Alamos Torrontés 2015
So lets just get this out of the way right now, Torrontés has to be one of my least favorite varieties. I can’t get past the star gazer lilly and chamomile aromas and flavors, reminding me why I’m not a fan of ultra-feminine, floral perfumes. Back to the Alamos 2015—it displays good varietal character, that […]
Szent Tamás Tokaji 86 470 Palack Furmint 2012
Tasted while visiting the producer, the Szent Tamás Tokaji 86 470 Palack Furmint 2012 is as with all wines from this region are mineral-driven and nuanced The ’86’ is a reference to the parcel the Furmint grapes were harvest from, 2286. Truly, the Crus of this region are as complex as one might find in […]
MÁD Tokaj Kesoi Late Harvest 2013
I had the good fortune to have spent time with István Szepsy Jr. while in Tokaji’s Mád village, from which this wine takes its name. This is a late harvest Furmint-Hárslevelű endowed with pungent botrytisized aromas of dried mango, yellow peach, apricot, orange blossom and nougatine, it’s profile on the nose mirrors that of that […]
Aphros Super-Reserva Bruto Vinhão NV
A garnet-hued, frothy vixen of a wine, the Aphros Sparkling Vinhão Super-Reserva delights with ultra-earthy, pungent funk, and juicy black plum notes forming a concise bridge between nose and palate. Bright acidity cuts through layers of pruney deliciousness, the finish is brisk and short very much about black tea tannin and dried herbs. At 12.0% […]
Tendril Wine Cellars Tightrope Pinot Noir 2013
We named it Tightrope because we think it’s the perfect way to describe balance in Pinot Noir,” said winemaker Tony Rynders when I chatted with him at this year’s Grand Tasting during the International Pinot Noir Celebration. Indeed, his wines can be praised as having achieved that most precarious balance in one of the wine […]
Domaine Drouhin Chardonnay Arthur 2014
Beautifully delineated, Domaine Drouhin’s Arthur Chardonnay is pure and fresh, despite 2014 being a ripe year. Layers of crisp d’Anjou pear and apple, white flowers, white peach, granulated honey. It’s equally delicate and finely wrought on the palate, with French oak lending playing a supporting role to an ethereal vein of minerality shines through this […]
Stoller Family Estate Dundee Hills Reserve Chardonnay 2014
Beautiful, as are all of Stoller’s wines, but young. I feel will benefit from just a little more time in bottle. I reviewed the 2013 Reserve Chardonnay and preferred it slightly over the 2014. Even so, 2014 offers layers of sensory charm and is laden with just-picked peaches and pear tartan, topped off with a […]
Troon Vineyard M*T Reserve 2013
Troon’s M*T 2013 is a blend of 56% Malbec and 44% Tannat that delivers baritone, pent-up aromas of blackberry reduction sauce, blueberries and plums that ripple and hover beneath cocoa powder, lavender and graphite. The expression is on of understated power, where acidity etches its way through a defined and well-structured core, leaving in its […]
Hugel Riesling Alsace 2013
Hugel is always solid, and reasonably priced. It was my pleasure to taste this gem at a Wines of Alsace dinner in Portland. White flowers, white peaches and a quaint dab of kerosene, this is classic Alsatian Riesling. It boasts a “straight backbone”, as our dinner host Thierry Fritsch described it, inlaid with stone fruit, […]
Domaine Weinbach Gewürztraminer Alsace Grand Cru Mambourg Vendanges Tardives 2013
A stunner of a Vendanges Tardives, certainly not as unctuous as a Sauternes, the Weinbach Alsace Grand Cru Mambourg offers that rare combination of power and delicacy, tenderness and concentration. On the nose, apricot and white peach notes are cradled in orange blossom, granulated honey and spice. On the palate, supple creaminess, and lots of […]