I taste a bunch-o-wine (technical term for more than most people). So each week, I share some of my wine reviews (mostly from samples) and tasting notes in a “mini-review” format.

They are meant to be quirky, fun, and (mostly) easily-digestible reviews of (mostly) currently available wines (click here for the skinny on how to read them), and are presented links to help you find them, so that you can try them out for yourself. Cheers!

• 2014 Kishor Savant Red (Galilee): Bordeaux comes to Israel, writing odes to game meat and currants using fine graphite pencils. $36 B+
• 2015 Stewart Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): Valley Cab doesn’t get much sexier of a look than this… and that’s really kind of sayin’ sumthin’. $70 A-
• 2016 Stewart Chardonnay (Sonoma Mountain): Almost turning that volume knob all the way up to 11 so that you can adequately rock things out. $37 B+
• 2014 Dutton-Goldfield ‘Deviate’ Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast): Pretty much worth the price for the opportunity to sniff the spice aromas alone. $72 A
• 2014 Domaines Schlumberger Pinot Noir Les Princes Abbés (Alsace): So delicate and feminine, you’d think that it was personifying fine lace. $27 B+
• 2015 Pierre Sparr Pinot Gris Grande Reserve (Alsace): Holding on to your attention with juuuust enough verve and astringent bite. $20 B
• 2012 Alzatura Montefalco Sagrantino (Umbria): Remind your palate to wear its grown-up pants for this one, because it’s gonna need it! $31 B+
• 2017 Marco Felluga Russiz Superiore Sauvignon Collio (Friuli-Venezia Giulia): Pungent, grassy, crystal-clear, and clean as a whistle. $27 B+
• 2012 Quinta da Muradella Gorvia Blanco (Monterrei): Biscuits, lemon peel, nuts, and, well, just a whole bunch of awesomeness. $66 A-
• 2012 Quinta da Muradella ‘Fisterra’ (Monterrei): Peppery, meaty, smokey, and so very, very alive.  $NA A-

I taste a bunch-o-wine (technical term for more than most people). So each week, I share some of my wine reviews (mostly from samples) and tasting notes in a “mini-review” format.

They are meant to be quirky, fun, and (mostly) easily-digestible reviews of (mostly) currently available wines (click here for the skinny on how to read them), and are presented links to help you find them, so that you can try them out for yourself. Cheers!

• 2014 Fields Family Wines Estate Syrah (Lodi): The next time someone tells you that Lodi reds can’t be compelling, hit them over the head with this. Ok, yeah, fine, maybe just pour them a glass instead… $25 B+
• 2009 Clos de La Tech Domaine du Docteur Rodgers Pinot Noir (San Francisco Bay): The tech is modern nearly to its CPU-precise core, but the algorithm favors an earthy nod to Pinot’s darker side. $102 A-
• 2017 Tyrrell’s Wines Semillon (Hunter Valley): Tropically in your face a bit, but don’t – ever – doubt that Hunter valley raciness winning out in the end. $24 B+
• 2017 Torbreck Woodcutter’s Shiraz (Barossa Valley): Big, juicy, and juuuuust vibrant enough to wood-cut through those blueberries. $25 B+
• 2016 Lucien Albrecht Gewurztraminer Reserve (Alsace): The only reservations that you should have about this textbook, pure reserve are… uhm… none, actually. $18 B+
• 2016 Les Vignerons du Pic Chateau d’Assas Gres de Montpellier (Languedoc-Roussillon): A fave well-written, guilty-pleasure movie, only in vinous form. $15 B
• 2016 Tasca d’Almerita Tenuta Regaleali ‘Guarnaccio’ Perricone (Sicily): The black cherries are right from the bramble bush, and have yet to be fully washed, but we like ’em that way. $20 B+
• 2013 Madonna delle Vittorie Trento Brut (Trentino-Alto Adige): There’s nothing about this bright, brioche-tinged delight that isn’t crowd-pleasing. $18 B
• NV Dow’s 10 Year Old Tawny Port (Portugal): Close your eyes, eat your pecan pie, marvel in life’s little pleasures… and just watch that you don’t drink too much of this lip-smacker. $36 B+
• 2015 Concha y Toro Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon (Puente Alto): I swear, you keep mixing in that bit of that awesome Cab Franc in there, and I am gonna lose it… in a good way… $120 A

I taste a bunch-o-wine (technical term for more than most people). So each week, I share some of my wine reviews (mostly from samples) and tasting notes in a “mini-review” format.

They are meant to be quirky, fun, and (mostly) easily-digestible reviews of (mostly) currently available wines (click here for the skinny on how to read them), and are presented links to help you find them, so that you can try them out for yourself. Cheers!

• 2012 Ella Valley Vineyards Cabernet Franc (Judean Hills): An elegant, herbal, and spicy tug-of-war between gritty earth and silky plums. $28 A-
• 2015 Ella Valley Syrah – Petite Sirah (Judean Hills): Mineral, meaty, and mostly relying on its powerful force of ripe fruit complexity. $NA B+
• 2012 Ella Valley 32/35 Vineyard’s Choice Red (Judean Hills): With your eyes closed, you’ll think that you just walked out of a CA grocery with a bag full of blackcurrants, violets, & freshly-sharpened pencils. $NA A-
• 2017 Bat Shlomo Rose (Galilee): Grenache in zesty, peppery, pithy glory; you’d better be into strawberries, though. $28 B+
• 2016 Bat Shlomo Chardonnay (Judean Hills): Moving from floral reticence to peachy, toasty flashiness in almost record time. $42 B+
• 2015 Bat Shlomo Betty’s Cuvee (Judean Hills): Leathery elegance that could probably pass for Bordeaux; or, at least, will give you ample reason to look forward to the future of Bord’x reds in Israel. $69 A-
• 2014 Psagot “Peak” (Judean Hills): Rhone visits the Middle East, shows off its modern, lush, sexy side in the process. $48 B+
• 2014 Yaffo Winery Heritage (Ella Valley): Power, concentration, and enough red and black currants to fill your cornucopia basket. $NA B+
• 2015 Covenant Wines Syrah (Israel): Making a masculine, meaty, and mineral covenant with your Rhone-loving tongue. $75 A-
• 2016 Gva’ot Winery Merlot (Shomron): Merlot takes to higher altitude with chocolaty, vivacious and, well, plummy aplomb. $33 B+

I taste a bunch-o-wine (technical term for more than most people). So each week, I share some of my wine reviews (mostly from samples) and tasting notes in a “mini-review” format.

They are meant to be quirky, fun, and (mostly) easily-digestible reviews of (mostly) currently available wines (click here for the skinny on how to read them), and are presented links to help you find them, so that you can try them out for yourself. Cheers!

• 2015 Brotte Domaine Barville Chateauneuf-du-Pape (Rhone): Exactly what you signed up for – black cherries and earthy funk – only without having to pay over fifty bucks. $37 A-
• 2015 Les Dauphins Cotes du Rhone Villages (Cotes du Rhone Villages): Bright, pretty, peppery and capable; just don’t expect much more than delight and you’ll be fine. $14 B
• 2014 Marco Felluga Molamatta Collio Bianco (Friuli-Venezia Giulia): Fresh, nutty, tangy, and food-friendly; I think I might be in love. Seriously. $24 B+
• 1991 Caves Sao Joao Quinta do Poco do Lobo Arinto (Beira): Everything about this is completely crazy, in all of the better senses of the word. $55 A-
• 2015 Trinity Hill Black Label Syrah (Gimblett Gravels): You’ll bitch about this being on the lighter side, then you’ll pour yourself several more glasses of it. $30 A-
• 2016 Tongue Dancer Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast): Juuuuuuust the right mix of sultry and energetic to get most of your own juices flowing. $49 A-
• 2015 Stewart Cellars ‘Tartan’ Red Blend (Napa Valley): “This wine is so self indulgent.” [ Proceeds to finish the entire bottle on his own ]. $50 A-
• 2016 Heitz Cellar Chardonnay (Napa Valley): How in the f*ck are they not selling this for over $50? Shhhh! Don’t tell them!!! $26 A-
• 2014 Chateau Montelena “The Montelena Estate” Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): Pretty much everything that’s right about Napa, including its mystique, in bottled form. $160 A
• 2015 Cowhorn Vineyard “Moonraker” (Applegate Valley): Gritty, grippy, brambly, linear, floral Grenache/Syrah/Tempranillo blend that’s the wine fun equivalent of eating really good spicy food. $55 B+