Southern Italy is a great source of value in wine. This one is from the arch in the foot of the boot - a region called Basilicata. The predominant feature on the landscape is Mt.
This is one of our favorite value plays in Bordeaux. It is 98% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Purple in color with ruby hues, mostly opaque and bright. The nose features cherries, slight black cherries, spice, slight graphite and cedar. Medium to full bodied. Light tannins. On the palate, this drinks easy. Cherries, black cherries, slight chocolate and slight char. Good balance. Nice finish. At almost nine years old, this seems to be mature but with plenty of life left. A nice level of complexity. This is nice on its own but even better with food. A great choice for a mid day m
This beautiful red is from Sardinia, Italy. It is a blend of Bovale Sardo, Carignano, and Cannonau. Garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright. The nose has cherries, slight plums, sea air, and floral notes. Medium bodied. Medium tannins. Good acidity. On the palate, this is interesting as well as tasty. On the palate, cherries with some herbal notes and a bit of smoke. Complex. This is drinking well now and probably has another five to seven more years at peak. It is very food friendly and would be great with fowl but also a nice plate of Gnocchi with roasted veggies.
As the name says, this is an unoaked Chardonnay from the Finger Lakes region of New York. This is a cooler climate region and the resulting wine will be a great alternative for those oakaphobes or people just looking for something a bit different. Light golden in color, some green hues, clear and bright. The nose is clean with slight grapefruits, some minerality and a bit of "wet rocks". Medium bodied. On the palate, crisp and clean with a bit of grapefruit and minerality. Nice finish. This works better with food. This would be excellent with lobster (no buttery oak). Drink over th
Way back at the end of the prior century, the 1996 version was the Wine Spectator Wine of the Year. Now, 25 years later and no one really seems to care anymore. The truth is this is an excellent wine. A proprietary blend, I am told this is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot. Purple in color with some ruby hues, opaque and bright. The nose has cassis, tobacco, soy sauce and spice. Full bodied. Medium tannins. Good balance. On the palate, cassis with some forest floor and spice. This is a "cooler" climate wine that got per
Not a lot of people realize that Mike Smith (Myriad among many others) is the winemaker at Becklyn. Their wines are highly recommended. This one is no exception. It is the basic Cabernet in their lineup. Purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose has cassis, cedar, and baking spices. Full bodied. Firm tannins. On the palate, this is complex, deep and also quite tight. Flavors of cassis, some graphite and char. Long finish. It could use a few more years in the cellar or else give it a long decant for now. Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.
Grown high in the mountains of Uco, this Chardonnay is a blend of 10 different vineyard sites. This wine offers a lot of minerality and acidity, a step away from overblown butter rich chardonnays. And that’s why it’s the ideal food companion. Lemon lime, quince, peach, light guava and a hint of wild sweet grass permeate. There is a slight oak influence (eight months on the lees) but it is minimal and allows the fruit, acidity and freshness to come through. ORIGIN: Mendoza, Argentina. ALCOHOL: 13.5%.
The Alma de Cattleya wines represent quality wines without sticker shock. To prove that point the 2022 Sonoma County Pinot offers soft elements of strawberry, pomegranate, guava, rose water, red raspberry, and light citrus. This is a delicate wine, but with enough acidity and tannic structure. Aged just 11 months in French oak allows for the fruit to be more expressive and the quality in the bottle exceeds the price. ORIGIN: Sonoma County. ALCOHOL: 14%
It should be no surprise that this wine is a stunner. Chappellet has long delivered quality wines that exceed the status quo; nearly 60 years in fact. The fruit for this wine comes from Pritchard Hill, a well-know parcel that produces exceptional grapes. A classic old-school Cabernet, this offers blackberry, blueberry, huckleberry, boysenberry and black cherry notes with back notes of vanilla, sage, tight tannins, good acidity and the one thing that makes a wine sing – balance. Comprised of mainly Cabernet Sauvignon, there are small amounts of Petite Verdot, Malbec and Merlot added in.
Rieslaner is a cross of the Silvaner and Riesling grapes. Medium golden in color, clear and bright. The nose is light but nice with peaches, slight "wet rocks", and spice. Light bodied. Light acidity. On the palate, the peaches come thru. It seems a touch flabby but works better with some food. Medium finish. This would be a nice wine with spicy Thai food. Drink over the next five years.
