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Reviews

Quintessa Sauvignon Blanc Napa-Sonoma Counties Illumination 2023 $60 (95 points)

An extraordinary white, with details of beeswax, honeysuckle and lanolin giving way to succulent white peach, nectarine and lemon curd flavors on a plush, juicy frame. Shows details of marmalade and candied ginger, with hints of litsea oil and lemon balm that linger on the long, expressive finish. Drink now through 2035. 5,000 cases made. Source : ba56ba010ec88de7db774570cc4fbb90

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Lavau Côtes du Rhône Koudiat 2023 $18 (90 points)

There’s appealing lightness to this silky red, despite the ripeness. Unadorned cherry and red licorice notes cruise alongside dusty earth, mulling spices and graphite. Cool stone minerality and grilled apple wood smoke mark the finish, gently guided by sculpted red tea tannins. Grenache and Syrah. Drink now. 10,000 cases made, 3,000 cases imported. Source : 89461a6cd4dcaa249dc647a6eff21080

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Khareba Winery: New and Old Winemaking in Imereti

While traveling in Western Georgia, I stopped by the Khareba Winery in Terjola to see their Imereti facilities and taste their wines, both those made in traditional qvevri (churi) and those made the international way in modern stainless steel and oak. I had earlier visited Khareba’s winery in Telavi and tasted the portfolio of wines from Kakheti, so I was …

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California Wine’s No Good, Very Bad Month

The post California Wine’s No Good, Very Bad Month appeared first on 1 Wine Dude. As sunny California is still reeling from having to accept that the Philadelphia Eagles are conclusively, unarguably the greatest team in the NFL at the moment, even more bad news has hit the state’s wine industry—and, by extension, the USA’s wine industry (which California production …

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Who Are the Real Producers Behind Costco’s Kirkland Signature Wines?

Kirkland Signature products aim to bring premium quality at rock bottom prices, and most of the time they hit the mark, particularly in the wine aisle. To get that high quality, Costco often teams up with big name producers who can’t always claim these wines as their own, or it might devalue some of their […] Source : http://costcowineblog.com/who-are-the-real-producers-behind-costcos-kirkland-signature-wines/

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Château Branaire-Ducru St.-Julien 2022 $55 (95 points)

A mix of mulled boysenberry and blackberry fruit, dried violet, iris and lively licorice snap notes gives this a textbook and very aromatic St.-Julien profile. A sleek iron detail courses underneath, allowing the fruit to sail unhindered through the finish, flanked judiciously by singed apple wood. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2027 through 2042. 12,500 …

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Fontanafredda Barbera d’Alba Raimonda 2022 $29 (91 points)

Succulent and bursting with raspberry and cherry aromas and flavors, this red is spry and vibrant, leaving a mouthwatering impression. The finish echoes ample fruit notes, plus mineral details. Drink now through 2029. 8,300 cases made, 2,000 cases imported. Source : 19601b48ef5ffc280d1104556b29f641

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2022 Hess Allomi Cabernet Sauvignon

This is the first time reviewing this wine for the site but it is a bottle we’ve tasted and thoroughly enjoyed across multiple vintages. It is always a classic expression of Napa Cabernet at a great price, and Costco really did us a favor bringing it in at $26.99. A quick online search will show […] Source : http://costcowineblog.com/2022-hess-allomi-cabernet-sauvignon/

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Jean Biecher & Fils Alsace Marie 2023 $16 (88 points)

An expressive burst of flowers, melon, quince and lemon rind is full and unctuous on a round palate. Salty, tangy acidity keeps this balanced. An example of the fruity, ripe Alsatian style. Pinot Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Riesling and Pinot Gris. Drink now. 20,000 cases made, 500 cases imported. Source : 5dc2683a377e8b1d1a59e1e8176fa2d9

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2021 Quinta Do Portal Douro Reserva

Every time we see a Portuguese bottle hit Costco shelves we pick it up immediately. It might be the best “bang for the buck” region in the wine world today. This bottle was a particularly fun find for us. We’ve reviewed a couple of this producer’s less expensive bottles in the past, and they were […] Source : https://costcowineblog.com/2021-quinta-do-portal-douro-reserva/

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Southern Right Pinotage Cape Coast 2022 $35 (91 points)

A vibrant red, with a core of ripe mulberry, raspberry and boysenberry fruit flavors. Light, supple tannins and lively acidity provide fine definition for the medium-bodied frame, and notes of violet, thyme, anise and iron linger on the finish. Drink now through 2030. 3,075 cases made, 880 cases imported. Source : 8f2621c2e05ef1af77a462fb2a2b72b2

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Dry Creek Fumé Blanc Sonoma County 2023 $21 (90 points)

Fragrant, expressive and distinctive, with plenty to admire among the lemongrass, lemon verbena and lemon-lime flavors at the core. Shows accents of green tea and lemon balm, plus a hint of orange sherbet, all on a sleek frame. Drink now. 40,000 cases made. Source : 2bdb9d66b3a064093d09311247fb904a

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Wine Reviews: Mini Round-Up for February 10, 2025

The post Wine Reviews: Mini Round-Up for February 10, 2025 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) …

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Wines of Imereti: Baia’s Wine

credit: drwinkler Baia Abuladze grew up in an Imereti winemaking family.  Her grandfather Bondo Ghvaladze was chief agronomist for the local collective vineyard in Soviet times, and her uncle Zurab Ghvaladze makes wine from his family’s nearby small vineyard.  Baia caught the wine bug while studying at university, and soon her siblings joined her in developing their family winery in …

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