Vintage: 2019
Varietal: Merlot
Notes: Stags has some pretty high-end stuff out there. We wanted to see what the low-end of their portfolio was taking like.
This one has Raspberry, bay leaf, coffee, cherry, cola, boysenberry, lantana leaf, burnt sugar, weedy. It is sort of a jumble of scents and act against each other at times. The lantana scent is not my favorite. But after opening up, it softens out.
High tannin, med acidity, full body, long finish, a bit sharp flavored, but still very intense. The balance is off a bit in this one.
Rating: 90
Date Tasted: 12/10/2023
Vintner: Trader Joes
Description: Petit Reserve Maule Valley, Chile
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Carmenere
Notes: Dusty, meaty, red plum, green pepper and raspberries. Hazelnut, coffee and toast wrapped around medium, plush tannins, good acidity, full body and long, long finish.
Dang TJs, you knocked it out of the park again. So pretty. Like drinking rubies.
It’s great. This wine does not need to breathe at all, and so far it seems solid. Does not fade in the glass with oxygen contact.
Rating: 91
Vintner: Chateau Bernateau
Description: Saint Emilion Grand Cru
Vintage: 2016
Varietal: Bordeaux
Notes: Med+ intensity on the nose, aromas of bottle aged wine, tobacco, cedar, spice, blackberry, cassis, red dried cherry, wooden box, vanilla and clove.
Full acid, med+ tannins, intense flavor with a tartness that never went away after breathing for hours. It just has not softened as we had hoped.
Rating: 90
Vintner: St Giorgio Famiglia Castellani
Description: Toscana, IGT
Vintage: 2018
Varietal: Red Blend
Notes: One reviewer from Italy gave this wine a 97 pt score. I can see why. This wine is a fruity, fruit, fruit bomb. The issue with this wine is that it is a little simple. The tannins and acid are low. You need more acid to balanced out the fruitiness. The body is good, and the finish is medium at best.
On the nose you get bright cherry, vanilla and spice. Red plums and raspberry jam are predominant. I mean, yah, it has some flab. But at $15 bucks, why not get a bottle? TotalWine.com has it. I could not resist. I give it 94 because it is an approachable, massive fruit bomb. It has no rough edges. It is all dolled up and ready to roll. It is pretty but lacks any structural characteristics that make it fascinating or age-worthy.
Rating: 94
Vintner: Cuvee Sextant
Description: Corbieres, France
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Red Blend
Notes: intensely complex, with aromas of blackberry, cassis, chocolate dark sweet cherries, vanilla, smooth oak, black plum, raisin, dried grass
Med+ tannins, med acid and full body, intense flavor, long finish.
Rating: 92
Vintner: Chateau Bourdieu
Description: Blaye Cotes de Bordeaux
Vintage: 2019
Varietal: Bordeaux
Notes: Mediun + intensity, Prune, red plum, raspberry, toasty smoke, clove, cassis, red currant, mushroom.
Full body, Medium tannin and acid, high alcohol, medium + intensity
Notes: dies in the glass after about 10 minutes. Not sure what all the hype was about with this one.
Rating: 90
Vintner: L’Orme de Rauzan-Gassies
Description: Haut-Medoc Grand Vin de Bordeaux
Vintage: 2018
Varietal: Bordeaux
Notes: Gorgeous nose, of red currant, red raspberry, black cherry, cassis, clove, toast.
Rougher flavor, however. It has rough edges, high tannins, good acid and full body. But balancing the nose and flavor we give it a 93. I will get some more of this on WineAccess.com.
Rating: 93
Vintner: BACA
Description: Tug O`War Maffei Vineyard, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Zinfandel
Notes: Only had a quick taste of this last night. It was gone before I blinked. Very nice, cherry, raspberry, vanilla, clove with good balanced acid and tannins. Great finish.
Rating: 94
Vintner: Winzer Krems
Description: Qualitatswein Kellermeister Privat
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Zweigelt
Notes: The wine is not intense, but very approachable with Blueberry, blackberry, cherry, perfume and black pepper. I love the black pepper nose on this. I actually have bags of whole pepper corns here that I get from Penzeys. I have Tellicherry and Malabar. And this pepper nose is definitely Tellicherry.
Rating: 88
Vintner: La Grand Comtadine
Description: Gigondas
Vintage: 2019
Varietal: GSM
Notes: This wine is 60% grenache, 30% syrah and 10% mourvedre.
Nose: Blackberry, currant, chocolate, cayenne, spice, meat, wet stone. But after being open for 2 hours this wine just became a chocolate bomb. I mean, really cocoa-ey. So much that is was too much.
Full body, oaky tannins and ample acidity that balances out the fruitiness.
Rating: 90
Vintner: Domaine de Piaugier
Description: Gigondas
Vintage: 2019
Varietal: GSM
Notes: This wine is 65% grenache, 15% syrah and 20% mourvedre.
We sipped on this for two hours, letting it breathe. Even at the end of the bottle is seemed to still be hiding something from us. But what it did divulge was ample chocolate, raspberry, smoke, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, plum and minerally slate. It had a full body, medium tannins and good acid. A pleasure to sip.
Rating: 91
Vintner: Gerd Anselmann
Description: Red wine, Pfalz, Germany
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Dornfelder
Notes: This dry, fruity wine is fairly complex. It is solid cherry and berry flavored with a good amount of acid and tannin. But it really shone with some soup and bread.
Rating: 89
Vintner: Dr Heidemanns-Bergweiler
Description: Red wine, Pfalz, Germany
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Dornfelder
Notes: This was our first ever Dornfelder. This grape has an interesting, long family tree. From wikipedia: Dornfelder is a cross of Helfensteiner (a cross of Frühburgunder/Pinot Précoce noir and Trollinger/Schiava Grossa created in 1931) and Heroldrebe (a cross of Blauer Portugieser and Blaufränkisch/Lemberger created in 1929). I love grape lineages.
This is an off-dry wine that is very fruity. It reminds one of a beaujolais nouveau. It is a simple wine that really needs food to be appreciated.
Rating: 88
Vintner: Raul Perez
Description: La Poulosa, Lomas de Valtuille, Bierzo DO, Spain
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Mencia
Notes: We were introduced to Raul Perez wines at ZuZus in Napa. So now we are trying as many of them as we can get our hands on.
Here are the notes: On the nose, red cherry and black raspberry predominate this pronounced fruit forward wine. Also caramelized sugar, beet juice.
On the palate: Med-full tannin, good acid, pronounced flavors and full body, good, long finish. Reminds one of a biscuit topped berry cobbler on the finish.
Rating: 92
Vintner: John Duval Wines
Description: Entity Barossa, Australia
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Shiraz
Notes: This is a super wine.com deal. $30 bucks for a densely colored, densely flavored, fragrant nosed wine. Here are our notes: Intense nose of Roasted green chilis, cigar tobacco, burnt barrel, hint of mint, black berry, roasted coffee, bright red plum, dried prune.
Med tannin, full acid, full body, dark, dark, dark color, rich mouth-filling finish and that goes on and on.
Rating: 93
Vintner: Chateau de Montmirail
Description: Cuvee des Deux Freres, Vacqueyras, France
Vintage: 2019
Varietal: Rhone Red Blend
Notes: The complexity of this wine (rough edges and all) made this a delight to tear apart. We had a good time with this one over a couple hours as it changed with breathing.
Nose: Red and black berries, clove, cedar, pine resin, short bread, cream, candied cherry, burnt barrel, coffee
Flavor: Firm tannins and acid that softens with breathing. Mouth filling body that lingers sufficiently.
Picked this up at the Back Room Wines store in Napa.
Rating: 92
Vintner: Domaine de L`Amandine
Description: Seguret Cotes du Rhone Villages
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Rhone Red Blend
Notes: This is a pretty good deal at Wine.com at $15 bucks. It is a simple wine but has some good character. The nose is med, not pronounced. On the palate it is quite tart and overpowers the fruit. It was given a high score by another periodical and we are not sure why.
Rating: 89
Vintner: Blue Oak Vineyard
Description: Napa Valley
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: We have only been to Blue Oak once. It is sort of hard to get into. The gentleman who pours there is a gem. The view is worth the price of admission.
The wines are all plush, fruity, velvet glove feeling. And this pinot is a big, full bodied one. It has concentrated flavor and lovely nose. A fair amount of silky tannin is balanced with the right amount of acidity. This isn’t a Sonoma Coast pinot. It’s really big and generous. So, yah, 97 pts.
Rating: 97
Vintner: Cooper Vineyards
Description: Shenandoah Valley, California, Amador County
Vintage: 2019
Varietal: Barbera
Notes: This is probably my favorite winery in California. If you put me on a desert island and I could pick one winery to order wine from, this would be it. Cooper nails every wine, and they consistently score higher than 91 pts in our book. The wine maker (we are told) uses a secret, proprietary blend of three yeasts. And every one of their reds has a fingerprint smell from those yeasts that is hard to describe. It’s like cranberry creaminess.
This barbera is super good. Tart, balanced, massive finish and over the top with concentrated nose and flavor.
Rating: 93
Vintner: Sobon
Description: Cougar Hill, Amador County
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Zinfandel
Notes: Sobon has always put out a trilogy of Zinfandels every year. They are Cougar Hill, Fiddletown and Rocky Top. We have been following these wines yearly for over 20 years. Every your one of them is just better than the others. But every year the quality is excellent. The wines are always amazing — grown on that granitic, volcanic soil up there in Amador County. And the prices are in the $20 dollar range. And you can find them at Nugget market for less than that. They are all worth trying. The wines are big, black fruit, black pepper and coffee!!
Rating: 91
Vintner: Baldassari
Description: Bennett Valley, Sonoma County
Vintage: 2019
Varietal: Syrah
Notes: This wine was part of my club shipment from Oxbow Cheese and Wine Merchant. The other two in the shipment were good, but this one was great. It has great structure, pronounced nose, great tannin/acid balance and a long, lingering finish. The body is full up plush.
The flavors include licorice, black pepper, molasses, tart black cherry, cassis, blackberry, cinnamon, cloves and dates.
I had it open for several hours to breathe, but it really did not need it. It did not change much over 4 hours.
Rating: 93
Vintner: Todd Taylor
Description: 17 Acre Vineyard, Shenandoah Valley, California
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Zinfandel
Notes: I could write a book on Todd Taylor. They once saved my life (another story) and on that day I joined their club in 2008 and have been there ever since. Todd has never raised his prices. A club member can still get a bottle of stellar 92-95 pt Zinfandel for $24 bucks. He sources his zins from Amador County, Pinots from Russian River and Cabernet Sauv from Hagen Heights in Napa.
This wine is a ripe cherry/vanilla bomb and feels like it needs more time to come to terms with itself. But it’s very fruity, medium tannin and high acid.
This winery is one to try at once. Don’t walk . . . RUN!!
Rating: 92
Vintner: Cavaletti
Description: The Muse, Santa Ynez Valley
Vintage: 2022
tfdVarietal: White Blend
Notes: Cavaletti is located down in Moorpark, Ca. We went there last year on a whim and were impressed with their offerings. Not all the wines we purchased were good, but a few were very good, and this one is a keeper. At 80% Viognier and 20% Chardonnay, this wine has a lovely full-bodied mouth feel balanced with high acid. On the nose you get stone fruit, green melon, some pear, wet stone and some nectarine pit but unripe.
Rating: 90
Vintner: Mas de Gourgonnier
Description: Les Baux de Provence
Vintage: 2020
tfdVarietal: Red Blend
Notes: The bottle does not suggest the varietals. The nose is plentiful with raspberry, plum, blueberry, cherry, dusty cocoa with a soft tannic, acidic palate, but nearly full body. It is pretty, but could be much better. Everything is rough edged and seems to be covered with a film — as though the real fruit is right underneath waiting to break out.
Rating: 89
Vintner: Kompassus
Description: Bairrada DOC, Colheita Portugal
Vintage: 2021
tfdVarietal: Red Blend
Notes: A blend of Baga and Touriga Nacional. The nose is not pronounced, but full of berries, sour cherry and cranberry. The nose is a little muted, but the palate is medium tannic, medium acid with a bit more flavor than the nose offers.
Rating: 87
Vintner: Famille Perrin
Description: Cotes du Rhone Villages
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Rhone Blend
Notes: This came from Nugget Market in Vacaville, Ca. It was 16 bucks but really not exceptional. All scents and flavors were very muted. Nothing stood out for us in this one.
Rating: 86
Vintner: Domaine Christophe Marin
Description: Origines
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Grenache Noir
Notes: Got this from the Oxbow Wine and Cheese Merchant. Bought it on a whim. It was pretty good, but not great. Pretty tight wine and did not improve with oxygen.
Rating: 89
Vintner: Winzer Krems
Description: St Severin Niederosterreich, Austria
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Blauer Zweigelt
Notes: This is our first Zweigelt. And I am sold. This is a lovely, fruity wine with a full body, low tannin and med acid. The nose is pronounced black pepper, strawberry, cranberry, rhubarb, red cherry and vanilla.
Rating: 92
Vintner: Domaine Dupeuble Pere et Fils
Description: Beaujolais Nouveau
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Beaujolais Nouveau
Notes: It is that time of year! The Beaujolais Nouveau is out! This one was $22 bucks. It is dry but very fruity with almost non-existent tannins but it does have some good acid. The nose is breathing out candy like strawberry, cherry, banana. If super fruit is your thing, this might be right up your alley.
This came from the Oxbow Cheese and Wine Merchant.
Rating: 88
Vintner: Blue Farm
Description: Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Strawberry, cranberry, cherry, vanilla nose. Nice med body wine with soft tannins and moderate acidity.
This came from my wine club at the Oxbow Cheese and Wine Merchant. They always have consistently good wines for sale. The owner told me nothing comes into the shop that he does not choose himself. Cannot ask for more than that.
Rating: 89
Vintner: Thistledown
Description: Thorny Devil, Old Vine, McLaren Vale, Australian
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: Grenache
Notes: Raspberry, cranberry, sour cherry, pineapple, coconut, pomegranate, rhubarb.
Sour cherry palate, low acid, med tannin, med finish, med body. Still developing, drink now, not suitable for aging
Rating: 90
Vintner: Dr Hermann
Description: Urziger Wurzgarten, Alte Rebin, Mosel
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Reisling
Notes: medicinal, apple, pear, stone fruit, peach, honey dew melon, passion fruit, dried pineapple, floral, honey, cardamom
Off-dry, high acid, full body, long finish, honey notes, tart nectarine alcohol 8%.
Rating: 91
Vintner: Trader Joes
Description: Grand Reserve, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County Lot# 122
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Popped the cork, stuck my nose in the bottle and got a good whiff of strawberry-rhubarb preserves. But oh, my! The full nose is huge. Strawberries, cherries, raspberry jamminess. There is a tiny bit of mushroom/forest trail funk to it, but it does not detract. White pepper and rose play around the back of the nose.
It has a long finish, nearly full body, polished tannins, med acid. It’s pretty. Like going on a blind date and the guy or gal that emerges from the house is eye-poppingly cute! But also charmingly easy-going, no hangups.
I am about to gush about this wine. The Santa Lucia Highland (below) was pretty darn good, and so it this one. It is a firm 92+ pointer. It has all the bones to please at all levels, but I do not feel this is going to age long. Get a few bottles and drink them now and in the next couple years. Save some for me!
Rating: 92
Vintner: Andre Brunel
Description: Cuvee Sabrine, Cotes du Rhone Villages, France
Vintage: 2019
Varietal: Rhone Blend (GSM)
Notes: We really enjoyed this wine. It has black currant, blue and black berries, pepper, spice with a med acid/med tannin gentleness. Full body and long finish. It was misty on the nose, sort of dusty berry. It was not a high scorer, but it was so approachable. I did not want it to end. wine.com has this for $21.99.
Rating: 92
Vintner: Ferraton Pere & Fils
Description: La Source, Saint-Joseph AOP, France
Vintage: 2019
Varietal: 65% Syrah, 25% Grenache, 10% Carignane
Notes: Beautiful . . . Marsanne . . . pronounced nose apple, pear, ripe stone fruit, ginger, vanilla, lemon curd, a tiny bit of that petrol scent you get from reisling. The palate is full acid, balance, full body, very intense with concrantrated, ripe fruit. The finish just goes on and on and gets kind of almondy. I want more of this one. It is special.
Rating: 93
Vintner: Domaine Cailhol Gautran
Description: Villa Lucia, Minervois, France
Vintage: 2019
Varietal: 65% Syrah, 25% Grenache, 10% Carignane
Notes: I felt like I needed to sit down and have a talk with this wine after about an hour of opening. It started out so lovely . . . and then it sort of lost its lustre. It faded away in the bottle leaving me with less that I started with. Still, it was very pretty at the end, but upon opening it was twice the wine!
Blackberry, currants, lavender soap, white pepper, white raisins, cocoa, hard edges of earth, Brazil nuts
Rating: 91
Vintner: Andretta
Description: Riserva, Barolo, Italy
Vintage: 2016
Varietal: Nebbiolo
Notes: Fairly high alc, plum and black berry custard nose, high tannic, med acid, full body, tart, very dry on the palate that seems to cover the fruit that wants to emerge.
Breathing for several hours help to reveal lots of creamy berry fruit. But seriously, we almost gave up on this. It came through in the end.
Rating: 90
Vintner: Magon
Description: Puglia, Italy
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: NegroAmaro
Notes: Immediate concentrated nose of Raspberry, cassis spice, black pepper, sea shell brack, cooked blackberry and coffee
The wine is pronounced on the palate, really delicious with a mouth filling full body, med acid, mild tannin, black plum, berries, forest logs and wet slate with a long finish. Very impressive wine.
Rating: 95
Vintner: Ernest Rapeneau
Description: Epernay Brut, France
Vintage: nv
Varietal: Champaigne
Notes: Full body, proper champs, med acid, notes of wet stone, green fruit. I keep a couple of these around all the time.
Trader Joes, $9.99
Rating: 91
Vintner: Berardo
Description: Riserva, Castello di Bossi, Chianti, Italy
Vintage: 2018
Varietal: Chianti
Notes: firm tannins, full acid, full body, red berry, plum sour cranberry, toast and minerals
Rating: 91
Vintner: Trader Joes
Description : Grand Reserve, Santa Lucia Highlands, Lot# 118
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Pinot noir
Notes: I already bought six bottles of this and will probably buy more. It is amazing wine. This is what I am talking about when I say above, sometimes Trader Joes comes out with something spectacular. At $12.99 a bottle this is a superstar wine with a full body and huge finish.
Nose: pronounced nose of cranberry jolly rancher, baked raspberry tart, lime peel.
Palate: Concentrate palate of raspberry, blackberry, high tannin and med acid, huge finish like eating a cherry/berry cobbler. This wine has bones that will allow it to age. None of the flavors are cloying, all fresh and balanced.
Rating: 94+
Vintner: Poggio al Sale
Description: Chianti, Italy
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Chianti
Notes: mild fruity nose, red cherry, red raspberry balanced acid and fruit, but mild tannins dry Biscuit vanilla
Rating: 93
Vintner: Poggio del Moro
Description: Rosso Toscano, Mntepulciano, Italy
Vintage: 2016
Varietal: Red Blend
Notes: black and raspberry, blueberry, vanilla spice, blackberry ice cream, body is Med+ with med tannin and generous acidity, massive, long finish
Rating: 92
Vintner: Zuccardi
Description: Concreto Pajare Altamira Valle de Uco Mendoza Argentina
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Malbec
Notes: The wine was fermented whole cluster in concrete tanks. It brings out nice fruit, but the wine is dense and very full bodied.
Rating: 92
Vintner: Ego Bodegas
Description: El Goru 38 Barrels, Mad Hairy Fella, Jumilla, Spain DOP
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Red Blend
Notes: This wine is a monster . . . 85% Monastrell (Mourvedre) and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. It is just black fruit, black pepper and really firm. Even after breathing it wasn’t a generous wine with its fruit. It was like being enveloped in a vampire’s cape! I believe this wine needs time in the bottle and will really impress. Right now, it’s just too massive for anything but grilled red meats. That does not mean it does not have opulence, though.
Rating: 94
Vintner: Altosur
Description: Gualtallary, Uco Valley, Argentina
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Malbec
Notes: This is a big wine with lots of dark fruit. It is just high, high, high. High tannin, high acid, full body. We kept it open and let it breathe and the fruit really popped out.
Rating: 90
Vintner: Terlato and Chapoutier
Description: Lieu-Dit Malakoff, Pyrenees, Australia
Vintage: 2017
Varietal: Shiraz
Notes: I remember the description for WSET Level 2 on warm climate, Australian Shiraz. It said, firm body, high tannin, high acid with dark berry fruit and black pepper.
Well, this wine is textbook. It is a great wine with a big body and long finish.
Rating: 92
Vintner: Carravalseca
Description: Rioja Crianza
Vintage: 2018
Varietal: Rioja
Notes: Nice nose with dark fruit, slight tartness on the palate, but nice body and med finish.
Rating: 91
Vintner: Lupo Meraviglia
Description: Tre Di Tre, Rosso IGT, Italy
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Red Blend
Notes: This wine wanted to breathe and we let it sit for several hours and it really opened up. It had bright fruit on the nose and a very round mouth feel.
Rating: 92
Vintner: Artesa
Description: Los Carneros
Vintage: 2019
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: You do not have to hunt for the nose on this wine. It jumps from the glass and gently entices one. Lovely, classic pinot. Soft cherry and strawberry, some earth. Taste it and it has med acid, mild tannins and fruit all over the place. I just checked Wine.com and they’re sold out, but it might be found elsewhere. The price is under $30. Well worth the price.
Rating: 93
Vintner: Chateau Des JAcques
Description: Moulin-A-Vent, Clos de Rochegres
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Gamay
Notes: We are loving these Cru level Beaujolais! The prices are crazy low compared to some of the properties just north of Beaujolais.
This one had a pronounced nose of berries and other red fruit. Mouthfeel was full with medium acid and little tannin. Really approachable wine, but there was a tartness that was a little overpowering of the fruit, which, had it not been present, would have improved the overall flavor.
Rating: 91
Vintner: Amador Cellars
Description: Amador County, Shenandoah Valley, Ca AVA
Vintage: 2019
Varietal: Barbera
Notes: Pronounced fruity sweet nose that makes you think the wine will be sweet. The mouth feel is full body, light tannin and acid with red licorice and lovely tartness that balances out the fruit. This is a treat.
This is one of my earliest wine clubs from the early 2000s and I have never quit. Their wines are always honest, big, chewy with interesting rough edges that make you want to sit in a corner by yourself and meditate on what you’re drinking.
Rating: 93
Vintner: Jean-Marc Burgaud
Description: Morgon Cote du Py Beaujolais
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Gamay
Notes: Beautiful full nose of red cherry and raspberry, a bit too tart for me on the palate, but great intense flavor and body Love these Cru beaujolais
Rating: 93
Vintner: Suisun Creek
Description: Suisun Valley, Ca
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Red Blend
Notes: Listen! Suisun Creek is popping on all cylinders! This is tasting like a Blue Oak blend. Soft like a velvet glove and pronounced nose featuring a wide range of flavors all the way from bass to treble. This is a must-get wine! Get it before I do . . . just sayin.
Rating: 94-5
Vintner: Suisun Creek
Description: Suisun Valley, Ca
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Notes: I sort of begged the wine maker for an early release bottle. We got it and tried it after hours at Mangels Winery last night. It really needs some bottle time. It comes out of the gate with a lot of chocolate, nail polish and lovely berries. But after 15 minutes it softened up, the nail polish went away and it started to shine. The body is med-full, acid med and tannins mostly from oak. This wine will soften up in the bottle and be a real pleaser at $50.
I sent the remainder home with two co-workers. They reported this: The lighter viscosity really helps the mouthfeel compared to the 2019. The dominant chocolate notes are turned downa notch, and the fruit (some greenness) is present. Gives it a unique flair.
Rating: 92
Vintner: Gemstone
Description: Facets, Napa Valley
Vintage: 2019
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Notes: Plush fruit, velvety, soft tannins and acid
Rating: 94
Vintner: Three Sticks
Description: Sonoma Mountain Cuvee Eva Maria
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: A little flat on the nose, but once you find it, it is really nice.
Rating: 90
Vintner: Caparzo
Description: Rossi di Montalcino
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Sangiovese
Notes: Red fruit, complex structure, high tannin and acid. Perfume! Mist and sea brack.
Tried 6 more wines from this winery. All were better than this one, but this one is the 20 dollar range. The rest were far more expensive. See my other site: pantomomehorse.com/vinum
Rating: 92
Vintner: Rams Gate
Description: Sonoma Coast
Vintage: 2018
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Pronounced red fruit on the nose and ample med to full body mouth feel
Rating: 92
Vintner: Rams Gate
Description: Sonoma Coast
Vintage: 2017
Varietal: Chardonnay
Notes: Lovely acid and balanced mouth feel, great finish. Ample stone fruit and tropical notes. For Mid 30s price point this is a really great deal compared to similar wines in Carneros and Sonoma that go for 60-80 bucks. Try this instead. Picked it up in Vacaville at Nugget market.
Rating: 93
Vintner: David Fulton Winery
Description: Fortunate Son, The Dreamer, Napa Valley
Vintage: 2019
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Notes: Nice, mellow tannin and acid, blackberries, dark cherry, anise, cassis. It’s sort of textbook cab here.
Rating: 92
Vintner: Szekszard
Description: Hungary
Vintage: 2018
Varietal: Kekfrancos
Notes: First ever Kekfrancos (Blaufrankisch) for me. This wine has good tannin/acid structure, rhubarb notes, dark berries and a kind of red berry nuggat, but not sweet at all.
Rating: 88
Vintner: Otronia
Description: 45 Rugientes, Patagonia Argentina
Vintage: 2017
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Strawberry, rhubarb, mild mushroom, forest floor humus and vanilla, mild but sharp tannins
Rating: 90
Vintner: Turnbull
Description: Napa Valley
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Notes: Got this for 38 bucks at Nugget. Very special wine. We have tried the high priced Turnbull wines and this is just slightly less special than those. Very plush wine.
Rating: 90
Vintner: Domaine de la Janasse
Description: Terre d’Argile, Cotes du Rhone Villages
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Rhone Blend
Notes: Beautiful fruit, berries, tart acid that mellows with breathing
Rating: 93
Vintner: Domaine de la Grosse Pierre
Description: Chiroubles
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Gamay
Notes: This is all the fruity promise of a beaujolais with tannin, acid and good structure. A much heavier, solid wine
Rating: 93
No Image Available
