A bouquet of boysenberry cobbler, leather and rose petals billows from the bowl. A satiny mouthfeel charms with notes of dark cherry on tufts of chocolate truffles. Well-integrated and fine-grained tannins partner satisfyingly with a lingering richness.
A superb rosé sourced from old vine Grenache, this manages to provide alluring aromas and satisfying flavors while simultaneously remaining restrained and elegant. Fruit notes include suggestions of pie cherries, cranberries, and wild strawberries, with a bit of grip in a finish that is impressively persistent for a rosé wine. Very impressive and likely to get even better.
Nicely balanced, this shows a bit of delectable sweetness but wouldn’t be regarded by almost anybody as a sweet wine, thanks to energetic acidity and enlivens the flavors and finish. Subtle scents of dried herbs lend complexity to the bouquet, with tropical and citrus fruit flavors showing quite good purity.
The potentially excellent quality of low-yielding, old vine Carignane is becoming increasingly recognized around the world, especially around the Mediterranean and in Chile, but this California rendition is surely in the company of the best of them. Red and black berry flavors seem to rise to the fore with alternating sips, with subtle spice notes and savory undertones.
Mourvèdre can make marvelous wine when sourced from old vines in a very sunny region such as Provence, southern Spain, Australia, or as in this case, in the warmer area east of San Francisco Bay. This 2022 release shows exceptionally delicious and interesting interplay of red and black fruit notes and more savory ones recalling carpaccio and black olives. Compelling wine for warm weather grilling or rich winter stews.
It seems that this 2022 release is just the second rendition of this blend, which is very appealing and versatile. Ripe but not overly so, with no alcohol showing in the finish, it is only medium-plus in body, with briary fruit notes recalling both red and black berries. Pleasantly rustic but not rough, with a sufficiently soft finish for stand-alone sipping, this is very attractively priced in relation to its quality.
) Many of the dry farmed vines behind this wine are more than 100 years old, yielding fruit that is quite deeply flavored but not at all rough or astringent. On the contrary, the texture is very soft and rounded, with wild strawberry flavors as well as a red raspberry note. These flavors carry a ripe sweetness with them, but there’s enough acidity for the wine to come off as well balanced.
Lime sorbet, salted apples, and just-ripened apricot merge within a steely frame. Crisp, elegant, and direct, with tightrope acidity.