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 available wines (click here for the skinny on how to read them), so you can get right to the point and decide if they’re for you (or not). Cheers!
- 2017 Dutton Estate Winery Kylie’s Cuvee Sauvignon Blanc (Russian River Valley): It’s a big yard, but the grass is fresh and well-tended, and the tropical plants look great. $27 B+
- 2016 Dutton-Goldfield Walker Hill Chardonnay (Russian River Valley): Sporting a sexier profile than normal… and there’s nothing at all wrong with that. $50 A-
- 2016 Amici Cellars Chardonnay (Sonoma Coast): Equal parts creamy hedonism and perky personality. $26 B+
- 2015 Tres Sabores Petite Sirah (Calistoga): Leather, violets, game, plums, and a whole lotta “Yowza!” $45 A-
- 2016 Flora Springs Trilogy (Napa Valley): All three people involved in this tryst are just as sexy and over-the-top as you’d expect. $85 A-
- 2016 Xavier Monnot Clos de la Fussiere (Maranges Premier Cru): The incense is intense; the tart red fruits, not so much… $55 B+
- NV Bruno Paillard Premiere Cuvee (Champagne): Apples, toast, jasmine, and one of the best things going in NV Champers that we mere mortals are likely to encounter. $50 A-
- 2013 Barone Pizzini Rose (Franciacorta): Like a good mystery novel, the intrigue keeps building as you go along. $45 A-
- 2016 Donnafugata ‘Sul Vulcano’ Rosso Etna (Sicily): Wild berries, wild flowers, & a grounded, friendly personality. $35 B+
- 2015 Domaine Bousquet Ameri Single Vineyard Red (Tupungato): Throwing earthy, meaty, well-executed punches above its price-weight class. $34 A-