Reviews

Credit: Morét-Brealynn Wines We’ve been tasting Morét Brealynn’s wines since her maiden vintage three years ago.  They keep getting better, and they never disappoint. The 2023 vintage is no exception.  Of course, it doesn’t hurt to be sourcing grapes from one of California’s top growers, Jim Pratt, and to have Adam Lee, one of the country’s top Pinot Noir winemakers, …

This red is expressive, offering a core of cherry and raspberry fruit shaded with truffle, woodsy underbrush, licorice and sweet spices. Open and supple until the finish, where the dense tannins emerge, showing fine balance and length. Best from 2028 through 2045. 708 cases made, 250 cases imported. Source : 9a312db7e6d51009b96a120ed2967db5

A singed bacon note reverberates through this sanguine version, filled out with ripe red fruit on a creamy palate. Tangy acidity cruises through, giving lift and brightness to the perfumy finish, edged in salt, iron and alder smoke. Drink now through 2028. 20,000 cases made, 800 cases imported. Source : e3fb55dd63a8f3a5f3810082b3b2dd26

My first exposure to Godello was over a decade ago at Zapirain, one of Bilbao’s finest restaurants, where the sommelier recommended Rafael Palacios’ Godello as a good pairing for fresh seafood from the nearby Atlantic. The wine was delicious and sparked a long love affair with this variety.  Recently, Jorge Ordóñez and his US importing firm Fine Estates from Spain sent me …

Here’s an interesting new Costco wine that instantly caught our eye. We are always on the lookout for new and different white wines from around the world, so this bottle fits the bill perfectly. This is a blend of three grapes from the Saint Mont area in Gascogne in southwestern France: Gros Manseng, Petit Courbu, […] Source : https://costcowineblog.com/2020-plaimont-saint-mont-les-cepages-blanc/

Offering structure, tension and polish, this red is generous, with black raspberry, licorice and grilled meat flavors that finish with refined tannins. Syrah, Mourvèdre and Grenache. Drink now through 2032. 433 cases made. Source : c4266505aa47fdcb547d6787daa8566e

This fresh version is imbued with layers of pure raspberry and red currant, while peppercorn and graphite nuances add dimension. The finish has nice length, with caressing tannins and a persistent push of fruit. Drink now through 2036. 5,500 cases made, 4,500 cases imported. Source : c9c4181282ec5116e86a943184ee03fc

The post “The Opposite Direction Than Everybody Else” (Eugenio Collavini Recent Releases) appeared first on 1 Wine Dude. Luigi Collavini (image: Eugenio Collavini) “There’s no air conditioning, and I am sweating!” The affable Luigi Collavini from Eugenio Collavini says that he’s uncomfortable in his family’s warm wine offices during our online tasting back in August; but you wouldn’t notice it …

Walnut husk, black cherry paste and black tea notes meld nicely, with underlying cut and tension to offset the sweetness. Delicious. Drink now. 2,400 cases imported. Source : c3be56f169806ca2074731c35b3d7880

Powerful, with a succulent, fragrant mix of peach, grilled lemon and pineapple flavors that show details of lemon verbena, lemon balm, beeswax, orange blossoms and litsea oil. Seamless and harmonious all the way through the long, impressive finish. Drink now. 4,640 cases made. Source : ccd86321d10f8332be8ea3e5a428eca5

We’re spending more time in the cheap seats (aka, stacked boxes of wine at Costco, vs the wooden crates). This one was an easy drop in the cart, and frankly, turned out to be a bottle that doesn’t belong in the cheap seats at all. A $9.99 Rioja Reserva with 93 points from Wine Enthusiast. […] Source : https://costcowineblog.com/2018-bodegas-valdelacierva-alfar-rioja-reserva/

A sappy well of blackberry coulis and red plum flavors offer a lot of juicy pleasure in this ripe yet balanced version. Shows smoked apple wood notes and a meaty, sanguine edge, with wild herbs and red licorice on the medium-weight, very balanced finish. Shows a lot of appeal. Drink now through 2029. 500 cases imported. Source : aa66f983ee0363d7313a8c6e909c84e7

The post Wine Reviews: Mini Round-Up for January 6, 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) …

A well-spiced red, with lots of toasted paprika, clove and white pepper notes accenting the tangy mulberry and cherry fruit flavors. Firmed by fine, taut tannins, this lively version is well-structured but still balanced and appealing. Alicante Bouschet, Touriga Nacional and Syrah. Drink now through 2028. 3,250 cases made, 900 cases imported. Source : 7b580e76e6bd050854f8869b8b5f955b

Today we’re exploring the cheap seats again and we love finding these random French bottles that make their way in there at really low prices. Here’s a Bordeaux Superieur with a few years built in for $5.99. Looks to be closer to $10 most places online and it received 91 points from Wine Enthusiast which … Source : https://costcowineblog.com/2020-chateau-le-roudier-bordeaux-superieur/

Broad-shouldered and a bit brawny, with blackberry and dark plum flavors accented by dried herb and bittersweet mocha tones as this builds toward a bite of tannins. Drink now through 2032. 532 cases made. Source : a88406a54f7e025c385ce1708755764d

This fluid red is suave and harmonious, with flavors of pureed boysenberry and black cherry gliding across the palate. Limber, sculpting tannins and balsamico-laced acidity are a supple frame, and accents of stone, wild sage, sassafras root and pepper linger on the fragrant finish. Drink now through 2031. 7,500 cases made, 600 cases imported. Source : 077483b4cb15cf2a4fdaac7279a6ae45

A mouthwatering version, with lemon, lime and clementine orange flavors that are crisp and intense, showing details of ginger, lemon verbena and lime sherbet on the intense finish. Drink now. 3,500 cases made, 3,000 cases imported. Source : 8ca634d1150bcef0192e09ce15d6cd52

It’s back in a new vintage, and that’s great news since last year was the inaugural vintage for this stellar addition to the Kirkland wine portfolio. The second year is always the most important; where we ensure these wines have staying power, and they don’t just fall off the map. In this case, we heard … Source : https://costcowineblog.com/2020-kirkland-signature-chianti-classico-gran-selezione/

Sinewy and tightly focused, with expressive blueberry and cherry flavors highlighted by black olive and smoked pepper tones as this builds tension toward medium-grained tannins. Drink now through 2033. 750 cases made. Source : 2059ecc4a55f743f1f03ae7c54e3b222