Alamos Selección Malbec 2016
Always an excellent value, the 2016 Alamos Selección Malbec is consistent with previous vintages, with a nose generously imbued with plums, black cherries, bittersweet chocolate, earth, and lilting violets. It’s medium-bodied, with fine, slightly green tannins and taught acidity—a pleasant herbaceous note emerges at the finish—cedar, bay leaf, green peppercorn, and sagebrush. 13.5% ABV | […]
Château Poitevin Médoc 2015
From Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot vines planted near the Gironde estuary, seated in purely alluvial soils—Girondine gravel and clay subsoil—the 2015 Château Poitevin drinks better on the second day, and offers up a puissant bouquet of black currant, Damson plum, earth, aged saddle leather, dark chocolate syrup, and sweet tobacco. Aged 14 months […]
Côté Mas Rouge Intense 2016
An excellent choice for the value minded, the 2016 Côté Mas Rouge Intense is a classic Languedoc-Roussillon blend of 45% Grenache, 25% Carignan, 15% and Cinsault with a splash of Merlot and Syrah. Welcoming aromas of macerated strawberries, cherries, a little funk—forest floor, decomposing leaves, mushrooms, vanilla, and anise grace the nose. In the mouth, […]
Prophecy Wines California Pinot Noir 2016
Aside from beautiful packaging, Prophecy features varieties from regions across the globe. I’ve much preferred their whites over the reds, especially their Italian Pinot Grigio. That said, the 2016 Prophecy California Pinot Noir is loaded with dusty cherries, plums, macerated strawberries, and vanilla. It’s plush in the mouth, and soft, as one might expect—it’s meant […]
Paul Mas Château Paul Mas Coteaux du Languedoc Clos des Mures 2016
From old vines grown in clay and limestone soils the 2016 Paul Mac Clos de Mûres is a substantive blend of 83% Syrah, 12% Grenache, and 5% Mourvedre. The rim is vibrant blue-violet, with fresh, penetrating aromas of boysenberry, wild blueberry, and plum followed by a top note of cocoa powder and black licorice. Chalky […]
Jezreel Valley Winery Rosé 2017
Translucent crimson in the glass, the 2017Jezreel Rosé is a Kosher wine and an unusual blend of 45% Carignan, 40% Syrah and 15% Sauvignon Blanc from Israel’s Sharon plain, where vines benefit from the moderating effect of the Mediterranean Sea. Vibrant red cherries, raspberry, grilled watermelon, and dried thyme tumble from the glass. A firm […]
Côte Mas Blanc Méditerranée 2016
The 2016 Côte Mas Blanc Méditerranée is an inviting blend of 35% Grenache Blanc, 25% Vermentino, 25% Chardonnay, and 15% Sauvignon Blanc It’s a pretty blend with vivacious aromas of Asian pear, star fruit, lemon drop, lemongrass, and spring flowers. Round on the palate, with a core of juicy yellow fruit nicely offset by bright […]
Boutinot Les Six Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne 2014
The Cairanne AOC is the Southern Rhône’s newest Cru, and the 2014 Les Six a blend of 50% Grenache, 10% Mouvèdre, 10% Syrah, 10% Carignan,10% Counoise, 10% Cinsault grown in the AOC’s classic hillside terroir of chalk and red clay. It’s a softly textured wine, on the nose and palate, with blackberries, plums, and brambly […]
Champ Divin Chardonnay Côtes du Jura 2013
Wild-yeast fermented and made from biodynamically grown fruit, the 2013 Champ Divin Chardonnay runs a pleasant gambit through aromas of Asian pear, yellow peach, banana cream pie, dried mint, and orange blossom. Slight oxidation on the palate, it’s medium-bodied but lithe at the same time with surging acidity that leads into an expressive, mineral-driven finish. […]
Jean-Luc Colombo Côtes du Rhône Les Abeilles de Colombo Rouge 2016
A juicy blend of 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah, and 10% Mouvèdre, Jean-Luc Colombo’s 2016 Rouge “Les Abeilles” is laden in red fruit—a bushel basket of black cherries, macerated strawberries, and rhubarb are followed by lighter notes of underbrush, vanilla, dusty earth, and anise. On the palate, nimble acidity lends brightness and freshness to this softly […]