Wine Reviews

94

Ram’s Gate 2021 Sauvignon Blanc, Carneros, Sonoma County ($40)

White flowers melt across the palate with a confectionary wash. Crushed pineapple leads to a stony finish. Elegant, pure, and well defined.

94

Ram’s Gate 2022 Estate Pinot Blanc, Carneros, Sonoma County ($40)

White flowers melt across the palate with a confectionary wash. Crushed pineapple leads to a stony finish. Elegant, pure, and well defined.

92

Rebellious 2020 Red Blend, California ($24)

A pleasing, persistent finish follows a basket of red fruits and tobacco throughout. Dense, vibrant, and well-structured, this blend is balanced and sure-footed. Graceful tannins underpin a lithe mouthfeel with juicy notes of cranberry and ripe cherry.

91

Rebellious 2022 Pinot Noir, California ($24)

With an elegant and dense structure, this Pinot is the picture of generosity. There are plumes of plum, blackcurrant and sour cherry. Supple edges and a palate-cleansing lift conclude with rugged notes of oak and a touch of crushed rocks and black tea.

92

Rebellious 2023 Sauvignon Blanc, California ($20)

Hardly a wallflower, this wine bristles with tropical fruits, ruby grapefruit, and wild herbs. Shrouded throughout with an electric minerality, it exhibits ripe peach, limeade, and a soupçon of wasabi.

90

Relax “Zero” Alcohol-Removed Sauvignon Blanc, Germany ($12)

This is one of the most impressive non-alc wines we’ve tasted. Aromas of lemon blossom and chamomile waft from the glass. Refreshing and crisp, with clean grapefruit and peach notes enveloped in a floral array of honeyed daffodils and lemon verbena.

94

Rodney Strong 2023 Sauvignon Blanc, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County ($24)

The winery’s first Sauv Blanc from Alexander Valley is a glistening beauty. Aged in stainless steel, 40% French oak, and one percent in a small tank that Winemaker Greg Morthole refers to as a “sideways concrete egg.”
The enhancement of a split of six percent Viognier and Semillon adds volume and aromatics, and the Sauvignon Musqué clone only intensifies the exotic nature of this complex white. Lemon sorbet and salinity whisper on first sip. Honeysuckle develops mid-way, lengthening the well-rounded palate feel. A squeeze of white grapefruit and ripe melon captivate on the finish. Sancerre-like with a dollop of California sun.

90

Rongopai 2023 Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand ($18)

Lime zest, tarragon, and wet stone field a racy acid structure. Italian herbs season mid-palate, with a splash of white grapefruit on the finish.