Weingut Dr. Heyden Silvaner Qualitätswein Trocken Alte Reben 2015
Lemon yellow in the glass, Dr. Heyden’s 2015 Alte Reben Silvaner Trocken is indeed quite dry, as noted on the label. The nose is a heady mélange of pear, musk melon, lemongrass, and lily of the valley. In the mouth, these descriptors orbit around a sturdy acid spine—that citrusy acid note is present from start […]
Isaac Fernandez Mencía Ribeira Sacra Adrás 2015
Magenta in the glass with a clear meniscus, the 2015 Isaac Fernandez Adrás Mencia beckons with aromas of bing cherry, plum, vanilla, and cinnamon bark. It’s medium-bodied on the palate, with plentiful and chewy tannins that create a base layer to a vibrant acid backbone and spice-laden finish. A lovely food wine from a Spanish […]
Besserat de Bellefon Champagne Cuvée des Moines Brut Rosé NV
Rose-gold in hue and yeast-driven in style, Besserat’s Champagne Cuvée des Moines Brut Rosé offers smoky overtones of brioche, bing cherry, red currant, and linden flowers. On the palate, pronounced autolytic tones of wet dough and a sensation of creaminess at the core sink beneath a garland of fine bubbles, cresting and dissolving into chalk […]
Château Rieussec Sauternes 2010
I couldn’t resist pulling one of my remaining bottles of 2010 Château Rieussec from the cellar. Burnished gold in the glass, it’s exactly as I remember the last bottle I sampled in 2014—a sumptuous mélange of dried apricots, mango, creme brûlée, cloves, acacia honey and a heady whiff of smoke and dried mint. Round, glycerol-laden […]
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, […]
Schäfer Riesling 2015
The Schäfer family have been organically farming their vineyard parcels in Mettenheim (Schlossberg) and Bechtheim since 1709, and really, when the wine is good, what more could the savvy wine consumer want for $13.00 per bottle? A kerosene top note leads into weighter expressions of white peach, poached pear, and lemon drop. It’s medium-bodied on […]
Larmandier-Bernier Champagne Vieille Vigne du Levant Grand Cru 2007
With a mousse like seed pearls embroidered on golden-threaded brocade, Larmandier-Bernier’s 2007 Champagne Vieille Vigne du Levant is precise and delicate. And while there is vinosity and weight suggestive of old vines, its luminous and filligred layers are etched with the character of ancient limestone soils found in Cramant. Crushed oyster shell, wet chalk are […]
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 […]
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 […]