Reviews

Delicate and floral on the nose, this bursts on the palate with its expressive notes of pink grapefruit granita, fleur de sel, ripe yellow pear, anise and chopped Marcona almond. Long and creamy on the minerally finish. Drink now through 2029. 436 cases made, 220 cases imported. Source : 3267b8a20974dcb087580d76d9e09052

Offers ripe raspberry puree, maraschino cherry and red candy notes that are round and supple, with red licorice, candied orange peel and hints of baking spices, cedar and toasted herbs on the finish. Shiraz and Viognier. Drink now. 10,000 cases imported. Source : 38e34a48fae3989ab45b3c065bb5b001

Spicy, this red evokes strawberry, cherry, medicinal herbs and mineral flavors. Bears the austere profile of the vintage, yet is balanced and persists on the long finish. Best from 2026 through 2043. 2,900 cases made. Source : 946a6583a6f3e2a0befa251d165dcc6f

A festive wine, with lively lemon and strawberry flavors highlighted by sweet spices. Drink now. 10,400 cases made. Source : 8264b48f34d4d2cd42eb1f2366d0aa25

Steve Dutton and Dan Goldfield began their winemaking collaboration in 1998 and have never looked back. Steve grew up in the Dutton family vineyard in the Russian River Valley; today he farms more than one thousand acres of vines, mostly in Green Valley in western Sonoma County. Dan is from the East Coast and came to UC Berkeley to do …

A seductive red marked by smoked plum and smoldering incense, shored up by cast iron minerality and a fresh kick of black pepper. This wine’s textural purity is spot-on, with generous dried garrigue details and fine tannins gently keeping the reins. Grenache and Mourvèdre. Best after 2030. 700 cases made, 180 cases imported. Source : 0e2518f40ed6e1c5a70b4dd995fcf052

An elegant red, with fine tannins enmeshed with flavors of pureed raspberry and black plum reduction, soft fig, thyme and lavender accents, while a minerally underpinning echoes on the finish. Drink now through 2028. 10,000 cases made, 1,000 cases imported. Source : 0bf536b87aba506fe449e73fc73f88d9

The post “Someone Needs To Own It” (Complant Wines Recent Releases) appeared first on 1 Wine Dude. Daniel and Sam Baron (image: Complant Wines) It had been more than a decade since I’d spent any time with former Silver Oak head winemaker Daniel Baron, with whom I’d felt an easy rapport and a deep appreciation of the man’s impressive intellect. …

Really gorgeous, in an extroverted style with a lot of range, this white oozes mango, yellow peach and honey-coated apple flavors. A vein of invigorating minerality drives tension, with a quinine bitterness that punctuates the lush profile, while notes of acacia, brioche and sea salt echo on the long finish. Rich and full, with a lot of complexity and definition. …

Shows juicy yellow apple, Asian pear and lemon zest notes that are mouthwatering and fresh, gaining complexity from details of apple skin, fragrant white flowers and lingering fresh-grated ginger. Drink now. 7,225 cases made. Source : abd172ee29753161f89cf6452ac7ae31

This offers a gorgeous kaleidescope of fruit — kumquat, yellow plum, starfruit and quince — atop a bed of silky-fine mineral notes and subtly bitter tannins. Honeyed, full and rich, with a refined texture and a very long finish edged in piecrust and toast, showing acid verve and impressive structure. Drink now through 2030. 130 cases made, 50 cases imported. …

A medium-bodied red, revealing roasted plum, black cherry preserves and melted licorice layered with a savory underpinning of smoke, cedar and singed sage, with chewy tannins. Pinotage, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Drink now. 125,000 cases made, 3,500 cases imported. Source : b1bf35d4571c9c80c78f586b981bb57e

This lively rosé Champagne has a fresh, breezy feel, thanks to a citrusy overtone of ruby red grapefruit. Reveals a refined mousse that carries additional flavors of white cherry, almond skin, oyster shell and tangerine, while well-knit acidity and saline tang show on the finish. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Drink now through 2026. 160 cases made, 38 cases imported. Source …

Notes of chocolate-covered espresso bean, rosemary and sage mingle with huckleberry, blueberry and cassis flavors in this intense red, showing plenty of freshness and finesse. Accents of cumin and tobacco linger on the long finish, where the tannins remain firm but plush. Drink now through 2034. 6,700 cases made, 1,000 cases imported. Source : 4dfd396d5a48fa7d5e0768c6de7d1e23

The post Wine Reviews: Mini Round-Up for November 6, 2023 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) currently …

Alluring for its harmony and complex flavors of smoky cherry, raspberry, flowers, anise and iron. This red’s texture starts out silky, picking up structure by the way of firm, chalky tannins by the finish. Long, with ripe fruit as a lasting impression. Best from 2026 through 2043. 300 cases made, 100 cases imported. Source : a6bf29a99667323be2744f5ba50eb8ce

A lithe, light-bodied white, with spice and honeysuckle notes winding through flavors of patisserie apple and pear fruit. Fresh, fragrant finish. Drink now. 3,125 cases imported. Source : 352917be5acf9be1b3f5b6efa086c37d

We always love seeing those limited time discount signs when we’re approaching the Costco wine aisle. From a distance we could tell this one was in the Pinot section, and we planned on buying it no matter what. Turned out it happened to be a bottle we had yet to review (or so we thought) … Source : https://costcowineblog.com/2020-acacia-pinot-noir-carneros/

This snazzy label caught our eye, and we were surprised when the wine turned out to be a Vermentino. Especially considering the $12.99 price tag at Costco. What a find. Online this wine is selling for $20-22, and it doesn’t always come with the special bottle design. We didn’t find a lot of ratings for … Source : https://costcowineblog.com/2022-banfi-la-pettegola-vermentino/

This is the second Barbera we’ve found at Costco in just a handful of weeks.  What a treat to keep finding these (last one was delicious). If this bottle looks familiar, it’s because this is the same producer of the wonderful Gavi we found at Costco earlier this year.  This short, stout bottle must be … Source : https://costcowineblog.com/2021-villa-sparina-barbera/