2019 Domaine Carneros Brut, USA, California, Carneros, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+
Current Price: 
$30.00USD

This is from the American sparkling wine outpost of Taittinger.  Green gold in color with a nice mousse of very small bubbles.  The nose has pears, slight lemons, toast and a hint of vanilla.  Full bodied.  Good acidity.  On the palate, the pears with underlying char.  Some lemon notes on the finish.  Good finish.  This is nice on its own and should be very food friendly.  A great wine to share with popcorn when streaming a movie.  Drink over the next three to five years.  

NV Ferghettina Franciacorta Brut, Italy, Lombardy, Wine Review

Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$31.00USD

This is 95% Chardonnay and 5% Pinot Noir from Italy.  Franciacorta is a great region for sparkling wines.  Light golden in color with a nice mousse of smaller bubbles.  The nose is big with cream soda and a bit of hazelnuts.  Full bodied.  On the palate, it seems to have just the slightest bit of residual sugar left.  Some citrus and plenty of minerality.  A bit shorter on the almond finish.  This is nice on its own and very food friendly.  It went great with assorted hard and soft cheeses.  Drink over the next ten years.  

2017 Domaine Huet Vouvray Pétillant Brut, France, Loire, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
89
Grade: 
B+
Current Price: 
$26.00USD

This is a lightly sparkling wine made from Chenin Blanc in the Loire Valley in France.  Golden in color, the mousse quickly fades in the glass.  Medium sized bubbles.  The nose is different with yeast, slight doughy notes along with a bit of salinity.  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate, this is refreshing.  Dry.  Notes of honey (not sweet) and crushed shells.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  This drinks well on its own but really needs some food.  It would be very nice with a wide range of foods from a Beet Salad to a Quiche.  Unique and not a substitute for a Champagne styled wine.  Drink

NV Banshee Ten-of-Cups Brut, USA, California, Wine Review

Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$18.00USD

My first time trying this wine and it is an excellent value in sparkling wines.  It is a blend of 50% Pinot Noir, 48% Chardonnay, and 2% Pinot Meunier from various sites in California.  It is quite frothy in the glass with lots of tiny bubbles.  Golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with vanilla, lemons and slight almonds.  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate, there is plenty of depth.  Notes of lemons and oranges with a touch of char/toast.  Long finish.  This is a serious sparkler that will compete with wines twice the price.  Very food friendly, this would be excellent w

2022 Pahlmeyer Sauvignon Blanc Jayson, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2022
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$31.00USD

Light golden in color with a bit of a copper hue, clear and bright.  The nose is big with limes, peach and slight tropical fruit.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, the tropical fruit becomes more vivid along with limes.  Slight minerality.  Crisp.  Long finish.  This is drinking well on its own but would work well with lighter foods.  A nice choice with a Cobb Salad.  Drink over the next five years.  

2018 Strappelli Soprano Colli Aprutini IGT, Italy, Abruzzo, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-

This is 100% Pecorino grapes from Abruzzo, Italy.  Golden in color clear and bright.  The nose has lemons, minerality/chalk and slight tropical fruits.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, some crisp green apple notes at the start with some tropical fruits on the finish.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  This seems to be near the end of its fruit, but still providing enjoyment.  Younger vintages are likely to have more fruit.  Nice on its own, this worked better with a bit of cheese.  It would be nice with seafood.  Drink now.  Excellent value.

2011 Bertani Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, Italy, Veneto, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2011
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$99.00USD

Great showing for this Amarone at age 12.  This was served on board the Celebrity Millennium Cruise ship off the coast of Alaska.  It is 80% Corvina Veronese, and 20% Rondinella. Purple with ruby swirls, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is powerful with cherries, slight raisins and some alcohol showing.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate cherries with slight char notes.  Complex and deep.  Long finish.  This is nice on its own but would be better with a plate of pasta with truffles in a cream sauce.  Drink over the next ten years.  

2021 Far Niente Chardonnay, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2021
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$55.00USD

From one of the classic Napa wineries (and still producing great wines).  This bottle was consumed on the Celebrity Millennium Cruise Ship off the coast of Alaska (off their list).  Green/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with lemon cream and a slight pine note.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this is crisp.  It shows just minimal touches of oak.  Nice lemon/lime notes with good acidity.  A bit clipped perhaps on the finish, but otherwise very impressive.  Lovely on its own, this will work well with sea food or even Thai.  Drink over the next eight to twelve years.  

2004 Henri Goutorbe Champagne Grand Cru Brut Millésimé, France, Champagne, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2004
Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+

Consumed on a Celebrity Cruise Ship (Alaska) wine tasting.  A blend of 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay.  Pale golden with some green hues and a steady stream of tiny bobbles.  The nose is interesting with toast and limes.  Perhaps a slight bit of oxidation.  On the palate, this is somewhat demur but had plenty of stuffing.  On the palate, more about minerality with slight pear and a bit of chalk.  An interesting bitter almond note on the finish.  Good acidity.  This is drinking maturely but nice right now.  Depending on how one likes older Champagnes, this is probably best drunk sooner th

Gaia 2019 Malbec

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$20.00USD

Malbec has become Argentina’s signature grape, and this South American country does very well with it. This value wine shows off how good Malbec can be at various price points, proof you don’t need to break the bank for a good bottle of wine. It offers huckleberry and blackberry, and there’s an earthiness to this wine, with solid acidity and oak aging that supports the fruit. The finish is a little thin, but when paired with food, as all good wines should be, that becomes less of an issue. ORIGIN: Mendoza, Argentina. ALCOHOL: 14.5%

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