Pike Road Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2014
One of the better in the under $20 Oregon Pinot category I’ve tasted of late, the 2014 Pike Road is an off shoot winery managed by the Elk Cove team. Replete with twiggy black tea notes, rose petals, cranberry compote, iron ore and dried blood, it’s clean and linear on the palate, more red fruited […]
Herdade do Esporão Douro Assobio Quinta dos Murças 2013
From the Douro, this classic blend of Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca offers up earthy, and slightly rustic with aromas of dusty earth, plums, black cherries, aged leather, and cocoa powder. Grippy tannins are the predominant feature, reigning in black fruit. The finish is long, ushered in by noticeable acidity that takes flight […]
Troon Vineyard Applegate Valley Zinfandel 2014
Ripe blackberries, plums and spice. The palate is somewhat lighter than is typical for say, a California Zinfandel, especially those found in warmer climates. Troon’s 2014 Applegate Valley Zin is full and lush, and laden with black fruit, perhaps what is most remarkable is the finish. An organoleptic explosion of dark chocolate, Herbs de Garrigue […]
Falesco Tellus Merlot 2013
Four stars (or ~8.9) because Falesco’s Tellus Merlot 2013 is a great value, velvety and sumptuous, it retails for less than $15 in the US. From vineyards in Montecchio, in the heart of Umbria, the Merlot sourced for Tellus is grown in clay and calcareous soils. It’s an open-hearted wine, and softly focused with lush […]
Faustino Rioja Reserva V 2006
Faustino’s Rioja Reserva V 2006 imparts little fruit. Expect notes of leather, sun-baked roof tile, grilled meat and tomato paste. Medium-bodied, this old-school Tempranillo offers moderate acidity and low-to-moderate, but fine tannins. The profile of the nose echoes that of the palate, and it paired reasonably well with grilled steak fajitas. 12.5% ABV Bodegas Faustino […]
Kindzmarauli Marani Dry Red Saperavi 2013
A country with an ancient wine growing and winemaking heritage, Georgia is little more than a blip on the radar of the American wine scene. I hope that will change with time, as I have been favorably impressed by the wines I’ve sampled thus far. Credited as the birthplace of viticulture and even vitis vinifera itself, the […]
Bodegas Escorihuela Gascón Malbec Don Miguel Gascón Reserva 2011
Inky-hued and opaque as starless night, the 2011, Gascon Familia Gascón Reserva Malbec emits boysenberries, mulberries and dusty-dry soil on the nose. It’s quite plump in the mouth with full, round, ripe tannins, moderate acidity and singed herbs on the finish. Vinous and intense, it’s a nice example of Argentine malbec with good QPR. 14.8% […]
Les Vignerons d’Estézargues Côtes du Rhône Villages Domaine d’Andézon 2013
Domain d’Andezon Côtes du Rhône is crafted from a blend of 40 year-old Syrah vines and 60 year-old Grenache vines grown in the arid and galet-laden Southern Rhône. Unfiltered, it’s inky and hunkered with slightly rustic notes of black olive tapenade, dried pen ink, and loamy soil overlaid by juicy boysenberries. In the mouth, there […]
Da Vinci Chianti 2014
88 points because Da Vinci’s Chianti falls squarely in the value category. A softly textured blend of 90% Sangiovese grapes and 10% Merlot, the 2014 vintage offers pretty, uncomplicated aromatics of plums, black cherries, and vanilla. Roughly half of the grapes are vinified in new and used American oak, and the tannins along with the […]
Edna Valley Vineyard Pinot Noir 2014
A friendly and approachable Central Valley Pinot Noir, Edna Valley offers a dollop of pleasure for the budget conscious—finding decent Pinot Noir in the under $15.00 price category is a challenge. The 2014 edition emits strawberry and raspberry jam, with a whiff of crunchy, dry fall leaves. It’s fairly simple, but pleasant in the mouth, […]