Hello and welcome to my weekly dig through the pile of wine samples that show up asking to be tasted. I’m pleased to bring you the latest installment of Vinography Unboxed, where I highlight some of the better bottles that have crossed my doorstep recently.
This week included a couple of nice wines from Uruguay. The first was a pretty and balanced Riesling from Bodega Los Cerros de San Juan in the Colonia region of the country. Nicely dry, but not austere, it offered a lot to like, though I think it might be hard to find here in the US. The Albariño by Familia Deicas should be slightly easier to find, and is very worth seeking out as it represents a classic varietal expression and is an excellent value to boot.
The folks up at Troon Vineyard in Oregon’s Applegate Valley offered their Druid’s White and the new Druid’s Pink wines for review this week. These are lower-priced, everyday drinking options from their certified biodynamic and regenerative organic vineyards. I preferred the white to the rosé but both wines are excellent values.
Dutton-Goldfield, now in their 25th vintage with snazzy new labels to prove it, continues to make excellent Pinot Noir from sites around California. Their Angel Camp Pinot from Anderson Valley showcases the beauty of that cool-climate region, while their Emerald Ridge Pinot from the Dutton Ranch is a bit richer in quality, but still nicely balanced.
There were a couple of Italian wines in the mix this week. The Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico was classic indeed with lovely earthy, herbal expressions of cherry and berries that deliver at a very high level for $25. Likewise the “Spelt” bottling of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo from La Valentina also offers (a bit richer) flavors tuned for most any meal for which you’d want a robust red wine.
Closer to home, I’ve got two really excellent expressions of the 2021 vintage in Napa. The first is the 8th version of Cabernet Franc made by Steve Matthiasson at Ashes & Diamonds winery. This is not your usual plush, jammy Napa Cabernet Franc. This is instead a stony, crunchy, floral, and wonderfully smooth expression of fruit and earth that manages to be both fruity and savory. In a similar restrained vein, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon from Smith-Madrone Vineyards on Spring Mountain offers a wonderfully juicy expression of mountainside Cabernet in a stellar vintage for an almost ridiculously low price in this day and age of $300 Napa wines.
Last but not least I’ve got a bottle of everything to share with you. Everything that is, that grows on the Jonata estate in Santa Barbara’s Ballard Canyon appellation. Their Todos bottling contains a blend of all 10 grape varieties they grow on the estate, harkening back to the early days of California’s “mixed-blacks” field blends. In their case, that means a lot of Syrah, a bit of Cabernet and Merlot, and then a whole bunch of other grape varieties.
Notes on all these below.
Tasting Notes
2023 Los Cerros de San Juan “Familie Lahusen” Riesling, Colonia, Uruguay
Light gold in the glass, this wine smells of lemon peel and orange peel. In the mouth, tangy tangerine and lemon peel flavors mix with a nice wet pavement minerality. Very good acidity and freshness. 1.6 g/l residual sugar makes for a totally dry expression, though not an austere one. Nicely done. 12.3% alcohol. Closed with a screwcap. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $??
2024 Familia Deicas “Atlantico Sur” Albariño, Uruguay
Pale greenish gold in the glass, this wine smells of lemon pith and lime zest. In the mouth, bright and chalky flavors of lemon and lime mix with a hint of grapefruit and a touch of salinity. Excellent acidity. Very tasty. Alcohol percentage missing from the label. Closed with a screwcap. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $20.
2023 Troon Vineyard “Druids White” White Blend, Applegate Valley, Southern Oregon, Oregon
Palest straw in the glass with a hint of green, this wine…
Source : https://www.vinography.com/2024/11/vinography-unboxed-week-of-10-27-24
