Alain Jaume & Fils Rasteau Les Valats 2015
Soft, plummy and plush, the 2015 Alain Jaume & Fils Rasteau Les Valats offers ample drinking pleasure. On opening, black cherries, ripe Damson plums, cedar, sweet tobacco and menthol. The palate takes its cues from the nose, with a uniform profile—juicy black fruit cozened in velvety, ripe tannins and tempered acidity. This is a wine […]
Josep Masachs Mas Fi Cava Brut NV
I’ll be featuring affordable bubblies and rosé wines in the runup to Valentines, so stay tuned. The Josep Masachs Mas Fi Brut opens with a vinous nose that is classic Cava: white flowers, lemon drop, pear, and apple. More defining features can be sussed out on entry, with crisp bubbles set against an understated, autolytic […]
Schäfer Dry Rosé 2016
Spring is on the way. Heirloom rose petal pink, Schäfer’s 2016 Dry Rosé opens with vivid aromas of delicately spiced pie cherries, strawberries and apple blossom. Medium-bodied, this fresh organic rosé of Pinot Noir features a lean, tensile acid spine that crescendos with a burst of delicious pit fruit bitterness and oyster shell. 11.6% ABV […]
Bluebird Hill Cellars Trilogy 2016
Densely packed aromas canned pear, honeydew melon, thai coconut custard are the welcome tones that lead into a palate that is surprisingly more taught than the nose belies. Bluebird Hill Cellars’ 2016 Trilogy is an undisclosed blend of three white varieties sourced from the Willamette Valley, displaying predominant orchard fruit flavors embroidered against a backdrop […]
Adega da Cartuxa Évora Colheita Tinto 2013
Ruby hued, the 2013 Cartuxa Évora Colheita Tinto is, at least for this writer, more expressive on the second day, and is deeply perfumed with notes of Japanese plums, blueberries, balsam wood, and exotic spice. Softly textured on the palate with lovely purity of fruit, couched in black tea tannins, this traditional Alentejo blend of […]
Charles Smith Eve Chardonnay 2015
Crafted with native yeast, 20% of which goes through malolactic fermentation, the 2015 Charles Smith Eve Chardonnay is uniform and varietally correct on the nose and palate with attractive aromas of bosc pear, yellow apple, and banana cream pudding. Crisp and bright on the palate, the acidity is slightly softened by six months of aging […]
Talbott Kali Hart Chardonnay 2015
A suffusion of smokey minerals, creme brûlée, toasted coconut flake, mandarin and grilled pineapple. Talbott’s 2015 Kali Hart Chardonnay is made from the winery’s Sleepy Hollow estate vineyard, a hillside parcel that is relatively close to the Pacific Ocean—where cool maritime breezes lend a moderating effect. The effect of this microclimate on the palate is […]
Domaine Amido Lirac 2014
A splendidly perfumed nose that is so classic of Grenache: raspberry pastis, market strawberries, forest floor, black licorice candy, violets, and warm spice. The 2014 Domaine Amido Lirac is fresh and vibrant on the palate, with a sweet-fruited raspberry turnover core supported by ultra-fine tannins. The finish, while not lengthy, offers bay leaf and spice. […]
Charles Smith Kung Fu Girl Riesling 2016
A household staple in the Pacific Northwest, Kung Fu Girl Riesling is crafted from sustainably farmed grapes grown in Washington State’s newest AVA, Ancient Lakes. On opening, vivid aromas of white peach, pear, lemongrass, and lemon drop lead into a wine with peppy acidity that adds lift to a white-fruited core. There’s nice length on […]
Blason-Louis Bandol Rosé 2015 (Flacon)
Blason Louis offers these novel glass flacons for by-the-glass tasting as part of their wine club, though really, polishing off a bottle of rosé has never been a problem in this household. Their 2015 Bandol Rosé is salmon-hued with aromas of iced coffee, fleshy melon, mandarin orange, and pie cherry. It’s surprisingly full-bodied with lots […]