Wine Reviews

Gary Farrell has always produced interesting Pinot’s – meaning, not the typical California strawberry driven kind. And this 2020 is no exception. Pulled from seven different vineyards, the art is in the blending. Upfront there is pomegranate, plum, green apple, then it turns to black tea, black raspberry, mild strawberry, dried tobacco, light cola and coriander. The acidity is solid and the tannins appropriate to the task. This is what comes from the art of the blend.

This had just been bottled when I tasted it at the winery.  It should be even better with just a bit of bottle age. Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is more about minerality than fruit though there is a slight note of lime.  What a great, slightly oily texture.  Rich yet crisp.  On the palate, it is still more about minerality although the limes come thru a bit more.  Complex.  Long finish.  Delicious.  This will improve with a year or so of patience.  Drink over the next ten years.  This would go great with breaded and fried foods (chicken or pork)!

Light silvery gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is great with slight limes, asparagus and a slight white pepper.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, lemon/lime notes.  Good acidity.  Some minerality.  Deep.  Long finish.  This is light on its feet but serious enough to stand up to moderately heavy foods.  It would be nice with fish tacos.  Drink over the next seven to ten years.  

Located in Southern Tuscany, Val Delle Rose is one of the largest wineries in the region. Their 2018 Aurelio, something of a flagship wine, offers superb quality fruit - muted pomegranate, rhubarb, black cherry, blackberry, along with a judicious use of oak that brings out cedar notes. There are vague back notes of dusty cocoa. This is a nicely balanced wine that combines all the necessary elements of oak, fruit, tannin and acidity, making for a wine that would be very complementary for any number of foods.