GUINIGI

Wine Reviews

92

Butternut 2022 Chardonnay, California ($15)

Seductive notes of meringue and macadamia nut and a touch of toast delight on the nose. The palate is satiny and riddled with citrus, with hints of lime and mandarin alongside baking spices for a gratifying denouement.

92

Butternut 2022 Pinot Noir, California ($15)

The brightness of the red fruit character leaps from the glass with prominent notes of candied rhubarb and cherry and strawberries. Rounded without being flabby, the finish is juicy and lithe with a wink of playfulness. This is a summer wine that suits year-round.

92

Cantina Gaffino 2020 Rosso Roma, DOC Latium, Italy ($31)

A blend of Montepulciano, Sangiovese, and Petit Verdot, with dusty tannins and flavors of cured meat, heather, and plum. Ignited by fierce acidity, tension has a stake on the palate, with flinty persistence.

92

Carmen 2024 Frida Kahlo Reserva Rosé, Central Valley, Chile ($14)

Candied orange peel and elderflower are lovely aromas. Brisk acidity makes its mark on juicy peach and melon. Tangerine cream weaves through at mid-palate, energetic, with a pinch of salty minerality.

99

Chappellet 2021 Pritchard Hill Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley ($325)

Farmed for 57 years and replanted block by block for the past 30 years, Pritchard Hills remains a benchmark for Napa Valley’s superior mountain fruit. Winemaker Phillip Corallo-Titus aged the wine for 22 months in 100% new French oak, and upon first sip, it showed its youth with a powerful thrust of muscle. A rush of mulberry, boysenberry, and mocha cedar bursts through. Tannins are dry and surround the mouth, sinewy and fleshy. As it opens, new leather and balsamic make way for oregano and licorice to impart an opulence on the finish.

93

Cigar Box 2022 Old Vine Malbec, Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina ($14)

From a single vineyard from the Santa Rita Estate that reaches over 3400 feet in elevation, this French oak-aged red offers white-peppered plums and a hint of smoky oak, caressed by round tannins. Aromas and flavors converge, with notes of grilled beef, ripe blueberry, and a wash of cinnamon-cedar that keeps the palate engaged.

92

Clos du Bois 2023 Chardonnay, California ($12)

Bright acidity weaves through toasty coconut, lemon batter, and marzipan. Just the right balance of richness to please any Chardonay fan. An iconic white wine that over-delivers for the price.

92

Clos du Bois 2024 Chardonnay, California ($12)

Aromas: Marzipan, honeyed pears, vanilla custard
Mouth-filling notes of vanilla wafer, lemon verbena, and elderflower. An iconic name in Chardonnay; expressive, with a reined in richness.