Knudsen Vineyards Dundee Hills Chardonnay 2014
From the Knudsen family estate vineyard, established in 1971, is this elegant 2014 Dundee Hills Chardonnay. What makes this bottling special is that the Knudsen’s have long been growers for Argyle. The 2014 vintage is the first wine they’ve vinified under their own label in over 25 years and it’s a stunning effort. A testament […]
Coronica ‘CO’ Dry Red Wine 2014
My first Croatian wine, ‘CO’ or Crno Vino, which simply means red wine, is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Kraški Teran, a dark-skinned member of the Refosco family of grapes. I’m amazed at how gamey it is, with even a touch of rancio that translates as very-aged Iberico ham, along with dusty, clayey […]
Long Shadows Poet’s Leap Ice Wine 2008
Amber-colored in the glass, the 2008 Poet’s Leap Ice Wine is a heady melange of apricot preserves, forest honey, and caramel richly perfumed with spice; cinnamon, allspice, powdered ginger and mace. Incredibly concentrated, with palate drenching viscocity, it’s reminiscent of a full-bodied Sauternes with the merest hint of Bachelet Maury. The finish is lengthy, punctuated […]
Big Table Farm Willamette Valley Chardonnay 2014
Big Table Farm has been on my list of Willamette Valley wines to try for some time now, and I’m pleased to report that the 2014 Chardonnay didn’t disappoint in the least. Wild yeast fermented and aged in concrete, it’s exceptionally well balanced, endowed with an incredible range of aromas—lemon tart, buttered croissant, cardamom and […]
Evening Land Summum Seven Springs Vineyard Chardonnay 2007
Lovely florality, spice and faint herbal notes blithely dance around richer tones of white peach and dried apricot. Evening Land’s elegant 2007 Summum Seven Springs Chardonnay is lightly framed in faint oak with satiny, creamy layers at the core. Everything about this wine is fined-boned, with twinkling inner luminescence and stunning grace. The finish is […]
Galil Mountain Winery Yiron Upper Galilee Viognier 2014
A lighter, leaner style of Viognier than I might have expected from Galil Mountain Winery. Truth, be told, this is my first Israeli Viognier, so I had no idea what to expect. Exceedingly pretty aromatics of pear skin, toasted almond, and a top note akin to my mother’s favorite perfume, something like honeysuckle. On the […]
Galil Mountain Winery Yiron Galilee Dry Red 2012
My first wine from the Galilee appellation in Israel. It’s a mountainous, stony terrain, but for all the stress I imagine vines go through in this formidable environment, Galil Mountain’s 2012 Bordeaux-style blend is stunningly pure, with almost pillowy-plush aromas of black currants, blackberries, violets, spice box and anise. Aged 16 months in French oak, […]
Paul & Phillippe Zinck Crémant d’Alsace Brut Rosé NV
This charming Cramant d’Alsace from Domaine Zinck is graced with an abundantly pretty and welcoming nose of pie cherries, wet stones, and cinnamon bark. It’s a delicate salmon pink, with an equally delicate mousse. Subtle blood orange-tinged sweetness is dominated by a profoundly minerally texture—oyster shells, limestone, and chalk lend complexity to a mouthwatering finish. […]
Grgich Hills Estate Zinfandel 2012
It’s the spice that hits your nose first—aromas of cracked black pepper, mesquite and charred cedar glide above denser notes of sun-warmed blackberries and ripe Italian plums. It’s not as lush on the palate as some Napa Zins. Like all of the wines from Grgich Hills, the 2012 shows a modicum of restraint, in a […]
Forge Cellars Les Alliés Finger Lakes Riesling 2014
Another taught and racy Riesling from Forge Cellars. This time, the grapes are sourced from Les Alliés vineyard, which lies on the east side of Lake Seneca. The vines are planted in shale and gravelly loam, as such, the profile is lean and citrusy, with hints of lemon zest and pear, layered under wet shell […]