Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche 1999
The 1999 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche is a transcendent bottle, wherein no one element dominates, it’s in absolute harmony, not unlike a great piece of music or art. It has pronounced power, and is at the same time weightless and ethereal. Layers of crushed raspberries, currants, blackberries and plum give substance to more […]
Scott Paul Pinot Noir La Paulée 2012
The expression of the Scott Paul La Paulée Pinot Noir is very much in line with what I would expect from the 2012 vintage in the Willamette Valley. A year with textbook growing conditions has endowed this Pinot with suitably lush red-fruit notes—black cherries and crushed raspberries are underpinned by notes of iron, forest floor, […]
Cornerstone Cellars Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2012
Cornerstone’s 2012 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir is generously styled, with a perfumy and overtly expressive nose of rose petals and anise inlaid by roasted strawberry, black cherry and blackberries. On the palate, its got depth, dimension and power to spare. Fine, dusty tannins and medium acidity frame out supple black and red fruit that gracefully […]
Zaco Rioja Tempranillo 2014
The Zaco Rioja Tempranillo 2014 is crafted in a modern style, and is laden with black fruit, roasted black cherries, vanilla and anise. There is admittedly, lots of sweetness on the nose. Equally softly textured on the palate with plummy undertones and low acidity. It’s only on the palate that the earthier side of this […]
Allegrini Palazzo della Torre Veronese IGT 2011
The 2011 Palazzo della Torre is loaded with roasted figs (is this because I was just roasting figs? Maybe.) and sun baked plums. There is too, a beautiful earthy note, like dust in high summer, that echoes on the palate, lending complexity to high acidity and firm, ripe tannin along with an appealing touch of […]
Winderlea Dundee Hills Cuvée Pinot Noir 2008
Winderlea’s 2008 Pinot Noir Dundee Hills Cuvée was blended specifically for ¡Salud!, a non-profit that provides mobile health care to migrant workers in the Willamette Valley. Aside from this, the wine itself has developed beautifully, with classic Oregon Pinot notes of red forest berries, underbrush and dried rose petals. The palate is offers savoriness punctuated by […]
Elk Cove Roosevelt Vineyard Pinot Noir 2011
Fruit takes a back seat in the 2011 Elk Cove Roosevelt Vineyard Pinot Noir. This is a portrait in savoriness. Aromas of Spanish roof tile, sun dried tomato, cigar box and sage seamlessly merge into tart cranberries and dried cherry notes. Firm, dusty tannins hem in high-toned red fruit and taught acidity that terminates with […]
Château Beauséjour Duffau-Lagarrosse 2000
A splendid Beauséjour Duffau-Lagarrosse. Opens with floral aromatics that descend to deeper notes of steeped blackberry, black cherry, charcoal, camphor and dried sage. Structured, powerful fore-to-mid palate tannin with acidity to match, this feels too young at this point, as though it’s not yet fully knit together. Medium-plus finish with herbal notes, and subtle minerality. […]
King Estate Signature Collection Pinot Noir 2013
The 2013 King Estate Pinot Noir is restrained, and is thinner and tighter than I would like. Sporting twining notes of earth, mocha and cocoa powder, a dab of red fruit. On the palate, it’s quite tart, with high-toned briary forest berries, pomegranate and twig tea—this subdued tone and pitch follows all the way through […]
Rutini Malbec 2012
Vinified on 80% new French oak and 20% new American oak for 12 months, the 2012 Rutini Malbec offers classic high-altitude notes of blueberries and black raspberries, along with a subtle top note of Madagascar vanilla. On the palate, abundantly bright acidity, and an intriguing slightly salty, slightly herbal countenance that shows mostly on a […]