Wine Producers, Growers, & Labels

Fonseca Bin 27 Reserve Port

Port is one of those wines where people seem loath to admit they like sweet wines. But Port is not merely sweet wine: this is where the misunderstanding come into play. True Port is about the right grapes aged specifically for the right amount of time to produce a sensuous experience. Though...

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Château La Fleur de Boüard 2011 Le Plus

In the heart of Pomerol, this Chateau is planted to mainly Merlot, and Le Plus, their top tier wine is 100% Merlot with an aging protocol of 100% new French oak aged for 33 months. It is worth the wait. The average age of these Merlot vines is 70 years, and that is reflected in the glass. This...

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Zooming Through Gary Farrell Wines

“I want to capture the essence of place,” winemaker Theresa Heredia tells me regarding her diverse portfolio of Pinot Noir. Theresa joined Gary Farrell Winery in 2012. Prior to that she worked at Joseph Phelps’ Freestone Vineyards on the Sonoma Coast, and Domaine de Montille in France. On this...

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Rhine on the Rise: Germany’s Young Female Winemakers

In the realm of Riesling a new generation of female winemakers is taking control making everything from traditional Riesling (“It’s our DNA”) to non-traditional Chardonnay, even obscure indigenous varieties like Schreube, and Gelber Orleans. These women reflect a new paradigm of German grape...

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Wente Vineyards 2018 Riva Ranch Chardonnay

Back in 1912 Ernest Wente persuaded his father, C.H. Wente, to import Chardonnay cuttings from a nursery at the University of Montpellier in France to their Livermore Valley winery. Today roughly 80% of all California Chardonnay stems from what is now called the “Wente Clone.” There is a reason...

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Prats + Symington 2018 Post Scriptum de Chrysela - Wine Review

The Symington family has been producing Port for generations, but 20 years ago they partnered with Bordeaux winemaker Bruno Prats to explore non-fortified, dry table wines. Post Scriptum, therefore, offers a Bordeaux sensibility with grapes from the Douro. Comprised of Touriga Nacional, Touriga...

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Ram’s Gate 2017 Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast - Wine Review

Ram’s Gate started in 2011 focusing on small lot productions of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from with the Carneros AVA where the winery is located. Since then they have expanded to other vineyard sites including the Sonoma Coast. This 2017 offers notes of butterscotch, lemon zest, honeysuckle,...

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Chappellet 2018 Hideaway Cabernet Sauvignon - Wine Review

2016 was the debut vintage for this wine, meant to showcase a special section of Chappellet’s Pritchard Hill Cabernet blocks. Seductive and rich black berry, blueberry, boysenberry notes are evident. There are subtle back notes of mocha, roasted coffee beans, clove and cinnamon. The tannins and...

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Zooming Through Jordan Winery

Jordan Winery has a long history in Sonoma, having been founded in 1972 and making their first wine in 1976. And for over 40 years they have had one winemaker, Rob Davis. It’s rare for a winemaker to stay in one place for so long. But after four decades, Rob was ready to move on and Maggie Kruse...

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Zooming Through Moraga Bel Air Wines

When Moraga Bel Air invited me to do a wine and cheese pairing via Zoom, I was enthused. No, I have never had their wines but had been invited to their estate several times but could never make it. If you’re not familiar with Moraga Bel Air, it’s because the winery and vineyards are located in Los...

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Wine Producers, Growers, & Labels

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