Recent articles

2016 Castelfeder Pinot Grigio Pertico, Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+

Green/gold in color (not the typical copper notes).  The nose is nice with minerals and limes.  Slightly oily texture.  This is all about minerals on the palate.  Slightly sour lime note.  There is a bit of warmth but only 12.5% Alc.  Very food friendly with all but the heartiest of foods.  At $10, this is a great value.  Drink now.  

2011 Corison Cabernet Franc Helios, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2011
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-

This is another label from Cathy Corison who is known for making old school Napa Cabs and other wines.  Despite the coolness of the vintage, this wine manages to not show under ripe qualities and yet be consistent with the Corison style.  Ruby/purple in color.  The nose has black cherries, cherries, cigar tobacco and slight dustiness.  On the palate, this has a nice complexity.  Drinks a bit older than it is but that is more profile than age.  Dust, tobacco, dried and fresh cherries.  Good balance.  Food friendly.  Nice finish.  $53.  This is a nice change of pace for Napa and easily has an

1976 Zind-Humbrecht Eau de Vie Marc de Gewurztraminer, France, Alsace

Vintage: 
1976
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A

This is an Eau-de-Vie ariginally made by Leonard Humbrecht back in 1976.  It was bottled in 2017 by his son Olivier and purchased at the winery a few weeks later.  This bottle had been opened last winter and about halfway consumed.  It seemed a perfect drink to finish off an Alsatian Gewurztraminer tasting.  Deep red-orange in color.  The nose has a lot of alcohol.  There is also some peach schnapps and lychees and a dried tea note.  On the palate, this is warm.  63.1% Alcohol will do that.  After the first sip it was welcoming though.  It has a nice depth and complexity to it.  Certainly,

2015 Domaine Weinbach Gewurztraminer Furstentum, France, Alsace, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A

This wine is quite sweet.  How good the wine is depends on if you are ready for it and if you like sweet wines.  Light silvery gold in color.  There are a slight amount of bubbles in the glass on opening but they are resolved quickly.  Great nose of Lychees with minerals and apricots.  Full bodied.  Oily texture.  This is quite deep and tightly layered.  It unwinds in the glass in layers of apricots, minerals and sweet syrup.  This would be quite at home with an array of blue cheeses for dessert.  There is enough acidity to carry it thru some spicy food as well.  Its best days are in front

2015 Trimbach Gewurztraminer, France, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+

Honestly, this was a puzzler.  It was good, but Trimbach is known for dry wines.  This was not.  Slight to medium sweetness (say 3% to 5% RS?).  Of course, not that there is anything wrong with that, but was this a representative bottle?  Light golden in color.  The nose is fruity with slight lychee and apricots.  Slight simple syrup.  On the palate, this has a note of hay along with peaches.  Slightly sweet.  Nice finish.  This is food friendly.  Drink over the next five to ten years.  

2014 Trimbach Gewurztraminer, France, Alsace, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2014
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-

Always a top notch value and wine.  Trimbach is known for their dry style.  Light gold in color.  The nose has lychees and slight apricots.  It has a perception that the wine will be sweet.  On the palate, however, this is dry.  Minerals and a slightly sour tangerine note which is quite enjoyable.  It has a nice depth and complexity.  Good finish.  Quite food friendly with a wide variety of foods.  $30 in Ohio but only between $15 or $25 in the free wine world.  Drinking great right now, it should last for five years easily and probably more.  

2012 Domaine Bechtold Gewurztraminer Engelberg, France, Alsace, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2012
Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+

Light silvery gold in color.  There are a small amount of bubbles in the glass but they blew off quickly.  The nose is nice with lychees and minerals.  The palate is slightly sweet with a candied quality to it.  Like a hard candy with a sort of tropical fruit/citrus flavor.  It also has an interesting wheat note (think wheat beer).  Overall, drinking well but starting to show its age.  It depends on how you like these wines.  $34

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