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!
- 2016 Pierre Amadieu Cairanne Les Hautes Rives (Rhone): Fruitiness, finesse, freshness, and a f*ck-load of fresh pepper. $20 B+
- 2015 Pierre Amadieu Vinsobres Les Piallats (Rhone): Chewy smoked game meat, topped with raspberries, dried herbs, and spices. $20 B+
- 2016 Pierre Amadieu Vacqueyras La Grangeliere (Rhone): Grab this bargain by the case if you like your S. Rhone grippy, gritty, and graphitic. $25 A-
- 2016 Pierre Amadieu Gigondas Domaine Grand Romane (Rhone): A mountain of mineral impenetrability now, rewarding the patient in… well, some time that’s a long time from now. $32 A-
- 2016 Domaine Saint Gayan Sablet Blanc (Cotes du Rhone Villages): For when you *need* your almonds garnished with white flower petals. $NA B+
- NV Pasqua ‘Famiglia Pasqua’ Prosecco (Veneto): Things don’t get a whole lot more easy-going than this; the only difficult thing will be waiting for it to chill. $15 B
- 2017 Niner Wine Estates Grenache Blanc Reserve (Paso Robles): Tropical, rich, long, and with an ample supply of the “WOW!” factor. $30 A-
- 2016 Newton Vineyard Unfiltered Chardonnay (Napa Valley): Not the brightest, but certainly among the downright yummiest. $55 A-
- 2016 Newton Vineyard Unfiltered Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): An unflinching gaze in a stare-down contest that says more in nuanced glances than words ever could. $59 A-
- 2014 Priest Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): Sexy, silky, dark, and already wearing its advancing age better than most people predicted. $42 A-