2017 Château de Ségriès Tavel, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-

So glad to be able to review this as a bottle last week was not that good.  This one was much better and more what should be expected.  Bad bottles do happen.  Deep salmon pink in color, but not as deep as the prior bottle (heat damage?).  The nose has cherries and light rhubarb.  On the palate, this is clean, dry and no bitterness.  Persistent cherries on the palate.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  Worked well with food.  Nice bottle.  In retrospect, that first bottle was probably damaged in shipping at some point.  

2017 Bedrock Wine Co. Sauvignon Blanc, USA, California, Sonoma, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
89
Grade: 
B+

Light green gold in color.  The nose is nice with minerals and melons.  On the palate, this is tight.  Obviously it's young, but still it took some time to open.  The melons carry thru to the palate along with a slight grass note.  Good finish.  Works well with or without food but needs a bit of air.  Very solid but seems like some patience may be rewarded. Good now, but will greatness develop?  I think so.  

NV Opici Wines LaLuca Prosecco, Tevriso, Veneto, Wine Review

Score: 
87
Grade: 
B+

Light silvery gold in color.  The nose is nice with mostly pears but also some lemons and nice mineral undertones.  A fair amount of medium sized bubbles.  On the palate, this is slightly sweet.  It drinks easy.  The lemon carries thru along with slight minerality.  Very food friendly.  Easy drinking, not complex but enough to stand up with food.  Good end of the day/start the evening wine.  

1994 Cockburn Porto Vintage, Portugal, Douro, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-

Pop and pour, this may have benefited from a decant.  From a 375ml.  Purple in color.  The nose has black cherries, some dust and a bit of chocolate.  On the palate, the black cherries and chocolate carry thru.  Nice texture.  Finishes a bit hot but that was saved by serving it with vegan salted caramel pecan ice cream and a brownie.  Over all this is very good if not at the top level of vintage ports.  

2014 Carlisle Syrah Sonoma County, USA, California, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2014
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-

These are my go to wines for later in the night when you just want a bit more wine.  I buy a bunch every vintage and drink through them quickly, not that they won't last, but as they are really great values.  So, I was a bit surprised to see I still had a 2014 left.  Screw capped.  On opening, this was singing.  Purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries. Also some black pepper and a bit of roasted herbs.  On the palate, this is lush but also deep.  Gulpable but at the same time it has some complexity.  Nice finish.  Drinks well on its own but would go well with heartier foods.  

2013 Bedrock Wine Co. Zinfandel Puccini Vineyard, USA, California, Sonoma, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2013
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-

This was done as a one off in order to raise money for victims of the earthquake.  This vineyard is an enclosed small vineyard at about 800 feet of elevation.  This is a wine that is still tight but with just a bit of air, it is drinking beautifully right now.  Purple in color.  The nose has dark cherries, spice and a bit of bramble.  On the palate, slight tannins.  Black cherry fruit.  Some depth.  Good acidity.  Very food friendly for medium or heartier foods.  Nice finish.  I don't think this gets better from here but will undoubtedly change and mature.  

2012 Epoch Estate Wines Authenticity Paderewski Vineyard, USA, California, Paso Robles, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2012
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A

71% Syrah, 28% Mourvedre and 1% Viognier.  This is a gorgeous wine that is drinking great right now but still has some maturation to come.  Purple in color.  On of the cool things about Viognier is it make Syrah more opaque.  Another is that it has lifting aromatics which carry the Syrah and Mourvedre along with it.  In this case, just a gorgeous nose.  Black raspberries, roasted herbs, grilled meats, white pepper, musky earthiness all just explode from the glass.  On the palate, this has a lovely velvety texture.  Good balance.  Lots of black raspberry fruit with underlying earthiness.  It

2014 François Chidaine Vouvray Sec Les Argiles, France, Loire Valley, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2014
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-

This wine has a reputation of being a bit oxidized and advanced in 2014.  This bottle was a bit advanced but it was also spot on drinking right now.  Medium golden in color.  The nose has anjou pears along with minerals and a salinty which is very nice.  This has a slightly oily texture.  The pears continue and if this has any oxidation, it is quite small.  There is good acidity.  Nice finish.  Enjoyed with a Ginger Parsnip Pear soup, this was a perfect match with a nice synergy.  It might not make old bones, but it is drinking quite well right now.

2014 Schiefer Blaufränkisch Königsberg, Austria, Südburgenland, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2014
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-

And now for something completely different.  Ruby in color.  The nose has black peppercorns, with some cherry/cranberry notes.  On the palate, this  is thin but still has structure and strength.  Good acidity.  The peppery red berry notes continue thru.  Would work with a lot of different foods.  In fact, it really does beg for food to tame the acid and flavors.  A really interesting wine.  

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