2016 Alban Vineyards Syrah Lorraine, USA, California, Edna Valley, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
98
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$340.00USD

Alban wines typically take some time to come around, but at age 7, this was drinking quite well.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with black raspberries, roasted meats and roasted herbs, slight dark chocolate and black pepper.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this is delicious.  It is on the bigger side but not a monster.  Black raspberry fruit with some black  pepper and a bit of roasted herbs.  Long finish.

2020 Andremily White Cuvée, USA, California, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2020
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$200.00USD

My first time trying the white from this top producer of Rhone varietals based in Ventura.   This is a blend of 41% Roussanne, 36% Chardonnay, 15% Viognier, and 8% Marsanne.  Deep golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has lots of smoke/char along with wax, oranges, peaches and minerals.  Full bodied.  Slight tannins.  On the palate, the smoke notes are a bit more like gun powder.  Plenty of peach and slight citrus with a bit of "bitter wax" on the finish.  This is young and in need of time.  Consumed over two days, it really didn't change much at all.  Perhaps on day 2, a bit less Ch

2006 Azienda Agricola Sant'Elena Pignolo Quantum (L’Autoctono), Italy, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2006
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$58.00USD

Pop and pour, this is drinking great. Made from the Pignolo grape. Deep garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is concentrated with black cherries, cherries, anise and tobacco.  Medium bodied.  Nice balanced acidity.  On the palate, black cherries and cherries with slight underlying forest floor.  Good finish.  This is a wine made to be consumed with food.  It worked well with Mushroom Gnocchi.  Drink over the next five to seven years.  

Calera 2019 Mt. Harlan Pinot Noir, Mills Vineyard

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$85.00USD

One of the beautiful things about Pinot Noir is its delicate nature. Sure, some Pinot has bold, even aggressive fruit. But Calera’s 2019 offering is as delicate, feminine and subtle as you can probably get. An overwhelming earthy quality is in this wine along with quiet black cherry, blackberry, light huckleberry, light pomegranate and Bing cherry. There are back notes suggesting jasmine and ginger, a delightful acidity and an elegance to this wine which suggests a deft touch in the winemaking process.

2017 Abreu Madrona Ranch, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
97
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$530.00USD

This is a Bordeaux blend from Napa.  What a great wine.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, black cherries, tobacco, spice and slight cedar.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Cassis, black cherries, cigar tobacco, just a hint of bell pepper and spice.  Complex if tight.  It unwinds in the glass.  It may yet improve with some cellaring but delicious now.  Drink over the next twenty years.  Great on its own, this would work great with brisket.  

2006 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France, Rhone, Wine Review

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

Great showing for this bottle at age 17.  Purple in color with some ruby swirls, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is great with plums, black raspberries, worn leather, slight dried floral note and spice.  Full bodied.  Tannins mostly resolved.  On the palate, this is deep and complex.  Flavors of plums, raspberries with some spice.  This bottle is clean with just a bare touch of funk.  Nice finish.  Seemingly at peak, these bottles probably should be consumed in the next five to seven years.  Great on its own, this works better with food.  Chili or beef stew would be a nice match.  

2017 Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino, Italy, Tuscany, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$60.00USD

Another top BdM from the consistently top producer.  Ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is nice with cherries, spice, and a bit of tobacco.  Medium to full bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, this has a tight complexity that unwinds in the glass.  Lots of cherry fruit with some underlying forest floor and slight tea leaves.  Good finish.  This is a classic pizza wine and in fact, went great with some really creative wood fired pizza.  Drink over the next ten years.  

2017 Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon Puente Alto Vineyard

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$100.00USD

This is one of the top wines from Chile.  The bottle was decanted prior to tasting.  Garnet in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is nice with cassis, cherry candy, slight bell pepper, cedar and forest floor.  Medium to full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Cassis, cherries, and bell pepper.  Nice finish.  This is lighter in style that say Napa or even Bordeaux, but it is almost seamless.  The green bell pepper may be distracting to some, but it drinks more like a Napa Cab from the 70's or 80's.  It is drinking well now with a decant, but may improve with

2016 Roland Champion Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut, Chouilly Grand Cru, France, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$60.00USD

Golden in color with a lot of very small bubbles, clear and bright.  The nose is very nice with chalk, toast, and slight marzipan.  Full bodied.  Good balance.  On the palate, this is crisp with a very, very slight sweetness to it.  Chalk and slight dried citrus notes.  Long finish.  This has plenty of depth.  Drinking well now, this should drink well for seven to ten more years.  It is very food versatile and should go with just about any food.  It went very well with a spicy vegetarian pizza.  

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