2018 Saxum White James Berry Vineyard, USA, California, Paso Robles, Willow Creek, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
98
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$171.00USD

This is a blend of 66% Grenache Blanc, 28% Roussanne, and 6% Chenin Blanc.  Medium golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is great.  explosive.  Apricot jam, slight gun powder, lemon, orange peel and almonds.  Full bodied.  Just enough acidity to be lively.  On the palate, this is delicious.  A big wine but enough going on that it is vibrant and not stodgy.  Flavors of lemon, slight orange and slighter apricots with underlying minerality.  Long finish.  Delicious.  Still young but open and drinking great.  Drink over the next seven to ten years.  Lovely on its own, this will work well

2019 Saxum White James Berry Vineyard, USA, California, Paso Robles, Willow Creek, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
97
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$160.00USD

This is a blend of 46% Grenache Blanc, 31% Roussanne, and 23% Chenin Blanc from the great James Berry vineyard in Paso Robles.  What a delicious wine!  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is great with honey, orange peel, minerals, quince and slight wild thyme note.  Full bodied.  Slightly oily texture.  On the palate, this is nuanced and complex.  Great balance.  Orange citrus, quince with slight honey and lots of minerality.  Long finish.  This is still young but could probably go another ten years and gain in complexity what it loses in vibrancy.  Still, if you just have o

2018 M. Chapoutier Côtes du Roussillon Les Vignes de Bila-Haut Blanc, France, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+
Current Price: 
$13.00USD

This white is a blend of Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Macabeu, Vermentino and Marsanne. Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with floral notes in addition to limes, and quince.  Viscous texture.  On the palate, green apples and some citrus.  Nice finish.  Overall, an easy drinking wine that provides nice value.  

2018 Saxum White James Berry Vineyard, USA, California, Paso Robles, Willow Creek, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
97
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$150.00USD

This is a white blend made from 66% Grenache Blanc, 28% Roussanne, and 6% Chenin Blanc.  Pop and pour, this needed a good hour or more to really open up.  Pale golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has a cream soda note.  With air, it shows wax and lemons.  With even more air, some tropical fruits come out (pineapple and guava?).  Full bodied.  Good acidity.  Light tannins.  On the palate, the experience is similar to the nose; cream soda to waxy lemons to tropical fruits.  A creamy texture.  Some warmth on the finish but this also goes away with air.  This is obviously young and sho

2019 Clos du Mont-Olivet Côtes du Rhône Blanc, France, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$20.00USD

What an excellent value in white wine.  For $20, this was better than many white Chateauneuf's.  It is a blend of 90% Grenache Blanc and 10% Ugni Blanc.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has minerals, wax, toast and spice.  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate, almonds, lemons, and wax notes with good acidity.  A bit of a bitter almond note on the finish.  The drinks well on its own and would work well with  food.  Fried chicken would be a good match.  Drink over the next few years.  

2019 Halcon Vineyards Prado Halcon Vineyard, USA, California, Mendocino, Yorkville Highlands, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-

This is a happy accident.  This white Rhone Blend (65% Roussanne 35% Marsanne) and was bottled and it turned out to have a bit of trapped CO2 giving it a light fizz (frizzante).  The winery enjoyed it and it sold out quickly.  Light golden in color.  The nose has some minerality and pears.  Clean.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, there is indeed a bit of a fizz.  The wine is refreshing and goes down easily.  Some pears and plenty of minerals.  Shorter finish.  It drinks well on its own and will work with lighter foods.  Drink over the next five to seven years.  

2019 Tablas Creek Grenache Blanc, USA, California, Paso Robles, Adelaida, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-

Golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has apples, golden raisins, and slight lemon notes.  On the palate, this has a slightly viscous texture.  Apples and pears with a nice streak of acidity.  Moderate finish.  This drinks smoothly right now on its own.  It will work well with lighter foods.  Drink over the next few years. 

2017 Tablas Creek Esprit Blanc de Tablas, USA, California, Paso Robles, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$40.00USD

This is a blend of Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Picpoul Blanc, Picardan, and Clairette Blanche.  From a 375ml size bottle which is a great format for early drinking or when one wants just another glass or two.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with pears, spice, slight wax, and slight honey.  On the palate, this is full bodied.  The pears come thru along with the baking spices.  Good balance.  Light tannins.  Long finish.  White Rhone varietals can be tricky to age, but this seems like it should be good for five to seven and probably more.  It will work well with sea

2014 Epoch Estate Wines Possibility Paderewski Vineyard, USA, California, Paso Robles, Willow Creek, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2014
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-

I had never heard of this wine before although I enjoy the winery very much.  It is a blend of 79% Syrah, 21% Grenache Blanc from the Paderweski Vineyard.  It is 17% ABV but not fortified.  Bottled only in 375ml bottles.  Purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, black cherries, chocolate and crème brûlée.  On the palate, this is sweet and does border on cloying.  The right food brings it back under control - something chocolaty but not too sweet.  The black raspberries and dark chocolate notes carry thru.  Not a lot of acidity.  A little goes a long way.  I suspect this lasts a lon

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