Ripe, brambly berries are joined by cocoa powder and a nod in the direction of espresso beans. They all find a nice counterpoint in a subtle flavor sage. Aging in 20% new French and American oak has introduced a warm, toasted vanilla character, too.
Ripe, brambly berries are joined by cocoa powder and a nod in the direction of espresso beans. They all find a nice counterpoint in a subtle flavor sage. Aging in 20% new French and American oak has introduced a warm, toasted vanilla character, too.
Sub-$30 Sonoma Coast Pinot is a difficult trick to pull off, but this wine proves it’s possible to do so, and with style. It’s a sweetly spiced, plushly textured red flashed through with brambly berries, red and black cherries, tilled earth, humidor, and cracked peppercorns.
Seven Apart’s Stags Ridge vineyard sits 1,475 feet atop Atlas Peak. The soil is mostly red volcanic clay with little moisture and the vines date back to 1999, nothing has been replanted, it produces small berries rich in color and tannins. Chewy, meaty, and rich – this is a sumptuous, luxurious red. Dusty tannins line the mouth, adhering to dried violets, dark cocoa, and graphite. Well built, with backbone and finesse. Herbal notes cling to blackberry ganache and white-peppered cedar.
Named for an unincorporated community in Napa during the 1950s where 400 families built vessels with radical designs. We bow to the stern character of this red, its plush texture smoothing out on a deck of suede tannins. Brushy, with wild blueberry and espresso on mid-palate, its exacting acidity rising in waves. The wine exhibits a compact nature, washed in dried heather and new leather.
This producer’s practice of releasing wines into the market with at least one year’s worth of additional bottle age beyond the average pays excellent dividends in this case. Nutty, toasty, spicy barrel notes are now beautifully interwoven with the fruit flavors, which recall ripe peaches and baked apples. The sensory signals emitted by both the fruit and the high-class cooperage play off one another very well. Quite fairly priced in relation to its superb quality.
Notably deeper in pigmentation than most wines in the wave of rosés from Provence, this also offers fuller body and more impactful flavors than the norm. The fruit notes recall strawberry, pomegranate, and watermelon, with just a touch of sweetness but plenty of acidity to balance that out and provide definition for the flavors and lift in the finish.
A rapturous 100% Malvasia del Lazio with aromas of a tropical paradise. Notes of gardenia, pineapple, sweet cream, and lemon sorbet glazes the palate.
Abruzzo’s Montepulciano grape variety can make “serious” wines but also affordable, juicy ones that are full of fun without turning unserious—as in this instance. Red berry and black cherry notes lead the way, with enough tannin to provide some grip and enough acidity to counterbalance the touch of fruity sweetness. These attributes combine to make this a top contender for weeknight pairing with pizza or pasta dishes.