Wine Reviews

90

Keepa 2023 Carmenère, Chile ($9)

Deep, dark fruit exchanges sweet with savory as black tea and toasted oak come into play. Juicy, delicious, and sensual.

98

Klipsun 2020 Altimus Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain, Washington ($175)

Grapes come from one of Washington’s 1st growth vineyards, spending 19 months in 100% new French oak and 15 months in bottle. Bold and athletic, with savory notes of cigar leaf, slate, Worcestershire, and plum skin. Mid-palate notes of sage, black fruits and spiced mulberry are tested with muscle-bound tannins. It finishes with a wash of black olive and roasted espresso.

94

Lamole di Lamole 2021 Maggiolo, Chianti Classico DOCG, Tuscany, Italy ($25)

There’s a brilliance to this wine: a shiny penny with accents of laurel, rosemary, fennel, and cinnamon. Wild strawberry is lifted by its keen acidity, and a tension lies from mid-palate to its striking finish of sandalwood and white pepper.

97

Lanson 2012 Champagne, France ($131)

A blend of 52% Pinot Noir and 48% Chardonnay, from a selection of Grand and Premier Crus. Aged ten years, fresh aromas of Cashew cream and lemon cake. Bright and vivacious, with tingling bubbles that reveal a delicate minerality and a hint of bergamot. Notes of ginger, white tea, and waves of Key lime and Mandarin orange edged by dramatic acidity.

95

Lanson NV Le Rosé, Brut Champagne, Reims, France ($85)

On entry, notes of freshly squeezed tangerine dance with apricot. Precious bubbles feel lighter than air, with a veil of spearmint, rose petals, and candied ginger. A blend of 53% Pinot Noir, 32% Chardonnay, and 15% Pinot Meunier.

94

Latimer Ranch 2022 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County ($30)

Crafted by the team at Chalk Hill Winery as a tribute to its original Healdsburg property, it exhibits savory aromas of dried fruit and cola. Bold and ripe, with notes of black cherry, tobacco, and chocolate-raspberry confection. We were drawn in by the sweet earth and roasted coffee finish.

95

Les Sarrins 2022 Rosé, Côtes de Provence AOP, France ($26)

Floral notes and stone fruits perfume the glass. This blend of 60% Grenache, 20% Cinsault, 10% Syrah, and 10% Rolle exhibits gravitas. Dried rose petals arise from a foundation of slate, potted soil, and a drying splash of peach skin.

97

Lopai Cellars 2019 Heliotrope, Willow Creek District, Paso Robles ($80)

Reined in intensity, marked by big boy tannins without an edge is the first impression of this blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Mourvedre, and 3% Cab Franc. Chalky minerality plays out well against a backdrop of dark chocolate lavender and blackberry spice. Ripeness is decisively expressed on the rich finish.