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Cantina Tramin Pinot Bianco Moriz Alto Adige 2015

Cantina Tramin Pinot Bianco Alto Adige 2015

A steadily evolving kaleidoscope of white flowers, lemon curd, Asian pear, green apple, and mint. On the palate, the 2015 Tramin Pinot Bianco Moriz is light, bright, and fresh with a burst of pink pomelo, and perhaps most surprising—dried rose petal and wet shell that tumbles onto the scene like an unexpected last act. It […]

Château Suduiraut 1982

Château Suduiraut

A contribution from my Cascadia Fine Wines colleague Jack Madrid at a recent dinner with Force Majeure Vineyards‘ winemaker and his wife—this luscious amber-hued bottle of 1982 Château Suduiraut proved to be the perfect end to an evening of lively conversation. It opens with penetrating aromas of orange marmalade, apricot, orange spice market tea, flan, forest honey, and […]

Urban Provence 2017

Urban Provence 2017

Pale salmon in the glass with gossamer rose gold inflections, the 2017 Urban Provence Rosé is a blend of 45% Grenache Noir, 35% Cinsault, 15% Syrah, and Rolle, all sourced from vineyard blocks planted around the commune of La Garde Freinet, bordering St. Tropez. Classic Provençal aromas of tart pie cherry, golden raspberry, peach, line-dried […]

Château Grange Cochard Morgon ‘Côte du Py’ 2013

Château Grange Cochard Morgon 'Côte du Py' 2013

A delicious Cru Beaujolais, the 2013 Château Grange Cochard Morgon ‘Côte du Py’ is crafted from sustainably-farmed vines grown in granitic schist soil. It opens with brooding aromas of loamy tilth, freshly turned soil, and underbrush that gives way, perhaps grudgingly to red and black berries, dried orange peel, and a whiff of black tea. Darker tones […]

In search of the hidden harmonies between Rhône Valley wines and Asian Cuisine

Manila Lion

Like any great operatic singer, Rhône wines have range. They can be muscular and profound with a black-fruited core that ripples through a percussion background of pitch-perfect tannins, acidity, and that earthy, smokey feralness that lets you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you’re drinking something Old World—something with history and roots thrust […]

Colterenzio Schreckbichl Gewürztraminer 2016

Colterenzio Schreckbichl Gewürztraminer 2016

From Northern Italy’s Südtirol – Alto Adige region, the 2016 Schreckbichl Colterenzio Gewürztraminer is lemon yellow in the glass and bursting a heady floral mix of chamomile and lily of the valley—beneath this fruit notes of lychee and cherimoya. On the palate, taut acidity crescendoes through this white’s pretty textural landscape that gives way to Meyer […]

Szent Tamás Percze 3400 Palack Tokaji Száraz Furmint 2013

2013 Szent Tamás Percze 3400 Palack

With a mouthfeel that reminds me very much of a Condrieu from a top producer, perhaps with a little more weight the 2013 Szent Tamás Percze 3400 Palack Tokaji Száraz Furmintcaptivates with breathtaking aromas of blanched almonds, quince, yellow peach, spice, orange blossom, and honeycomb. Feels like it might be more voluptuous than it is, […]

Producer Profile: Finca Viladellops

Finca Viladellops

Along the rocky spine of the Massif Garraf, a calcareous mountain chain that extends to the Mediterranean Sea, in the heart of the Penedès is the hamlet of Viladellops. The town is a tightly-knit group of 18 farmhouses—Viladellops’ history dates back to the year 958 when the order of the Templars flocked to the town […]

Capçanes Montsant Peraj Petita Rosat 2017

Capçanes Montsant Peraj Petita Rosat 2017

Rose petal pink in the glass, the Capçanes Montsant Peraj Petita Rosat is crafted from 100% Grenache grown on steep clay and granite soil terraces. Interestingly, it’s made under the strict supervision of the Orthodox Union (OU) and is a kosher wine—aromatically speaking, it’s fairly bursting with aromas of bright pie cherries, almond paste, and […]

Arínzano Gran Vino Blanco 2014

Arínzano Gran Vino Blanco 2014

In the North-Eastern corner of Spain, Arínzano’s estate vineyards are planted at the foot of the Pyrenees Mountains, midway between the Rioja and Bordeaux. The 2014 Gran Vino Blanco is 100% Chardonnay, aged 11 months on new and used French oak. A profusion of yellow apples, pear, mandarin oranges, vanilla, smoke, whipped butter, and warm […]

CHRISTINE HAVENS
McMinnville, OR

christine@christine-havens.com