Lingua Franca Mimi’s Mind Pinot Noir 2015
Mimi’s Mind, so named to honor the work of Mimi Casteel, and her east-facing vineyard site of Woodburn, Nekia, and Jory type soils planted in the 1970s. I am told that the vines are own-rooted and phylloxera-free, making them a rarity in the Eola-Amity Hills. The 2015, dressed in a translucent ruby robe, is poised […]
Ledger David Rogue Valley Southern Oregon Sangiovese 2014
A well-made Sangiovese from Southern Oregon’s Rogue Valley—an appellation that shows great promise, turning out Spanish and Italian varieties of focus and depth. The 2014 Ledger David Sangiovese offers up a sumptuous bouquet of black plums, and blackberries, all resting beneath a garland of violets. In the mouth, it’s plush and open knit with black […]
Mont Gravet Côtes de Gascogne Blanc 2016
Crisp and quaffable, the 2016 Mont Gravet Côtes de Gascogne Blanc is made from 100% Colombard—the offspring of Chenin blanc and Gouais blanc. It is classically found in the Gascony region and here it’s pale lemon yellow in the glass, with wholly amicable aromas of underripe pineapple, yellow apple and pear. In the mouth, linear […]
Tendril Wine Cellars Extrovert Pinot Noir 2014
Winemaker Tony Rynders 2014 ‘Extrovert’ is so named because it is the most fruit forward label in Tendril’s portfolio. On the nose, the subtle interplay of blackberry, black cherry, cola, underbrush and decaying rose petal sets the stage for this focused Pinot Noir. In it, one can find concentration and balance, fine tannins, and admirable […]
Mont Gravet Pays d’Oc Rosé 2016
Limpid salmon in the glass, 100% Pays d’Oc Counoise offers fresh, lilting aromas of crushed raspberry, white peach, and line-dried linen. In the mouth, limestone minerality shines through, lending texture and continuity, a single suspended note that starts and ends softly, unobtrusively. Mont Gravet has elements in it that are suggestive of a more expensive, […]
Josep Masachs Mas Fi Cava Brut Rosé NV
From the Josep Masachs family, the Mas Fi Brut Rosé is a celebratory shade of salmon. Crafted with 100% estate-grown Trepat, delicate aromas of pie cherry, strawberry, apple blossom, and graham cracker are held aloft on a nose tickling net of fine buttles. It’s fresh on the palate, with just a hint of autolysis—no doubt […]
Alain Jaume & Fils Rasteau Les Valats 2015
Soft, plummy and plush, the 2015 Alain Jaume & Fils Rasteau Les Valats offers ample drinking pleasure. On opening, black cherries, ripe Damson plums, cedar, sweet tobacco and menthol. The palate takes its cues from the nose, with a uniform profile—juicy black fruit cozened in velvety, ripe tannins and tempered acidity. This is a wine […]
Murrieta’s Well Dry Rosé 2016
Rosé for Valentines Day? Yes, why not. The 2016 Murrieta’s Well Dry Rosé is an excellent candidate. Composed of 55% estate-grown Grenache and 45% Counoise, it’s a pretty shade of orangey-pink salmon and delivers lifted aromas of bruised peach, Queen Anne’s cherries, melon, baking spice.Medium-bodied and crisp, the palate is awash in red berries and […]
Josep Masachs Mas Fi Cava Brut NV
I’ll be featuring affordable bubblies and rosé wines in the runup to Valentines, so stay tuned. The Josep Masachs Mas Fi Brut opens with a vinous nose that is classic Cava: white flowers, lemon drop, pear, and apple. More defining features can be sussed out on entry, with crisp bubbles set against an understated, autolytic […]
Schäfer Dry Rosé 2016
Spring is on the way. Heirloom rose petal pink, Schäfer’s 2016 Dry Rosé opens with vivid aromas of delicately spiced pie cherries, strawberries and apple blossom. Medium-bodied, this fresh organic rosé of Pinot Noir features a lean, tensile acid spine that crescendos with a burst of delicious pit fruit bitterness and oyster shell. 11.6% ABV […]