This wine has always been one of the outstanding performers in the Cuvaison portfolio and year after year is a wine that never ceases to impress. It is also one of those Chardonnays that makes you rethink Chardonnay because it is so beautifully balanced, so definitely handled, that it surpasses what most of us know about Chardonnay. Yes you’ll find light lemon-lime, green apple, kiwi, guava notes, but also viscosity and minerality. It also possesses a slight resin and stone fruit quality and maturity of fruit. That these vines are just 20 years old suggests there are great vintages ahead.

The is a beautiful dessert wine from Austria.  Beerenauslese literally means berry selected which means the grapes are harvested individually and not in bunches to ensure ripeness.  Golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has honey, apricot and a slight balsa wood note.  Viscous.  Sweet, not cloying.  Enough acidity to cut through.  The palate also features the apricots and honey.  Long finish.  This is delicious and probably serves to be consumed on its own.  Drink over the next twenty years.  10.5% abv.

Auslese is a German word meaning Selected Harvest.  The grapes are late harvest grapes with high levels of sugar.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has a bit of diesel along with peach and slight apples.  Light acidity but the wine is not cloying.  On the palate, notes of white raisins, honey and peach with some minerality.  Slightly sweet. Slight tropical fruits on the finish.  This is delicious.  It is great on its own and would work well with a not too sweet piece of (Austrian) pastry or cookie.  Drink over the next ten to twelve years.  

This is a Late Release of this wine.  Green/gold in color.  The nose seems to have good minerality but also some botrytis on it.  Medium bodied.  Moderate acidity.  On the palate, there seems to be just a bit of residual sugar along with a nice citrus streak.  A different sort of wine from this area.  Long finish.  This is enjoyable and would make a lovely aperitif. Drink over the next five to eight years.  

This was cool to try at the winery.  The bottle had been open, but refrigerated for three days.  Still a vibrant green/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has diesel as one might expect from a 16 year old Riesling, but also nice minerality and a hint of peach.  Full bodied.  A broad complexity on the palate.  Minerals and slight citrus.  Nice finish.  Although showing some age, for those who appreciate an aged Riesling, this is drinking well.  This would work well with a nice Mulligatawny soup.  

Green/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is deep with lots of minerality.  Some peaches and a slight citrus note.  Medium bodied.  Nice balance.  On the palate, this has a nice tight complexity that will unwind over the years.  Peach with underlying minerality.  Good finish.  One of the most enjoyable wines from a tasting of this producer.  It drinks well now and should improve with some age.  Either way, this will drink well over the next ten to twelve years.  It drinks well on its own and would work well with fried foods.  

Golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has great minerality.  Slight lemons.  Medium bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, the minerality comes thru.  This is dry.  And herbal note, especially on the finish.  Lots of depth.  This is drinking well now and should continue for another ten years.  Nice on its own, this will work well with Thai food.  

In Italy, the history of Carmignano winegrowing dates back to 1716 when Cosimo III de' Medici granted the area special legal protections. In the 1500’s the queen of France sent cuttings of Cabernet Sauvignon from Bordeaux to Carmignano. This wine is made from a blend of 80% Sangiovese and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon from certified organic vineyards, and fifth-generation winemaker Benedetta Contini Bonacossi crafts a wine that offers subdued fruit of stewed prunes, black cherry, boysenberry, and resin. There is solid acidity and tannic structure to make this workable with a variety of foods.

A native grape to the island of Sicily, this Grillo is light and delicate, with notes of butterscotch, honeysuckle, guava, white peach, lemon-lime, and a hint of grapefruit and summer wildflowers. Like all good Italian wines there is a proper acidity to work with food, which is always the goal. This is a soft wine with a smooth viscosity and its success is that it doesn’t steal the show but enables food to complement the wine, a balancing act that makes for a terrific dining experience. ORIGIN: Sicily, Italy. ALCOHOL: 12%

One of the things that distinguishes Oregon Pinot Noir from much of California is there is an earthiness that California does not possess. This 2020 certainly offers bright and expressive Pinot fruit – strawberry, Bing cherry, red raspberry, along with pomegranate and cola notes, but also an earthiness similar to mild mushroom. The acidity is in check, the fruit and oak nicely balanced, and you’re left with a solid wine that reflects its place of origin.