Windstream Sarmento Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir 2013
Windstream Sarmento Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir 2013″ width=”200″ height=”200″ /></a>One of San Antonio Winery’s brands, the Windstream Sarmento Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir 2013 shows considerable marine influence, given its proximity to the Pacific Ocean. Glass-filling aromatics of rose petal and cinnamon bark. and dry leaves that crunch underfoot. The attack is bright and […]
Louis M. Martini Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
I was skeptical of Louis Martini, after all, it’s a mass-distributed brand owned by Gallo. That said, Gallo has the capital to work with some of the best vineyard sites in the valley, while still producing a seriously good Napa Cab for less than $40.00 On the nose, the 2013 shows heady Crème de cassis, […]
Quinta Essentia Chenin Blanc 2015
A surprise wine, tasted while visiting Betz Family Winery—sold in 2011 to Steve and Bridgit Griessel, a South African couple. In light of the unique partnership between the two families, such a collaboration is possible. The Quinta Essentia Chenin Blanc quivers with decadent aromas of baked yellow apple, banana chips, dried pineapple, lemon curd, orange […]
San Antonio Winery Opaque Paso Robles Zinfandel 2014
True to its name, the Opaque Paso Robles Zinfandel 2014 is, well, opaque. Aside from that the nose is deliciously expressive. Rife with steeped blackberries and plums, anise, cedar, and chocolate mint. Expect a wallop of freshly ground black pepper on the nose and on the palate. The attack is full-bodied and lush, enlivened by […]
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 […]
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 […]
Sokol Blosser Evolution Sparkling Brut NV
Convivial and crisp, Sokol Blosser’s Evolution Sparkling Brut is one of the better priced sparkling wines from Oregon’s Willamette Valley. It offers up a nose of green apple, pear and white flowers. On the palate, it’s lively and crisp. It’s not a complex bubbly, but it is pleasantly carefree on a Sunday afternoon. 11.5% ABV | […]