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 past week included one of the wine world’s most consistent values, the Soave Classico from Pieropan, which is perhaps one of the best $20 white wines anywhere in the world, in my opinion. Raised on the volcanic soils of the Soave region, it has fruit, it has minerality, and it’s crisp and delicious.
You could say the same thing of Enfield Wine Company‘s Watson Ranch Chardonnay, which is a perfect bottle to give anyone who thinks they don’t like Napa Chardonnay. Of course most Chards in Napa aren’t picked for 12.7% alcohol, and therefore don’t have the nervy, saline, tastiness that this one does.
When was the last time you had Cabernet Sauvignon from the far western Sonoma Coast? That’s right. You never have. Want to blow your mind (and maybe have some scary thoughts about global warming)? Try Enfield’s Waterhorse Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon. Better yet, put it in a blind lineup with some Pomerol and see where your Bordeaux-loving friends end up. It’s remarkable, and will likely age beautifully.
Speaking of remarkable Cabernet Sauvignon, I’ve recently written about the glories of Cathy Corison’s Kronos Vineyard Cabernet, but she also makes several other bottlings, and this week I opened her 2021 Sunbasket Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, which is, predictably gorgeous. If you’re in the market for slightly spendy, ageworthy Napa Cab, this is one for you to check out.
The Italians sent me some wines this week as well, all of which suffer from heavy bottle syndrome in varying degrees, but all of which are worth drinking. The Masseria Li Veli Primitivo from Puglia has a typical Zinfandel character and a good dose of new oak. The Aia Vecchia Bordeaux-style blend from Bolgheri is a bit more refined and ageworthy, with very nice notes of dried herbs. And the La Valentina Bellovedere offers a nice berry and leather character that turns earthy in the best way.
We’ll finish this week with three selections from the folks at Yalumba in Australia’s Barossa Valley. Their Octavius Shiraz is their flagship old-vine bottling, and it’s good if you’re a lover of Australian Shiraz, but I find myself gravitating towards the cooler tones of their Cabernet blends, including the beautiful aged tones of their library release (which they call “Museum Release”) wine the Signature Cabernet-Shiraz. For fresher tones, you can’t beat their Menzies Cabernet from Coonawarra, which has just a hint of that mintiness that some (myself included) love from Australian Cabernet.
Notes on all these below.
Tasting Notes
2023 Pieropan Soave Classico, Veneto, Italy
Light greenish gold in the glass, this wine smells of struck match, green apple, lime zest, and guava. Bright guava and green apple flavors are juicy and faintly saline, with a nice silky texture and a hint of wet chalkboard minerality. Excellent acidity. 100% Garganega. 12% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $20. click to buy.
2022 Enfield Wine Co. “Watson Ranch” Chardonnay, Napa Valley, Napa, California
Pale gold in the glass, this wine smells of lemon pith and lemon zest. Lean and stony flavors of lemon peel, white flowers, wet chalkboard, and a hint of orange blossom are crisp and bright thanks to excellent acidity. 12.7% alcohol. 135 cases made. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $50. click to buy.
2022 Enfield Wine Co. “Waterhorse Ridge” Cabernet Sauvignon, Fort Ross-Seaview, Sonoma, California
Dark garnet in the glass with purple highlights, this wine smells of black cherry, blackcurrant, and flowers. Surprisingly floral, with blackcurrant, black cherry, violet, and plum flavors. A tangy plum skin brightness melds nicely with flavors of oak. Very fine tannins hang…
Source : https://www.vinography.com/2024/12/vinography-unboxed-week-of-12-15-24
