A world blend from Michel Rolland: Pangea. Credit: Pangea Wine. When the very first vintage blend was finalised for Pangaea – a wine not of any singular terroir, region, or varietal expression but one that is a true global red blend – its founders paused and reflected on the magnitude of what they had created. Scroll down to see notes and …

I led the USA & Central America panel – including flights from Paso Robles. This was my first systematic exposure to the 16,600ha AVA sited almost exactly halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. I still remember the quality of their Cab tannins: ample, tender, melting. Mental bookmark in place, I resolved to visit as soon as I could. That …

The launch of the AMW map. In addition to AMW’s recently launched map and tightening of the source area for AMW-certified fruit, it has updated its yield requirements with a minimum sugar ripeness level for members, whose grapes – other than those destined for low-alcohol products – must now exceed 18 Brix at harvest. It has also appointed its first …

A fresh, well-balanced red, fragrant with mountain herb and violet notes, this version integrates creamy-edged, sculpted tannins with an expressive core of ripe mulberry and black plum fruit, plus accents of cocoa powder, white pepper and paprika. Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz and Sousão. Drink now through 2031. 10,980 cases made, 1,000 cases imported. Source : 8967900c6e18b861060281adbb0285d5

Floral and creamy, this light-bodied white offers a soft, fragrant mix of yellow apple and pear fruit, blanched almond and tangerine peel. Drink now. 7,500 cases made, 4,000 cases imported. Source : 73c2a63a6edd46d10866089f5febf427

Lester and Linda Schwartz met at the University of Cape Town (which my wife also attended) in the 1960s and later emigrated to the US where in 1994 they began planting their Fort Ross vineyard on Sonoma’s high coastal ridge overlooking the Pacific. Given where they come from, it’s only fitting that Chenin Blanc and Pinotage would be in the …

The owners of Carlisle, California’s leading producer of quality Zinfandels, will call it quits after the 2024 vintage, Wine Spectator has learned. Co-founders Mike and Kendall Officer informed their wine club members of their decision today. “It was a decision that was a long time in coming,” Mike Officer, 62, said. “Financially, Carlisle is doing wonderfully. It’s just the owners …

Politicians, wine writers, sommeliers and trade professionals from across Europe gathered to celebrate Croatia’s record medal haul at the 2024 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA). Tugomir Majdak, State Secretary for Agriculture, was among the dignitaries that gathered at the 5-star Kempinski Hotel Adriatic in Istria for the special event. Guests tasted the best wines from 40 different producers, who won 366 …

Hello and welcome to my weekly roundup of the wine stories that I find of interest on the web. I post them to my magazine on Flipboard, but for those of you who aren’t Flipboard-inclined, here’s everything I’ve strained out of the wine-related muck for the week. Credit Where It’s Due: The Unsung Heroes of the WineryThe people behind the scenes. …

Vineyards at dusk in Barossa Valley, Australia Barossa Shiraz 2022 overall vintage Rating: 4/5 A strong vintage with fruit of superb quality despite small yields. Winter rains nourished the vines, but frost, hail and wind events affected bunch sizes and reduced yields. Summer was cooler than usual; grapes ripened slowly and steadily in ideal conditions. The longer ripening period produced …

Among the big stories to emerge from the results of the 2024 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) was the rise of rosé. Wine drinkers are ‘drinking pink’, encouraged by the marketing clout and celebrity stardust of plush-pocketed rosé producers – and an uptick in quality. ‘It won’t surprise readers to know that our rosé wine entries grow with every year …

Floral, apple, lemon and light oak spice aromas and flavors are the features of this delicate white, which is harmonious and charming, with a firm backbone. Gathering intensity, this ends with a white pepper accent on the long aftertaste. Drink now through 2028. 150 cases made, 45 cases imported. Source : b2b1451ca33d775ac53243595bb5affd

Offers cherry and plum fruit framed by earth, mineral and wild herb flavors. Poised between elegance and power, this red is beautifully balanced. Dusty tannins support the fruit on the long finish. Best from 2026 through 2042. 26,000 cases made, 4,000 cases imported. Source : dc373c0b1ac09e556fe0c83c9f907d35

Sommer … | Manfred Hofmann | Flickr Uploaded on July 14, 2024 Taken on July 10, 2024

R. D. Barry has added a photo to the pool: California Vineyard Source : https://www.flickr.com/photos/rdb466/53790747588/in/pool-52609756@N00

new york | Diane Worland | Flickr Uploaded on July 15, 2024 Taken on April 26, 2024

Healdsburg scene | Kim | Flickr Uploaded on July 8, 2024 Taken on July 7, 2024

The post Wine Reviews: Mini Round-Up for July 15, 2024 appeared first on 1 Wine Dude. I taste a bunch-o-wine (technical term for more than most people). So each week, I share some of my wine reviews (mostly from samples) and tasting notes in a “mini-review” format. They are meant to be quirky, fun, and (mostly) easily-digestible reviews of (mostly) …

Château d’Armailhac. Credit: Alain Benoit/Deepix Numbers have power in wine. Chinese buyers are well known to have drunk deep of Bordeaux’s 2008 vintage when it was released in the spring of 2009. Eight is the luckiest number in China, linked to wealth and prosperity. Some estates played to the gallery. Château Lafite Rothschild engraved the Chinese character for eight on …

Abrie Beeslaar has been winemaker at the iconic Kanonkop Estate in Stellenbosch for 23 years. His achievements during this time included making South Africa’s first ever 100-point wine. He will be stepping back from Kanonkop in November to focus on his own label, Beeslaar Wines, which he founded with his wife in 2011.  ‘I’m leaving a great team behind at …