Zaco Rioja Tempranillo 2014
The Zaco Rioja Tempranillo 2014 is crafted in a modern style, and is laden with black fruit, roasted black cherries, vanilla and anise. There is admittedly, lots of sweetness on the nose. Equally softly textured on the palate with plummy undertones and low acidity. It’s only on the palate that the earthier side of this […]
Patrick Piuze ‘Val de Mer’ Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 2012
Ripe and expressive, the 2012 Patrick Piuze Val de Mer Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos is bursting with honey, white flowers and wet river rock. While medium-bodied, the texture is slightly waxy, verging on tropical with notes of lush papaya, dried pineapple and lemon curd set against a pronounced mineral finish of wet shell and […]
Allegrini Palazzo della Torre Veronese IGT 2011
The 2011 Palazzo della Torre is loaded with roasted figs (is this because I was just roasting figs? Maybe.) and sun baked plums. There is too, a beautiful earthy note, like dust in high summer, that echoes on the palate, lending complexity to high acidity and firm, ripe tannin along with an appealing touch of […]
Forge Cellars Finger Lakes ‘Classique’ Pinot Noir 2014
Forge Cellars is an intriguing collaboration between Louis Barruol, proprietor of St. Cosme in Gigondas, wine grower Rick Rainey, and vintner Justin Boyette. Their 2014 ‘Classique’ Pinot Noir is fine-boned and poised with floral, woodsy aromatics of decaying rose petals, hibiscus, underbrush, and sous bois. It’s translucent quinacridone violet with lean, elegant curves underpinned by […]
Winderlea Dundee Hills Cuvée Pinot Noir 2008
Winderlea’s 2008 Pinot Noir Dundee Hills Cuvée was blended specifically for ¡Salud!, a non-profit that provides mobile health care to migrant workers in the Willamette Valley. Aside from this, the wine itself has developed beautifully, with classic Oregon Pinot notes of red forest berries, underbrush and dried rose petals. The palate is offers savoriness punctuated by […]
Elk Cove Roosevelt Vineyard Pinot Noir 2011
Fruit takes a back seat in the 2011 Elk Cove Roosevelt Vineyard Pinot Noir. This is a portrait in savoriness. Aromas of Spanish roof tile, sun dried tomato, cigar box and sage seamlessly merge into tart cranberries and dried cherry notes. Firm, dusty tannins hem in high-toned red fruit and taught acidity that terminates with […]
Scottish Beef Stew Topped with a Phyllo Dough Crust
My take on classic Scottish Beef Stew—the butteriness Phyllo dough crust adds a delicious dimension of flavor and texture. I’ve also substituted leeks for yellow onions and flat iron steak for beef chuck. The flat iron, while more expensive is ultimately more tender. And for me, this is the perfect sort of dish to serve […]
Château Beauséjour Duffau-Lagarrosse 2000
A splendid Beauséjour Duffau-Lagarrosse. Opens with floral aromatics that descend to deeper notes of steeped blackberry, black cherry, charcoal, camphor and dried sage. Structured, powerful fore-to-mid palate tannin with acidity to match, this feels too young at this point, as though it’s not yet fully knit together. Medium-plus finish with herbal notes, and subtle minerality. […]
King Estate Signature Collection Pinot Noir 2013
The 2013 King Estate Pinot Noir is restrained, and is thinner and tighter than I would like. Sporting twining notes of earth, mocha and cocoa powder, a dab of red fruit. On the palate, it’s quite tart, with high-toned briary forest berries, pomegranate and twig tea—this subdued tone and pitch follows all the way through […]
Rutini Malbec 2012
Vinified on 80% new French oak and 20% new American oak for 12 months, the 2012 Rutini Malbec offers classic high-altitude notes of blueberries and black raspberries, along with a subtle top note of Madagascar vanilla. On the palate, abundantly bright acidity, and an intriguing slightly salty, slightly herbal countenance that shows mostly on a […]