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Domaine Trouvére Umpqua Valley Syrah 2015

Domaine Trouvére Umpqua Valley Syrah 2015

A proper Umpqua Valley Syrah, this particular bottle is maturing into something that feels very much like an aged Côte Rôtie with earthy soulfulness shining through in cascading waves of plum and blackberry, sooty earth, grilled meat, dried violets, and pink peppercorn. It’s much more nimble on the palate than the nose suggests, like any […]

Domaine Trouvère Bricolage Rouge 2012

Trouvere Bricolage Rouge 2012

Oxblood red, the 2012 Domaine Trouvère Bricolage Rouge offers up an expressive, slightly rustic nose of leather, freshly turned tilth, dried mint, dark chocolate shavings, and a touch of balsam wood. Seven years on, the tannins are fully integrated—fine and sueded, they house dark fruit tones of plum and roasted black cherries—their pitch and amplitude […]

Grizzly Peak Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

Grizzly Peak Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

Beautifully developed and opaque as a starless night, the 2013 Grizzly Peak Syrah offers up cascading layers of blackberries, marionberries, and dusty plums that rest beneath lighter notes of violets, preserved meat, and freshly turned tilth. In the mouth, it’s round and fleshy, with velvety tannins lending structure to a baritone and black-fruited core, leaving […]

Troon Vineyard Roussanne 2017

Troon Vineyard Roussanne 2017

A tousled mix of beach sand, potting soil, pear, preserved lemon, smoky nut oil, and mango skin. In the mouth the 2017 Troon Beach Applegate Valley Roussanne offers a pure and unique textural landscape that carries with it a savory undertow—smokiness reemerges along with vivid grapefruit pith, sea salt, gunflint, and a gamey component that […]

Troon Vineyard M*T Reserve 2014

Troon Vineyard M*T Reserve 2014

Blueberries, blackberries and fragrant grape pie swirl beneath stratified layers of cigar box, warm spice, and dutch cocoa powder. In the mouth, a trail of sueded tannins plunges headlong into a deliciously concentrated core of dark fruit. It’s pure drinking pleasure at this stage in its development. 14.4% ABV | Sample Troon Vineyard 93 Points

Aberrant Cellars Sidecar Off the Wagon Claret 2016

Aberrant Cellars Sidecar Off the Wagon Claret 2016

A whorl of dark, concentrated aromas of cassis, blackberry, plums, dark chocolate, sandalwood and cedar, Sidecar’s Off the Wagon Claret is plush and deeply layered. A new label for Aberrant Cellars, the winery calls its Sidecar Wine Trials line an “exploratory search engine into the diverse varietal wonders outside Pinot Noir.” The 2016 Off the […]

Troon Vineyard Estate Tannat 2013

Troon Vineyard Estate Tannat 2013

At this stage in its development, it’s quite brawny, and by that, I’m referring to the sheer depth and concentration on the nose which is shows more earth than fruit—a stratified mix of freshly turned tilth, wet terra cotta, forest floor, and black truffle over an underlayment of plums. In the mouth, smoked meat and […]

Troon Kubli Bench Blanc 2017

Troon Kubli Bench Blanc 2017

At Kubli Bench, rows of biodynamically-grown Marsanne and Viognier are planted next to each other and are co-fermented. It’s quite floral at the first whiff—white flowers and stargazer lily are met by nut skin, pear, heirloom yellow apple, and a smoky undertow. Texturally, one feels that there is some skin contact, but it’s quite nuanced, […]

Troon Applegate Valley Zinfandel 2017

Troon Applegate Valley Zinfandel 2017

Translucent garnet in the glass, the 2017 Troon Applegate Valley Zinfandel is a blend of 97% Zinfandel and 3% Petit Syrah. Made from biodynamically farmed estate-grown grapes, it’s a lighter, more delicate expression of the variety—with lively notes of black cherry, brambly red berries, brown spice, and warm wicker—in the mouth it’s round, with silky, […]

Troon Cuvée Côt Applegate Valley Malbec 2016

Troon Cuvée Côt Applegate Valley Malbec 2016

Troon’s 2016 Applegate Valley Cuvée Côt Malbec is awash in mulberries and plums along with hay, sweet tobacco and a slightly ferrous, animal energy. On the palate, it’s bright, fresh, and wonderfully complex green-tea soaked tannins offset by an energetic vein of acidity rippling through the core. The finish flirts with salinity, green peppercorn, and […]

CHRISTINE HAVENS
McMinnville, OR

christine@christine-havens.com