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!
- NV Domaines Vinsmoselle Poll-Fabaire “Lux” Cremant de Luxembourg Cuvee Brut (Luxembourg): Will put almost as bright a smile on your face as the white lilies and fresh citrus zest that it invokes. $39 B+
- NV Bruno Paillard Premiere Cuvee Rose Brut (Champagne): Basically everything that’s nearly perfect about Champers, only with a cherry on top. $60 A-
- 1990 Caves Sao Joao Reserva Particular (Bairrada): Dark, tart, toasty, woody, smoky, and like a great grunge riff, adept at taking you back in time, for a time. $45 A-
- 2012 Noble & Murat LBV (Porto): Packing hefty punches, you’ll need some serious dark chocolate dessert feint action to go toe-to-toe with this fighter. $NA B+
- NV Pago de Tharsys Conde Laurel Brut (Cava): A decent amount of invigorating poise, for not a lot of coinage. $10 B-
- 2013 Martin Codax Vinas e Adegas Galegas ‘El Cayado Roble’ Mencia (Bierzo): Come for the enticing raspberry richness, stay for the refreshing sense of spicy zing. $27 B+
- 2015 Plunder Pinot Noir (California): Think velvet being aggressive, and you’ll get the sense of the mouthfeel of this crowd-pleaser. $NA B-
- 2014 Wildcatter Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon (Mount Veeder): Violets and cassis growing on scraggly, rugged hillsides in the dark of night. $79 A-
- 2016 Riverbench Estate Pinot Noir (Santa Maria Valley): A lithe and lovely delight from herbal, bright berry start to spicy, chiseled finish. $30 B+
- 2016 Talley Vineyards Estate Chardonnay (Arroyo Grande Valley): Fruity complexity and delicious structure make for a very soon to be empty bottle… $28 B+
