Besson Franck Beaujolais Rose Granit Méthode Traditionnelle 2011
Sourced from 100% 45-year-old Gamay Black vines grown in granitic sand, hence the name, this unique sparkling rosé walks a very fine line between funk and fruit. Ripe strawberries and plump market raspberries are unarthed, once a gets past damp spring soil, that walk through the barn in sodden boots (and yes, I had a […]
Benedicte & Stephane Tissot Poulsard Vieilles Vignes 2012
The nose of this intriguing biodynamically-farmed Jura red is slightly reminiscent of a good Cru Beaujolais, laden with aromas of decaying rose petals, Vietnamese cinnamon, stale pomander ball, and stemmy raspberries, all anchored by a touch of earthy-musky-funk. Benedicte & Stephane Tissot Poulsard Vieilles Vignes 2012 is light-to-medium bodied, slightly rustic and slightly spare, with […]
A. et P. de Villaine Mercurey Les Montots 2011
Domaine de Villaine is owned by none other than Aubert de Villaine, co-owner of that most illustrious estate, Domaine de la Romanee-Conti. The little house Villaine is located in Bouzeron, and offers fine quality for money for those looking for a good value. The 2011 is light on fruit, a notoriously difficult vintage, but it […]
Château Calon-Ségur Saint-Estèphe Grand Cru Classé 2000
A Classic Saint-Estèphe, the Calon-Ségur 2000 offers up sumptuous aromas of steeped blackberries, forest floor, wet wood, game, char, asphalt, saddle leather, violets, and brown sugar. The influence of the estate vineyard’s deep gravelly soils is evident in the nose and in a delicate vein of minerality, that sits like filagree atop velvety, caressing tannins. […]
Crêpes with an Oregon Marionberry Reduction Sauce
In another lifetime, I made dozens of crêpes on Friday nights, when throngs of customers would flood my Eastern Washington tasting room to catch live music on the weekends. Since then, I’ve refined the recipe a bit—not the crêpes themselves, rather the toppings. Back then, I used our wineries’ Columbia Valley Cabernet, now I’m more […]
Familiar Eladio Piñeiro Envidia Cochina 2013
Aside from the curious albeit intriguing story about the “Poisonous Worm of Envy” that graces the front label (is a reference to poison on a beverage label ever a good thing?), the 2013 Eladio Piñeiro Envidia Cochina is a plunge into a world of grassy olive oil, fresh herbs, saline and brine, interlaced with lemon […]
Barons de Rothschild Bordeaux Réserve Spéciale Blanc 2013
2013 was a tough vintage in Bordeaux, Château Lafite Rothschild describes it as the worst vintage in over 30 years, though it is important to note that the whites generally fared better than the reds. Nevertheless, the estate has the pedigree to pull off a good wine in a challenging year, I was favorably impressed […]
Bodega Numanthia Toro Termanthia 2009
The Numanthia Toro Termanthia 2009, generously shared by fellow Vivino user and friend, Rick Halprin offers up a lavish bouquet of steeped blackberries, black cherry, anise, and aged leather. Painted with a broader brush as compared with little brother, Numanthia, it’s voluptuous and expansive on the palate, with velvety fine grained tannins and a commanding […]
Bodega Numanthia Toro Numanthia 2009
A wine that fellow Vivino user, Rick Halprin generously shared, the 2009 Numanthia is inlaid with fabulous, complex notes of black cherry, Italian plum, bittersweet chocolate, maple, heliotrope, and dusty, sun-baked earth. On the palate, the tannins are structured and slightly grippy, and the alcohol is well integrated—given that it’s at 15%, Numanthia carries it […]
Loosen Bros Dr. L Riesling 2013
Loosen Bros Dr. L Riesling is a unquestionably quaffable for a mere $11-$12. While not as intense or complex as more expensive offerings from the Mosel, what you can expect are lush aromas of apricot, clover honey, lemon drop and a classic though faint top note of kerosene. It’s off-dry with lots of mouth-coating viscosity […]