M. Chapoutier Les Vignes de Bila-Haut Côtes du Roussillon Blanc 2017
Once again, M. Chapoutier’s 2017 Les Vignes de Bila-Haut Côtes du Roussillon Blanc exceeds expectations for its modest price point. This approachable blend 50% Grenache Blanc, 20% Marsanne, 20% Macabeo, and, yes, 10% Vermentino is crisp and bright with wafting aromas of d’Anjou pear, yellow apple, and lemon drop, followed by top notes of lemon […]
Department 66 D66 2014
Dave Phinney’s latest project is Department 66, this bottling, a sublime blend of Grenache, Syrah and Carignan from France’s Maury AOC—a region famous for its fortified Vin Doux Naturel wines, not its still wines. And the D22 did not disappoint—it’s a powerhouse—a deep dive into blueberries, blackberry crumble, charcuterie, baker’s chocolate, anise, and mountain herbs […]
Rain Dance Vineyards Grand Oak Vineyard Estate Rosé 2017
Glinting rose gold in the glass, the 2017 Rain Dance Grand Oak Vineyard Estate Rosé is replete with aromas of melon, white peach, Queen Anne’s cherries, and a fleeting whiff of chalkboard dust. Bright and elegant in the mouth, texture at the back palate suggests minimal skin contact. Pink pomelo adds mouthwatering lift and complexity […]
Ayoub Chardonnay 2016
Another lovely vintage from Mo Ayoub that is clearly made in small lots and with great technical care, his 2016 Dundee Hills Chardonnay is only 400 cases and is enrobed in white peach, Asian pear, yellow apples, granulated honey, and apple blossom. It fans out across the palate, with exquisite creaminess and density offset by […]
White Rose Estate The Neo-Classical Objective Pinot Noir 2014
Tasting through a series of vintages one can say that White Rose has its own style, it stands apart from the rest of the wines of Dundee Hills—there is a pure-fruitedness along with a perfumed exuberance on the nose that is a common thread through all their wines. The 2014 Neo-Classical Objective Pinot Noir is […]
Troon Applegate Valley Zinfandel 2017
Translucent garnet in the glass, the 2017 Troon Applegate Valley Zinfandel is a blend of 97% Zinfandel and 3% Petit Syrah. Made from biodynamically farmed estate-grown grapes, it’s a lighter, more delicate expression of the variety—with lively notes of black cherry, brambly red berries, brown spice, and warm wicker—in the mouth it’s round, with silky, […]
Troon Cuvée Côt Applegate Valley Malbec 2016
Troon’s 2016 Applegate Valley Cuvée Côt Malbec is awash in mulberries and plums along with hay, sweet tobacco and a slightly ferrous, animal energy. On the palate, it’s bright, fresh, and wonderfully complex green-tea soaked tannins offset by an energetic vein of acidity rippling through the core. The finish flirts with salinity, green peppercorn, and […]
Baileyana Stone Egg Chardonnay 2016
Baileyana’s 2016 Stone Egg Chardonnay is the perfect balance of opulence and restraint. Enveloping aromas of apricot, peach pit, apple blossom, and dried lemon verbena spring from the glass. Luscious and full in the mouth, it’s brimming with stone fruit—fermentation and aging in a concrete egg has further graced this Edna Valley Chardonnay with dimension and a […]
Knudsen Vineyards Pinot Noir 2016
The 2016 vintage was quite warm for the Willamette Valley, here Knudsen’s estate-grown Pinot Noir expresses a touch more black fruit than I have found in previous vintages—black cherry and black raspberry along with more ethereal notes of twiggy underbrush, a touch of iron ore, talc, and nuanced florality. It’s round and silky on the palate, […]
King Estate Backbone Pinot Noir 2013
There are many things I admire about King Estate—the fact that the great André Tchelistcheff was brought in as a consultant during the winery’s early days, or that the property is the largest contiguous biodynamic estate in the Unites States—there is so much richness to glean from this out-of-the-way producer. The 2013 Backbone Pinot Noir […]