Simonsig Tiara 2010
A smoldering Bordeaux-blend, the 2010 Simonsig Tiara is a gripping tale—with rising, writhing notes of singed black cherries, mulberries, and blackberries couched in gamey, meatier tones of bacon fat, creosote, scorched earth, and wind-blown dust. It’s terroir-driven, an expression that can only be South African—that captivating wildness that explodes and yet, has a kind of […]
Tenuta San Guido Le Difese Toscana IGT 2014
The third wine of Sassicaia, Tenuta San Guido Le Difese 2014 is a blend of 70% Cabernet and 30% Sangiovese. Aged for twelve months on French and American oak barrels, it’s a medium-bodied, fairly liner Tuscan red bedecked in plums, pie cherries, cassis and mint. In the mouth, firm tannins and high-acid and youthful energy […]
San Marzano Talò Negroamaro Salento IGP 2015
If I were to describe San Marzano’s 2015 Talò Negroamaro Salento IGP in a single word, it would be juicy. A plush and plump mouthful of damson plums, black cherries, balsamic, sweet tobacco, and vanilla paste set against a backdrop of velvety tannins and moderate acidity. This is a generous, easy-drinking wine, and it’s all […]
Ellipsis Red Hills Lovett Vineyard Petite Sirah 2014
Lake County wines are admittedly a new discovery for me. Thus far, the feeling is that the appellation deserves more attention than it currently sees, at least outside of California. Known for it’s high-elevation mountain vineyards with predominantly volcanic soils, the wines from the AVA are graced with intensity and poise. The 2014 Ellipsis Red […]
Biohof Pratsch Grüner Veltliner 2016
Biohof Pratsch is a solid producer, both in terms of the winery’s commitment to environmental stewardship and in price, it’s always an excellent value. The 2016 Grüner Veltliner is awash in billowy aromas of pear, lime blossom, and lemon thyme. In the mouth, the frame is wonderfully light and lean, minerality contributes as much to […]
Vietti Moscato d’Asti Cascinetta 2015
An affordable holiday bubbly—Vietti’s 2015 Moscato d’Asti Cascinetta has a classic profile for the varietal. Lovely notes of baked apple and poached pear lie well beneath granulated honey, star gazer lilly and chamomile. At 5% ABV, it’s quaffable and charming. — August 11, 2017 I have a weakness for Vietti’s Moscato d’Asti Cascinetta, the 2015 […]
Weingut Witwe Dr. H. Thanisch Erben Müller-Burggraef Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Kabinett 2016
The sweeter side of Kabinett, the 2016 Weingut Witwe Dr. H. Thanisch Erben Müller-Burggraef Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Kabinett is classic offers up notes of yellow apple, white peach, honey, and wafting tennis ball. In the mouth, it’s full and lush, unfurling at a deceptively languid place with a burst of energy and spritz at the […]
Petro Vaselo Kotys Blanc de Noirs 2012
This multidimensional, zero dosage sparkler from Petro Vaeselo winery is from an winery is the product of a substantial Italian investment in the Romania’s bucolic Recaș DOC. Composed of 100% Pinot Noir grown in clay soils banded in limestone, it spends three years en tirage. Alluring aromas of buttered scone, baked apple, and pear waft […]
Crama Aramic Piatra Soarelui Sauvignon Blanc 2016
Tasted while visiting the producer in Transylvania’s fog-shrouded countryside. What I’m finding, generally is that Sauvignon Blanc really shines here—this producer is no exception. Lean and tensile, the 2016 Crama Aramic “Piatra Soarelui” or sunstone shows a classic profile of boxwood, gooseberries and lime zest and breezy alpine air. It’s fresh on the palate and […]
Galil Mountain Winery Upper Galilee Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
An excellent value from Galil Mountain Winery—on opening, the 2016 Upper Galilee Cabernet Sauvignon expresses layered, dulcet tones of cassis, black currants, blackberries, vanilla, sandalwood, and sweet tobacco. On the palate, it’s more linear than the nose belies, furnished in fine tannins and enlivened by burst of acidity that wends its way through a black-fruited […]