Durant Vineyards ‘La Paloma’ Dundee Hills Pinot Noir 2012
If you have the chance to visit Durant Vineyards at Red Ridge Farms in Willamette Valley, do! The tasting room boasts impeccable grounds, guest houses and Oregon’s first olive grove. The 2012 La Paloma Vineyard Pinot Noir offers classic red berry notes: cherries and strawberries and a soft, accessible texture. There is a green, slightly […]
Kaiken Malbec Ultra 2012
Poured by and tasted with winemaker and proprietor, Aurelio Montes, a man who is both passionate and dedicated to producing wines that compliment classic Argentinian cuisine. Fresh and vibrant, and brimming over with blueberry and blackberry notes, anise, dried thyme and a spicy whiff of black pepper. On the palate, bright acidity and abundant, fine […]
Kaiken Torrontés Terroir Series 2015
Salta boasts the highest elevation vineyards in the world, and is particularly well-suited to the production of Torrontés, and this is a classic example. Straw colored, with aromas of iris and stargazer lily, I’m admittedly finicky about this variety, I don’t like the floral notes to be too pungent. In this case, the fruit to […]
Hermann J. Wiemer Josef Noble Select Riesling 2011
A beguiling toffee-colored Trockenbeerenauslese-style Riesling hailing from the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York. Perhaps the most astonishing aspect of this wine is that it was harvested at 51.7° Brix and with a staggering 31.7% residual sugar. Truly, this is the stickiest “sticky” I’ve had the pleasure of tasting, with mouth-coating viscosity held in […]
Hermann J. Wiemer Dry Reserve Riesling 2014
Off the beaten path while at #WBC15, we tasted a stunning lineup from Hermann J. Weimer, the main theme of which is incredible acidity plus minerality. These wines aren’t particularly fruit forward, they are lean, with discreet notes of stone fruit, a touch of unripened passion fruit and lemon zest. The texture is the star of […]
Tinto Pesquera Ribera del Duero Crianza 2012
Older vintages of Pesquera can be particularly lovely, as such this toothsome 2012 Crianza is drinking well now, but will certainly reward patience. Brimming over with lots of complexity and lots to love given its price, with dark fruit notes of roasted black cherries, singed earth, dried violets, black licorice, alfalfa hay and dark chocolate. […]
Renardat-Fache Alain Bugey Cerdon Fache Rosé Sparkling 2013
My first wine from the Savoie region of France, the 2013 Renardat-Fâche Wine of the Bugey Cerdon Sparkling Rosé is a charming semi-dry, with perky bubbles and lilting, expressive notes of red raspberries and juicy Balaton cherries cradled in a bouquet of heirloom roses . It’s the color of pint taffeta, that’s exactly shade found […]
Andrew Rich Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Prelude 2013
Nicely crafted for its price point, the 2013 Andrew Rich Willamette Valley Pinot Noir offers up welcoming aromas of rose petals, strawberries both fresh and jammy, orange peel, and underbrush. Silky and easy-going on entry, this proved to be a good choice for a friend who dislikes red wine (she managed to down the entire […]
Laurent Roumier Chambolle-Musigny 2010
The 2010 Laurent Roumier Chambolle-Musigny is perhaps just entering its drinking window, though it is important to note that this is a half bottle. The aromatics are intriguing, and firstly floral. Lilacs and apple blossom give way to seedy raspberries, plum and damp tilth. Perhaps what is most striking are the camphor and mint notes […]
Cowhorn Spiral 36 Applegate Valley White 2014
Whatever magic it is that Bill and Barbara Steele are conjuring in their biodynamically farmed Cowhorn vineyard, I hope they keep it up, the results are stunning. The 2014 Spiral 36 Applegate Valley White is a nuanced blend of Viognier, Roussanne, and Marsanne with extraordinarily pretty notes of dried honey, almonds, and golden apple. A […]