GUINIGI

Wine Reviews

94

Vineyard Block Estate 2023 “453” Cabernet Sauvignon, Knights Valley, Sonoma County ($29)

Smoky oak employs sturdy tannins to create a powerful red. Ripe black currant and plum offer terrestrial hints of graphite and tobacco. A stony finish is supported by sweet soil

92

Aix 2025 Rosé Vin de Provence, Coteaux d’Aix en Provence AOP, France ($24)

Salted raspberries, summer watermelon, and a linear strike of wet stone weave through, creating a juicy, mouth-puckering pink sipper.

93

Aix 2025 Vin de Provence Blanc, Coteaux d’Aix en Provence AOP, France ($25)

This white wine shines with mineral gem tones, exuding notes of honeyed pears, fresh honeydew, and lemon meringue. Acidity is bright and ensures a lively finish.

93

Altamana 2021 Grande Reserve Malbec, Maule, Chile ($21)

From old vines, taste the succulent summer plum and sweet tobacco – streamlined notes that flood the palate. Cranberry-cinnamon is seasoned with Mediterranean herbs, with a beefy mid-palate adding body and texture.

93

Amulet Estate 2024 Hogwash Rose, California ($18)

Provençal pink, this blend of Grenache and Verdelho is perfumed with candied lime, brine and blooming jasmine. Each sip feels like a harbinger for spring, with notes of cherry blossom and fresh-picked strawberries. The finish is pillowy soft with a lingering hint of lychee – a delight.

93

Amulet Estate 2025 Hogwash Rose, California ($18)

Provençal pink, this blend of Grenache and Verdelho is perfumed with candied lime, brine and blooming jasmine. Each sip feels like a harbinger for spring, with notes of cherry blossom and fresh-picked strawberries. The finish is pillowy soft with a lingering hint of lychee – a delight.

92

Angels & Cowboys 2023 Pinot Noir, Sonoma County ($20)

The best vintage of this wine I can recall tasting, while also an outstanding value. It is appropriately light in color and physical weight for Pinot, with expressiveness in both aroma and flavor. Natural fruit sweetness enhances the attractiveness of the red and black cherry fruit flavors, with subtly spicy accents lending additional complexity.

91

Angels & Cowboys 2025 Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma Country ($20)

Nicely balanced near the midpoint along the citrus-to-melon flavor spectrum, this 2025 release will prove broadly appealing to consumers and very versatile with food. A whiff of dried herbs and cut grass leads to flavors recalling white melon and freshly sliced grapefruit that gain energy from fresh acidity that never turns too tart.