J Vineyards Pinot Noir Monterey, Sonoma, & Santa Barbara Counties 2015
J Vineyards & Winery Pinot Noir is a blend of Pinot Noir from three AVAs: Monterey County, Santa Barbara County and Sonoma County. It’s a big, voluptuous wine, not quite opaque and neatly inlaid with black cherry, roasted strawberry, warm brown spices, and decaying rose petal. Silky on entry, with well-integrated tannins—the acidity hits at […]
L’Aventure Estate Rosé 2016
L’Aventure is a winery I’ve long been curious about—I was delighted to learn that it was one of our stops on a recent media trip to Paso Robles. And now, I understand all the fanfare. These wines all have a shimmering mineral thread running through them, like a silken cord, even in their heavier reds. […]
Columbia Winery Red Blend 2014
50-year old Columbia Winery is sporting new packaging, I’m always glad to be in the know of such things. The more important question, however—does the packaging match the contents? A supple blend of 40% Merlot, 39% Syrah, 8% Cabernet, 7% Cab Franc, and 6% Malbec the NV Red Blend sports a classic Columbia Valley profile […]
Umpqua Undercover
The Umpqua Valley has a streak of wildness to it. Sparsely populated, its towns lie scattered amidst a series of rugged, undulating hills thatched in spikey Ponderosa pine and black oak. The Umpqua River and it’s winding tributaries churn and tumble through a network of valleys formed by the collision of three mountain ranges—the Klamath, […]
Concha y Toro Cabernet Sauvignon Marqués de Casa Concha 2015
Concha y Toro Cabernet Sauvignon Marqués de Casa Concha 2015″ width=”200″ height=”200″ /></a>A solid Chilean Cabernet, Concha Y Toro’s Marques de Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 is crafted from fruit sourced from a stony alluvial bench in the Maipo Valley. Classic aromas of black currant and blackberry rest well beneath layers of potting soil and […]
Lubanzi Red Blend 2015
This is a new brand—yet to be released, and one that I see as part of the growing trend combining wine and philanthropy. Cape Venture was founded by two young men who fell in love with South Africa’s rugged wine scene. They have pledged to give 50% of the winery’s profits to back the Pebbles […]
Cultivating Self-Sufficiency in Jackson Hole
An interview with architect Nona Yehia of Vertical Harvest Jackson Wyoming is best known for its upscale resorts and breathtaking Teton mountain backdrop. It’s a city that averages 38 feet of snowfall annually, with a short four-month growing season. A playground for skiers and outdoor enthusiasts it may be, for gardeners not so much. Thanks […]
Square Peg Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2014
Lovely purity of fruit in Square Peg’s 2014 Estate Block 8 Dry Farmed Pinot Noir from Green Valley. Grown at an 800′ elevation a mere eight miles from the Pacific Ocean—winemaker William Knuttel has coaxed red berries from this cool climate Pinot along with nuanced aromas of underbrush, rose petal, dried orange peel, and baking […]
Tablas Creek Vineyard Esprit de Tablas Blanc 2003
Yesterday I was treated to a wonderful vertical of older vintage Tablas Creek Vineyard Esprit de Tablas Blanc, the 2003 was holding up admirably. Indeed, they all were. A blend of 68% Roussanne, 27% Grenache blanc, and 5% Viognier—aged to a deep yellow, the color of daffodils, and bursting with aromas of bruised pear, golden […]
Abacela Reserve Tempranillo 2005
Abacela’s 2005 Reserve Tempranillo is opaque, with only the oxblood-rim belying age. It’s mature now, but has a long drinking window ahead of it, perhaps another 5-8 years. The nose is rich and complex, a melange of black cherries and plums, Christmas cake, leather, and dusty earth. The attack reveals mouth coating, grippy tannins and […]