Aged 18 months in 225 and 160-liter French barrels on its lees with monthly bâttonage and another two years in bottle. From its old-world acidity to its earthy, chalky tannins, this red merits attention through its modest beauty. Mediterranean herbs, cherry skins, and a streaming of violets and iron continue to flow, layer upon layer. Milk chocolate and sweet oak on the finish are seamless. Fruit gets opaque as it opens, and we found it has a Cahors-like style.
The positioning of elderflower and peach blossom with the wine’s inherent minerality, is stunning. This is a more full-bodied style, allowing its unctuous character to emerge. Ripe and resplendent with stone fruit and floral luminosity, this vintage shows its complex and dimensional nature thanks to the region’s unique soils and favorable climate.
The land is the Counselor, and winemaker Nick Goldschmidt is “the man who listens to the land.” The wine opens with the freshest cherry aromas, leading to a juicy wash of fresh blueberries – and more cherries. Plush and round with nuances of rose petals, red tea leaves, and cinnamon. A gentle Cab, food-friendly with just about anything on the plate.
Dark plum, chocolate-covered figs, and soy sauce develop quickly for an intense start. Chewy tannins match with the wine’s suede mouthfeel, adding complexity for a well-priced wine in its category.
Creme fraiche and apple flesh dominate in this Chardonnay with abundant charm. There is a rich citrus tang paired with a lingering round finish. Pleasant and balanced, the buttery mouthfeel captures an essence of apple fritters ensconced with marshmallows.
This red is dominated with dark cherry, dusted with cocoa powder and conjures a cigar box. Pleasing baking spices of clove and cinnamon with vanilla are set with an undercurrent of peppery tannins and a lingering finish.
Featuring both nutty, gently spicy notes derived from high-class cooperage and fruit conveying freshness as well as full ripeness, this is enduringly interesting because of the interplay between these principal sensory signals. Nuances recalling vanilla and caramel serve to accent fruit reminiscent of Golden apples and white peaches. Already evolving into a fully integrated wine despite showing distinct elements, this is showing beautifully now.
Vibrant and intense on account of its youth at this point, this terrific Chardonnay still manages to seem finely woven because its barrel-based accents play so well with its fruit notes. Scents and flavors of both green and Golden apples provide ride alongside suggestions of peaches and apricots, and oak augments the wine’s complexity while still leaving it with a profile defined by freshness and linear energy.