So, like, what is this stuff, anyway? 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 with you via twitter (limited to 140-ish characters). They are meant to be quirky, fun, and easily-digestible reviews of currently available wines. Below is a wrap-up of those twitter wine reviews from the past week (click here for the skinny on how to read them), along with links to help you find these wines, so that you can try them for yourself. Cheers!

• 17 Steele Cabernet Franc Rose (Lake County): Deftly crafted, watermelon cocktail with sprigs of citrus rind and basil carefully appointed along the rim. $17 B >>find this wine<<
• NV J Vineyards Brut Rose (Russian River Valley): Arguably has never been more engaging, complete, developed, and balanced. More, please! $45 A- >>find this wine<<
• 15 Troon Vineyard GSM (Rogue Valley): A rogue's gallery of three of Rhone's red superstars, and the term "lovable" can and should be applied to each one of them here. $25 B+ >>find this wine<<
• 16 Domaine du Garde Temps Cotes de Provence Tourbillon Old Vines Rose (Provence): What it lacks in overt bombast, it more than makes up for in textural intrigue. $NA B+ >>find this wine<<
• NV Warre's Warrior Finest Reserve (Porto): Spicy, dark, powerful, almost obscenely tasty, and thoroughly unapologetic about the entire thing. $19 B+ >>find this wine<<
• 14 Montes Purple Angel Carmenere (Colchagua Valley): About as guilty of a pleasure as can be rendered from Carm; only thing missing is playing hooky from work to get a spa treatment. $65 A- >>find this wine<<
• 17 Domaine Bousquet Malbec (Tupungato): Plummy, floral, and fresh; drop your expectations, this one plays quite nicely with others at the dinner table. $13 B >>find this wine<<
• 15 Domaine Bousquet Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Tupungato): This one is almost a steal; but you probably won't feel too guilty enjoying the ample graphite and currants action. $18 B+ >>find this wine<<
• 14 Campotondo Banditone (Orcia): Juicy, dark, chewy, and delicious. Bonus points for showing up with a heaping helping of rose petals, too. $NA B+ >>find this wine<<
• 13 Campotondo All' Incontro Rosso (Toscana): Don't yet love Colorino? This one might just change your mind. And if it doesn't, what the hell is wrong with you, anyways?!?? $NA B+ >>find this wine<<

So, like, what is this stuff, anyway? 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 with you via twitter (limited to 140-ish characters). They are meant to be quirky, fun, and easily-digestible reviews of currently available wines. Below is a wrap-up of those twitter wine reviews from the past week (click here for the skinny on how to read them), along with links to help you find these wines, so that you can try them for yourself. Cheers!

• 13 Rodney Strong Symmetry Meritage Red (Alexander Valley): In time, all of that sweet, elegant wood spice will integrate; but that time will not be short… $50 B+ >>find this wine<<
• 14 Gundlach-Bundschu Mountain Cuvee (Sonoma County): Dependably coming together in an ensemble that's decidedly sexier than the sum of its constituent parts. $20 B+ >>find this wine<<
• 15 Chalk Hill Estate Chardonnay (Chalk Hill): Think, lobster, butter, potatoes, and cheese, and serve it all up in the chilly dead of mid-Winter. $42 A- >>find this wine<<
• 13 Blason-Louis Haut-Medoc Cru Bourgeois (Bordeaux): This is everything that's right about B-L's unique business model; more of this please… much more… $40 A- >>find this wine<<
• 15 Blason-Louis Sancerre (Loire): Sancerre as you don't often see it, namely totally relaxed and just letting everything hang out. $26 B+ >>find this wine<<
• NV Vilarnau Brut Reserva (Cava): Serve it to your annoying friends who say that all Cava sucks, and watch them furiously backpedal on their no-longer recalcitrant stance. $15 B >>find this wine<<
• 15 Cantina Campotondo Mezzodi di Campotondo (Orcia): Chewy, and delicious; like, whoops-I-drank-that-entire-bottle-by-myself-with-a-hamburger delicious… $NA B+ >>find this wine<<
• 14 Poggio Grande Sesterzio Sangiovese (Orcia): All of Sangio's beguiling pieces, still deconstructed but merging inexorably into a cohesive whole. $NA B+ >>find this wine<<
• 10 Podere Albiano Cirie (Orcia): A hefty shot of Merlot gives this spicy Sangio some plusher edges, without losing an ounce of focus or intent. $NA B+ >>find this wine<<
• 12 Val d'Orcia Terre Senesi Sornione Sangiovese Riserva (Orci): For those who like to play fast and loose with their tobacco, spices, and leathery grip. $35 B+ >>find this wine<<

So, like, what is this stuff, anyway? 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 with you via twitter (limited to 140-ish characters). They are meant to be quirky, fun, and easily-digestible reviews of currently available wines. Below is a wrap-up of those twitter wine reviews from the past week (click here for the skinny on how to read them), along with links to help you find these wines, so that you can try them for yourself. Cheers!

• 15 Ravenswood Big River Single Vineyard Designate Zinfandel (Alexander Valley): Aptly named; there is nothing small about this textural, jammy, deliciously-succulent guilty pleasure. $39 B+ >>find this wine<<
• 15 Dry Creek Vineyard Heritage Vines Zinfandel (Sonoma County): Still one of the cooler stories – and one of the better values – in the modern Zin marketplace. $18 B+ >>find this wine<<
• 15 Siduri John Sebastiano Vineyard Pinot Noir (Sta. Rita Hills): So muscular, sinewy, powerful, and gorgeous, it might as well be a thoroughbred. $50 A- >>find this wine<<
• 10 Caroso Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva (Montepulciano d'Abruzzo): The theme here is dark-&-robust; that goes for the tobacco, earth, woody, and fruit. Bring the big boy pants! $27 B+ >>find this wine<<
• 15 Simonsig Kaapse Vonkel Brut Rose (South Africa): A bit like German-language opera, where the craft & execution have to overcome the brute force of raw material. $24 B >>find this wine<<
• 15 Robalino Albarino (Rias Baixas): Lemons and lemons and lemons, all of which are fresh and juuuuuust sweet enough that you can't put them down. $18 B >>find this wine<<
• 15 Tommasi Rafael (Valpolicella Classico Superiore): Leather, sweet cherries, dried spices, and a penchant for beef stew on really, really cold Winter evenings. $16 B >>find this wine<<
• 13 Restoran Vinarija Josic Baranja Ciconia Nigra Cuvee (Croatia): For when you want your red chewy, burger-friendly, and meaning business. $12 B- >>find this wine<<
• 15 G. Descombes Morgon (Morgon): Will make you say things like 'More Morgon!' and actually mean them sincerely without feeling like a dork. $25 B+ >>find this wine<<
• 16 Domaine de Cala Rose (Coteaux Varois en Provence): Yet another reason – not that we needed more – to start your exploratory dry rose journey in Provence. $22 B+ >>find this wine<<

So, like, what is this stuff, anyway?
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 with you via twitter (limited to 140-ish characters). They are meant to be quirky, fun, and easily-digestible reviews of currently available wines. Below is a wrap-up of those twitter wine reviews from the past week (click here for the skinny on how to read them), along with links to help you find these wines, so that you can try them for yourself. Cheers!

• 12 Donatella Cinelli Colombini Casato Prime Donne (Brunello di Montalcino): Not all of the heroes survive at the end of this brooding, exceptional, heartfelt tale, performed by an all-female cast. $100 A >>find this wine<<
• 15 Donatella Cinelli Colombini Leone Rosso Orcia (Tuscany): A Tuscan Sangiovese core, displayed at some of its juicy, plummy, & deliciously friendly best. $NA B+ >>find this wine<<
• 06 Donatella Cinelli Colombini Vin Santo del Chianti (Tuscany): Tasty, persistent, powerful, and not at all shy about leaving lasting – and quite positive – impressions. $70 A- >>find this wine<<
• 14 Ehrhart Domaine Saint-Remy Gewurztraminer Cuvee EVA (Alsace): It’s really, really hard not to like something this finessed, rosy & lovely. Except by hard, I mean impossible. $NA A- >>find this wine<<
• 14 Josmeyer Riesling Hengst Grand Cru (Alsace): Do you like limes? How about slate washed in sea water? Whatever, just shut up & drink this already. $60 A- >>find this wine<<
• NV Gustave Lorentz Cremant d’Alsace Rose (Alsace): More perkiness than anything else, but that perkiness is both very pretty and totally charming. $30 B+ >>find this wine<<
• 15 Lieb Cellars Reserve Pinot Blanc (North Fork of Long Island): Take a flower, put a fresh lemon slice on top of it, sprinkle it with a bit of sugar and sea salt, take a whiff, be very happy. $22 B+ >>find this wine<<
• 13 Franciscan Estate Reserve Merlot (Napa Valley): Dense and silky, because, well, duh, but never looses touch with its soulful Merlot roots. $45 A- >>find this wine<<
• 14 Dutton Goldfield Walker Hill Vineyard Chardonnay (Green Valley of Russian River Valley): Still in fine form, with a bit more nutty pie crust than tropical perkiness. $50 A- >>find this wine<<
• 15 Dutton Goldfield Dutton Ranch Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley): Goldilocks just-right levels of bramble, fruit, spices, zest, flesh, and flash. $44 A- >>find this wine<<