This wine teems with so much smokey appeal it should require a plush purple dinner jacket. Dark cherry and plum are shrouded in notes of cigar and a touch of bell pepper. A piquant flourish of savory spices follow on the tongue with pine, rosemary and sage. The edges are soft and inviting with tannins that bristle and delight.
Blue fruits of blueberry and boysenberry blossom gloriously on the nose. Aged for 9 months in French Oak, this wine handles self-assuredly with a sturdy chassis, driven by cherry and boysenberry with a touch of rose petals. It shifts with ease on the palate, showcasing savory tannins dusted with clove and a hint of cinnamon. This has the horsepower of a full-bodied red and is comforting and soft – an iron fist in a velvet riding glove. A triumph.
A dynamo! A tarry compote of blackberry, espresso, and fennel lead the way. A thread of acidity calms this blockbuster, allowing notes of roses, peonies, and baking spices to surface. Opulent from start to finish.
A user-friendly Cabernet that rings up for $10 is a pleasant surprise. Yes, it this a bit sweet for Cabernet and quite soft in feel, but at this price those are selling points rather than shortcomings. Sourcing fruit from both cooler and warmer vineyards resulted in a bit of complexity, but this is all about affordable drinkability, and it succeeds at exactly that.
The wine highlights creamy butter as advertised, but other flavors pucker up, with a decadent bouquet of jasmine and hawthorne. There’s a textural softness, with layers of peach, lemon pith and fruit cocktail with a baker’s flourish of custard and pie crust – an indulgent pleasure.
This wine is an event, but no need to bring your own buttered popcorn, the taste is included. Stone fruit and pineapple accompany raw honey with just the slightest hint of orange slices. Earthier components emerge on the palate, with a creamy wave of vanilla and hay alongside a surprising layer of lanolin and petrichor.
Immediately this wine demonstrates a flair for freshness. The grapes are harvested at night and fermented in stainless steel tanks to highlight the fruit. There is a mélange of mouthwatering flavors, from ripe cantaloupe to yuzu and kiwi with a bit of jalapeño. Sensations of prickly tension burst like pop-rocks on the tongue with a lengthy finish of sun-kissed tropicality.
With a low abv of 13%, this unique Chardonnay speaks to wet stone, lemon custard, pineapple, and toasted pecan. Its complexity is significant; it is an expression of soil, providing a refreshing quality of texture and richness.