Lake County wines are admittedly a new discovery for me. Thus far, the feeling is that the appellation deserves more attention than it currently sees, at least outside of California. Known for it’s high-elevation mountain vineyards with predominantly volcanic soils, the wines from the AVA are graced with intensity and poise. The 2014 Ellipsis Red Hills Lovett Vineyard Petite Sirah is no exception—a powerhouse wine that conveys both richness and freshness—it’s a fruit-laden core of roasted strawberries, raspberry turnover, and blackberries that is rendered more complex by a resonant undertone of blackstrap molasses that dissolves into damp earth, coffee grounds, and char.
9.2 Points