2016 Domaine Huet Vouvray Demi-Sec Le Haut-Lieu, France, Loire, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$36.00USD

Huet is perhaps my favorite producer of Chenin Blanc in the world.  These are wines that will last for decades and drink well young (with a bit of air).  This is one is demi-sec or off dry.  Light golden in color, shimmering bright.  The nose is pretty with orange peel, slight peach, sea air and minerals.  Medium to full bodied.  Slightly sweet but not cloying, which is nicely balanced by acidity.  Delicious with flavors or oranges apples and peaches over a mineral base.  Long finish.  If well stored, this should drink well for fifteen more years or more.  Lovely on its own, it will work ni

2016 Weingut Clemens Busch Pundericher Marienburg Rothenpfad Riesling Großes Gewächs, Germany, Mosel, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$55.00USD

This was my first time trying this producer.  Obviously young, this is drinking with precision but also delicious.  Light golden in color.  The nose has nice minerality/wet stones with slight grapefruit.  On the palate, this has a nice backbone of acidity. It is dry.  There is some grapefruit but its mostly about minerality and energy.  Long finish.  This should continue to improve and mature for five to seven more years and be good for another ten to fifteen after that.  It will go with a wide variety of food.  Salmon would be a nice choice.  Great on its own as well.  

2008 Jonata Winery El Alma de Jonata, USA, California, Santa Ynez, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2008
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$125.00USD

This is a top quality winery from Southern California.  The El Ama is one of the top Cabernet Francs made anywhere.  Actually, it is 75% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot.  It is ripe and delicious.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has black cherries, black olives, cigar box and spice.  Full bodied with a lush texture.  There is a nice depth with bold black cherry fruit over a nice earthiness.  Good finish.  This is just getting to full maturity but should easily go another decade.  A nice match for lamb or other grilled meats.  

2010 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Crozes-Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2010
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$45.00USD

This is a Syrah from the Northern Rhone Valley in France.  Crozes-Hermitage is a great source of values and this is one of the best wines made.  At age ten, this is cruising along and just entering adulthood.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black olives, slight bacon fat and spice.  Pretty classic.  On the palate, this shows a tight complexity that unwinds in the glass.  Layers of black raspberries with an earthiness and a meatiness to it.  Delicious.  Long finish.  This should drink well for the nest ten years.  A nice match with brisket or roasted chi

2018 Carlisle Syrah Sonoma County, USA, California, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$30.00USD

This is the basic Syrah from Carlisle.  It is always a great value in Syrah.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, slight black cherries with a bit if char and spice.  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate, this drinks great upon unscrewing the cap.  Juicy black raspberries with a bit of concentration.  Persistent and energetic.  Nice texture.  Good finish.  This will gain some complexity and may even improve bit over the next five years.  It seems like it should drink well until at least 2030.  A nice match with grilled meats or chicken although it drinks we

2017 Ridge Geyserville, USA, California, Sonoma, Alexander Valley, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$30.00USD

This was meeting an old friend.  I used to drink this wine quite a bit but had not had it for quite some time.  It just sort of fell out of the rotation for no particular reason and that is a shame.  It is still top notch.  A blend of 68% Zinfandel, 18% Carignan, 12% Petite Sirah and 2% Alicante Bouschet, this is a wine that drinks well young or old but the profile will change depending on which varietals are showing more at that time.  Purple in color with a ruby rim.  The nose is nice with black cherries, slight black raspberries herbal notes and pepper.  Medium to full bodied.  On the pa

2014 Bodegas Muga Rioja Selección Especial Reserva, Spain, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2014
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$39.00USD

This is a blend of 70% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha, 10% Graciano, and 5% Manuelo from Spain.  It is a modern, delicious take on Rioja.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has black raspberries, black cherries, espresso, and baking spices.  Full bodied.  Very nice texture. It has lots of black raspberries, some black cherries with underlying spice.  There is some warmth to it.  Drinking great now, it should drink well for another decade.  This drinks great on its own and will work great with heavier meat dishes.  Think steak or brisket.  

2015 Matthiasson Zinfandel Limerick Lane, USA, California, Sonoma, Russian River Valley, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$51.00USD

This is another take on fruit from this vineyard by a quality producer.  It is a bit lower in ripeness and alcohol than the other producers I have tried but just as good.  Deep ruby in color with some purple swirls.  On the nose there is cherries, slight sour cherries, still a bit of bramble and a hint of gravel.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this is concentrated with nice energy.  Cherry and black cherry fruit over minerality.  Some depth and complexity.  Delicious.  Juicy acidity.  Nice finish.  This is drinking quite well and is at the point of turning more claret in style.  Whether you

2018 Ceritas Chardonnay Trout Gulch, California, Santa Cruz, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$75.00USD

One of my favorite Chardonnays from one of my favorite regions for producing Chardonnay.  This is fantastic.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is great with a stony minerality, vanilla cream, chalk and sea air.  On the palate, this is medium body but concentrated and powerful.  A nice streak of acidity balances the lemon-vanilla cream notes with an underlying minerality.  Long finish.  This is still very young of course and should continue to gain complexity.  It needs five more years until peak and should be great drinking for ten to fifteen after that.  This seems like i

2016 Bruno Giacosa Roero Arneis, Italy, Piedmont, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$28.00USD

This is always one of the top Arneis's.  It comes from northern Italy where the Giacosa winery is one of the top wineries.  Light golden in color.  The nose has a nice minerality along with some peaches and a hint of melon.  On the palate, the melon is more dominant with underlying minerality.  A lovely texture with enough acidity to carry everything.  This is delicious, too.  It will work better with food although it drinks fine on its own.  A nice match for a fruit salad or seafood.  This should be consumed in the next five years.  

Pages

Pages