Wine Reviews

94

Eponymous 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley ($60)

Mouth-filling, dense, and plush with teeth-gripping tannins that lighten as the wine opens up. This is a seductively bold, ripe red that sashays across the palate revealing boysenberry, heather, and cinnamon-cedar.

90

Fetzer Reserve Port, California ($11)

A dreamy 18% abv Ruby style port adorned with heather, dried cherry, cherry pith, orange bitters, and a flow of rhubarb. Weighty, with candied apples and a sensuous mouthfeel. It kept us quite engaged!

91

Firesteed 2021 Pinot Gris, Horse Heaven Hills, WA ($16)

Balanced acidity with salty minerality and ripe stone fruit. Notes of Golden yellow apple, Italian herbs, and pear tart. A creamy undertone of marzipan is a delightful ending.

90

Firesteed 2022 Pinot Noir, Oregon ($16)

Lighthearted and lean, with tilled soil, black raspberry, and sweet tobacco. Old World acidity maintains a fresh demeanor.

91

Firesteed 2022 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, OR ($22)

White peppered plum and high-toned acidity play an earthy chord. Wild strawberry tangles with Mediterranean scrub for a savory finish.

95

Floresta 2023 Carmenère, D.O. Apalta, Colchagua Valley, Chile ($35)

Brilliant gem tones of Bing cherry and peony are rich, willowy, and tart, with hints of black pepper weaving through the sensuous liquid. Lavender and coffee bean meld into the flavors of the wine’s distinct terroir, becoming deeper as it unfolds with its floral charms.
Santa Rita Estates

91

Fogscape 2021 Chardonnay, Arroyo Seco ($25)

A full-scale A Chardonnay with significant oak toast but also ripe fruit and an undertone of roasted nuts in the bouquet. It possesses flavorful fruit with a tropical character and a suggestion of peaches, which helps achieve good balance.

89

François Montand Brut Rosé, Vin Mousseux de Qualité, France ($13)

Following brisk scents of red currant and red apple skin that mingle with toast point and pink grapefruit, this cheerful traditional-method blend of Grenache and Cinsault shows its gentler side as mellow flavors of red berry and citrus complement its soft texture, enlivened by a tinge of quinine.