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!
- 2015 Jose Maria da Fonseca “J” de Jose de Sousa (Alentejo): Steeped in both tradition and in intense, dense, & structured red fruitiness. $NA A-
- 2018 Dutton-Goldfield Devil’s Gulch Vineyard Chardonnay (Marin County): Peach, Meyer lemon, mandarin, lemon pith, filberts… the word “Superb” comes to mind. $55 A
- 2018 Belden Barns Estate Gruner Veltliner (Sonoma Mountain): More on the citrus side than the herbal, but everything about this is simply lovely. $28 B+
- 2018 Pegasus Bay Semillon – Sauvignon Blanc (Waipara Valley): More laser focus happening here than in the Death Star’s main cannon. $32 A-
- 2017 Pegasus Bay Pinot Noir (Waipara Valley): Taking flight on smokey spices and tea leaf-like tannins. $38 A-
- 2018 Mt. Beautiful Riesling (North Canterbury): Petrol, slate, limes, and an air of elegant transparency. $24 A-
- 2018 Mt. Beautiful Chardonnay (North Canterbury): Favoring purity over complexity… not that we’re complaining! $26 B+
- 2018 Mt. Beautiful Pinot Noir (North Canterbury): Doing right by its namesake; pretty, lithe, and full of life. $30 A-
- 2018 Quartz Reef Pinot Noir (Central Otago): bramble, wild black raspberry, and a feeling of carefree joy. $38 A-