Kindzmarauli Marani Rkatsiteli Dry White 2014
From the foothills of Georgia’s Caucus Mountains, is this softly-hewn Rkatsiteli. Interestingly, this is a variety that was planted in my former estate vineyard, in a single test row. Kindzmarauli’s interpretation of this ancient, indigenous white brings back memories. Bruised pear, dried orange peel and wild prairie flowers. Full and round in the mouth, like […]
Domaine Vacheron Sancerre 2014
Stunning and vivid, Domaine Vacheron’s 2014 Sancerre is golden-robed and inlaid with lemongrass, lemon blossom, kaffir lime, banana creme pie, lychee, smoke and a nuanced herbal edge. Texturally round and lush on the palate, gloriously disrupted by a piercing vein of white grapefruit and chalky minerality that carries from the attack to a meandering, mouthwatering […]
Thierry Germain Domaine des Roches Neuves Clos De l’Echelier Saumur Blanc 2014
Sourced from a small horse-plowed, biodynamically farmed two-hectare site, Clos de L’Echelier is blended from just two oval casks. The vines are seated in Turonian limestone, which gives Saumur Chenin’s their characteristic minerality, which this bottle certainly has, though less pronounced than some I’ve tasted. The nose is endowed with expressive aromas of ripe pear, […]
ROCO Rollin Michael Soles ‘RMS’ Willamette Valley Brut 2013
This is a brilliant wine. The RMS Willamette Valley Brut 2013 is ROCO’s first sparkling wine, a new release, it’s a perfectly-poised blend of 67% Pinot Noir and 33% Chardonnay that fairly blossoms in the glass; red berries, pear, and apricot vie for dominance, floating above this, spice, white flowers, freshly laundered linen. That same yin-yang […]
Falesco Tellus Merlot 2013
Four stars (or ~8.9) because Falesco’s Tellus Merlot 2013 is a great value, velvety and sumptuous, it retails for less than $15 in the US. From vineyards in Montecchio, in the heart of Umbria, the Merlot sourced for Tellus is grown in clay and calcareous soils. It’s an open-hearted wine, and softly focused with lush […]
Louis M. Martini Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
Classic Louis Martini, the 2013 Alexander Valley Cabernet is rife with steeped blackberries, plums, and black fruit in general. I’ve lingered over this glass trying to tease out which ones. A top note of cedar and dried thyme re-emerges on the back palate along with firm tannins and medium + acidity. As with all Louis […]
Timeless Refinement
It was a beautiful evening, from my vantage, I could see the hills that formed the backbone of the eastern side of the valley, densely robed in evergreen trees and hunkered against a backdrop of stars that seemed to draw closer against the indigo-black palette of an ever-darkening sky. The evening air, as it so […]
Taylor’s Late Bottled Vintage Port 2011
Taylor’s Late Bottled Vintage Port remains in wood for four to six years, as such, it is concentrated and intense, round and deliciously full-bodied. 2011, for me, has been one of the most exciting vintages I’ve tasted, it’s one I’m collecting and cellaring, though the ’11s are certainly enjoyably now. Taylor’s 2011 LBV is totally […]
Château de Camensac Haut-Médoc Grand Cru Classé 2011
The acidity in this wine is searing, a pity given that Carmensac is a Grand Cru Classé. I can only guess that it’s one of the 2011 vintage that didn’t fare well. Aromas of blackberries, black currants and black cherries are bolstered by vanilla and cedar. It’s quite thin and tight on the palate, lacking […]
Durant Vineyards ‘La Paloma’ Dundee Hills Pinot Noir 2013
Durant Vineyard’s Dundee Hills La Paloma Pinot Noir 2013 doesn’t disappoint. This is their 40th Anniversary edition, and I can smell its heady aromatics with the glass sitting more than two feet away (that always charms me). Cherry turnover, vanilla, rose petal and anise are anchored in a subtly earthy embrace. It’s silky on entry, […]