2017 Château de Ségriès Tavel, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-

So glad to be able to review this as a bottle last week was not that good.  This one was much better and more what should be expected.  Bad bottles do happen.  Deep salmon pink in color, but not as deep as the prior bottle (heat damage?).  The nose has cherries and light rhubarb.  On the palate, this is clean, dry and no bitterness.  Persistent cherries on the palate.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  Worked well with food.  Nice bottle.  In retrospect, that first bottle was probably damaged in shipping at some point.  

2017 Château de Ségriès Tavel, France, Rhone, Wine review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
83
Grade: 
B-

Not sure this was a proper bottle but no obvious faults.  This wine is usually solid year in and out, but hopefully, there will be a chance to revisit.  Deep salmon pink in color.  The nose is like a watermelon liqueur.  The alcohol is really out of proportion.  On the palate, this is tart and bitter and the alcohol continues to stand out.  There is some watermelon and cherry fruit.  Not sure what is going on here.  

2015 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese, Germany, Mosel - Wine Review

Score: 
98
Grade: 
A+

Wow.  For some reason, the JJ Prum 2015 wines have not shut down.  This one is amazing.  It will get better as well and probably has 50 years of great drinking ahead.  One of the truly great wines out there and when one factors in price, there are not many better values.  This was from a 375ml bottle.  Light golden in color.  The nose is clean with minerals, wet rocks and slight peach and grapefruit.  On the palate, this is sweet, not cloying.  Great acidity.  More about minerals but some stone fruit.  Deep and contemplating.  Long finish.  Spectacular.  

All Rosés Lead to Southern France

It’s hot. The Fourth of July witnessed blistering temperatures around California, and this time the Bay Area was no exception. In my last column , I bemoaned the cool temperatures that typically beset the San Francisco metropolitan area in June and July and used the unseasonable chill as an excuse to explore one of the heavier wine regions of France, the syrah-saturated Northern Rhône. But our recent string of 75-plus-and-sunny days shows my pessimism to be ill-advised.