Rich yellow color. The aromas show deep, doughy, biscuity notes, with honey, almond cake, but also brighter notes of chalk, sea spray and honeysuckle. Nice depth on the palate, generous texture with some richness and sugar, but also brisk acidity, which keeps things in line well. Yellow apples, papaya, lime, with deep tones of bread dough, almond brittle, honeycomb, and elements of saline, crushed limestone and chalk. Quite a bit of depth and balance here. 2/3 Pinot, 1/3 Chardonnay, 12 g/l dosage, aged 5 years on the lees.
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Pale salmon color. Aromas of peaches, papaya, lime, with some verbena, mint, honeysuckle. Creamy texture on the palate, medium bodied, bright acidity. Chunky strawberry fruit, with white cherry, papaya, this is fruit-forward and fun, but also shows some spicy, herbal, floral tones. Well-done for the price. A blend of Pinot Noir, Grenache and Zinfandel.
Aromas of crisp red apples, raspberries and lemon, with white pepper, floral perfume, some cinnamon candies. Juicy cherry and strawberry appeal on the palate, with crisp acidity, and spritzy bubbles. Fun, fresh, with rhubarb, sea salt and sugarcane notes. Easy-drinking, crowd-pleasing stuff, this could be a big hit for summertime treks. Offers a lot more than other canned wines I’ve tasted. Carbonated Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Pale lemon color. Nose shows white peaches, guava, lime juice, with cut flower stems, white tea and verbena. Crisp acidity frames this full-bodied wine well, while punchy green melon and guava fruit abound. Notes of shaved lime, honeyed tea, some spice and herbal notes add some complexity. A pleasantly creamy, waxy texture, this is generous but balanced well.
Bright yellow color. Aromas of yellow apple, lemon curd, lime, with nougat, whipped butter, combining with chalk and hay elements. Creamy texture on the palate, meeting vibrant acidity, it has a lush feel but lovely balance. Bold flavor (yellow apple, lemon curd, key lime pie) but nuanced fruit, and it’s mixed with graham cracker, nougat, honey, but also some chalky, oyster shell notes. Another solid vintage of this perennially generous but balanced Chardonnay.
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Medium yellow color. Wow, what a pretty, inviting nose of yellow apples, kiwi and lemon curd, topped in vibrant, salty, floral, mineral complexity. Just a sniff made me salivate. The palate is plump but precise and focused with crisp fruit (yellow apple, lemon curd, white peach) and a host of racy, nuanced qualities like sea salt, river rocks, mineral water and crushed shells. Notes of almond skin and honey are woven in expertly. Not overdone at all, this is a wonderful Chardonnay for fans of more nuanced styles. I’d love to see this in five or six years. Aged nine months in 35% new French oak.
Deep ruby color. Aromas of candied cherries, juicy red plums, some smoky earth, green herbs and coffee notes. Full and smooth on the palate with surprising, pleasant acidity. Flavors of dark cherries and roasted fig show a jammy and ripe approach, but there are nuances of earth, violets, green herbs and light roast coffee blended in well. Fresh, fun, accessible, this is crowd-pleasing stuff that show some good balance and depth. Includes 6% Merlot, aged 18 months in French oak.
Vibrant purple color. Inviting aromas of juicy plums, raspberries, candied black cherries, with lavender, cocoa, vanilla. Full-bodied, suave and velvety tannins, moderate acidity. Rich black cherries, raspberries and blueberries, tossed with violets, cocoa, mint, sweet pipe tobacco. Floral, coffee and vanilla elements linger on the finish. Complex and harmonious, this should open up nicely over the next few years.
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Vibrant purple color. Smells of sweet plums, blueberries and roasted figs, ripe and exotic, with clove, violets and coconut. Smooth and velvety on the palate, medium/low acidity, with suave blackberry, blueberry and roasted fig fruit. A good amount of smoky, vanilla, cedar and espresso tones, but they work. Ripe and forward, highly delicious. Aged 18 months in French oak.
Vibrant purple color. Smooth, dark black cherry and currants, plums, vibrant but deep fruit, with notes of coffee, cocoa, vanilla, clove and roasted chestnut. Bold texture on the palate, well-built tannins but velvety edges, and moderating acidity team up for a large but balanced wine. Roasted fig, dark plum and black currant fruit blend well with pencil lead, scorched earth, clove, along with cedar and dark chocolate shavings. Warm, inviting, suave, showing well out of the gates but this should improve well over the next five years. Includes some Malbec, Cab Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot, aged 20 months in 40% new oak.
Lively purple color. Gorgeous depth of aromas here, with deep, inviting plums, black cherries and cassis, along with warm mulling spices, violets, coffee and loamy soil. On the palate, this has lots of depth, but the tannins have rounded edges, and the wine is brightened with fresh acidity, and the mouthfeel is fantastic. Pure cassis, blueberry and black cherry fruit, which is mixed well with complex notes of violets, coffee grounds, mocha, anise, tobacco and toffee. I love the fresh, crunchy aspect of this wine despite its hedonism and depth. Year-in, year-out, this wine rocks, and 2016 is another example. A blend from some 11 vineyards, this is Cabernet with 11% Merlot, aged 20 months in 93% new French oak.
2011 Gloria Ferrer Anniversary Cuvée 90 Points
USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros
Rich yellow color. The aromas show deep, doughy, biscuity notes, with honey, almond cake, but also brighter notes of chalk, sea spray and honeysuckle. Nice depth on the palate, generous texture with some richness and sugar, but also brisk acidity, which keeps things in line well. Yellow apples, papaya, lime, with deep tones of bread dough, almond brittle, honeycomb, and elements of saline, crushed limestone and chalk. Quite a bit of depth and balance here. 2/3 Pinot, 1/3 Chardonnay, 12 g/l dosage, aged 5 years on the lees.
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2019 Raeburn Rosé 86 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Pale salmon color. Aromas of peaches, papaya, lime, with some verbena, mint, honeysuckle. Creamy texture on the palate, medium bodied, bright acidity. Chunky strawberry fruit, with white cherry, papaya, this is fruit-forward and fun, but also shows some spicy, herbal, floral tones. Well-done for the price. A blend of Pinot Noir, Grenache and Zinfandel.
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NV A to Z Wineworks Bubbles Oregon 85 Points
USA, Oregon
Aromas of crisp red apples, raspberries and lemon, with white pepper, floral perfume, some cinnamon candies. Juicy cherry and strawberry appeal on the palate, with crisp acidity, and spritzy bubbles. Fun, fresh, with rhubarb, sea salt and sugarcane notes. Easy-drinking, crowd-pleasing stuff, this could be a big hit for summertime treks. Offers a lot more than other canned wines I’ve tasted. Carbonated Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
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2018 Castello di Amorosa Pinot Grigio 87 Points
USA, California, North Coast
Pale lemon color. Nose shows white peaches, guava, lime juice, with cut flower stems, white tea and verbena. Crisp acidity frames this full-bodied wine well, while punchy green melon and guava fruit abound. Notes of shaved lime, honeyed tea, some spice and herbal notes add some complexity. A pleasantly creamy, waxy texture, this is generous but balanced well.
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2018 Frank Family Vineyards Chardonnay Carneros 90 Points
USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros
Bright yellow color. Aromas of yellow apple, lemon curd, lime, with nougat, whipped butter, combining with chalk and hay elements. Creamy texture on the palate, meeting vibrant acidity, it has a lush feel but lovely balance. Bold flavor (yellow apple, lemon curd, key lime pie) but nuanced fruit, and it’s mixed with graham cracker, nougat, honey, but also some chalky, oyster shell notes. Another solid vintage of this perennially generous but balanced Chardonnay.
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2017 Gary Farrell Chardonnay Olivet Lane Vineyard 92 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Medium yellow color. Wow, what a pretty, inviting nose of yellow apples, kiwi and lemon curd, topped in vibrant, salty, floral, mineral complexity. Just a sniff made me salivate. The palate is plump but precise and focused with crisp fruit (yellow apple, lemon curd, white peach) and a host of racy, nuanced qualities like sea salt, river rocks, mineral water and crushed shells. Notes of almond skin and honey are woven in expertly. Not overdone at all, this is a wonderful Chardonnay for fans of more nuanced styles. I’d love to see this in five or six years. Aged nine months in 35% new French oak.
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2015 Castello di Amorosa Sangiovese 88 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Deep ruby color. Aromas of candied cherries, juicy red plums, some smoky earth, green herbs and coffee notes. Full and smooth on the palate with surprising, pleasant acidity. Flavors of dark cherries and roasted fig show a jammy and ripe approach, but there are nuances of earth, violets, green herbs and light roast coffee blended in well. Fresh, fun, accessible, this is crowd-pleasing stuff that show some good balance and depth. Includes 6% Merlot, aged 18 months in French oak.
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2017 Frank Family Vineyards Zinfandel 90 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Vibrant purple color. Inviting aromas of juicy plums, raspberries, candied black cherries, with lavender, cocoa, vanilla. Full-bodied, suave and velvety tannins, moderate acidity. Rich black cherries, raspberries and blueberries, tossed with violets, cocoa, mint, sweet pipe tobacco. Floral, coffee and vanilla elements linger on the finish. Complex and harmonious, this should open up nicely over the next few years.
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2017 Castello di Amorosa Zingaro 88 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Vibrant purple color. Smells of sweet plums, blueberries and roasted figs, ripe and exotic, with clove, violets and coconut. Smooth and velvety on the palate, medium/low acidity, with suave blackberry, blueberry and roasted fig fruit. A good amount of smoky, vanilla, cedar and espresso tones, but they work. Ripe and forward, highly delicious. Aged 18 months in French oak.
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2016 Gamble Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 91 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Vibrant purple color. Smooth, dark black cherry and currants, plums, vibrant but deep fruit, with notes of coffee, cocoa, vanilla, clove and roasted chestnut. Bold texture on the palate, well-built tannins but velvety edges, and moderating acidity team up for a large but balanced wine. Roasted fig, dark plum and black currant fruit blend well with pencil lead, scorched earth, clove, along with cedar and dark chocolate shavings. Warm, inviting, suave, showing well out of the gates but this should improve well over the next five years. Includes some Malbec, Cab Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot, aged 20 months in 40% new oak.
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2016 Cardinale 96 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Lively purple color. Gorgeous depth of aromas here, with deep, inviting plums, black cherries and cassis, along with warm mulling spices, violets, coffee and loamy soil. On the palate, this has lots of depth, but the tannins have rounded edges, and the wine is brightened with fresh acidity, and the mouthfeel is fantastic. Pure cassis, blueberry and black cherry fruit, which is mixed well with complex notes of violets, coffee grounds, mocha, anise, tobacco and toffee. I love the fresh, crunchy aspect of this wine despite its hedonism and depth. Year-in, year-out, this wine rocks, and 2016 is another example. A blend from some 11 vineyards, this is Cabernet with 11% Merlot, aged 20 months in 93% new French oak.
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