This was Joel Gott’s 20th vintage, after having started his business when he saw the demand for wines under $20 back in 1996. This is a blend not only of grapes (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petite Sirah, Malbec and Cabernet Franc), but also of regions (Lake County, Monterey and Lodi) with the aim of making a wine of harmony.
Read MoreMost of all, I was impressed by the nobility and longevity of the wines. In almost every wine there was a hard core, Sicilian determination that aimed to survive against all adverse expectations. Each time I taste a new vintage, I find the same character. If you’re looking for fruit-driven, easy wines, move along. These aren’t those wines. The wines of Tenuta Regaleali are thoughtful, even pensive, wines of integrity that require “listening to” to fully appreciate.
Read MoreI often think can find the winemaker in the wine, and yet again, that is the case with David Ramey’s 2016 Claret. On paper this bottling looks like a precise, acrobatic exercise in blending…. Yet from the first to the last drop, this fusion radiates harmony, grace and thoughtfulness, just like the man behind the juice.
Read MoreSusana Balbo 2018 Rosé Signature: Gleaming in appearance with a pale salmon color, this wine has a teasing, almost evasive nose. Light and airy, it tastes of peach fuzz and watermelon rinds. A fun, phenolic pithiness nicely balances the brisk acidity that surges on the minerally but quick finish. It’s a fun, uncomplicated aperitivo.
Read MoreWindvane 2015 Pinot Noir Carneros: Brimming with youthfulness, this Pinot Noir boasts showy, bold fruits. Black plum, blackberry and a hint of anise give this wine lovely definition.
Read MoreDomaines Schlumberger 2014 Pinot Noir Les Princes Abbés: I’m totally blown away by the drinkability of this Pinot Noir. It’s downright slurpable! It is impressively harmonious, fragrant and very Pinot Noir in character.
Read MoreMy latest series of sturdy young white and red bottlings from Troon needed aeration like never before. If you can spare the time, two or more hours would be ideal. Where I kept the bottle overnight, the wines always were more forthcoming the second day. They are usually worth the wait.
Read MoreMarco Felluga 2014 Bianco Collio Molamatta: Named for its physical location, this is a true Super Friulian blend composed of 40% Pinot Bianco, 40% Tocai Friulano and 20% Ribolla Gialla. This striking blend delivers great harmony, not speaking of a particular grape variety but nodding toward fine terroir and good craftsmanship.
Read MoreGloria Ferrer is one Sonoma’s most consistent producers of finessed bubbles. That’s not just due to its 35-plus years in California and steady application of know-how and TLC to its 340 acres of estate-grown Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The Ferrer family has been growing grapes in Catalonia for over 600 years and launched its first Cava under the Freixenet label in 1914!
Read MoreThis is a Ramey legacy Chardonnay. David Ramey has been working with the same 19 rows of vines in this vineyard since 2002. But, that’s only the start. These vines were planted in 1972, making them some of the oldest Chardonnay vines in all of California.
Read MoreI found these three wines immensely impressive. To start with, they are all delicious, and moreover, each offers such an immense quality-to-value ratio that the pricing is thoroughly hard to believe. I’d buy any of these three with great confidence.
Read MoreFor all the years I have tasted Oregon wines, I was surprised to just stumble across these this year, especially as Cooper Mountain Vineyards is celebrating its 40th Willamette Valley harvest in 2018.
Read MoreEnrico Serafino is a well-established house in Piemonte’s Roero. In fact, it is the oldest continually operating winery there. That’s not for nothing.
Read MoreGotta hand it to Canned Oregon. The company has tailored its cans to its consumers’ mindsets. As a trekker, I love the idea of more easily transported wine.
Read MoreThe Adami family has been making single vineyard wines for 85 years. That’s remarkable considering that the region is known for its blended wines. Moreover only a decade into production, founder Abele Adami realized the superiority of hillside vineyards. It’s been all about the hills, or the “rive” in Italian, ever since.
My number one take away from this tasting is how remarkably finessed the impression of the bubbles are in all of the wines.
Read MoreChateau Montelena 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate and Mi Sueño 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Read MoreDonnafugata 2016 Cerasuolo di Vittoria Floramundi: This wine smells of warm, red clay soils or even a hot, terracotta pizza oven. It also smells of old, wooden spice racks and dried tomatoes. The taste is every bit as savory.
Read MoreFEL 2016 Pinot Noir Savoy Vineyard Anderson Valley: This is a Pinot Noir powerhouse. Even on Day Three, it was powering on as though it had just been opened.
Read MoreBodegas San Valero 2016 Garnacha Rosado Origium Cariñena: This is the kind of rosé I adore, and it’s a plus that the wine is much less expensive than many of the less interesting, pale, leesy and vaguely ripe pinks that are so sadly prevalent today.
Read MoreThis perky young thing is surprisingly forward on the nose and palate. It’s downright energizing to drink this!
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