Emiliana Natura Un-Oaked Chardonnay 2016
Emiliana offers this surprisingly lean Chilean un-oaked Chardonnay. Perhaps a little more body than Chablis, but certainly less lush than most domestic versions of this versatile grape. Lime sorbet, yellow apple, underripe pineapple, and a pinch fresh green herbs. Silky on entry, it glides along, held aloft by bright grapefruit-pith tinged acidity. Lovely and fresh—a […]
Bluebird Hill Cellars Duology 2016
BlueBird Hill Cellars is a tiny winery located in Monroe, Oregon—one can find it navigating a series of winding, scenic backroads between Salem and Eugene, that wend their way to the foothills of the Coastal mountain range, their 2016 Duology is a blend of 55% Viognier and 45% Chardonnay that emits pear, white peach, white […]
Barra Of Mendocino Petite Sirah 2014
From old vine, estate fruit that’s been organically farmed, Barra Of Mendocino’s 2014 Petite Sirah is a deep dive into ruby-hued velvet. Palate drenching black cherries, plums and steeped blackberries are couched in velvety tannins. This is a soulful, baritone, and smoldering wine, imbued with incense, smoky dark chocolate, and a pinch of dried herbs […]
Tablas Creek Vineyard Patelin de Tablas Blanc 2016
Tablas Creek has long been one of my favorite Paso Robles producers. From the care they put into their vineyards—biodynamic farming, noisy sheep, a rambunctious trio of winery dogs, and a resident shepherd—the good folks at Tablas turn out elegant wines that are nuanced, superbly balanced and long aging. For the price, they’re just that […]
Vina Robles WHITE 4 2016
A prosaic blend of Viognier 45%, Sauvignon Blanc 27%, Verdelho 17%, and Vermentino 11%, the 2016 Vina Robles WHITE4 opens with soft tones of lemon drop and candied orange peel. There is too a slinky herbal undercurrent—but it’s diffuse and hard to tease out from this wines mineral foundation. Medium bodied, with a burst of […]
Santa Julia Tintillo Malbec-Bonarda 2016
The 2016 Santa Julia Tintillo, a blend of both Malbec and Bonarda is awash in plums, black cherries, cedar and bay leaf. For those of you who have yet to try Bonarda, it’s safe to say that this Piedmontese grape is as happy-go-lucky as the average golden retriever. Certainly, this amiable bottle is crammed with […]
Illahe Project 1899 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2014
Illahe’s winemaker Brad Ford is a former English and poetry teacher—tasting his wines it’s impossible to ignore the prose in them. Pinot Noir used in the 1899 is delivered to the winery by a team of horses, and it’s racked by way of a bicycle pump, in short it’s a wine made entirely without electricity. […]
Domaine Nicolas-Jay Pinot Noir 2014
July 07, 2017—I tasted the 2014 Nicolas-Jay Pinot Noir last October and earlier this week with winemaker Tracy Kendall. Since then the tannins are a bit more integrated, it’s softened a bit. As with Jean-Nicolas’ native Côte d’Or Domaine Méo-Camuzet, there is a clear thread of stylistic consistency between the two brands. Both for me […]
Adelaida Cellars HMR Estate Vineyard Chardonnay 2016
Eccentric rings of roasted apple, dried honey, lemon curd, orange blossom, and dried Medajool figs greet the taster. The 2016 Adelaida Cellars HMR Estate Vineyard Chardonnay is flatout sexy, silkily textured, with a center of gravity that’s nicely balanced against a backdrop of light toast. That classic Paso Robles calcareous vein emerges on the finish—one […]
Reustle Prayer Rock Winemaker’s Reserve Tempranillo 2014
Precise as all Stephen Reustle’s wines are—the 2014 Winemaker’s Reserve Tempranillo is opaque quinacridone violet in the glass, with a swirl one can coax from it classic varietal aromas of earthy sun-warmed terra cotta tile, aged leather and dried herbs, all neatly folded into a background of black cherries and plums. It’s softly textured on […]