2020 Domaine Nicolas Brunet Vouvray Brut, France, Loire, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2020
Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+
Current Price: 
$29.00USD

This is a sparkling wine (Methode Traditionelle) made from Chenin Blanc in the Loire Valley of France.  Yellow/gold in color with slight green hues, mostly clear and bright.  The mouse shows a fair amount of medium sized bubbles.  The nose has a nice minerality to it with crushed rocks and a slight seltzer quality.  Nice mouthfeel.  Medium bodied.  Good acidity.  On the palate, there is a nice seltzer note with slight ginger and a hint of char.  A bit of an herbal note (almost scallion like) on the finish.  This drinks well on its own and is very food friendly.  It would be excellent with l

2021 Donnafugata Bell'Assai, Italy, Sicily, Vittoria, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2021
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$30.00USD

This is a wine made from the Frappato grape in southeastern Sicily.  Donnafugata is one of the top wineries in Sicily.  13% abv.  Ruby in color with some purple swirls, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is nice with cherries, strawberries and floral notes.  Light tannins.  On the palate, there is depth here but it takes some air/cellaring to bring it out.  Flavors of cherries and cranberries with a bit of salinity and slight underlying char.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  It drinks well on its own, but is better with food.  This would be great with an Anchovy Pizza, but also Salmon.  It may

2019 Poderi' dal Nespoli Sangiovese di Romagna Superiore Riserva Il Nespoli

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$35.00USD

This is a Sangiovese wine from Emilia Romagna in Italy.  What an impressive Sangiovese!  Deep garnet in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is nice with cherries, black cherries, anise, tea leaves and slight ground coffee notes.  Medium to full bodied.  Good acidity.  On the palate, this is young with some tannins.  Lots of cherries, black cherries and plums with underlying forest floor/earthiness.  Good finish.  There is some depth but this will take a few years to unwind.  While drinking well already, a few more years of cellaring would help.  If not, give it plenty of air before se

2019 Dough Wines North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$22.00USD

Offering a lighter style of Cabernet, this 2019 Dough is definitely a solid value. Black cherry, blueberry, blackberry, light plum, pomegranate, rhubarb, green tea leaf and black cherry, announce themselves and it offers moderate acidity and decent tannins. The wine was aged 16 months in both American and French oak barrels.

2006 La Poderina Brunello di Montalcino, Italy, Tuscany, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2006
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$100.00USD

From the excellent 2006 vintage, this seemed to be just about at peak.  Pop and pour.  Deep garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is lovely with dark cherries, slight plums, tea leaves, dust and spice.  Full bodied.  Tannins about resolved, maybe some wispy ones left.  On the palate, cherries and black cherries with some dried fruits.  Complex and layered with forest floor/tea leaves and spice.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  This drinks well on its own, but would work better with food.  A nice match would be a Lasagna.  Drink over the next five to ten years. 

2017 Cantina di Montalcino Brunello di Montalcino, Italy, Tuscany, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$30.00USD

Cantina di Montalcino is the only cooperative in the Brunello DOCG.  It has just under 100 members who are for the most part, small vineyard owners.  This is an excellent wine and don't be afraid of buying from a co-op.  The vintage, 2017, was hot and dry, and the wines produced were more generous and flashy than a more typical vintage.  The wine is purple in color, ruby at the rim, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is great with black cherries, dried cherries, cigar tobacco, spice and slight char.  Full bodied with medium to firm tannins.  On the palate, cherries, black cherries with som

2016 Travaglini Gattinara Riserva, Italy, Piedmont, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$68.00USD

This is the wine that comes in an odd shaped bottle that almost looks like it melted and was disfigured.  Made from 100% Nebbiolo grapes, this is the Riserva version which means the best parcels are harvested from Travaglini’s oldest vineyards (35-60 years).  The wine is aged for 4 years: 3 years in Slavonian oak casks of different sizes. The wine then rests in bottle for 12 months.

NV Santa Margherita Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Brut, Italy, Wine Review

Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+
Current Price: 
$17.00USD

Silvery/gold in color.  A moderate mousse with medium sized bubbles.  Clear and bright.  The nose is nice with a hint of green apples and slight peach notes.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, this has a soft, easy to drink texture.  Apples and peaches with good acidity.  Moderate finish.  This drinks well on its own, but should be better with food.  Very food friendly.  It would go well with pasta with a cream sauce.  Drink now.  

2018 Huia Blanc de Blancs, New Zealand, Marlborough, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$36.00USD

This is 100% sparkling Chardonnay from New Zealand.  Silvery/gold in color, clear and bright.  A good amount of medium to small sized bubbles.  The nose peach with toast.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, this is concentrated and tight.  It took some time to open showing peach with some yeasty  notes and underlying char.  Good finish.  This drinks well on its own and should be very foo friendly.  A nice wine with a BLT or a Veggie Burger.  Drink over the next five years.

2018 Roger Goulart Cava Gran Reserva Extra Brut, Spain, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$20.00USD

This cava is a blend of 35% Chardonnay, 35% Xarel·lo, 15% Macabeo, and 15% Parellada.  Light golden in color, clear and bright with a nice mousse of medium sized bubbles.  The nose has seltzer, slight diesel notes (which blew off with air), almonds and green apples.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, this has  a nice complexity to it.  Lemons, grapefruit, yeast and slight minerals.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  Hard to beat this for value in sparkling wine.  Nice on its own, but better with food.  Paella would be an obvious choice.  Drink over the next few years.  

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