This is 100% Pinot Noir from northern Chile. Garnet in color, mostly clear and bright. The nose has sour cherries with a bit of sandalwood. Medium bodied. Light tannins. On the palate, cherries and sour cherries. Easy drinking. Good finish. This is nice on its own and would work well with grilled salmon. Drink over the next five to seven years.
This is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Carignan organically grown grapes from the south of France. Purple/ruby in color, mostly clear and bright. The nose has cherries, black raspberries, slight floral note and slight spice. Medium bodied. Good balance. On the palate, this drinks easy. Black raspberries, cherries with some spice. Good finish. This drinks well on its own and will work with a wide variety of foods (not seafood). A great choice for Pizza night. Great value.
This is Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley in France. Deep garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright. The nose is nice with black cherries, green bell peppers, tobacco and earthiness. Medium to full bodied. Light tannins. Good acidity. On the palate, this has nice depth. Some complexity. Flavors of black cherries, slight bell pepper, tobacco and slight earthiness. Good finish. I don't believe this wine sees any oak which gives it a good freshness. It is nice on its own but would be better with food. It would work well with Szechuan Beef. drink over the next few years.
Very impressed with this wine. Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley. Sort of old school in style, but that is just fine with me. Pale golden in color, clear and bright. The nose is clean (no cat pee) and is mostly mineral driven but there is a slight grapefruit note. Medium bodied. Good balance. On the palate, this is almost seamless with a wonderful texture. The acidity is there but is part of the whole package. Flavors of slight yellow grapefruits with lots of minerality. Long finish. While not at the level of the Cotat wines (neither is the price), it is more in that style th
Sirmione is on the southern side of Lake garda in northern Italy. This wine is 100 Turbiana grapes which is a local clone of Trebbiano di Lugana although it is genetically closer to Verdicchio. Pale silvery/gold in color, clear and bright. The nose is nice with peach and slight minerality. Light bodied. Good balance. On the palate, some peach and some minerality. Moderate finish. This is nice and easy on its own and would be a nice wine with lighter foods such as Tuna or Chicken Salad. Drink now.
FIOL was only founded in 2010 but has since created a strong following. Their 2021 iteration is a blend of 15% Pinot Noir and 85% Glera, which together create creamy bubbles that lead into a soft and pleasant patch of strawberry, raspberry, light lemon notes, hints of cranberry and red delicious apple. This is not an overly complicated wine, it is deceptively simple, and simple sometimes is difficult to create. This is a very enjoyable wine, especially during the summer months when all you want is something pleasing and flavorful.
After trying the "Tradizionale" VdSG from this producer which is aged on its skins, it seemed appropriate to try this version. It is also made from 100% organic Vernaccia grapes but this is made from free run juice which sees very little skin contact. Light golden in color, clear and bright. The nose has some citrus with minerality and a hint of peach. Medium bodied. On the palate, minerals and citrus. Clean. Good finish. This is nice on its own and very food friendly as well with lighter foods. A nice choice with grilled fish. Drink over the next couple of years.
Fascinating wine. Made from Vernaccia grapes. This is an organic white wine in which the grapes were macerated on their skins. Not quite an orange wine, it looked more like a salmon-pink rosé with deep golden hues. Clear and bright. The nose has some hay, some light oxidized tones, and some almonds. Medium bodied. Good balance. On the palate, this is deep. Flavors of slight citrus, minerality and a slight bitter (in a good way) note. Good finish. This wine needs food. It would pair well with Cinnamon Risotto. Drink over the next few years.
This is 84% Syrah and 16% Viognier from Sonoma. There are three version of this wine which Robert Parker compared to the three Guigal Lala wines from the northern Rhone. Luckily, they were not that expensive back on release. Inky purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose has black raspberries, roasted meats, bacon fat, slight dried flowers, spice and char. Full bodied. Medium tannins. On the palate, this seems mature and close to peak. Flavors of black raspberries, slight blueberries, spice, and a hint of earthiness. Long finish. This wine is complex and deep. This is great on
Whoa. This is a big wine. It is also Fantastic! It is 93% Syrah, 3% Roussanne, 2% Grenache and 2% Mourvedre. Inky purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose has black raspberries, blueberries, roasted meats, spices and herbs. Full bodied. Medium to firm tannins. On the palate, this is delicious. Deep with loads of black raspberries, blueberries, some black cherries, spice and char. Long, long finish. This is great now, but if you can wait five years, it will be even better. That said, drink over the next ten to fifteen years. Great on its own, this would work well with Chili
