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Rdv Vineyards Rendezvous 2011

Rdv Vineyards Rendezvous 2011

My first Virginia wine, this particular bottle was a gift from a dear friend. First impression—it’s developed nicely, with brooding black cherries and plums lending weight to lighter aromas of cedar, earth, spice and pink peppercorn. The 2011 Rendezvous is a polished blend of 69% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Franc, and 8% Petit Verdot and certainly, it […]

King Estate NxNW (North by Northwest) Walla Walla Valley Syrah 2013

King Estate NxNW (North by Northwest) Walla Walla Valley Syrah 2013

From King Estate’s North by Northwest project in Walla Walla is this 2013 Syrah. Ripe and heavy with black cherries, plums, cedar and incense. Juicy black fruit leads the charge on the palate, cradled in moderate toast and lovely earthy-leathery undertones. There’s a nice streak of acidity to add lift to a wine that has […]

Seed Malbec 2015

Seed Malbec 2015

Beautifully delineated, the 2015 Seed Malbec is a small lot single-vineyard wine that is aged for 16 months in new French oak and, I’m happy to report, has a long life ahead of it. At this stage in its development, the nose is quite primary and is heavily laden in fresh blackberries, plums, and macerated […]

Comm. G.B. Burlotto Verduno Pelaverga 2014

Comm. G.B. Burlotto Verduno Pelaverga 2014

Pelaverga is a rare, indigenous variety, found in the village of Verduno in Italy’s Piedmont. As it opens, a sort of mounting energy in the glass, a melange of white pepper and flowers along with brambly fruit, but in this case it’s the spice and floral character that dominates. The nose is, however, far different […]

Leah Jørgensen Cellars Cabernet Franc 2015

Leah Jørgensen Cellars Cabernet Franc 2015

Quite possibly the best example of Oregon Cabernet Franc I’ve ever tasted. Ruby robed with violet reflexes, Leah Jørgensen’s Cabernet Franc captivates the senses with aromas of mulberries, marionberries, incense, and anise. In the mouth it’s velvety and supple with cashmere-like tannins lending support to a red-fruited core. White pepper and hibiscus tea at the […]

Coyote Canyon Vineyard H/H Estates Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Big John 2010

Coyote Canyon Vineyard H/H Estates Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Big John 2010

Coyote Canyon’s H/H Estate ‘Big John Cab’ Reserve 2010 is garnet-hued at this stage in its life, sporting notes of black cherry, crème de cassis, subtle spice, and dried mint. Satiny smooth on entry with polished tannins and moderate concentration. Black and red fruit nestled at the center, along with a touch of vanilla. Drink […]

Château Saint-Cyrgues Costières-De-Nîmes 2015

Château Saint-Cyrgues Costières-De-Nîmes 2015

Nice value to be had in this bottle, the 2015 Château Saint-Cyrgues Costières-De-Nîmes offers up a bouquet of violets, perhaps even a hint of dried rose petal. Following this perfumed floral bloom are plums, bramble berries, soil and dried moss, lilting clove and allspice notes. This is a lighter red, with a palate is soft […]

Château de Roquefort Côtes de Provence Grêle 2012

Château de Roquefort Côtes de Provence Grêle 2012

Château de Roquefort Côtes de Provence Grêle” width=”200″ height=”200″ /></a>A Provençal red, the 2012 Château de Roquefort Gréle No. 2 reveals black olive tapenade, Garrigue, black licorice, fresh potting soil. smoky black tea and pen ink as it slowly unspools. Round in the mouth and expressive, though not as full bodied or as intense as […]

Q&A Label Series One No 12 Of 12 Red NV

Q&A Label Series One No 12 Of 12 Red

Ron Rubin Winery’s Q&A Label Series One No 12 Of 12 is bright ruby in the glass with violet reflexes, and offers primary fruit on the nose. Mostly raspberry, red cherry, anise, and vanilla with touch of spice. It’s a medium-bodied [undisclosed] blend, with soft, ripe tannins—toast, if any, is scarcely discernible as texture. Moderate […]

Louis M. Martini Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

Louis M. Martini Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

The profile of the 2012 Louis M. Martini Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is consistent with the profile of the 2013 I reviewed last spring—how did I manage to get the vintages out of order? No matter, these are wines with great aging potential, they can be squirreled away for a decade or more. Black currants, […]

CHRISTINE HAVENS
McMinnville, OR

christine@christine-havens.com