GUINIGI

Wine Reviews

95

Château Clarke 2020 Baron Edmond de Rothschild, Bordeaux, France ($70)

Elegance is instantly ignited with this blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. With savory layers of fresh soil, new leather, roasted coffee, and blackcurrant, we were impressed with its well-designed style.

99

Chimney Rock 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon, Tomahawk Vineyard, Stags Leap District, Napa Valley ($160)

A well-tuned machine delivering persistence and stability. Notes of beef broth, black plum, and graphite paint a picture of the formidable landscape of Stags Leap District. Its structure echoes the cliffs that cradle the district. Crushed herbs, mocha, and subtle mineral-earth components relax on the wine’s velvety texture.

97

Chimney Rock 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District, Napa Valley ($120)

An anniversary edition celebrating 40 vintages, this wine displays the elegance and serenity that is Stags Leap District’s superpower. Black plum, iron minerality, and espresso seamlessly wash across the palate. Dignified, with broad shoulders.

93

Chloe 2023 Chardonnay, Monterey County, California ($17)

Baking spices abound with a basket of nutmeg and clove and a hint of all-spice. Aged in French and American oak, the fruits are supple, ripe and rich with sumptuous melon and golden apple. The palate is buoyed with lime zest and pear flesh with a coating of caramel and a tantalizing finish of banana creme.

92

Chloe 2023 Pinot Noir, Monterey County, California ($18)

This is a charming stroll near a bog, with cranberries teeming with rosemary and sage. Red plums emerge to the taste with firm, drying tannins. A front of candied cherry with dried blood orange is bridged with peppery spice for a finish of cinnamon, clove, and cherry cola.

93

Cigar Box 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon, Maipo Valley, Chile ($15)

There are appetizing aromas of cooking spices along with notes of tuscan leather and a signature tobacco leaf fresh from the humidor. The textured mouthfeel offers a bounty of ripe black currants with layers of violets, nutmeg, all-spice a touch of smoke, evoking pleasant memories of a campfire.

92

Cigar Box 2023 Pinot Noir, Leyda Valley, Chile ($15)

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.

93

Cigar Box 2024 Malbec, Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina ($15)

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.