Wine Reviews

Super fresh, citrusy, with orchard and tropical fruit notes, and excellent mid-palate depth, framed by slick tangerine and lemon oil, and saline acidity. The wine boasts incredible staying power. Further notes of licorice and anise add intrigue to this velvety wine, which finishes with tropical fruit notes of underripe guava and pineapple. Downright delicious. Following conventional cellar maturation, the sealed bottle underwent additional aging beneath the sea, where darkness, stable temperature, water pressure, and gentle currents created an alternative environment for its evolution.

A zesty, bright, and crunchy white wine with plenty of nervy acid tension to make this a wonderful anytime sipper. The addition of Roussanne is brilliant, balancing the zesty acid tension with a kind of lemon-oil slickness, and the finish reveals more fruit notes of lychee and kumquat. Abv. 14%. 54% Chenin Blanc, 46% Roussanne.

A wonderfully fresh, lifted, and vibrant Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley of France, bursting out of the glass with wet stone minerality, orchard, and stone fruit, with a plush, juicy core of apple and pear notes, and a smooth, silky, light- to medium-bodied finish. Pair with salads and creamy cheeses spread on a just-baked baguette. Abv. 12.5%. 100% Sauvignon Blanc.

For a Russian River Pinot Noir, this is quite crisp, focused, drinking more like a West Sonoma Coast Pinot, with graphite minerality, blood orange, crisp apple-skin tannins, and ultra-bright, crunchy red berry fruit. Quite tasty, coming in at 12.3% alcohol; something you can sip all day long. Abv. 100% Pinot Noir.

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.

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.

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.

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.