Reviews

Joe & Fran Kysela Fran Kysela is one of America’s most successful, medium sized importers of premium wines at accessible prices. His firm Kysela Père et Fils celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, so we sat down with Fran and his son Joe at their offices in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley to talk and taste through a selection of the large …

Flavors of chopped cherry and raspberry, mineral, red licorice and cocoa powder are rich and expressive in this powerful red, which also shows fine integration and silky grace on the palate, keeping the power in restraint. Lively and well-spiced, with a lingering, chalky-textured finish echoing the ripe fruit and accents of Mediterranean macchia and ground anise and pepper. Best from …

Bright, buoyant acidity supports a pretty mix of ripe nectarine, Gala apple, blood orange pith and almond blossoms in this lithe, light-bodied white, with a salty undertow. Drink now. 25,000 cases made, 600 cases imported. Source : bfdb9c4431e5024852af006d7bedc90e

Lush and generous, offering tiers of mouthcoating flavors of berry preserves, yet the minerally spine offsets the opulence with tension. A subtle floral detail weaves in and out as this works its way to the fruit-filled finish around fine tannins. Drink now through 2034. 31,111 cases made, 3,500 cases imported. Source : daf6a0b848f3b0550f3afecd1901e011

A ripe white cherry note is enlivened by hints of blood orange, pink grapefruit zest, pickled ginger and white blossoms in this mouthwatering Prosecco rosé, with a lacy bead. Drink now. 23,000 cases made, 1,000 cases imported. Source : 852541d8700440e9fd6780a5ca700dd5

The post Pokémon Power, Aussie Style (Fowles Victoria Recent Releases) appeared first on 1 Wine Dude. Welcome to the third installment of my three-parter on the wines of Austraila’s Victoria region (if you missed them, catch up on Part 1 and Part 2). Today, I’m featuring one of Victoria’s hundreds of family-run producers, Fowles Wine. In April of 2024, I …

This red is elegant, despite its firm structure and dense tannins. Black cherry, black currant, plum, tobacco, iron and rosemary flavors hold court, while all the components show balance. The finish is long, with a salty taste. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2025 through 2038. Source : e4d708f14efdf4fccae008a117f5663c

Mulled cherry and raspberry notes are laced with black tea and savory accents, ending with a light-handed toast note on the silky finish. Drink now through 2028. 13,000 cases made. Source : a17e6c2cf49d8bde4db50f10c30de4a2

Agricola Querciabella was established in 1974 by Giuseppe Castiglioni in Ruffoli east of Greve (see map below). His son Sebastiano Cossia Castiglioni, a well-known vegan and  animal rights activist, converted the vineyard to organic in 1988 and to biodynamic agriculture in the year 2000.  Special attention is paid to managing cover crops. High quality has been the goal since the …

Cherry, plum, leather, iron, eucalyptus and woodsy flavors highlight this dry, muscular, solidly constructed red. The long aftertaste echoes both the fruity and savory elements. Drink now through 2040. 1,100 cases made, 350 cases imported. Source : 3a476452195c1c7d113ecb62a6ff66ca

Fragrant and supple, showing lively flavors of apple and kiwi laced with lemon blossom and spice notes. Drink now. 2,721 cases made. Source : 0d339ef2d216cbbf0b62116431687ac3

Bolnisi Barbale is a relatively new producer founded in Bolnisi, a former German colony in the Kvemo Kartli region of Georgia. German immigrants arrived in Bolnisi (then called Katarinenfeld in honor of the Tsar’s sister) in 1818 and started planting vineyards and making wine. They were successful and thrived until 1941 when Stalin deported families of German origin to Siberia. …

A distinctive smokiness hangs over this radiant white, with yellow peach skin, mango, geranium and celery leaf flavors on a rich, full palate. An extrovert for sure, revealing an inner density, powered by mineral notes and a high-charged zestiness, with an almond hint at the end. Characterful and very appealing. Drink now through 2032. 400 cases made, 20 cases imported. …

Expressive and charming, featuring cherry, strawberry and rose flavors, with flashes of wild herbs and iron. The vibrant structure drives this red’s flavors and keeps everything focused. Ends with a long, fruity, minerally and spicy aftertaste. Sangiovese and Merlot. Drink now through 2040. 8,500 cases made, 6,417 cases imported. Source : e3814e95cdbc2a91e6e4c5692c302b37

Here’s a new Sauvignon Blanc hitting Costco stores that’s a fresh change of pace. That’s because it’s from South Africa, a region we don’t see too often in the Costco wine aisles. And that’s a shame because there are some delicious wines coming out of there, white, rose and red, frequently at very good prices. … Source : https://costcowineblog.com/2022-our-origin-the-pledge-sauvignon-blanc/

It’s been five years since we’ve seen this wine grace Costco shelves, and it’s really nice to see it back again. We don’t think we’ve spent more on a single bottle of Malbec since the last time we bought this one, which was the 2013 vintage that we rated a solid 93 points. Most Malbec … Source : https://costcowineblog.com/2018-tapiz-black-tears-malbec/

This was a new one for us that popped up with a hefty limited time discount that obviously caught our eye. That’s $10 off the already very good Costco price. We found this bottle retailing for $45, and listing elsewhere including Wine Enthusiast for $35. That publication also scored the wine 88 points, which we … Source : https://costcowineblog.com/2022-circumference-cabernet-sauvignon/

A fun new find at Costco from a favorite producer. This is the Chardonnay from Wines of Substance, a Charles Smith wine brand. You might know Charles Smith from his Kirkland K Vine series, and you might remember Wines of Substance from their very delicious CS Cabernet we tasted a while back. Consistently, high quality … Source : https://costcowineblog.com/2021-charles-smith-wines-of-substance-ch-chardonnay/

Sleek and rich, this red retains a keen sense of elegance, offering handsomely layered raspberry and boysenberry flavors laced with garrigue and smoked pepper tones while gliding to the rich, structured finish. Drink now through 2032. 362 cases made. Source : 6209c6dc869605466a88475be45e1949

Bright and delicate, with a pleasing touch of plushness to the creamy mousse as this carries flavors of baked white cherry, toasted brioche, grated ginger and pink grapefruit pith. Drink now. 8,826 cases made, 62 cases imported. Source : b510c770eb9f178a5015af132420b92c