Thierry Germain Domaine des Roches Neuves Clos De l’Echelier Saumur Blanc 2014
Sourced from a small horse-plowed, biodynamically farmed two-hectare site, Clos de L’Echelier is blended from just two oval casks. The vines are seated in Turonian limestone, which gives Saumur Chenin’s their characteristic minerality, which this bottle certainly has, though less pronounced than some I’ve tasted. The nose is endowed with expressive aromas of ripe pear, […]
Quinta de Covela Reserva Branco 2013
Kissed with honeysuckle and orange blossom, Quinta de Covela’s 2013 Reserva Branco is an elegant cuvée of Avesso, Arinto, Chardonnay, and Viognier. Fermented at low temperatures in French and Austrian oak barrels for 14 months, this wine receives lees contact and it’s nicely integrated, lending body, soft texture and balance. Mineral and saline notes gracefully […]
Denis Dubourdieu Clos Floridène Graves Blanc 2010
Pronounced aromas of bruised pear skin, smoke, crushed walnuts and musk melon. Silky and full on entry with moderate, well-integrated oak that gives way to a surprisingly racy, mineral finish. It’s brighter than the nose belies, and nicely balanced. Fleshier notes subside to limestone and gravel intertwining lemon pith, the finish is actually quite mouthwatering. […]
Pike Road Willamette Valley Pinot Gris 2015
Glinting straw yellow and laden with aromatics of d’Anjou pear, lemon curd, petrichlor, lily of the valley, and a lilting top note of cinnamon stick. The 2015 Pike Road Pinot Gris is winsome and engaging with a light crisp palate that offers almost as much complexity as the nose. Honeydew melon emerge on the back […]
Knudsen Vineyards Dundee Hills Chardonnay 2014
From the Knudsen family estate vineyard, established in 1971, is this elegant 2014 Dundee Hills Chardonnay. What makes this bottling special is that the Knudsen’s have long been growers for Argyle. The 2014 vintage is the first wine they’ve vinified under their own label in over 25 years and it’s a stunning effort. A testament […]
Big Table Farm Willamette Valley Chardonnay 2014
Big Table Farm has been on my list of Willamette Valley wines to try for some time now, and I’m pleased to report that the 2014 Chardonnay didn’t disappoint in the least. Wild yeast fermented and aged in concrete, it’s exceptionally well balanced, endowed with an incredible range of aromas—lemon tart, buttered croissant, cardamom and […]
Evening Land Summum Seven Springs Vineyard Chardonnay 2007
Lovely florality, spice and faint herbal notes blithely dance around richer tones of white peach and dried apricot. Evening Land’s elegant 2007 Summum Seven Springs Chardonnay is lightly framed in faint oak with satiny, creamy layers at the core. Everything about this wine is fined-boned, with twinkling inner luminescence and stunning grace. The finish is […]
Galil Mountain Winery Yiron Upper Galilee Viognier 2014
A lighter, leaner style of Viognier than I might have expected from Galil Mountain Winery. Truth, be told, this is my first Israeli Viognier, so I had no idea what to expect. Exceedingly pretty aromatics of pear skin, toasted almond, and a top note akin to my mother’s favorite perfume, something like honeysuckle. On the […]
Forge Cellars Les Alliés Finger Lakes Riesling 2014
Another taught and racy Riesling from Forge Cellars. This time, the grapes are sourced from Les Alliés vineyard, which lies on the east side of Lake Seneca. The vines are planted in shale and gravelly loam, as such, the profile is lean and citrusy, with hints of lemon zest and pear, layered under wet shell […]
Drouhin Roserock Chardonnay Eola-Amity Hills 2014
Roserock should be an exciting wine for Domaine Drouhin fans. 2014 is the inaugural release of this single-vineyard beauty, aptly named after Roserock Vineyard, a cooler site in the Eola-Amity Hills that was established beginning in 2004. Just like the wines released under the Drouhin label, Roserock possesses a sort of timeless elegance. Silky yet […]