From foraged grapes (right?!): Pariano, Serfiotiko, Roditis, Kouforogo. Mildly funky with a little bit of those skin-contact flavours. Good acidity, but the interesting thing is the bitterness here that seems to work quite nicely.
My first retsina. Yep, the expected pine resin is there. Seems to add complexity than anything else, since the wine otherwise seems fairly neutral. It's a light touch and is kind of interesting. Nonetheless not my cup of tea.
Apparently this grape got a shout out from Homer himself. Spicy and peppery with a nice touch of acidity. Fairly lean, with some cabernet franc pyrazine, but a lot lighter as far as intensity is concerned.
Very savory, with a nice hint of saline. Not complex, with some citrus tones and really nice freshness and acidity. Another pleasant easy-drinking wine.
Very solid Oregon pinot noir -- definitely shows some of the perfumed red fruit character of Oregon, but generally a very delicate wine with some pleasant acidity and structure.
Outstanding complexity and depth. Could easily put this up with red Burgundies at the same price point. Pure red fruit with a lovely perfume and delicacy. Wow.
Very nice aromatics here, with a good amount of complexity, especially for a rose. There's a meaty quality here that distinguishes this from the field.
A random assortment of grapes that survived a spring frost. Has a fair bit of cabernet character showing in some green pepper, but overall a wine with nice acidity and good depth. Fun to taste this sort of blend.
Definitely speaks well of the Macon. Has a nice spicy perfume here, and the palate is fairly ripe, with a nice overall power. Seems just a touch hot on the back end, perhaps a reflection of the vintage. Nonetheless delicious chardonnay.
As classic as it comes, with a slight bit of cigarette and some intense green bell peppers. Light red fruit, with a lower intensity, but fresh acidity.
Definitely a lot riper in body and heft. Black fruit, green pepper, and a touch of earth. Clean. I like the overall ripeness here; works well with the more vegetal character of the grape.
Definitely on the leaner side of the lineup, with the green pepper quite prominent here. Not as much intensity as the other wines, but fine to drink now.
A step up in intensity from the Domaine wine. The greenness is dialled back a little bit, with the fruit taking a more prominent role. Structured and relatively large-scale.
One of the outstanding wines of the day for me. Shows a lot of complexity and manages to strike a good balance between black fruit and green pepper. Love the touch of minerality and earthiness here as well.
Ripe and quite structured, with some good black fruit on the nose and palate. This doesn't have quite the amount of green and smoke as the 2017 Grande Vignolee.
Easy, approachable dry chenin with none of the heaviness that some of the bigger names have. Pineappley acids, with some other white gummy fruit candy flavours. Really nice acids too. Great stuff for the price.
Mildly funky, but without any off composty notes. Some well-defined apple flavours, with really tasty acidity. Dry, but with ample fruitiness so that it doesn't feel that way. I'm a fan.
Oddly peppery on the nose. Juicy with an interesting ripe fruit character on the black end of the spectrum. Not what I would expect from pinot, but not so weird this has lost its character either. Surprisingly tannic.
Probably my favourite of the lineup. Odd nose that seems to have a bit of watermelon alongside the black fruit and black pepper. Really tannic, but with nice acidity to cut through.
There's some nice black fruit character in this wine overall, but it's the nose that I just can't get past -- shows up pretty stinky with a little bit of a farty quality to it. Comes off a little natty as well.
France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Vin de Pays Nantais
Not sure if this is the right wine, but the note should be for the entry level wine -- my own notes say "La Grange". This is fantastic for the price -- ripe and juicy pineapple, plenty of acidity, just quaffably delicious.
France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine
No mention of whether this was the Sur Lie or not, though my notes indicate it wasn't, nor do I make any mention of leesy characteristics in my notes. More intense and mineral than the estate 2017. Comes off with a little less exuberant fruit, but with more mineral structure. Again, brilliant for the price.
France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine sur lie
This is generally a little rounder than the other wines, and there's a mildness here that actually balances the acidity quite nicely. Another fantastic wine for the price.
Simultaneously savory and bubblegummy. Fresh and juicy, with some notes of gummy bears. Really pleasant and easy-going -- I liked this a little more than the GV version.
Stony. How appropriate. This has the white peppercorn/green pepper aromas of the grape, but also some pleasant florals. I like the overall sense of minerality here.
My favourite of the lineup, this has some of those spicy riesling notes, along with some pretty white fruit. The fruit on the palate fools you into thinking this is just a hint of sweet. Good stuff.
Definitely shows a bit of that skin-contact character. Juicy, fresh, and quaffable, but a little hint of bitterness on the back end adds some complexity overall.
Such a pure expression of Oregon. Beautiful strawberry tones here. Not sweet, but so fruity, light, and drinkable. Easily punches above its price point. A very crystalline expression of the grape.
I liked this a hint less than the Mirabai, because I found a mild touch of greenness here. Nonetheless, beautiful red fruit and delicate, with such a pretty perfume.
A big step up from the others (which is really saying something). There's a mild hint of green, but it seems to add more complexity here. It's outstanding purity and red fruit -- so true to place and grape, and such an honest expression. Love this.
Wow. To steal a phrase from JLL, this is classic soil-to-glass transfer. So much perfumed complexity, juicy and light, with maddeningly pretty strawberry tones. Delicate but complex -- easily cements in my mind that this lineup was one of the best of the tasting.
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Van Duzer Corridor
Slightly reductive. Really good ripeness and acidity here -- apparently this isn't the Dijon clone that loses acidity quickly with ripeness. Really nice citric tones here. Drinks as well as many bourgogne blancs, if not better.
Generally, I think I had some trouble with this grape over the course of the tasting. Seems fairly neutral, with some odd watermelon flavours; this was no exception. A bit of chalkiness as well as a hint of sweetness and bitterness.
This retains a bit of the earthy qualities of pinot. It's a bit savory and almost has a saline element on the palate as well. A fairly subdued red fruit profile.
Probably one of the best values overall at today's tasting. The quality level here is really high, easily at Burgundy villages level. Light red fruit, but savory and really nice acidic elements. The fruit speaks very well of Oregon.
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Van Duzer Corridor
For my palate, this was a bit of a miss. Lots of spiciness, but light and a bit simple. A nice mix of red and black fruit, but not really up to the level of the nobler grapes.
Fun name. Juicy and ripe, with more sweetness than I would expect from chardonnay. I'm missing a bit of the cut, but this is simple and pleasantly delicious.
Definitely a bit of those skin-contact flavours that I am not generally a fan of. But nice acidity, and more to the point, none of the unpleasant green flavours, though there's a bit of kiwi.
Forgot to notate the blend. My notes say "Red Wine". Just a simple, easygoing red wine, with a nice juiciness. Nothing super complex, but nice bistro-style deliciousness.
This has a mild peppery note, with ripe black fruit. As I remarked, there was just a little something here that triggered the Allemand receptors in my brain. Polished ripe fruit and generally pretty nice intensity.
For such an entry wine to have so much depth and tannic intensity is really impressive. Classic dried herb notes, but juicy red fruit to balance it. A slight bit of reduction on the nose.
Unmistakably Tuscan with the red fruit and dried herbs. More intense than the Pettirosso, both in terms of fruit and tannin. A very straightforward expression of the grape.
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
Outstanding intensity and power here, the herbs and red fruit are out in full force, with a touch of reduction and a nice dusty element on the initial whiff. It's hard to enjoy this wine in the setting, but with a little meat, I've no doubt this would be an outstanding wine. One of my winners today.
Way better than any of the crap that Nicolas Joly tries to pass off as wine (the shade thrown is due to the story behind the name of this). Given the appellation, this is always going to be a little big and waxy, but there's a really awesome peachy tone here, as well as a surprising amount of cut on the back end.
Ripe and big, no secret there. Lots of complexity on the palate, with some notes of tart apples (not something you find in this appellation all the time). Good intensity, with low, but I would say sufficient acids. Never been much a fan of the appellation, but these two Domaine du Closel wines were great.
A collaboration between Matty Colston and Day Wines. To be honest, it's not my preferred style of wine, but I can easily see the goals here. Barrel sample. A bit of pepper on the nose, but juicy red fruit and overall a real quaffable beverage. Nice acid to keep this fresh as well. A slight bit of fizz, too.
If I can read my scrawl, this is a white Rhone-style blend. Never liked the original ones from France, not a big fan of this either. Honey and florals again, but blowsy and a bit heavy and waxy on the palate.
A very classic Oregon pinot that has that perfumed red fruit with just a hint of earth. A little sweet from the fruit, but it seems to be balanced nicely with the acid. Easy drinking, but it's obvious there's more potential here.
Fun stuff, definitely shows a bit of the cabernet franc character from the green peppers and pyrazine. Juicy, but also some dusty elements that are more of the old world. Plenty of tannin.
2013 Domaine Jorel Vin de France La Garrigue
France, Vin de France
Like sherry, with savory and saline notes. Very mildly sweet, but a pleasant nutty quality as well.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
NV Espodol Vi Ranci "Solera Començat el 1950"
Spain, Catalunya, Pla de Bages
Again very savory, but more intense and rich. Lots of rancio and a lovely potent nutty quality.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
NV Vial Magneres Vin de Pays de la Côte Vermeille Tresmontain "Puits aux Souhaits"
France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Vin de Pays de la Côte Vermeille
Heady and a bit alcoholic in comparison to the rest of the lineup. But lifted and a nice sweet dried fruit quality.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
NV Domaine de Sau Rancio Sec
France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Côtes Catalanes
Really meaty and funky, with a bit of barnyard. Lots of nuts and some slight orange peel quality. Fairly dry.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
NV Domaine Puig Parahÿ Côtes Catalanes Pryor
France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Côtes Catalanes
Quite dry, and a slight bit of funk (less than the Sau). Nice salinity and a touch of rancio.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
NV Espodol Garnatxa d'Empordà "Solera Començat el 1950"
Spain, Catalunya, Empordà
Really rich with sweet with nice orange peel quality. Thick, with a little bit of caramel as well.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2017 Kontozisis Organic Vineyards Assyrtiko A-Grafo
Greece, Thessaly, Karditsa
Mild skin-contact floral notes, with some overall nice intensity. Somewhat dominant hint of peaches, and generally good acidity.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2017 Xydakis Microwinery Xeronomia
Greece, Aegean, Cyclades, Mykonos
From foraged grapes (right?!): Pariano, Serfiotiko, Roditis, Kouforogo. Mildly funky with a little bit of those skin-contact flavours. Good acidity, but the interesting thing is the bitterness here that seems to work quite nicely.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2017 Georgas Family Savatiano Retsina Black Label
Greece, Continental Greece, Attica
My first retsina. Yep, the expected pine resin is there. Seems to add complexity than anything else, since the wine otherwise seems fairly neutral. It's a light touch and is kind of interesting. Nonetheless not my cup of tea.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2018 Papras Bio Wines Roditis Pleiades
Greece, Thessaly, Tirnavos
Lots of peppery quality, and a bit of pyrazine as well. Comes off a touch astringent.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2017 Garalis Limnio
Greece, Aegean, Lemnos
Apparently this grape got a shout out from Homer himself. Spicy and peppery with a nice touch of acidity. Fairly lean, with some cabernet franc pyrazine, but a lot lighter as far as intensity is concerned.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2009 Vaimaki Family Xinomavro Mater Natura 4
Greece, Macedonia, Amyndaio
Shows much older than I would have guessed -- has a bit of a nose that reminds me of 60s or 70s Barolo. Has that right tannic structure too.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
NV Christoph Hoch kalkspitz
Austria
Lots of acid. Fresh and bright, and being a multivintage blend, this has a little more heft and depth than most. Quite nice.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
NV Christoph Hoch Grüner Veltliner Hollenburger
Austria, Niederösterreich, Kremstal
A touch of green pepper on the nose, with also some tart white fruit (a la pineapple). Fresh and tasty.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2018 Christoph Hoch Zweigelt Rosé
Austria, Niederösterreich
Made in a super juicy, light style. Very approachable and pleasant, with lots of brightness. Easy-drinking, good stuff.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2016 Michael Gindl Grüner Veltliner little Buteo
Austria, Niederösterreich, Weinviertel
Very savory, with a nice hint of saline. Not complex, with some citrus tones and really nice freshness and acidity. Another pleasant easy-drinking wine.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
NV Michael Gindl White Bessi
Austria, Niederösterreich, Weinviertel
Spicy and quite herbal and herbaceous. Generous amounts of acid and for my taste just a little bit lean.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2017 Patricia Green Cellars Muskat Ottonel 'Marie' Skin Contact
USA, Oregon
Not a huge fan of this -- the floral skin contact flavours come out in too strong a force. Simple with some pleasant acidity.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2017 Patricia Green Cellars Pinot Noir Balcombe Vineyard Dundee Hills
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills
Very solid Oregon pinot noir -- definitely shows some of the perfumed red fruit character of Oregon, but generally a very delicate wine with some pleasant acidity and structure.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2017 Patricia Green Cellars Pinot Noir Old Vine Estate Vineyard
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Ribbon Ridge
More intense and complex than the Balcombe (to my palate), with the fruit showing even more red and pure. The structure here is still young and taut.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2017 Patricia Green Cellars Pinot Noir Coury Clone Hyland Vineyard
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, McMinnville
Outstanding complexity and depth. Could easily put this up with red Burgundies at the same price point. Pure red fruit with a lovely perfume and delicacy. Wow.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2016 Clos Saron Carte Blanche
USA, California, Sierra Foothills
Really perfumed, but with more acidity than I would have expected from the nose. I like the apricot tones on the palate here as well.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2015 Clos Saron Tickled Pink
USA, California, Sierra Foothills
Very nice aromatics here, with a good amount of complexity, especially for a rose. There's a meaty quality here that distinguishes this from the field.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2016 Clos Saron Carignan The Pleasant Peasant
USA, California
Slightly fizzy still. Lots of dust and tannin, but balanced with good acidity. Very structural.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2014 Clos Saron Pinot Noir Home Vineyard
USA, California, Sierra Foothills
Shows a mild bit of earthiness, but also with some really pleasant red fruit. Fairly ripe, with some nice complexity.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2014 Clos Saron Syrah Stone Soup
USA, California, Sierra Foothills
Black fruit, with something that evokes sandiness on the palate. The syrah perfume is somewhat muted here, but there's good depth on the palate.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2010 Clos Saron Spring Frost
USA, California, Sierra Foothills
A random assortment of grapes that survived a spring frost. Has a fair bit of cabernet character showing in some green pepper, but overall a wine with nice acidity and good depth. Fun to taste this sort of blend.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2017 Jean Manciat Mâcon-Charnay Franclieu
France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, Mâcon-Charnay
Definitely speaks well of the Macon. Has a nice spicy perfume here, and the palate is fairly ripe, with a nice overall power. Seems just a touch hot on the back end, perhaps a reflection of the vintage. Nonetheless delicious chardonnay.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2018 Beckham Estate Vineyard Blanc
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Field blend of German/Alsatian grapes. The brightness of the riesling shows here, and there's a nice clayey quality as well. Quite tasty.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2018 Beckham Estate Vineyard A.D. Beckham Amphora 50/50 Rouge
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Chehalem Mountains
Half pinot noir and half pinot gris. "Amphora sample." Fresh and spicy with lots of perfume.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2016 Beckham Estate Vineyard Pinot Gris A.D. Beckham Amphora
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Chehalem Mountains
Nice freshness with a touch of floral perfume on the nose. Seems to have a little bit of meat and blood on the back end as well.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
NV Catherine et Pierre Breton Vouvray Pétillant La Dilettante
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray Pétillant
Super easy and pleasant. Slight bubblegum, some pineapple, good amount of fizz and general zippiness. Fresh and bright.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2017 Catherine et Pierre Breton Sauvignon Aussi Sec
France, Loire Valley
Shows a bit of that cat-pee sauvignon character. More lean and peppery than I like; kind of like a vinous arugula or something like that.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2016 Catherine et Pierre Breton Chinon Beaumont
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
As classic as it comes, with a slight bit of cigarette and some intense green bell peppers. Light red fruit, with a lower intensity, but fresh acidity.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2015 Catherine et Pierre Breton Bourgueil Clos Sénéchal
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Bourgueil
Definitely a lot riper in body and heft. Black fruit, green pepper, and a touch of earth. Clean. I like the overall ripeness here; works well with the more vegetal character of the grape.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2016 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Le Domaine
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
Definitely on the leaner side of the lineup, with the green pepper quite prominent here. Not as much intensity as the other wines, but fine to drink now.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2016 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Les Grézeaux
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
A step up in intensity from the Domaine wine. The greenness is dialled back a little bit, with the fruit taking a more prominent role. Structured and relatively large-scale.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2014 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon La Croix Boissée
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
One of the outstanding wines of the day for me. Shows a lot of complexity and manages to strike a good balance between black fruit and green pepper. Love the touch of minerality and earthiness here as well.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2016 Domaine Filliatreau Saumur Rouge Château Fouquet
France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur
Ripe and quite structured, with some good black fruit on the nose and palate. This doesn't have quite the amount of green and smoke as the 2017 Grande Vignolee.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2017 Domaine Filliatreau Saumur-Champigny La Grande Vignolle
France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny
Intense pepper and smoke, with a bit of a cigarette ashy character. Ripe and potent; I preferred the 2016 Fouquet a little more.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2017 Domaine Filliatreau Saumur Blanc Château Fouquet
France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur
Easy, approachable dry chenin with none of the heaviness that some of the bigger names have. Pineappley acids, with some other white gummy fruit candy flavours. Really nice acids too. Great stuff for the price.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
NV Smockshop Band Floreal Cider II, America
USA, Oregon, Hood River County
Mildly funky, but without any off composty notes. Some well-defined apple flavours, with really tasty acidity. Dry, but with ample fruitiness so that it doesn't feel that way. I'm a fan.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2018 Smockshop Band Spring Ephemeral Rosé
USA, Oregon, Hood River County
Peppery, with a nice bit of juicy sweetness as well. Finishes a little tart, but overall quite nice.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2018 Smockshop Band Pinot Noir Spring Ephemeral
USA, Oregon/Washington, Columbia Gorge
Oddly peppery on the nose. Juicy with an interesting ripe fruit character on the black end of the spectrum. Not what I would expect from pinot, but not so weird this has lost its character either. Surprisingly tannic.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2017 Smockshop Band Zinfandel Spring Ephemeral
USA, Oregon, Hood River County
Probably my favourite of the lineup. Odd nose that seems to have a bit of watermelon alongside the black fruit and black pepper. Really tannic, but with nice acidity to cut through.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
NV Hiyu The May
USA, Oregon/Washington, Columbia Gorge
Smells a bit farty and dirty. "Farm forward," to appropriate a term. Tough to drink.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2015 Smockshop Band Lunasa
USA, Oregon, Columbia Valley
There's some nice black fruit character in this wine overall, but it's the nose that I just can't get past -- shows up pretty stinky with a little bit of a farty quality to it. Comes off a little natty as well.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2017 Domaine Luneau-Papin
France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Vin de Pays Nantais
Not sure if this is the right wine, but the note should be for the entry level wine -- my own notes say "La Grange". This is fantastic for the price -- ripe and juicy pineapple, plenty of acidity, just quaffably delicious.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2016 Domaine Luneau-Papin Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine "L" d’Or Granite
France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine
No mention of whether this was the Sur Lie or not, though my notes indicate it wasn't, nor do I make any mention of leesy characteristics in my notes. More intense and mineral than the estate 2017. Comes off with a little less exuberant fruit, but with more mineral structure. Again, brilliant for the price.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2016 Domaine Luneau-Papin Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine sur lie Clos des Allées
France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine sur lie
This is generally a little rounder than the other wines, and there's a mildness here that actually balances the acidity quite nicely. Another fantastic wine for the price.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2018 Jurtschitsch Grüner Veltliner Belle Naturelle
Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal
Despite being a pet nat (?), there's still that peppery quality of GV here. A little bit of the hand-soapy thing going on that I'm not a huge fan of.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2018 Jurtschitsch Belle Naturelle
Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal
Simultaneously savory and bubblegummy. Fresh and juicy, with some notes of gummy bears. Really pleasant and easy-going -- I liked this a little more than the GV version.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2013 Jurtschitsch Gemischter Satz
Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal
Bubblegummy, but just a fun and floral wine with a touch of sweetness.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2017 Jurtschitsch Grüner Veltliner Stein
Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal
Stony. How appropriate. This has the white peppercorn/green pepper aromas of the grape, but also some pleasant florals. I like the overall sense of minerality here.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2017 Jurtschitsch Grüner Veltliner Loiserberg
Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal
Compared to the entry-level Stein, this is more savory, with more mineral intensity, but also still is very true to the grape with the peppery notes.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2017 Jurtschitsch Riesling Zöbinger Heiligenstein
Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal
My favourite of the lineup, this has some of those spicy riesling notes, along with some pretty white fruit. The fruit on the palate fools you into thinking this is just a hint of sweet. Good stuff.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2017 Kelley Fox Wines Pinot Gris Rosé Maresh Vineyard
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills
Definitely shows a bit of that skin-contact character. Juicy, fresh, and quaffable, but a little hint of bitterness on the back end adds some complexity overall.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2017 Kelley Fox Wines Pinot Noir Mirabai
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills
Such a pure expression of Oregon. Beautiful strawberry tones here. Not sweet, but so fruity, light, and drinkable. Easily punches above its price point. A very crystalline expression of the grape.
Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2017 Kelley Fox Wines Pinot Noir Ahurani
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, McMinnville
I liked this a hint less than the Mirabai, because I found a mild touch of greenness here. Nonetheless, beautiful red fruit and delicate, with such a pretty perfume.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2016 Kelley Fox Wines Pinot Noir Momtazi Vineyard
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, McMinnville
A big step up from the others (which is really saying something). There's a mild hint of green, but it seems to add more complexity here. It's outstanding purity and red fruit -- so true to place and grape, and such an honest expression. Love this.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2017 Kelley Fox Wines Pinot Noir Coury Clone Hyland Vineyard
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, McMinnville
Wow. To steal a phrase from JLL, this is classic soil-to-glass transfer. So much perfumed complexity, juicy and light, with maddeningly pretty strawberry tones. Delicate but complex -- easily cements in my mind that this lineup was one of the best of the tasting.
Post a Comment / 3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2016 Johan Vineyards Grüner Veltliner
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Van Duzer Corridor
This doesn't show as much of the peppery tones as the Austrian versions do, and there's a little more fruity sweetness here. Very tasty and zippy.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2016 Johan Vineyards Chardonnay Visdom
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Van Duzer Corridor
Slightly reductive. Really good ripeness and acidity here -- apparently this isn't the Dijon clone that loses acidity quickly with ripeness. Really nice citric tones here. Drinks as well as many bourgogne blancs, if not better.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2015 Johan Vineyards Pinot Gris Drueskall
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Generally, I think I had some trouble with this grape over the course of the tasting. Seems fairly neutral, with some odd watermelon flavours; this was no exception. A bit of chalkiness as well as a hint of sweetness and bitterness.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2017 Johan Vineyards Pinot Noir Pétillant Naturel
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
This retains a bit of the earthy qualities of pinot. It's a bit savory and almost has a saline element on the palate as well. A fairly subdued red fruit profile.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2015 Johan Vineyards Pinot Noir Estate
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Probably one of the best values overall at today's tasting. The quality level here is really high, easily at Burgundy villages level. Light red fruit, but savory and really nice acidic elements. The fruit speaks very well of Oregon.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2015 Johan Vineyards Blaufränkisch
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Van Duzer Corridor
For my palate, this was a bit of a miss. Lots of spiciness, but light and a bit simple. A nice mix of red and black fruit, but not really up to the level of the nobler grapes.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2017 Domaine des Pothiers Urfé Fou de Chene
France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Urfé
Fun name. Juicy and ripe, with more sweetness than I would expect from chardonnay. I'm missing a bit of the cut, but this is simple and pleasantly delicious.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2018 Minimus Wines Dolcetto Pétillant Naturel Jubilee Vineyard
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola - Amity Hills
An obvious crowdpleaser of a wine (myself included). Touch of sweetness, light, and reminscent of bubbly grape juice. Super fun stuff. Love it.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2017 Minimus Wines Sauvignon Blanc Amphorae
USA, Oregon
Definitely a bit of those skin-contact flavours that I am not generally a fan of. But nice acidity, and more to the point, none of the unpleasant green flavours, though there's a bit of kiwi.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2017 Minimus Wines Vermentino
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Slightly funky but on the palate definitely a little more clean and with plenty of really nice acidity. A slight bitterness on the back end.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2017 Minimus Wines Red Wine
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Forgot to notate the blend. My notes say "Red Wine". Just a simple, easygoing red wine, with a nice juiciness. Nothing super complex, but nice bistro-style deliciousness.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2017 Minimus Wines Syrah SM3
USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Applegate Valley
This has a mild peppery note, with ripe black fruit. As I remarked, there was just a little something here that triggered the Allemand receptors in my brain. Polished ripe fruit and generally pretty nice intensity.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2017 Campi di Fonterenza Sangiovese Pettirosso Toscana IGT
Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
For such an entry wine to have so much depth and tannic intensity is really impressive. Classic dried herb notes, but juicy red fruit to balance it. A slight bit of reduction on the nose.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2014 Campi di Fonterenza Rosso di Montalcino
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino
Unmistakably Tuscan with the red fruit and dried herbs. More intense than the Pettirosso, both in terms of fruit and tannin. A very straightforward expression of the grape.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2012 Campi di Fonterenza Brunello di Montalcino
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
Outstanding intensity and power here, the herbs and red fruit are out in full force, with a touch of reduction and a nice dusty element on the initial whiff. It's hard to enjoy this wine in the setting, but with a little meat, I've no doubt this would be an outstanding wine. One of my winners today.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2015 Domaine du Closel-Château des Vaults Savennières La Jalousie
France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières
Way better than any of the crap that Nicolas Joly tries to pass off as wine (the shade thrown is due to the story behind the name of this). Given the appellation, this is always going to be a little big and waxy, but there's a really awesome peachy tone here, as well as a surprising amount of cut on the back end.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2016 Domaine du Closel-Château des Vaults Savennières Clos du Papillon
France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières
Ripe and big, no secret there. Lots of complexity on the palate, with some notes of tart apples (not something you find in this appellation all the time). Good intensity, with low, but I would say sufficient acids. Never been much a fan of the appellation, but these two Domaine du Closel wines were great.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2018 Biblio Rosé Momtazi Vineyard
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, McMinnville
A collaboration between Matty Colston and Day Wines. To be honest, it's not my preferred style of wine, but I can easily see the goals here. Barrel sample. A bit of pepper on the nose, but juicy red fruit and overall a real quaffable beverage. Nice acid to keep this fresh as well. A slight bit of fizz, too.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2018 Day Wines Mamacita Pétillante Naturale
USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Applegate Valley
Fun stuff. Touch of honey and floral notes on the nose, but good acid. Easy to drink, but definitely not a super complex wine.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2016 Day Wines Queen D
USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Applegate Valley
If I can read my scrawl, this is a white Rhone-style blend. Never liked the original ones from France, not a big fan of this either. Honey and florals again, but blowsy and a bit heavy and waxy on the palate.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2017 Day Wines Tears of Vulcan
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Slightly peppery quality, with a slight bit of that skin contact thing going on here. Floral with ripe fruit. Feels a little bit heady.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2015 Day Wines Pinot Noir Johan Vineyard
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Savory and light, with a nice earthy tone to balance the red fruit. Almost a bit chalky with a very slight candied element here.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2016 Day Wines Pinot Noir Momtazi Vineyard
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, McMinnville
A very classic Oregon pinot that has that perfumed red fruit with just a hint of earth. A little sweet from the fruit, but it seems to be balanced nicely with the acid. Easy drinking, but it's obvious there's more potential here.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2015 Day Wines Running Bare Mae's Vineyard
USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Applegate Valley
Fun stuff, definitely shows a bit of the cabernet franc character from the green peppers and pyrazine. Juicy, but also some dusty elements that are more of the old world. Plenty of tannin.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue