N: NICE frt (grapefrt?), though this fairly quickly drops to more traditional minerals & salinity
P: Med, poss MF, body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt counterbalanced by an acidity which serves as the face of the wine into & through the LONG, poss very, VERY slightly bitterish finish with a TANGY/swtness & OCCASIONAL *hints* of raisins. For now & through '20, poss into '21. My VG+/EXC-. 86 pts WS & Bronze @ the '18 Int'l Wine Challenge. [Check with this vendor if interested in their very COMPETITIVE price.]
Hand-harvested from vyds in Clarksburg, Monterey, & San Luis Obispo; "Whole cluster pressed, 1/2 of the grapes going directly into s/s tanks, the other 1/2 being fermented in new AM oak, where it ages on the lees for 9 mos, with monthly stirring. The finished wine is blended together just before bottling." 13.5% ABV, 0.66g/100ml T.A., & 3.51 pH; Released 6/15/18;
N: Butter/vanilla with undertones of tropical frt?
P: MF body; RNDISH enty with NICE, ALMOST swtish oak/frt (approaching threshold R.S.) properly offset by an acidity which keeps things in check into & through the LONG, tangy/swt finish with a (currently) burgeoning very, VERY slight bitterness. For now & (guessing) through Winter '20 -- 'fore bitterness potentially gains the upper hand. My VG+/EXC-, the higher for QPR in the style. 88 pts Beverage Testing Institute, & "Best of Class" @ $10 in the "Barrel Fermented" class of the '19 S.F. Chronicle Wine Comp. [Check with this vendor if interested in their very COMPETITIVE price.]
50% Syrah, 40% Grenache, & 10% Mourvèdre from vines ave 35 yrs of age, planted in "varied soils, sediment, limestone, granite, pebbles, & alluvia," with an ave yield of 40 hl/ha; "Traditional winemaking methods, temp controlled fermentation. Long soaking on the skins. Aged 1½ years in oak foudres." 333,000 cases made.
N: MF body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by some astringent pucker which QUITE resolves by the LONG, balanced, ult tangy/swt finish to the fairly innocuous, dusty tannins. For now & through '22, + may still improve through '19. NICELY done! 14.0% ABV; My EXC-, arguably more considering the QPR for *such* a SUBSTANTIVE wine! [This vendor's $12.95 puts it in the TOP 10% of wine-searcher's MASSIVE field!] 91 pts WA (Czerwinski), 90 ea Dunnuck, Vinous (Raynolds), & WE with "Best Buy" @ $15, 89 ea Suckling & winealign.com , 88 WS, and 16.5+/20 Jancis Robinson!
Note: 2 of the "Pro" reviewers above infer that this vintage has > the "standard" 50% Syrah the winery claims, one mentioning that exceeded the "theoretical" limit. Checking www.rhone-wines.com , THE critical stat for CdRs (as of 1996) is that they have at least 40% Grenache. So, IF Guigal increased their typical level of Syrah by reducing the Mourvèdre... ;)
100% Grenache from "Batea, Gandesa, Corbera, & Bot. All vines have a min age of 12 yrs & are mostly bush vines on calcareous soils with sand & clay content." 14.5% ABV & 0.43 g/l R.S.
N: FRAGRANTLY RIPE berries (blk rasps?) with notes of flowers
P: LM, poss Med, body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by just a BIT of astringent pucker which, surprisingly, pretty much remains through the bulk of the LONG, ULT pleasant finish with a tangy/SWTNESS (& hints of raisins?) to the unoffensive, DUSTY tannins. Approachable now, but DESERVES a yr or so, then into, poss through, '23? My EXC-, & one COULD make an argument for more based upon the QPR of this vendor's $8.95, which puts it @ the head of wine-searcher's currently limited class. 90 pts Vinous (Raynolds, 4/'19)
95% C.S., 3% Merlot, & 2% P.S. harvested 10/11-15/16; “Barreled down after primary fermentation into 10% new AM & FR oak for 17 mos;” 13.5% ABV, 0.62 g/L T.A., & 3.87 pH; 65,000 cases produced.
N: RIPE, likely JAMMY, berries with distinct notes of pyrazines
P: Med body; RNDISH entry with nice, ALMOST swtish frt (suspect threshold R.S.) met by but a SMIDGIN of astringent pucker which fairly seamlessly transitions into a LONG, finish with an intensely tangy/SWTNESS to the dusty tannins. A threshold R.S. style that some might want to cellar 6-12 mos for the (to me, unoffensive) tannins to resolve. Otherwise, for now & through '21 (safely). NICELY done for such a style, & neither are we being asked to pay an arm & a leg for it. My EXC-; 89 pts & "Editors’ Choice" WE @ $16, 4/5* from spiritofwine.blogspot.com , & Silver from '19 S.F. Chronicle Comp @ $17.99. [Check with this vendor if interested in their very COMPETITIVE price.]
2017 Martín Códax Albariño Rías Baixas
Spain, Galicia, Rías Baixas
100% Albariño fermented in temp controlled s/s tanks. 12.5% ABV, 3.5 g/l R.S., & 6g/l T.A.; 40,000 cases imported.
N: NICE frt (grapefrt?), though this fairly quickly drops to more traditional minerals & salinity
P: Med, poss MF, body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt counterbalanced by an acidity which serves as the face of the wine into & through the LONG, poss very, VERY slightly bitterish finish with a TANGY/swtness & OCCASIONAL *hints* of raisins. For now & through '20, poss into '21. My VG+/EXC-. 86 pts WS & Bronze @ the '18 Int'l Wine Challenge. [Check with this vendor if interested in their very COMPETITIVE price.]
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2017 Bogle Vineyards Chardonnay California
USA, California
Hand-harvested from vyds in Clarksburg, Monterey, & San Luis Obispo; "Whole cluster pressed, 1/2 of the grapes going directly into s/s tanks, the other 1/2 being fermented in new AM oak, where it ages on the lees for 9 mos, with monthly stirring. The finished wine is blended together just before bottling." 13.5% ABV, 0.66g/100ml T.A., & 3.51 pH; Released 6/15/18;
N: Butter/vanilla with undertones of tropical frt?
P: MF body; RNDISH enty with NICE, ALMOST swtish oak/frt (approaching threshold R.S.) properly offset by an acidity which keeps things in check into & through the LONG, tangy/swt finish with a (currently) burgeoning very, VERY slight bitterness. For now & (guessing) through Winter '20 -- 'fore bitterness potentially gains the upper hand. My VG+/EXC-, the higher for QPR in the style. 88 pts Beverage Testing Institute, & "Best of Class" @ $10 in the "Barrel Fermented" class of the '19 S.F. Chronicle Wine Comp. [Check with this vendor if interested in their very COMPETITIVE price.]
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2015 E. Guigal Côtes du Rhône
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône
50% Syrah, 40% Grenache, & 10% Mourvèdre from vines ave 35 yrs of age, planted in "varied soils, sediment, limestone, granite, pebbles, & alluvia," with an ave yield of 40 hl/ha; "Traditional winemaking methods, temp controlled fermentation. Long soaking on the skins. Aged 1½ years in oak foudres." 333,000 cases made.
N: MF body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by some astringent pucker which QUITE resolves by the LONG, balanced, ult tangy/swt finish to the fairly innocuous, dusty tannins. For now & through '22, + may still improve through '19. NICELY done! 14.0% ABV; My EXC-, arguably more considering the QPR for *such* a SUBSTANTIVE wine! [This vendor's $12.95 puts it in the TOP 10% of wine-searcher's MASSIVE field!] 91 pts WA (Czerwinski), 90 ea Dunnuck, Vinous (Raynolds), & WE with "Best Buy" @ $15, 89 ea Suckling & winealign.com , 88 WS, and 16.5+/20 Jancis Robinson!
Note: 2 of the "Pro" reviewers above infer that this vintage has > the "standard" 50% Syrah the winery claims, one mentioning that exceeded the "theoretical" limit. Checking www.rhone-wines.com , THE critical stat for CdRs (as of 1996) is that they have at least 40% Grenache. So, IF Guigal increased their typical level of Syrah by reducing the Mourvèdre... ;)
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2017 Herencia Altes Garnatxa Negra Terra Alta
Spain, Catalunya, Tarragona, Terra Alta
100% Grenache from "Batea, Gandesa, Corbera, & Bot. All vines have a min age of 12 yrs & are mostly bush vines on calcareous soils with sand & clay content." 14.5% ABV & 0.43 g/l R.S.
N: FRAGRANTLY RIPE berries (blk rasps?) with notes of flowers
P: LM, poss Med, body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by just a BIT of astringent pucker which, surprisingly, pretty much remains through the bulk of the LONG, ULT pleasant finish with a tangy/SWTNESS (& hints of raisins?) to the unoffensive, DUSTY tannins. Approachable now, but DESERVES a yr or so, then into, poss through, '23? My EXC-, & one COULD make an argument for more based upon the QPR of this vendor's $8.95, which puts it @ the head of wine-searcher's currently limited class. 90 pts Vinous (Raynolds, 4/'19)
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2016 Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles
USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
95% C.S., 3% Merlot, & 2% P.S. harvested 10/11-15/16; “Barreled down after primary fermentation into 10% new AM & FR oak for 17 mos;” 13.5% ABV, 0.62 g/L T.A., & 3.87 pH; 65,000 cases produced.
N: RIPE, likely JAMMY, berries with distinct notes of pyrazines
P: Med body; RNDISH entry with nice, ALMOST swtish frt (suspect threshold R.S.) met by but a SMIDGIN of astringent pucker which fairly seamlessly transitions into a LONG, finish with an intensely tangy/SWTNESS to the dusty tannins. A threshold R.S. style that some might want to cellar 6-12 mos for the (to me, unoffensive) tannins to resolve. Otherwise, for now & through '21 (safely). NICELY done for such a style, & neither are we being asked to pay an arm & a leg for it. My EXC-; 89 pts & "Editors’ Choice" WE @ $16, 4/5* from spiritofwine.blogspot.com , & Silver from '19 S.F. Chronicle Comp @ $17.99. [Check with this vendor if interested in their very COMPETITIVE price.]
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