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Storypoint Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

Storypoint Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Petit Syrah, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 2% that’s listed as “other varieties,” the 2017 Storypoint is an excellent value for lovers of California Cabernet. The nose offers up an expressive bouquet of macerated blackberry, plum, vanilla, and a lifted note of tar and dried mint. It’s full-bodied with […]

Apothic Californian Sparkling Red NV

Apothic Californian Sparkling Red NV

An excellent value, Apothic’s latest introduction to their lineup is a Californian sparkling red made from a bevy of undisclosed varieties. It’s a deep shade of carmine red, with a steady stream of lively bubbles—morello cherries, vanilla, and strawberry jam made up the nose and palate with a subtle touch of orange pith shining through […]

LXV Wine Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

LXV Wine Club Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

The 2016 Reserve Cabernet is brimming with earthy, soulful tones of underbrush, black cherry, blackberry, sandalwood, white pepper, and cinnamon bark. On the palate, it’s nimble for a Cabernet, and still tightly-wound at this stage in its development with fine, black tea-infused tannins that firmly anchor the core of this wine, a streak of limestone […]

Cattleya Alma de Cattleya Sauvignon Blanc 2018

Cattleya Alma de Cattleya Sauvignon Blanc 2018

Staw-hued, Cattelya’s 2018 Alma de Cattleya Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc is imbued with nuanced aromas of lemongrass, lemon drop, white grapefruit, and unripe pineapple. Sourced from fruit primarily grown in the Russian River Valley, and aged in 100% French oak, it’s medium-bodied with a vivid burst of nectarine upfront that dissolves into a steely vein […]

Cave Dog Albariño 2018

Cave Dog Albariño 2018

From a plot winemaker Michael Havens established in 1997, the 2018 Cave Dog Albariño opens softly, almost humbly, with lilting notes of cherimoya, lemon tart, and apple blossom. With time in the glass, it blossoms, the expression on the palate is especially delectable. Round and lush, a quartzite vein runs through the center—where it peaks […]

Shared Notes Les Pierres Qui Décident 2017

Shared Notes Les Pierres Qui Décident 2017

Savory aromas of freshly cut grass, crushed herbs, alpine air, and pine needle anoint the nose of Shared Notes 2017 Les Pierres Qui Dècident. Crafted from 100% Sauvignon Blanc clone Musqué and fermented and aged in 100% new French oak, its linear cut and surging intensity is impressive. A beam of acidity arcs across the […]

Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2016

Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

The bottle, a Napa Valley Cabernet from Louis M. Martini tumbled headlong off the rack before I could grasp it—most of it instantly lost save for a glass which I ran through a filter. It’s a classic Napa Cab, totally opaque with a violet rim and glass-staining legs followed by heady aromas and flavors of […]

Saint Tryphon Chardonnay 2015

Saint Tryphon Chardonnay 2015

Heavily laden in fruit, Saint Typhon’s 2015 Santa Barbara Chardonnay explodes with aromas of mango, yellow peach, pineapple, vanilla, acacia blossom, and spice—in some ways, the expression is reminiscent of a lightly styled Sauternes. It’s concentrated, on both the nose and in the mouth, with lush and voluminous fruit that drenches the palate. As with […]

LXV Wine Crimson Jewel 2017

LXV Wine Crimson Jewel 2017

Glinting, translucent garnet in the glass, the 2017 Crimson Jewel is brimming with earthy sensuality. Amarena wild cherries and Mirabelle plums rest beneath lighter, more ethereal notes of baker’s cocoa, underbrush, chalkboard dust, dried oregano, and basil. Stylistically it’s a touch lighter than the 2015 vintage—round and elegant on entry, pleasant tannic grip imparted by […]

Cattleya Alma de Cattleya Rosé of Pinot Noir 2018

Cattleya Alma de Cattleya Rosé of Pinot Noir 2018

Rose gold in the glass with copper inflections, the 2018 Alma de Cattleya Rosé of Pinot Noir possesses a kind of kinetic energy that’s hard to resist. The nose is a riot of white peaches, wild salmonberries, blood orange, and melon—like so much brightly-hued damask silk fluttering in the wind. In the mouth, racy acidity […]

CHRISTINE HAVENS
McMinnville, OR

christine@christine-havens.com