Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc 2018
Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc 2018 — April 27, 2019 Lime zest, white grapefruit, passionfruit, d’Anjou pear, and boxwood waft from the glass. Taught acidity on the palate gives this medium to full-bodied Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc a mouthwatering sensory arc, that finishes with a lively burst of crushed herbs and grapefruit pith. An excellent value. 13.0% ABV […]
Burrowing Owl Chardonnay 2013
There are elements in Burrowing Owl’s 2013 Chardonnay suggestive of a wine from a warmer climate, the defining edge of it—a length of acidity that makes its presence known from start to finish, is the one element that queues this taster to Canada’s more northerly latitudes of the Okanagan Valley. There is a sense of […]
Clos des Lunes Lune Blanche 2014
Clos des Lunes, as the name implies, is limpid, yellow moonlight buckled in and braced by moderate oak. Bosc pear, baked apple, fading prairie flowers, and lemon curd permeate the nose. In the mouth, texturally, there is a suggestion of skin contact in addition to light toast—vibrant acidity gives it lift, freshness and a touch […]
Knudsen Vineyards Dundee Hills Chardonnay 2016
Textbook Willamette Valley Chardonny from the Dundee Hills AVA—I have toured the vineyard more than once, a parcel planted in 1995, with French Dijon clones—the vines sit in brick-hued volcanic soils at elevations between ranging from 710-650 feet. Purity reigns here—a kaleidoscope of crisp Opal apples, pears and lemon curd sink beneath a dusting of […]
Bergström Old Stones Chardonnay 2015
A bit of a powerhouse, really. Bergström’s 2015 Old Stones Chardonnay opens with aromas of Bosc pear and baked apple rendered more complex by swirling aromas of smoke, iodine, and flinty overtones that are more akin to the profiles I find in some white Burgundy. In the mouth, there’s not much fat, lemon curd adds […]
Bergström Sigrid Chardonnay 2015
Finely tuned and elegant, somehow it reminds me of a 1937 Talbot-Lago — Bergström’s 2015 Sigrid Chardonnay displays beautiful, sweeping lines. Lemon curd, and orchard fruit usher in a treasure trove of secondary aromas: buttered toast, spearmint, orange blossom, and flint. On the palate, orchard and stone fruit laced in lemon pith and stony minerality […]
Eifel Pfeiffer Heinz Eifel Kabinett Riesling 2015
Billowy, rapturious aromas of white flowers, pine, high-altitude breezes, line-dried linen and white peach waft from the glass. But for me, that wasn’t the most compelling aspect of the Eifel Pfeiffer Heinz Eifel Kabinett Riesling, no—it’s definitely the acidity. A nervy electric cord of pure lemon pith that cuts through this Mosel Riesling like sewing […]
Eifel Pfeiffer Heinz Eifel Riesling Spätlese 2015
A terrific value Spätlese from Heinz Eifel, made from late-harvest grapes grown along the steep, slatey banks of the Mosel. Luscious aromas of yellow peach, Bosc pear, lemon drop, Snapple, and an ethereal kerosene top note. It’s fairly gentle on the palate, and round, with a citrusy burst of acidity that gives as much balance […]
Erste+Neue Pinot Grigio 2016
The color of sun bleached straw, Erste+Neue’s 2016 Pinot Grigio offers up notes of Bosc pear, yellow apple, prairie flowers, and line-dried linen. Aging on fine lees has graced it with plenty of textural appeal, and there is a faint and lovely background note of freshly milled buckwheat that joins in the delicate interplay between […]
Erste+Neue Sauvignon 2016
Classic Sauvignon Blanc aromas of boxwood, lime zest, and piney alpine forest in summer. There’s no excess weight on the palate—it’s vibrant and crisp, offering a sophisticated daub of quarry dust on the finish. 13.5% ABV | Sample Erste+Neue 89 Points