It is nice to drink an inexpensive Madeira.  Iced tea in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with raisins, orange marmalade, molasses, and spice.  Medium bodied.  Slightly sweet.  Viscous.  On the palate, the orange marmalade comes thru along with raisins and nutmeg.  Good acidity.  Some depth.  Nice finish.  A little goes along way.  A few ounces is a nice way to finish a meal or have an evening drink.  An open bottle should easily last a month or more.  Very nice on its own, but this would be nice with a toffee dessert.  

I’ve long reviewed wines based upon a simple principle: Is the wine I’m tasting commensurate with its price? Many expensive wines are not worth the price, and similarly, many inexpensive wines are not worth their price tag. So to find this Merlot, for 11 bucks, well, it’s worth every penny, and more. Line 39 did an exceptional job of making this wine and crafting a solid, dependable and tasty wine. Though not overly complex, it offers what every wine should: definable fruit, integrated oak, good acidity and tannic structure.

From a 375ML.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, sandalwood, and spice.  Medium to full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, nice cassis flavors.  Not too ripe but nothing green.  Depth.  Nice finish.  This is drinking well now and should drink well for another seven to ten years.  It drinks well on its own and would be a nice wine with a burger.  

As prices for white Burgundy in general and Chablis in particular continue to rise, it is nice to find still affordable producers making great wine.  This is one such producer.  the wine is made in a concrete egg and sees no oak.  Light golden in color with some green hues, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with crushed shells, slight chalk/minerality and lemon.  Medium bodied.  Lean and racy texture.  Good acidity.  On the palate, lemons and crushed shells.  Long finish.  This is drinking well now and should continue to drink well for another ten to twelve years.  Nice on its own, this w

This is the basic Pinot Noir from the home winery of winemaker Thomas Rivers-Brown.  An excellent value in Pinot Noir.  Deep garnet in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has cherries and sour cherries with some char and spice.  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate, this is young but delicious.  Some depth.  Lots of cherry and sour cherry notes.  Long finish.  This will improve with a few years in the cellar though it drinks nicely now.  Drink over the next ten years.  Nice on its own, this would work well with Roasted Chicken.  

Not a whole lot more to say about Yquem that hasn't been said, but it is arguably the greatest winery on the planet.  The 2013 is a very good if not top vintage, but still a thrill to drink.  Golden in color, light with just a tinge of orange.  The nose is great with apricots, slight honey and slight tangerines.  Viscous.  Full bodied.  Great balance.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Flavors of apricots and tangerines.  Sweet with enough acidity to not be cloying.  The finish goes on forever.  This is drinking well now and should drink well for another twenty to thirty years.  Great on i

Having run several wine departments, a question I’m always asked is, Is there an inexpensive Pinot Noir that’s any good? Answer: Yes. Pinot is not an easy grape to work with and it becomes more expensive given its inconsistent growing qualities. However Laetitia has a proved  track record with Pinot Noir and has made a solid, comprehensive and affordable Pinot from California’s Central Coast. The 2021 provides notes of strawberry, black cherry, blackberry, red raspberry, along with mild tannins, good acidity and a hint of vanilla spice.

Chalk Hill celebrated 50 years in 2022. One way to celebrate is with this 2020 Chardonnay. Comprised of nine different Chardonnay clones, the result is a creamy, smooth wine with a wonderful viscosity that fills the palate with notes of crème brûlée, honeysuckle, poached pair, red delicious apple, vanilla, light resin, and lime meringue. Though aged in oak for a scant 10 months only 35% of that oak was new, so that you still have a moderate classic oaky butter quality, but not over the top. This is a very enticing Chardonnay. ORIGIN: Russian River Valley. ALCOHOL: 15%

This is my personal favorite of the Zinfandels in the Carlisle lineup.  It seems a bit softer yet plenty of fruit and depth.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with black cherries, black raspberries, char and spice.  Medium bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, black cherries and spice.  Great texture.  Good balance.  Long finish.  Drink over the next eight to ten years.  Great on its own, this is a nice match with a (Veggie) Burger.  

The 2005's are really starting to come into their own now and this is one more data point supporting that.  This is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot.  Purple in color with ruby swirls, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with cassis, black cherries, char, slight cigar box, leather and spice.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this is complex.  Flavors of cassis and black cherries, slight leather and char.  Great balance.  Long finish.  This is about at peak but should stay there for another ten years.  Nice on its own, but better with food.  This would wo