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Château Poitevin Médoc 2015

Château Poitevin Médoc 2015

From Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot vines planted near the Gironde estuary, seated in purely alluvial soils—Girondine gravel and clay subsoil—the 2015 Château Poitevin drinks better on the second day, and offers up a puissant bouquet of black currant, Damson plum, earth, aged saddle leather, dark chocolate syrup, and sweet tobacco. Aged 14 months […]

Domaine des Vieilles Pierres Pouilly-Fuissé ‘Les Crays’ 2015

Domaine des Vieilles Pierres Pouilly-Fuissé Les Crays 2015

Crafted from old-vine Chardonnay the 2015 Jean Jacques Litaud Pouilly-Fuisse ‘Les Crays’ is the color of goldenrod, and offers plenty of olfactory charm: yellow apples, unripened pineapple, tamarind, and beautiful citrusy undertones. It’s an agile wine, with suppleness and fabulous texture followed by a back-palate infused with minerality, fleur de sel, and white grapefruit that […]

Olivier & Lafont Vacqueyras 2015

Olivier & Lafont Vacqueyras 2015

With a nose steeped in black cherries, black raspberries, violet pastille, warm wicker, cigar box, and baking spice, Olivier & Lafont’s 2015 Vacqueyras is made from old-vine Grenache and Syrah grown on the coolest section of Gigondas’ northern slope. Silky on entry with fine fore-palate tannin accented by a nervy jolt of acidity. It’s polished […]

Côté Mas Rouge Intense 2016

Côté Mas Rouge Intense 2016

An excellent choice for the value minded, the 2016 Côté Mas Rouge Intense is a classic Languedoc-Roussillon blend of 45% Grenache, 25% Carignan, 15% and Cinsault with a splash of Merlot and Syrah. Welcoming aromas of macerated strawberries, cherries, a little funk—forest floor, decomposing leaves, mushrooms, vanilla, and anise grace the nose. In the mouth, […]

Department 66 Others 2015

Department 66 Others 2015

A sultry blend of Grenache, Carignan, Syrah, and Mourvedre Department 66’s 2015 Others red blend opens with enveloping aromas of blackberry, ripe plum, violets, and Garrigue. Plush fruit and softly-textured tannins are held in balance by a rippling chord of acidity. The close is restrained, tinged with the stony illuvium fingerprint of the Pyrénées-Orientals, a […]

Meyer-Fonné Altenbourg Pinot Noir 2015

Meyer-Fonné Altenbourg Pinot Noir 2015

The 2015 ’Altenbourg’ is Meyer-Fonné’s inaugural release, and the Pinot Noir used to craft it hails from winery’s Gallus vineyard, a small 0.7 ha parcel of marly limestone planted in 1996. Unfiltered and fermented with wild yeast, it’s a linear wine that delivers up a spicy mélange of brambly fruit, underbrush, dried raspberry leaf, and […]

Delas Frères Condrieu Clos Boucher 2011

Delas Frères Condrieu Clos Boucher 2011

Bright lemon yellow, the 2011 Delas Frères Condrieu Clos Boucher emits gorgeous, stratified layers of baked pear and apple, lemon curd, orange blossom, spice, and smoky minerality. It’s bright on entry—graced with both texture and depth at the mid-palate, followed by mineral-driven acidity that picks up mellifluous tones of quarry dust, lemon pith, peach pit, […]

Trimbach Réserve Riesling 2016

Trimbach Réserve Riesling 2016

The color of winter sunlight, Trimbach’s 2016 Réverve Riesling is made from old vines planted on the winery’s estate parcels notably classed as Grand Cru—these vineyards lie within ancient calcareous limestone soils studded with fossilized seashells known as “Muschelkalk.” A kaleidoscope of white peach, yellow apple, lemongrass, lemon pith, wet stone, and kerosene. In the […]

Paul Mas Château Paul Mas Coteaux du Languedoc Clos des Mures 2016

Paul Mas Château Paul Mas Coteaux du Languedoc Clos des Mures 2016

From old vines grown in clay and limestone soils the 2016 Paul Mac Clos de Mûres is a substantive blend of 83% Syrah, 12% Grenache, and 5% Mourvedre. The rim is vibrant blue-violet, with fresh, penetrating aromas of boysenberry, wild blueberry, and plum followed by a top note of cocoa powder and black licorice. Chalky […]

Côte Mas Blanc Méditerranée 2016

Côte Mas Blanc Méditerranée 2016

The 2016 Côte Mas Blanc Méditerranée is an inviting blend of 35% Grenache Blanc, 25% Vermentino, 25% Chardonnay, and 15% Sauvignon Blanc It’s a pretty blend with vivacious aromas of Asian pear, star fruit, lemon drop, lemongrass, and spring flowers. Round on the palate, with a core of juicy yellow fruit nicely offset by bright […]

CHRISTINE HAVENS
McMinnville, OR

christine@christine-havens.com