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Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc 2018

Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc 2018

Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc 2018 — April 27, 2019 Lime zest, white grapefruit, passionfruit, d’Anjou pear, and boxwood waft from the glass. Taught acidity on the palate gives this medium to full-bodied Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc a mouthwatering sensory arc, that finishes with a lively burst of crushed herbs and grapefruit pith. An excellent value. 13.0% ABV […]

Tokaj Oremus Aszú 3 Puttonyos 2006

Tokaj Oremus Aszú 3 Puttonyos 2006

Pure, unctuous joy, the 2006 Oremus Tokaj Aszú 3 Puttonyos opens with a botrytized veneer of apricot skins, orange marmalade, forest honey, cloves, and baking spice. On the palate, a languid core of ultra-ripe stone fruit is neatly intersected by a burst of mouth-puckeringly taut acidity. Smoked sea salt notes lend complexity to a lingering, […]

Locations F-5 NV

Locations F-5 NV

Locations F-5 NV offers up a deeply perfumed nose of black cherry, black raspberry, plum, earth, purple lilac, dark chocolate shavings, and vanilla bean paste. In the mouth, it’s medium bodied, with finely sueded tannins. Dark fruit is bolstered by a lively vein of acidity—all in all, this is a beautifully crafted wine from winemaker […]

Prosper Maufoux Crémant de Bourgogne Brut Rosé NV

Prosper Maufoux Crémant de Bourgogne Brut Rosé

A lively, cheerful bead set against a vibrant background—the sort of orangey-pink one finds in a sunset—sets the stage for this ebullient Crémant de Bourgogne from Prosper Maufoux. Aromas of peach, candied orange peel, crème fraiche, and hazelnut spread grace the nose. On the palate, limestone-etched acidity gives lift to more tender notes of peach […]

Burrowing Owl Chardonnay 2013

Burrowing Owl Chardonnay 2013

There are elements in Burrowing Owl’s 2013 Chardonnay suggestive of a wine from a warmer climate, the defining edge of it—a length of acidity that makes its presence known from start to finish, is the one element that queues this taster to Canada’s more northerly latitudes of the Okanagan Valley. There is a sense of […]

Biohof Pratsch Rosé 2017

Biohof Pratsch Rosé 2017

I come back to Pratsch year after year—the estate is relatively small, comprising thirteen blocks planted on glacially formed hills overlaid in alluvial soils in Austria’s lower Niederösterreich appellation. The 2017 Pratsch Rosé is crafted from 100% organic Zweigelt, the profile is exactly as I remember it, a lilting burst of alpine strawberries, tart pie […]

Heritance Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

Heritance Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

Plush without being over the top, classic notes of black currants, black cherries, plums, vanilla bean and incense round out the nose. The 2014 Heritance Cabernet Sauvignon is modern and moderate in character, it feels slightly cautious. Like a four-door sedan, it’s not a risk-taker by any means, this is the family car of Napa […]

Marchesi Mazzei Belguardo Rosato Toscana IGT 2017

Marchesi Mazzei Belguardo Rosato Toscana IGT 2017

This charming salmon-hued rosado from Mazzei, a winery that’s been around since the Early Renaissance, is a blend of 50% Sangiovese and 50% Syrah, all from Maremma. Orange blossom and pie cherry waft from the glass. On the palate, it’s light and welcoming with a delicate core of mandarin oranges and salted yellow peach. 13.8% […]

SpierHead Okanagan Valley Pinot Noir Cuvée 2014

SpierHead Okanagan Valley Pinot Noir Cuvée 2014

The lighter, more tensile side of Pinot Noir, Spierhead’s 2014 Cuvée is aged in French oak and is made up of 35% Dijon 115, 25% Dijon 667, 25% Dijon 828, and 15% Pommard. Brambly forest berries, cranberries, mint, and bark are suspended in dust kicked up from a summer windstorm. It’s very clean on the […]

Golan Heights Winery Gilgal Sangiovese 2014

Golan Heights Winery Gilgal Sangiovese 2014

Don’t be afraid to dip your toes into the pond of a region you aren’t familiar with, and a variety that seems slightly out of place. Golan Heights Winery Gilgal Sangiovese is triumphant in its spot-on profile of fleshy plum and black cherry, incense and sandalwood aromas, followed by a touch of exotic spice. It’s […]

CHRISTINE HAVENS
McMinnville, OR

christine@christine-havens.com