Havens Logo 23 White Small

Erste+Neue Lagrein 2016

Erste+Neue Lagrein 2016

From vines trained on pergolas, an overhead trellis system introduced by the ancient Romans, Erste+Neue’s 2016 Lagrein offers up a sumptuous bouquet of fleshy plums and ripe black cherries followed by spice, crushed lavender, and a daub of earth. It’s softly textured on entry, with plush black fruit framed against a backdrop of velvety tannins. […]

Erste+Neue Pinot Nero 2016

Erste+Neue Kellerei Pinot Nero

Robed in translucent garnet, Erste+Neue’s 2016 Pinot Nero is nimble and lively. Crafted from grapes grown in flint, clay, and lime sedimentary soils that surround bucolic Lake Kaltern, the vines are trained on pergolas. Pie cherries, seedy black raspberry, and forest floor aromas round out the nose. Aging in large casks has imparted a subtle […]

Erste+Neue Pinot Grigio 2016

Erste+Neue Pinot Grigio 2016

The color of sun bleached straw, Erste+Neue’s 2016 Pinot Grigio offers up notes of Bosc pear, yellow apple, prairie flowers, and line-dried linen. Aging on fine lees has graced it with plenty of textural appeal, and there is a faint and lovely background note of freshly milled buckwheat that joins in the delicate interplay between […]

Erste+Neue Sauvignon 2016

Erste+Neue Sauvignon 2016

Classic Sauvignon Blanc aromas of boxwood, lime zest, and piney alpine forest in summer. There’s no excess weight on the palate—it’s vibrant and crisp, offering a sophisticated daub of quarry dust on the finish. 13.5% ABV | Sample Erste+Neue 89 Points  

Erste+Neue Kalterersee Leuchtenburg Classico Superiore 2016

Erste+Neue Kalterersee Leuchtenburg Classico Superiore 2016

Limpid, translucent ruby in the glass, the 2016 Erste+Neue Kalterersee Leuchtenburg Classico Superiore is made from 100% pergola-trained schiava, a grape that is indigenous to the Alto Adige/Südtirol winegrowing region. Lilting aromas of red currants, cherry clafoutis, baking spice, and marzipan waft from the glass. It’s round, light, and silky in texture, with ultra-fine tannins […]

San Leonardo San Leonardo 2000

San Leonardo San Leonardo 2000

An unusual blend of cabernet sauvignon, carmenère and merlot—yes, in that order. The 2000 San Leonardo is built on a foundation that is squarely Italian, but there are some Bordeaux-esque elements to this profound Dolomitic red. As it evolves, black currants and plums swirl beath layers of graphite, forest floor, sweet tobacco, sandalwood, dried laurel, […]

Prophecy Pinot Grigio 2016

Prophecy Pinot Grigio 2016

The color of pale green straw, like fresh alfalfa, the sort I used to buy for my sheep (when I had sheep, but that was a lifetime ago) the 2016 Prophecy Pinot Grigio is deliciously, lightly herbaceous, with wafting aromas of green apple and pear, and a twist of lemon zest. It’s easy drinking, turning […]

San Marzano Talò Malvasia Nera Salento IGT 2015

San Marzano Talò Malvasia Nera Salento IGT 2015

Another delightful find from San Marzano, this 100% Malvasia Nera is softly textured and juicy. As with all wines in the Talò line, it over delivers for its roughly $15.00 price point. Juicy Italian plums, blackberries and black cherries are rendered more complex by an earthy-savory edge of dried herbs, coffee, and underbrush. In the […]

Cantine Umberto Bortolotti Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Brut NV

Umberto Bortolotti Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Brut

Umberto Bortolotti’s exquisite line of Proseccos, their non-vintage Valdobbiadene Brut is the sweetest of the line, all have feature attractive creaminess at the core and a mousse that is notably finer than most Proseccos I’ve tasted. It opens with a garland of white flowers, acacia honey and honeydew melon. Here, the creaminess is upfront, gradually […]

Cantine Umberto Bortolotti Rive Di S. Stefano Montagnole Valdobbiadene 2016

Rive Di S. Stefano Montagnole

Umberto Bortolotti’s stylish 2016 Rive Di S. Stefano Montagnole Valdobbiadene qualifies as one of the best Proseccos I’ve had in recent memory. Aromas of fresh Williams pear, green apple, and white grapefruit pith are held aloft by ultra-fine, diaphanous bubbles. At 2 g/l residual sugar, it feels perceptibly dry and crisp. Calcium-rich marl limestone soils […]

CHRISTINE HAVENS
McMinnville, OR

christine@christine-havens.com