Havens Logo 23 White Small

Mionetto Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Extra Dry NV

Mionetto Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Extra Dry NV

A more serious offering form Mionetto, the Prosecco DOC Extra Dry is convivial and ebullient with classic aromas of baked apple and poached pear that sink into more complex tones of honeycomb, orange zest, and autolytic notes. In the mouth, lively acidity and a brisk torrent of bubbles add lift to orchard fruit and lengthy, […]

La Marca Luminore Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore NV

La Marca Luminore Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore NV

Sun-dappled and clinquant as its name suggests, a fine net of bubbles wells up from the core of La Marca’s aptly named Luminore Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore. Delicate aromas of d’Anjou pear, white peach, granulated honey, parchment, and linden blossom wink in and out of focus. Crisp and vibrant on the palate, it lacks the […]

Mionetto Il Prosecco N.V.

Mionetto Il Prosecco N.V.

The color of sun-bleached straw, Mointetto’s charming non-vintage Il Prosecco is delicately embroidered with notes of granulated honey, dewy orchard pear, spring flowers, and chamomile. Expect a soft, unobtrusive mousse held aloft by a bright acid vein that courses through this crisp and inexpensive Italian bubbly. 6% g/l RS, 11.0% ABV | Sample Mionetto 88 […]

Cantine Umberto Bortolotti Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Brut NV

Umberto Bortolotti Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Brut

Umberto Bortolotti’s exquisite line of Proseccos, their non-vintage Valdobbiadene Brut is the sweetest of the line, all have feature attractive creaminess at the core and a mousse that is notably finer than most Proseccos I’ve tasted. It opens with a garland of white flowers, acacia honey and honeydew melon. Here, the creaminess is upfront, gradually […]

Cantine Umberto Bortolotti Rive Di S. Stefano Montagnole Valdobbiadene 2016

Rive Di S. Stefano Montagnole

Umberto Bortolotti’s stylish 2016 Rive Di S. Stefano Montagnole Valdobbiadene qualifies as one of the best Proseccos I’ve had in recent memory. Aromas of fresh Williams pear, green apple, and white grapefruit pith are held aloft by ultra-fine, diaphanous bubbles. At 2 g/l residual sugar, it feels perceptibly dry and crisp. Calcium-rich marl limestone soils […]

Cantine Umberto Bortolotti Piai Alto Valdobbiadene Rive Di Rolle 2016

Cantine Umberto Bortolotti Piai Alto Valdobbiadene Rive Di Rolle 2016

From a single 2.65 ha parcel on the steep slopes of the Rive DOCG, the 2016 Umberto Bortolotti Piai Alto Valdobbiadene Rive Di Rolle is awash with delicate, tender aromas of acacia flowers, acacia honey, that swirl ’round white peach and Asian pear. It’s round and creamy upfront, with a delicate honeyed character that can […]

Allegrini Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2012

Allegrini Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2012

Hauled out of the cellar in anticipation of another waterlogged week in Portland, I’ve contented myself with Allegrini’s classically styled Amarone della Valpolicella. The 2012 vintage, like the 2010 I sampled two years ago, is of similar richness and texture. Plums, aged leather, figs, and tar are denser notes that form the base and backbone […]

Allegrini Palazzo della Torre Veronese IGT 2013

Allegrini Palazzo della Torre Veronese IGT 2013

A perennial favorite, the 2013 Allegrini Palazzo della Torre is nicely concentrated and magenta-hued, due in part to a small fraction of grapes dried ripasso-style blended in post-fermentation—an addition that lends both satiny texture and richness. Layered aromas of plums and cherry skins, leather, earth, tobacco, mint and dark chocolate shavings lead in to a […]

La Marca Prosecco NV

La Marca Prosecco NV

La Marca’s NV Prosecco sports the classic grapey Glera nose. It’s straw-colored and festively effervescent, with yellow apple, and acacia honey notes. On the palate, it’s soft, clean, and inviting—a perfect wine for springtime. Candied lemon peel and orange pastille round out the mid-palate. 1.70 g/100ml RS 11.29% ABV | Sample Cantine La Marca 8.8 […]

Allegrini Palazzo della Torre Veronese IGT 2011

Allegrini Palazzo della Torre Veronese IGT 2011

The 2011 Palazzo della Torre is loaded with roasted figs (is this because I was just roasting figs? Maybe.) and sun baked plums. There is too, a beautiful earthy note, like dust in high summer, that echoes on the palate, lending complexity to high acidity and firm, ripe tannin along with an appealing touch of […]

CHRISTINE HAVENS
McMinnville, OR

christine@christine-havens.com