GUINIGI

Wine Reviews

89

Pine Crest Vineyards 2022 Chardonnay, California ($12)

Toasty notes settle in, with layers of peanut brittle, peach tart, melon, and lemon cookie batter. Buttery and rich.

90

Portlandia 2024 Rose, Columbia Valley, WA ($17)

This is a 100% Syrah with a low 12.5% abv, fermented in 100% stainless steel. Rose petals and a stony frame encompass notes of raspberry and tangerine. High-point acidity adds a crispness to the clean finish.

98

Priest Ranch 2019 Remedy, Napa Valley ($85)

A blend of 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Cabernet Franc, 20% Malbec, and 24% Merlot aged 27 months in 75% new French Oak. Plush tannins are amped by melting dark chocolate; a bit grainy but ultimately luscious and textural. Boysenberry ganache, soy sauce, and new leather take a sensuous pause on the palate, unleashing a windfall of violets on the long-lasting finish.

98

Priest Ranch 2019 Snake Oil Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley ($110)

Creamy velvet-lined chocolate licorice indicates the soft tannins and streamlined structure of this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon planted on hillsides that climb as high as 1600 feet above sea level. Aged for 26 months in 75% new French oak, notes of tree bark, graphite, and blackberry-filled cake surround the palate. Spiced cedar braces against the tongue, while black tea and black plum are streamlined on the finish.

95

Priest Ranch 2022 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley ($60)

Taste the soil: sweet and generous, with a thread of minerality and dark espresso. Sueded tannins are sleek and faintly dusted with dark chocolate. Black plum is introduced, graceful and poignant, alongside new leather and cedar-splashed nutmeg.

94

Priest Ranch 2023 Estate Grown Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley ($30)

An articulate Sauv Blanc, sparked with an assembly of flavor: white pepper, cucumber, honeysuckle, peach, grapefruit zest, and kiwi. An underlying creaminess softens its racy acidity while soothing the palate.

94

Raymond 2023 Reserve Chardonnay, Carneros ($30)

A desirable combination of lemon bar, peach parfait, vanilla bean, and Mandarin orange. There’s a soil component, ethereal, and generated by a fine acid structure and an underlying stoney quality. Gorgeously balanced by the hands of winemaker Stephanie Putnam.

95

Raymond Reserve Collection 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley ($55)

Luminous and intense, with tobacco, worn leather, and graphite in the forefront, this is nevertheless an elegant specimen of concentrated bliss. From its blackberry core to a duo of espresso and wild cherry, it delivers a deliciously long-lasting experience.