Reviews

Fragrant and juicy, offering a charming mix of ripe melon, peach, dried pineapple and fresh lemon notes on a sleek frame. Accents of orange blossoms, wildflower honey and candied citrus peel linger on the long, fresh finish. Chenin Blanc and Viognier. Drink now. 4,366 cases made. Source : 1fd3782a726012c4b3de703610b69eb4

Palazzo Contucci (credit Contucci) The wines of Montepulciano have a long history dating to at least the Renaissance, and the Contucci family has been growing grapes and making wine at least that long. The Contucci Cellar, built in the inner walls of the city dates to the 13th century, and the family home, the Palazzo Contucci, constructed in 1517 on …

The post Wine Reviews: Mini Round-Up for March 24, 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) …

Refined and polished, with a mineral and herb tinge to the creamed plum and cherry core, lingering nicely around suave tannins. Drink now through 2032. 8,000 cases made, 2,500 cases imported. Source : 1c4e881f9eafc6c160743e8b41788c09

Ripe, unctuous and deliciously rendered, this pumps out orange blossom, peach, apricot and pineapple upside-down cake notes that are seamlessly stitched with bitter almond and orange threads. Offers a long, seductively glazed finish. Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle. Drink now through 2045. 5,400 cases made. Source : 1f34336aba7a880f5c5bdeb7bad2eacd

This is fast becoming one of our favorite staple Pinot Grigios at Costco, so when we saw the latest 2023 we had to grab it to see if it held up. And it did. We reviewed the 2021 vintage back in 2022 and found it to be a delightful wine that we rated a solid […] Source : http://costcowineblog.com/2023-banfi-san-angelo-pinot-grigio/

While attending the Anteprima in Montepulciano last month, I took the opportunity to visit Podere Le Bèrne to see their vineyards and winemaking operations and to share a wonderful lunch of homemade pappardelle made by the family’s grandmother (nonna).  Her grandson, Federico Fastelli, who studied winemaking in Florence and has done harvests in Burgundy and New Zealand, showed me the …

Gently mulled plum, black cherry and red currant fruit melds with licorice, bay leaf and tobacco leaf notes, while worn cedar and alder accents provide a warm and burnished feel through the earth-tinged finish. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2035. 5,300 cases made. Source : f16724dfad301a33e47865879c1997f0

Handsomely structured and detailed, showing precise flavors of apple and pear laced with lemon zest and crushed stone tones as this glides on the sleek finish. Drink now. 1,910 cases made. Source : 8e6af72d731f1efecd33566338e1be69

The post Beach Boys (Exploring Perelada’s Finca Garbet) appeared first on 1 Wine Dude. Last week, I presented an overview of Perelada, the Catalonia producer who I visited during a media jaunt in late 2024 (along with a crap-ton of wine highlights from their lineup). This week, we’re going in a totally different direction, and focusing on one of Perelada’s …

Cherry, strawberry, floral and Tuscan scrub flavors are allied to a line of chalky tannins in this red. In the end, this is elegant, with an extended aftertaste of cherry and smoke. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. Drink now. 30,000 cases imported. Source : e5bd3d86b7021a7b5031379f9829abaa

Thank you to a reader Matthew in Palm Beach Gardens Florida who spotted this one. The Kirkland Ribera del Duero is back! Here are pics of the 2018 vintage. And this is big news because the last time we reviewed this bottle was the 2014 vintage. We thought it had disappeared….until now. One noticeable change […] Source : http://costcowineblog.com/new-vintage-spotted-2018-kirkland-ribera-del-duero-gran-reserva/

This is a fun and inexpensive red blend from Portugal that checks a lot of boxes. We’re huge fans of Portuguese wines right now and find them to represent extreme values as evidenced here. This bottle is $7.99 at Costco, and looks to go for around $11-13 elsewhere online, so a pretty nice Costco discount. […] Source : http://costcowineblog.com/2021-jose-maria-da-fonseca-anticiclone-red-blend-portugal/

Dynamic yet elegantly structured, with alluring flavors of Asian pear, baked apple, brioche, clove and nutmeg that build richness on the graceful finish. Drink now through 2027. 4,850 cases made. Source : 84c3848837c5ca97220b304e61cf2a0f

A trace of fresh chamomile leads off, lingering around a core of grilled Meyer lemon and pear, with subtle spiced pastry notes folding in on the finish around a lingering anise note. Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. Drink now. 1,500 cases imported. Source : de7d26ccc549b821a0001189920cd350

On my recent visit to Montepulciano, I had the pleasure of visiting Cantine Dei where I not only tried the new releases but, also, tasted a vertical of their top wine, the Madonna della Querce, from the first release in 2015 to the latest, in 2019.  Cantine Dei has 60 hectares (ha) of vines in five vineyards with different terroir …

Well-sculpted and elegantly dynamic, with lilting raspberry and pomegranate flavors laced with green tea, rose petal and savory spice accents. Ends with fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2033. 14,449 cases made. Source : 438e1d6d1732b8cd846856272fcd0376

A fragrant, floral rosé, with a burst of watermelon and strawberry lemonade notes. Maintains vibrant energy from start to finish, with a saline mineral foundation offsetting the creamy fruit. Balanced and delicious, showing a waft of smoke on the well-meshed finish. Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault and Rolle. Drink now. 30,000 cases imported. Source : d78f369a880a736aeed7dad5291a07a1

Alright, here we are back with the latest Kirkland Chianti Classico, historically a bottle that has shown up in the bottom ranks of the Kirkland wines for us. We were lucky to see the Kirkland Gran Selezione hit Costco shelves recently for its second vintage, which drastically upped the quality of the Italian side of […] Source : http://costcowineblog.com/2022-kirkland-signature-chianti-classico-riserva/

A hefty dose of black currant fruit leads off, with shades of iron, tobacco and bell pepper. This red is taut, yet the lively acidity keeps everything moving through the finish. Drink now through 2032. 9,000 cases made, 3,000 cases imported. Source : e27a98a61f5619191ca2a65868c3e143