Quinta de Covela Reserva Branco 2013
Kissed with honeysuckle and orange blossom, Quinta de Covela’s 2013 Reserva Branco is an elegant cuvée of Avesso, Arinto, Chardonnay, and Viognier. Fermented at low temperatures in French and Austrian oak barrels for 14 months, this wine receives lees contact and it’s nicely integrated, lending body, soft texture and balance. Mineral and saline notes gracefully […]
Taylor’s 10 Year Old Tawny Port NV
Delicate. Taylor’s 10 Year Old Tawny proved to be more reticent than other Tawny’s I’d sampled while in Porto. On the palate, it’s medium bodied and inlaid with dried fruit notes, a touch of caramel seamlessly interlaces dates, figs, and dried cherries in a silky embrace. There is, at times discernible heat, especially on the […]
Taylor Fladgate Single Harvest Tawny Port 1863
From pre-phylloxera vines, Taylor’s bought a small lot of only three barrels from the 1863 vintage that had been quietly resting in a cellar for well over a century—the producer had the foresight to reserve them when phylloxera first swept through the region. An important wine because, as Taylor’s staff pointed out, ungrafted vines are […]
Quinta do Noval White Port Extra Dry 2008
Quinta do Noval’s Extra Dry White Port sports a tropical nose, heavy with aromas of dried pineapple, Meyer lemon and golden delicious apple that drift toward cider. On the palate, it’s very smooth, I love the acidity here, a vibrant cord piercing heavier layers. The finish is slightly savory, a dusting of dried thyme, marjoram. […]
Domaine Sainte-Marie Extraordinaire Vie Vité Rosé 2015
Outstanding. Gossamer pale peach with honeyed highlights, expressing pure alpine air, catmint, dried honeycomb, white peach, cherubs tears, and meadow flowers. On the palate, it’s elegant and beautifully balanced, each note perfection, not unlike Vivaldi’s Le Quattro Stagioni, here is lilting, refined, pitch-perfect acidity set against a backdrop of dewy raspberries that extends to sweet […]
Denis Dubourdieu Clos Floridène Graves Blanc 2010
Pronounced aromas of bruised pear skin, smoke, crushed walnuts and musk melon. Silky and full on entry with moderate, well-integrated oak that gives way to a surprisingly racy, mineral finish. It’s brighter than the nose belies, and nicely balanced. Fleshier notes subside to limestone and gravel intertwining lemon pith, the finish is actually quite mouthwatering. […]
Le Grand Cros Côtes de Provence l’Esprit de Provence Rosé 2015
Another favorite to emerge from the crop, or is it gaggle? of 2015 Provençal pinks I’ve been working my way through. The Le Grand Cros Côtes de Provence l’Esprit de Provence is elegant and conch shell pink with layers of ripe peach, melon and honeysuckle submerged under edgier mineral notes that are readily communicated in […]
Faustino Rioja Reserva V 2006
Faustino’s Rioja Reserva V 2006 imparts little fruit. Expect notes of leather, sun-baked roof tile, grilled meat and tomato paste. Medium-bodied, this old-school Tempranillo offers moderate acidity and low-to-moderate, but fine tannins. The profile of the nose echoes that of the palate, and it paired reasonably well with grilled steak fajitas. 12.5% ABV Bodegas Faustino […]
Jean-Luc et Paul Aegerter Les Jolies Filles Côtes de Provence Rosé 2015
Les Joiles Filles or The Pretty Girls is an apt name for this lighthearted Provençal pink. It’s a carefree romp through fields of meadow flowers, dusty raspberries, apricots and anise. The palate is soft, red-fruited and imminently drinkable. It has a nice finality to it, a sort of wet cement expression that I very much […]
omaine la Manarine Côtes Du Rhône Rosé 2014
Pale salmon in the glass, the nose of 2014 La Manarine Côtes Du Rhône Rosé is abundantly cherry, tart pie cherries swathed in a bouquet of spring flowers. While not overly complex, this blend of 60% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, and 20% Syrah is fermented in concrete. It’s quite fresh, though concrete aging certainly adds a […]