Wine Reviews

94

Eberle 2022 Côtes-du-Robles Rouge, Paso Robles ($36)

Notes of spiced mulberry, white pepper and a generous, meaty texture makes this blend of 58% Grenache, 32% Mourvèdre, and 10% Syrah sing. Cigar leaf and sweet earth parade with a spoonful of berries in this old-world Rhône-style red.

93

Eberle 2023 Côtes-du-Robles Rosé, Paso Robles ($34)

Pretty in prom dress pink, and a perfume of pomegranate and tangerine. Juicy, this is the first vintage of 100% Grenache for the rosé. It shows a vibrancy of fruit, acid, and minerality. Strawberry-vanilla coats the mouth, imparting a salty, lasting finish.

95

Eberle 2023 Estate Viognier, Paso Robles ($38)

This is the sixth vintage of this estate bottling. It’s a floral beauty, with no trace of high alcohol. Stone fruit and honeysuckle shine, offering an unctuousness and a weight of vanilla confection. It finishes with the airy nature and flavor of lemon cake. This wine was awarded Best White from this year’s Central Coast Wine Competition.

94

Echolands 2020 Rubrum, Walla Walla Valley, WA ($42)

A blend of 40% Cabernet Franc, 36% Cab Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot, aged 19 months in new oak and neutral oak puncheons and barrels. Violets are relentless, with a choir of mulberry, nutmeg, maple, and plum. Acidity is high-toned; dusty tannins marking the palate with wet stone. A juicy finish of anise-kissed boysenberry lingers.

93

Echolands 2020 Syrah, Les Collines Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley AVA, Washington ($42)

Expressive and noteworthy, with sassafras and boysenberry coating the teeth in dusty tannins. Brambly and salty, with charcuterie and black plum. Structure holds firm, dry, sinewy, and savory.

90

Ed Superior 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendoza, Argentina ($15)

Nice depth of color at the core, with just a bit of fade at the edge of the glass, pleasant, lifted cassis, plum, red fruit and a slight smoke note with the aroma, quite weighty and well-structured on the palate, very soft, plush, lush, soft character. A wine that is immediately inviting, but also held together well on day two.

89

Edmundo 2024 White Malbec, Mindoza, Argentina ($11)

It’s very pale in color due to the short skin contact time. It brings a surprisingly vibrant red fruit aroma of raspberry and cherry, it’s all primary fruit, fresh, bright, with very good purity, fermented dry. For those looking for something that is a lot of fun and off the beaten path, this is a good option. Best served well chilled.

91

Ferry Lacombe 2023 Evidence Rosé, Côtes de Provence, France ($28)

Despite its pale shell-pink color, this blend of 50% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 20% Cinsault, and 10% Vermentino isn’t wispy in the least, boasting upbeat aromas and flavors of pink grapefruit, red apple, and dried apricot underpinned by structuring hints of stone and fresh herbs, including mint.