Honeysuckle and pink grapefruit sweeten the palate on first sip. A hint of salty Anjou pear takes stage mid-way. Clean and charming.
Honeysuckle and pink grapefruit sweeten the palate on first sip. A hint of salty Anjou pear takes stage mid-way. Clean and charming.
Impeccably crafted, Cabernet Sauvignon hails from the high-elevation Creston District and offers opulent notes of heather, bittersweet dark chocolate, and black plum. The addition of Cabernet Franc adds dried lavender notes and a rare variety, Saint-Macaire, adds a savory character. Its elegant structure is enhanced with the integration of Malbec. This is a tribute to Jerry Lohr’s pioneering efforts in the Paso Robles region.
Mulberry, cinnamon, cranberry, and red licorice are lively and approachable notes. Peony and rose are light-hearted floral tones, scented and tangled with garden herbs and black plum. Plush and inviting.
Pale but vibrant color, with wonderful, expressive aromas of green apple, citrus zest, stone fruit, and tropical notes. Crafted in a nuanced, subtle style with just enough oak to add a well-integrated smoky note. Acidity is zesty and fresh with very good length on the back palate. Aged twelve months in French oak.
Comprised of 50% Mourvèdre, 25% Syrah and 25% Grenache, this is as complex and age-worthy as most renditions of Châteauneuf-du-Pape sold at notably higher prices. With 20% new barrels and another 40% second-fill employed for aging, this shows plenty of cellar influence but still comes across as more “grown” than “made.” Highly detailed, it easily justifies its asking price with complexity but is also quite potent for a medium-bodied wine.
Consumers as well as buyers for restaurants and retail shops would do well to pay sharper attention to Southern Hemisphere rosés as the category continues its year-round hot streak. This is blended from 75% Grenache and 25% Mourvèdre grown in a mature, 29-year-old vineyard. Simple but very pure, fresh, and well-balanced, it delivers delicious flavors recalling strawberries and pie cherries with bright acidity.
This is quite a steal for budget-minded lovers of fresh, juicy, unadorned wines that sip pleasurably but also play well at the table without elbowing-out more subtle foods. Pure, primary fruit flavors of peaches and Golden apples are so vivid that this initially seemed almost sweet to me, but re-tasting proves this to be a technically dry wine that just tastes wonderfully juicy. Affordable fun—and who can argue with that?
Pale, youthful color, with lifted stone fruit, melon, citrus zest, and green apple aromatics. Nicely textured with a creamy component, yet with bright acidity, vibrant purity, and good weight, but retains a lively character on the palate with good length on the finish. Produced from 80% Monterey fruit with 10% each from Sonoma and Napa counties. Very good value.