Friday, March 15, 2024

Ici/LaBas Les Reveles Elke Vineyard Anderson Valley Pinot Noir, 2006

The cool climate of Mendocino's Anderson Valley is ideal for growing Pinot Noir, and many of my favorite wines from this appellation have been produced by Jim Clendenen of Au Bon Climat/Ici LaBas from Donnelly Creek vineyards previously owned by Mary Elke.

Medium to light color with amber forming at the rim. Mature and lovely. Scents of red berries, flowers (fresh and dried) and forest floor. Red raspberries, cranberries--fresh and ripe. Excellent acidity with hints of citrus zest on the long, lovely finish.
 

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Tenuta Tambournin Les 3 Seuri Freisa, 2015

Genetically, Freisa is believed to be a parent of Nebbiolo and a cousin of Viognier. That means it is capable of producing fragrant wines with high quality fruit that is high in both tannin and acidity.

Medium deep garnet. Aromas of violets and fresh strawberries leading to flavors of black licorice, spice and leather. Full and rich on the palate. A bit of austerity at this stage from the tannins but pleasing finish featuring fruit and minerals.

Sunday, March 10, 2024

Martin Ray Dutton Ranch Concrete Chardonnay, 2020

This Russian River Chardonnay was aged on its lees for six months in concrete eggs rather than oak barrels to preserve the aromas and flavors of excellent fruit from the highly respected Dutton Ranch vineyards.

Bright medium deep yellow. Vibrant fruit. Freshly peeled apples in lemon juice and butter. Spicy Russian River tones. Clean, well delineated smells and flavors with a long finish. At $20 a bottle, this is an exceptional value in California Chardonnay.
 

Friday, March 8, 2024

Ferdinando Principiano Dosset Dolcetto, 2021

Sometimes negative comments can trigger my interest, indicating for me that the comment comes from a person with different tastes and expectations from my own. On Cellar Tracker, this Dolcetto was criticized because it was "missing in body, missing in wow factor." The body of a wine is determined by its alcoholic content, and this wine is low (11.5%) in alcohol. It does, however, have the tannin and acidity to carry intense Dolcetto flavors and a fine texture.

Beautiful bright ruby color. Cherries, red raspberries. Excellent balance of ripe fruit, tannin and acidity. Sits lightly on the tongue but leaves a lasting impression. The pasta was rich; the wine was elegant but not at all overshadowed.
 

Monday, February 26, 2024

Chrismont Winery LaZona Aglianico, 2021

I was surprised to see so many Italian varietals at this King Valley (Australia) winery. The Arneis had many of the qualities of Italian versions I have tried. The Barbera was very good, perhaps a little less acidic than a Piedmont Barbera. As I expected, the Nebbiolo had only a vague resemblance to a Langhe Nebbiolo. The grape apparently does not thrive away from its Piemont home. My favorite of this lineup was the LaZona Aglianico, and we ordered a bottle to accompany an excellent Sunday lunch at the winery.

Dark crimson color, bright and youthful. Dark cherries but also some bright red fruit tones. Ripe fruit with lively acidity. Just the right amount of earth and forest floor with white pepper on the long finish. At $36 AU, this is an excellent value
 

Saturday, February 24, 2024

Jones Winery and Vineyard Rutherglen Malbec, 2019


 
Malbec has become very popular in the United States--so much so that I tend to avoid it, wine snob that I am. After tasting this 2019 Malbec from Jones Winery & Vineyard in Rutherglen Australia, I decided that Malbec is worth another look.

Beautiful bright crimson color. Ripe red cherry, intense aromas and flavors. Rutherglen is a particularly warm area of Australia, best known for its dessert wines, but this 2019 Malbec has surpringly good acidity. Medium bodty, great texture, long finish that gets better and better over the course of the meal.

Friday, February 23, 2024

Henschke Hill of Grace Shiraz, 1991

According to most critics, Henschke ranks as one of the top two or three producers of Australian Shiraz, and Hill of Grace is the estate's most high respected product. Tasting this wine tonight, I can say, without hesitation, it is not over-rated.

Medium dark garnet. Minimal bricking. Entrancing bouquet of red and black fruits, flowers, eucalyptus and white pepper. Lovely ripe fruit with savory tones. Finesse rather than power. Has aged beautifully and is not finished yet. Ranks very high on my all-time list.