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Brooks Bois Joli Vineyard Riesling 2017

Brooks Bois Joli Vineyard Riesling 2017

From 35+-year-old own-rooted vines, Brooks’ 2017 Bois Joli Riesling opens with heady aromas of Opal apples, honeycomb, Hawthorne flower, and kerosene. Juicy and lush, with a kind of glowing piquancy—anchored by a firm mineral spine that splays out on the finish, leaving a plume of sea salt, clover honey, lemon pith, and slowly dissolving fossil […]

Bodegas Faustino VII Tempranillo 2017

Bodegas Faustino VII Tempranillo 2017

An old-school Rioja from Bodegas Faustino, of course, I wouldn’t expect anything less from this producer. The Faustino VII is a label I haven’t seen before and looks to be a value line crafted from 100% Tempranillo that’s been aged in American oak for six months. It offers up a classic profile of macerated strawberry, […]

LXV Wine Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

LXV Wine Club Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

The 2016 Reserve Cabernet is brimming with earthy, soulful tones of underbrush, black cherry, blackberry, sandalwood, white pepper, and cinnamon bark. On the palate, it’s nimble for a Cabernet, and still tightly-wound at this stage in its development with fine, black tea-infused tannins that firmly anchor the core of this wine, a streak of limestone […]

Bluebird Hill Cellars Willamette Valley Chardonnay 2017

Bluebird Hill Cellars Chardonnay 2017

With a nose bedecked in orchard fruit, orange pastille, candied orange peel, lemon curd the Bluebird Hills Cellars 2017 Chardonnay is a blend of 50% neutral French oak and 50% Stainless steel with partial malolactic fermentation. Round and silky on entry, there’s a lovely juxtaposition between bright lemon-tinged acidity and full-bodied richness. A prolonged mouthwatering […]

Domaine Trouvère Bricolage Rouge 2012

Trouvere Bricolage Rouge 2012

Oxblood red, the 2012 Domaine Trouvère Bricolage Rouge offers up an expressive, slightly rustic nose of leather, freshly turned tilth, dried mint, dark chocolate shavings, and a touch of balsam wood. Seven years on, the tannins are fully integrated—fine and sueded, they house dark fruit tones of plum and roasted black cherries—their pitch and amplitude […]

Cattleya Alma de Cattleya Sauvignon Blanc 2018

Cattleya Alma de Cattleya Sauvignon Blanc 2018

Staw-hued, Cattelya’s 2018 Alma de Cattleya Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc is imbued with nuanced aromas of lemongrass, lemon drop, white grapefruit, and unripe pineapple. Sourced from fruit primarily grown in the Russian River Valley, and aged in 100% French oak, it’s medium-bodied with a vivid burst of nectarine upfront that dissolves into a steely vein […]

Cave Dog Albariño 2018

Cave Dog Albariño 2018

From a plot winemaker Michael Havens established in 1997, the 2018 Cave Dog Albariño opens softly, almost humbly, with lilting notes of cherimoya, lemon tart, and apple blossom. With time in the glass, it blossoms, the expression on the palate is especially delectable. Round and lush, a quartzite vein runs through the center—where it peaks […]

Shared Notes Les Pierres Qui Décident 2017

Shared Notes Les Pierres Qui Décident 2017

Savory aromas of freshly cut grass, crushed herbs, alpine air, and pine needle anoint the nose of Shared Notes 2017 Les Pierres Qui Dècident. Crafted from 100% Sauvignon Blanc clone Musqué and fermented and aged in 100% new French oak, its linear cut and surging intensity is impressive. A beam of acidity arcs across the […]

Sisters Ridge Sauvignon Blanc North Canterbury 2018

Sisters Ridge Sauvignon Blanc North Canterbury 2018

Arresting aromas of lime zest, gooseberry, boxwood, and freshly cut herbs. In the mouth, there’s ample body nicely balanced by an energetic acidic spine that delivers tart white grapefruit pith, lime, lovage, and white pepper. It’s a complex offering from North Canterbury and one that’s well worth exploring. 13.5% ABV | Sample Mt. Beautiful 90 […]

Hecht & Bannier Côtes de Provence Rosé 2018

Hecht & Bannier Côtes de Provence Rosé 2018

A salmon-hued blend of 60% Grenache, 35% Cinsault, and 5% Vermentino, Hecht & Bannier’s 2018 Côte de Provence Rose opens with a kaleidoscope of red berries, mandarin orange, white peach, melon, star anise, mountain herbs, and line-dried linen. It’s interesting to see what the addition of Vermentino does to the flavor profile of this blend, […]

CHRISTINE HAVENS
McMinnville, OR

christine@christine-havens.com