GUINIGI

Wine Reviews

93

No Love Lost 2025 Albarino, Lodi, California, USA ($42)

This is one bright, vivid, electric, and zesty Albariño from Lodi, bursting with honeydew melon, kiwi, and white floral notes, with crisp, crunchy apple and pear fruits emerging on the lengthy, medium-bodied finish. A crushable white wine, and at 12.1%, you can enjoy it all day long. 100% Albariño.

89

Aridus Vineyards 2021 Petite Sirah, Arizona ($72)

Full-bodied, boasting mixed berry pie, baked cherries, dark chocolate, and toasty oak spices with super powerful tannins infused with smoked paprika spice, finishing with real warmth and generosity from the 17.1% alcohol. Not for the faint of heart, but certainly heart-warming. Founded in 2012 by Scott and Joan Dahmer, Aridus (from the Latin word for “dry” — pronounced AIR-ih-duhs) is rooted in southeastern Arizona’s rugged, high-desert terroir.

92

Aridus Vineyards 2022 Tempranillo, Arizona ($65)

This is the most balanced wine I tasted from a set of five wines in the Aridus portfolio. It’s full-bodied, with deliciously scented toasty oak spice, espresso bean nuances, tobacco, and mixed berry fruits. All those aromatics appear on the medium- to full-bodied palate, framed by fine tannins and notes of dried Bing cherry, blueberry, and dark chocolate on the lengthy finish. Founded in 2012 by Scott and Joan Dahmer, Aridus (from the Latin word for “dry” — pronounced AIR-ih-duhs) is rooted in southeastern Arizona’s rugged, high-desert terroir.

90

Aridus Vineyards 2023 Graciano, Arizona ($65)

This Graciano delivers mixed berry fruits and fine cedarwood spices. It’s medium-bodied, boasting powdery tannins, saline minerality, and a brown-spiced, floral-driven finish. 14% abv. Founded in 2012 by Scott and Joan Dahmer, Aridus (from the Latin word for “dry” — pronounced AIR-ih-duhs) is rooted in southeastern Arizona’s rugged, high-desert terroir.

91

Aridus Vineyards 2023 Malbec, Arizona ($65)

Juicy, mixed-berry fruit, vanilla, and sweet oak spices make up the aromatic profile of this medium-bodied Malbec. Soft and supple tannins are joined by gentle acidity for a sweet-spiced, easy-drinking version of Malbec. 14.9% abv. Founded in 2012 by Scott and Joan Dahmer, Aridus (from the Latin word for “dry” — pronounced AIR-ih-duhs) is rooted in southeastern Arizona’s rugged, high-desert terroir.

96

Curto 2020 Arborina Barolo, Italy

This is fabulous, fresh, acid-driven, and quite lovely, with absolutely sumptuous red currant and red berry fruit, beautiful sweet spices, and mineral-rich, ultra-fine tannins that are tobacco-spiced, finishing with white pepper nuances and expressive earthy richness. The winemaker and owner, Nadia Curto, is the niece of Elio Altare. Imported by T. Edward Wines & Spirits.

94

Curto 2021 La Foia Barolo, Italy

The winemaker and owner, Nadia Curto, is the niece of Elio Altare. The vines for this Barolo are growing in La Morra on a sloping site of limestone layers, next to the Elio Altare estate. 100% Nebbiolo farmed organically, it yields an incredibly savory profile, leading with red berry fruit nuanced by leather and tobacco, black olive, and loamy earth. The tannins are iron-rich, firm, scented with dried rose petals, and there’s welcoming saline acidity on the lasting mineral-scented finish. Imported by T. Edward Wines & Spirits.

94

Domaine Vicomte de Noûe-Marinič 2021 Attico San Pietro III Cru Chardonnay, Slovenia

This is wonderful, crisp, vibrant, and energetic with flinty mineral notes, citrus and orchard fruit, bright, vivid, and zesty acid freshness, lean and focused with slivered almond nuances on the bright, fine-boned acidity, wet stone minerality with a hint of tangerine oil that layers in nuance and richness, balancing out the bracing tension of the wine. Fermented with a pied de cuve of native yeasts, the 40-year-old vines are rooted in Marl sandstone and schist. Imported by T. Edward Wines & Spirits.