Gloria Ferrer Royal Cuvée Brut Méthode Champenoise 1990
Another wine from last week’s vertical tasting of the Royal Cuvée Brut. The 1990 is noticeably less austere than the 1987—the winemaker wanted to illustrate the progress in style from a more austere wine to one that is endowed with more fruit and slightly softer acid. It’s well-developed with aromas of candied orange peel, bruised […]
Gloria Ferrer Carneros Cuvée 2004
The newly-released 2004 Gloria Ferrer Carneros Cuvée is a lively blend of 53% Pinot Noir and 47% Chardonnay. I spent a full day touring the facility and estate vineyards and was impressed by the care and labor that goes in to crafting their sparkling wines. The 2004 displays ripe red fruit and pleasing biscuit notes […]
Morlet Family Vineyards Ma Douce 2010
Ma Douce is the third wine in a trio of Morlet 2010 Chardonnay’s I’ve reviewed, and like it’s siblings, it is exceptionally well-crafted. Fragrant aromas of acacia honey, bruised pear and toasted hazelnut fill the glass. Perhaps what I love most about this wine is its outstanding texture, which is elegant and slightly creamy with […]
Morlet Family Vineyards Coup de Cœur 2010
I tasted the 2010 Ma Princesse earlier this year and was totally blown away by how precise it was. The same can be said of the 2010 Coup de Cœur—Luc Morlet brings an Old World touch to this New World beauty with complex, glowing, sumptuous layers of fleshy golden peaches, baked apple skins and caramelized […]
Auteur Pinot Noir Sonoma Stage Vineyard 2007
The 2007 Auteur Sonoma Stage Vineyard Pinot Noir is tired and feels like the fruit is fading. On the nose, aromas of dust, dried cherries, dried rose petal and a hit of alcohol. In the mouth, a stemmy high note, followed by rose petals and red berries, but nothing really precise. It finishes hot, too. […]
Bedrock Wine Co. “Ode To Lulu” Old Vine Rosé Of Mourvedre 2014
I have greatly enjoyed the wines I’ve tried from Bedrock Wine Co., a Sonoma winery with humble roots. Founded in 2007 by Morgan Twain-Peterson, who used a 550 square-foot, former chicken coop as his initial base of operations, his Ode To Lulu Rosé is a nod to Lulu Peyraud, proprietor of Domaine Tempier. Crafted from […]
Dehlinger Estate Bottled Pinot Noir Rosé 2014
The 2014 Dehlinger Pinot Noir Rosé offers up a nose of fresh strawberries, with a touch of tart cherry. Not overly complex, though enjoyable. There is, perhaps a trace of lemon pith on the finish. I have enjoyed other wines from Dehlinger, particularly their Syrah. My advice: skip this one, great Old World, especially Provence […]
Failla Occidental Ridge Pinot Noir 2005
The 2005 Failla Occidental Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir is austere and bright at nearly 10 years on. The nose is dominated by red fruit: rhubarb, cranberry, and crushed raspberries. It’s lean and spare and incredibly tart on the palate with pronounced, angular mid-to-back palate tannins. The tartness, unfortunately dominates the profile, giving impression that it’s […]
Hanzell Sonoma Valley Chardonnay 2012
Hanzell Vineyards 2012 Chardonnay is poised, 26% of the wine goes through malolactic fermentation in new barrels, with the balance matured in stainless steel. The resulting blend strikes a harmonious balance between freshness and oak, with pretty notes of ripe pear, lemon curd, marzipan, and meadow flowers. These notes are echoed on the palate, along […]
Hanzell Sebella Sonoma Valley Chardonnay 2013
I’ll be writing at length on my website about Hanzell, the place itself is magical for many reasons and the wines are meticulously crafted. Sebella is their entry-level label, it sees less oak than the Sonoma Chardonnay, but this allows the purity of fruit to really shine through. Pretty, nuanced aromas of dried honey, acacia, […]