Alamos Red Blend 2014
The parent company of widely-distributed Alamos is Catena, a winery that is one of the foremost in Mendoza. Alamos is easy and very drinkable considering it’s price point. The 2014 Red Blend has a nose that is bursting with dark Hudson cherries, juicy plums and a playful whiff of wild underbrush. The attack is equally […]
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 […]
Cornerstone Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Michael’s Cuvée 2012
Black currant, smoky blueberries, cassis, and mint. Cornerstone Cellars 2012 Michael’s Cuvée doesn’t disappoint. It’s opulent, with palate-drenching blackberries and blueberries, lovely purity of fruit with seductively sueded tannins. A blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Merlot, this cuvée was assembled from the historic Oakville Station Vineyard (read that as To Kalon) 57%, 28% […]
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 […]
Domaine de Marcoux Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2011
The profile of the 2011 Marcoux Châteauneuf-du-Pape screams Grenache, and so it was gratifying to read that the blend is indeed 80% Grenache, 10% Mourvedre, 7% Syrah and 3% Cincault, and the vines are old, averaging 50 years or more. The result is a wine with pronounced red fruit aromas, macerated strawberries and black cherries […]
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 […]
Brooks Rastaban Pinot Noir 2003
Generously shared by Janie Brooks during this week’s SOMM reunion, the 2003 Rastabon was her brother, Jimi’s first and last vintage produced under the Rastaban label. A significant wine to share, because Jimi passed away in 2004, and Janie stepped in to keep Brooks winery and Jimi’s vision going (if you’re not familiar with the […]
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 […]
Louis M. Martini Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
Classic Louis Martini, the 2013 Alexander Valley Cabernet is rife with steeped blackberries, plums, and black fruit in general. I’ve lingered over this glass trying to tease out which ones. A top note of cedar and dried thyme re-emerges on the back palate along with firm tannins and medium + acidity. As with all Louis […]
Château de Camensac Haut-Médoc Grand Cru Classé 2011
The acidity in this wine is searing, a pity given that Carmensac is a Grand Cru Classé. I can only guess that it’s one of the 2011 vintage that didn’t fare well. Aromas of blackberries, black currants and black cherries are bolstered by vanilla and cedar. It’s quite thin and tight on the palate, lacking […]