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Staff Favorites - Alex Leonardini
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Reviews
2021 Martin Woods "Koosah Vineyard" Eola-Amity Hills Chardonnay
Review Date: 11-30-2023
The 2021 Martin Woods "Koosah Vineyard" Chardonnay is a distinctly unique and strikingly singular wine. Every aspect is in beautiful juxtaposition with another, creating a wine that is as harmonious as it is remarkable. White peach and meyer lemon fruits are pulled taut by smoky, salty, chalky minerality. Bright, energetic acidity is counterbalanced by textural depth. And the wine's crisp, zippy finish and deeply savory undertones stretch through a long, spiraling finish. Few wines are as complex and thought provoking as this, and fewer still can be had at this price point.
2022 Walter Scott "La Combe Verte" Willamette Valley Chardonnay
Review Date: 11-16-2023
Clear and precise, the 2022 Walter Scott 'La Combe Verte' Chardonnay opens with notes of noble reduction: struck flint and matchstick. Give the wine some air and those reductive notes transition into steely aromas of graphite, rock salt, and oyster shell, with white peach, orange zest, honeysuckle, and orange blossom adding layers of complexity. The wine's structure is pulled taut between steely, minerally acidity and a doughy softness lent by full malo. An excellent example of how great Oregon Chardonnay can be.
Price:
$34.95
2021 Eric Kent "Sascha Marie - Roberts Road Vineyard" Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
Review Date: 11-15-2023
The 2021 Eric Kent "Sascha Marie" Pinot Noir is a bold, up-front take on Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir that manages to maintain finesse and elegance despite it's fruit forward expression. Displaying ripe red cherry, plum, and strawberry on the nose and similar juicy, ripe fruits on the palate, there's a lovely lusciousness to the texture that harmonizes perfectly with the fresh, mouthwatering acidity. Tannins are rounded and easy, softened by time in large, mostly old oak puncheons. This wine would make a lovely addition to any California Pinot lover's Thanksgiving Day table.
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2021 Eric Kent "Stiling Vineyard" Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
Review Date: 11-15-2023
The 2021 Eric Kent "Stiling Vineyard" Pinot Noir is unabashed, full-force RRV richness in a bottle. Ripe red and black cherry, strawberry, and cola explode on the palate while oak spice flavors of clove and cardamom integrate seamlessly due to the use of large format 75% new French oak puncheons. The texture is round and creamy and absolutely bursting with juicy fruits. Fans of Russian River Valley Pinot take note: this a deal not easy to come by. Don't miss out.
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2021 Eric Kent "The Pianist" Petaluma Gap Pinot Noir
Review Date: 11-15-2023
The 2021 Eric Kent "The Pianist" Pinot Noir is composed of the EK assistant winemaker's favorite two puncheons, which both happened to be from Sonoma's cool, windy Petaluma Gap AVA. The chilly climate of the site is demonstrated in the wines bright, racy acidity, and low-impact oak lets the fruit purity really shine in this bottling. Soft, juicy red cherry, cassis, perfectly ripe strawberry, and rhubarb crème form the core of this silky pinot noir while the appellation's cool climate lends notes of cedar and spice. The whole package is wrapped up in a nice, neat bow of floral lift and fresh acidity. What terrific value.
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2021 AXR Napa Valley Proprietary Red
Review Date: 11-07-2023
The AXR Proprietary Red is always a no-brainer for delicious, reasonably priced Napa wine, and the 2021 vintage is no exception. Lushly fruited with well integrated oak, the wine is loaded with red and black plum, ripe blackberry, blueberry, graphite, and vanilla. Medium-bodied and juicy with silky tannins and fresh acidity, the AXR Red is almost too easy to drink, but underneath all that tempting fruit lies some real complexity. This wine is always a win.
2019 Martin Woods "Havlin Vineyard" Van Duzer Corridor Chardonnay
Review Date: 11-07-2023
The 2019 Martin Woods "Havlin Vineyard" Chardonnay is another shining example of the astounding quality to be found in Oregon Chardonnay. Hailing from the cool, windy Van Duzer Corridor-a gap in the coastal range that funnels cold ocean air into the valley-the wine rolls savory, minerally, and fruity all into one. White peach, pear, and candied lemon peel mingle with flavors of vanilla bean and creme brulee while chalky, struck match minerality reverberates around the edges. This isn't your ultra-lean, ultra-high acid Chard; there's enough weight to the body to balances the nervy acidity through a savory finish. There's a lot of stuffing here for sub-$30.
2019 Eric Kent "Atoosa's Vineyard" Russian River Valley Syrah
Review Date: 10-31-2023
The 2019 Eric Kent "Atoosa's" Syrah from Russian River Valley is an example of California Syrah with pinpoint accuracy. The wine is well fruited with ample body, yet beautifully layered with earthy, herbal complexity. Creamy cassis, black plum, blackberry, and huckleberry flood the palate, closely followed by savory earthiness. Asian spice, dried sage and thyme, white smoke, and black pepper unfold in an expansive display of complexity. Then, just when you think the experience is complete, the whole thing is wrapped up with a pretty bow of floral lift. This is a whole lot of wine for the price.
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2020 Eric Kent "1KM West" Sonoma Coast Chardonnay
Review Date: 10-31-2023
The 2020 Eric Kent "1Km West" Sonoma Coast Chardonnay is a fresh, punchy counterpoint to its "Luke's Grove" brethren. Broadly textured and well layered, there's a crisp center of green apple and lemon curd to balance its expansive corona of quince, clove, and nutmeg. Oak tones are displayed, but beautifully interwoven with the wine's creamy texture and they never overwhelm its tart green apple core. This is a wine of immense balance and precision at $50 and a no brainer at sub-$20.
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2019 Brittan "Gestalt" McMinnville Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
Review Date: 10-26-2023
The 2019 Brittan "Gestalt" Pinot Noir, is a bit of a counterpoint to the winery's "Cygnus" bottling. Compared to the Cygnus' partially-shielded east facing block, the Gestalt bottling hails from wind-exposed, shallow fractured basalt soils of a west facing block. The nose opens with dark, brooding berries and crushed gravel that, with air, lead way to ripe black cherry, black plum and boysenberry. This lush, concentrated fruit supports the wine's more mineral, herbal core of clove, graphite, lavender, and iron. There's still a pleasant plushness to the wine, but with a more firm structure and more linear acidity. Given time, either in bottle or decanter, this wine becomes utterly spectacular.
2019 Brittan "Cygnus" McMinnville Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
Review Date: 10-26-2023
The 2019 Brittan "Cygnus" Pinot Noir comes from an east facing block on the estate that is partly sheltered from the frigid, howling Van Duzer Corridor wind, leading to a wine with a touch more softness than the other offerings. This Pinot is bursting with juicy red cherry and mixed berry fruits that transition into a more lifted cranberry tone as it's herbal side unfolds on the palate. Lavender, sage, and violets enter in the midpalate and intermingle with the wine's silky, plush texture. This notable softness is perfectly counterpointed by the wine's vibrant, mouthwatering acidity and fine-grained tannin structure. The whole journey leads to a long, pleasantly fresh finish.
2020 Eric Kent "Luke's Grove" Russian River Valley Chardonnay
Review Date: 10-17-2023
The 2020 Eric Kent "Luke's Grove" Chardonnay, now entirely fruit from Stiling Vineyard, is a stunning example of classic Russian River Valley style. The wine is opulent and concentrated without sacrificing finesse. A densely packed core of baked apple, spiced pear, pineapple, toasted hazelnut, caramel, and clove is accented by lemon oil and delicate white flowers. Rich and opulent in nature, this is well-crafted Chardonnay that manages to find harmony, and at a very special price.
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2017 Amapola Creek "Estate" Moon Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon
Review Date: 10-17-2023
The 2017 Amapola Creek Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is composed of fruit from four separate blocks of the Amapola Creek Ranch, which itself spans over 100 acres between 600 and 1000 feet elevation in the Mayacamas range. The resulting blend of fruit from both rhyolitic and basaltic volcanic soils is a wine of firm structure, dense texture, yet juicy, luscious fruit. Ripe blackberry, black currant, and black plum burst on the palate while dark chocolate, toasted vanilla, cedar, anise, and chocolate macaroon flavors bring complexity. The wine is full and rich with the density and structure to age gracefully, if you can resist the temptation to immediately crack open this delicious bottle.
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2020 Dominique Portet "Fontaine" Cabernet Sauvignon Yarra Valley Victoria
Review Date: 08-30-2023
The nose of the 2020 Dominique Portet "Fontaine" Cabernet Sauvignon unfolds with layers of complexity and beautiful integration, offering an initial peek of the amazing quality this wine has to offer. Blackberry and black plum aromas part way for an herbal core of eucalyptus and green pepper. The palate perfectly balances the concentration of fruit, herbal tones, and eucalyptus that makes Autralia's Yarra Valley such a special place for Cabernet Sauvignon. This sub-$20 wine easily competes with examples that are two or three times the price from California.
2019 Eric Kent "1KM West" Sonoma Coast Chardonnay
Review Date: 08-14-2023
The Eric Kent "1Km West" Sonoma Coast Chardonnay is a fresh, punchy counterpoint to its "Luke's Grove" brethren. Broadly textured and well layered, there's a crisp center of green apple and lemon curd to balance its expansive corona of quince, clove, and nutmeg. Oak tones are displayed here, but beautifully interwoven with the wine's creamy texture and they never overwhelm its tart green apple core. This is a wine of immense balance and precision at $50 and a no brainer at sub-$20.
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2017 Eric Kent "Las Madres Vineyard" Carneros Syrah
Review Date: 08-14-2023
The 2017 Eric Kent "Las Madres Vineyard" Syrah is a masterstroke in the lean, savory style of Syrah that the relatively cool climate of Carneros is capable of. The nose unfolds with layers of earthy, savory complexity; brined black olive, bay leaf, bramble, damp earth, dark chocolate, smoke, and crushed stone all interweave with more lush black currant and blackberry fruits. The palate is creamy and sufficiently rounded to support the wine's savory core. The long finish shifts seamlessly between black olive and smoke notes before ending with a salty snap. This is for true lovers of Cornas at an absolute steal of a price.
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2014 Alexandre Le Brun "Cuvée Revelation" Extra Brut Champagne
Review Date: 07-21-2023
Beautifully golden in color, with intense aromas of toast, hazelnut, and fresh bread leaping from the glass. Initial appearances may tell a story of richness and autolytic flavor dominance, but at first sip the 2014 Alexandre Le Brun "Cuvee Revelation" bursts with wonderful minerality, citrus fruit, and lively, zippy acidity to perfectly balance its more confectionary side. Precisely balanced and engagingly intense, this is a Champagne to stock up on and pop at every opportunity.
Price:
$79.99
2019 Valo "Conner Lee Vineyard" Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Review Date: 07-19-2023
The 2020 Valo Conner Lee Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is an absolutely screaming deal coming out of Washington State. Cassis, black plum, blackberry, and black currant flavors are immediately inviting while pretty floral tones flitter gracefully through both nose and palate. Then there's the wonderful complexity stemming from a core of tobacco, chocolate, cedar, vanilla, and graphite. Seriously, don't buy just one of these because you'll run out before you've finished considering how so much depth and complexity was contained within this sub-$20 bottle of wine.
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2019 Valo "Conner Lee Vineyard" Columbia Valley Chardonnay
Review Date: 07-19-2023
The 2019 Valo Chardonnay from the historic Connor Lee Vineyard is barrel fermented and aged for a full year in a combination of new and used French oak barrels, lending to heady aromas of pastry dough and baking spice. The palate, while richly textured and full bodied, remains balanced by flavors of lemon curd and custard. This is a sure thing for fans of oaked Chardonnay who want to explore a stupendously well-priced offering from Washington State.
2022 Astrolabe Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough
Review Date: 07-13-2023
Bone dry and delightfully crisp, the 2022 Astrolabe Sauvignon Blanc is a classically styled yet perfectly balanced example of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Herbaceous aromas of gooseberry, green pepper, and freshly cut grass remain subtly layered amongst layers of juicy passion fruit and guava. Lime zest provides a delightful lift to the well-weighted midpalate while fresh grapefruit melds to tropical and herbal flavors through the dry, crisp finish. Fans of New Zealand Sauv. Blanc will be happy to know that Astrolabe nailed the difficult 2022 vintage.
2021 L'Aigle À Deux Têtes Savagnin-Naturé Côtes du Jura Blanc
Review Date: 07-11-2023
The 2021 L'Aigle A Deux Tetes Savagnin-Nature Cote du Jura Blanc is perhaps my favorite of the weirder white wines, despite it's mouthful of a name. Composed entirely of the fairly obscure Savagnin grape, which despite it's similar-sounding name is not related to the Sauvignon Blanc family, this is an intensely exotic wine. Salted pastry dough, roasted hazelnuts, and a whole cabinet of Indian spices - think curry powder, garam masala, and turmeric - are tied to more familiar notes of red apple and bosc pear. There's weight and texture to the palate, but more than a healthy serving of acidity to draw everything into perfect balance. The exotic spices flow into a long sprawling finish. This is utterly unique wine that mujst be tried to be believed.
Price:
$29.99
2017 Domaine Courier Côtes Catalanes
Review Date: 07-11-2023
The 2017 Domaine Courier Cote Catalanes Carignan/Grenache blend is elegant and perfumed with lifted, enticing floral aromatics. The palate is soft and silky, allowing the juicy, concentrated red plum, red cherry, kirsch, and redcurrant to pleasantly unfold around a more spiced core of tobacco, clove, violets, and a crushed rock minerality. Fine-grained tannins linger through a pleasingly juicy finish, making the mind swirl with food pairing options. This is serious wine that doesn't forget to be delicious.
2022 Château Vannières Bandol Rosé
Review Date: 07-11-2023
The 2022 Chateau Vannieres Rose is classic Bandol style for a reasonable price point considering the quality at play here. Perhaps less rich and weighty than others in the category, it still possesses all of the density of fruit, but with more freshness and vibrancy for all your outdoor summertime needs. Loads of juicy red berries and watermelon gummies burst onto the palate with mandarin orange zest adding some verve and zip. This is a must-try for any Bandol Rose enthusiast.
2019 Argot Wines Bennett Valley Chardonnay
Review Date: 06-10-2023
The 2019 Argot Bennett Valley Chardonnay is rounded and richly textured yet never overbearing in it's oak profile. Medium bodied and layered with yellow apple, ripe peach, toasted hazelnut, and buttered toast, this is great value for those looking for a classic Cali Chard that doesn't go over the top on oak and butter. It is rich and it is creamy, but you can tell the winemaking team was looking to maintain balance here. This is certainly one to add into the weekly rotation and will go over well for a crowd, too.
2022 Laberinto "Cenizas de Laberinto" Sauvignon Blanc Maule Valley
Review Date: 05-09-2023
The 2022 Laberinto "Cenizas de Laberinto" Sauvignon Blanc is humming with energy and full of nervy, electric acidity. Citrus zest, crushed chalk, and tart white peach pierce the aromatic profile. You can smell how wound and ready to explode the wine is, and the palate is a lighting strike of acidity. Lemon zest, lime juice, and a touch of passion fruit dart over the tongue and reverberate through the palate causing a tingly mouthwatering sensation. Citrus juice and crushed stone flavors stretch into a long, laser beam-precise finish. The wine is borderline addictive, calling you back for more long after your last sip.
Charles Ellner "Premier Cru" Brut Champagne
Review Date: 05-03-2023
The Charles Ellner Premier Cru Brut Champagne is taut and racy, with absolutely ripping citrus-driven acidity and loads of steely, stony mineral flavors. Tart green apple and lemon curd unfold on the palate after the initial burst of acidity, and touches of toast and fresh bread dough round out a stunning bottle of champagne while that piercing laser beam of acid carries the fruit flavors through the finish.
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Trudon "Cuvée Magnificence" Brut Champagne
Review Date: 05-03-2023
The Trudon "Cuvee Magnificence" Brut Champagne is 100% barrel fermented before being aged for a year in oak and then spending at least six years on lees. The resulting wine is full bodied, richly textured, yet high in acidity. Subtle oak spice speckles the flavor profile, but it's the deeply savory core of the sparkler that draws attention. Grilled button mushrooms, sea salt, and freshly baked brioche envelope the palate while juicy pear and spiced apple flavors bridge the gap between sips. This cuvee is magnificent indeed.
Trudon "Rosephile" Brut Rosé Champagne
Review Date: 05-03-2023
The Trudon "Rosephile" Brut Rose is 100% Meunier and a perfect example of the quality that the oft-overlooked grape can achieve. Softly textured yet snappy due to undergoing only 30% malo, the wine is loaded with raspberry, redcurrant, and crushed rosepetal aromatics. Ripe strawberry and cherry flavors burst on the palate while an undertone of red flowers and crushed rocks carry the soft, juicy finish. This is absolutely delicious Brut Rose.
Price:
$39.99
Trudon "Emblematis" Brut Champagne
Review Date: 04-26-2023
The Trudon "Emblematis" Brut Champagne beautifully balances toasty, leesy flavors with fresh fruits and florals. Made up of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Meunier, flavors of fresh-picked strawberry and raspberry meet a delicate crushed rose petal florality while a more savory core underlines all that pretty fruit, adding undertones of toast, pastry, and mushroom in a way that truly elevates the wine. This is great value Champagne.
2021 Produttori del Barbaresco Nebbiolo delle Langhe
Review Date: 04-19-2023
The Langhe Nebbiolo from Produttori del Barbaresco always represents incredible value, and the 2021 vintage is no different. Explosively pretty and perfumed, the nose entices with beautiful violet and rose petal aromas and delicate but intense red cherry and redcurrant. On the palate, the florals and red fruits are lent complexity by spicey potpourri and just a hint of leather. Open and elegant, this is the place that everyone looking to enter the often rough-and-tumble world of Nebbiolo should start. And if you're well-versed in the Nebbiolo universe, then it's time to stock up on your yearly case of this wine, because you'll need plenty while you wait for your Barolo collection to age.
2018 La Massa "Carla 6" Toscana
Review Date: 04-19-2023
The 2018 La Massa "Carla" is a powerhouse of a wine made in a Super Tuscan style while only using the unruly Sangiovese grape. Difficult and hard to tame as Sangiovese can be, La Massa has managed to harness it into something concentrated and full, but not lacking in finesse. Mineral tones of graphite and crushed stone seamlessly shift to more savory nuances of leather, tobacco, and cured meat. Blackberry, black cherry, and black plum emerge throughout the midpalate and carry the minerally, earthy tones through the finish. Deep and complex, I would love to see what happens to this wine over the next ten years. The trick will be waiting, because it is mighty tasty now.
2008 Billecart-Salmon "Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart" NFB Brut Champagne
Review Date: 04-12-2023
The 2008 Billecart-Salmon "Cuvee Nicolas Francois" is very serious stuff. This wine leans more toward power than Billecart's typically elegant style, but without tipping the scales in that direction while maintaining a balancing freshness. Confectionary notes of lemon tart, baked apple, and honeycomb fall into a lush bed of pie crust, toasted almond, marzipan, and hazelnut while the finish rounds back out to a long, clean line of white stone fruit flecked with minerality. I can't exactly call a wine with this price tag a value, but if you're looking at the upper echelons of Champagne and can't decide, well, this suddenly seems like an obvious choice.
2021 Chalone Vineyard "Estate Grown" Chalone Pinot Noir
Review Date: 04-05-2023
The 2021 Chalone “Estate Grown” Pinot Noir perfectly balances the lush fruit of California Pinot Noir and the intense minerality that comes from vines grown on such drastic limestone mountainsides. Plush cherry, red plum, and pomegranate complement underpinnings of graphite and wet river stones beautifully while fresh rosemary and thyme layer over top. Fresh, juicy acidity carries both red fruit and minerality through a lingering finish and into each next sip. How so much complexity is wrapped into a sub-$30 package is baffling, but you won’t find me telling anyone to raise the price.
2021 Lucia by Pisoni "Estate Cuvée" Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
Review Date: 04-05-2023
A whopping 60% of the fruit that goes into the Lucia “Estate Cuvee” Pinot Noir comes from the Pisoni Estate, with the rest coming from Gary’s and Soberanes vineyards. The wine is rounded but well-structured with aromas of strawberry compote, black cherry, black plum, clove, and sandalwood leaping from the glass. Fuller bodied by Pinot Noir standards, but beautifully elegant and well balanced with flavors cranberry, fig, black cherry, black plum, clove, vanilla, sage, and lavender rolling over the palate in waves. This is wine that is approachable now but should develop wonderfully over the next 5-10 years.
2021 Lucia by Pisoni "Estate Cuvée" Santa Lucia Highlands Chardonnay
Review Date: 04-05-2023
A blend of Chardonnay from Pisoni and Soberanes vineyards, the 2021 Lucia "Estate Cuvee" Chardonnay is rich and layered with red apple, white flowers, crème brulee, and white peach. The wine continues to unfold through the midpalate, with lemon oil and crushed stone flavors adding brightness and complexity while baked pear, clove, nutmeg, and brioche linger through the long, densely packed finish.
2022 Morgan Arroyo Secco Albarino
Review Date: 04-05-2023
Immediately fresh and crisp with layers of citrus fruit. Zesty lemon, lime, and orange drive the nose and palate with a touch of salted melon adding complexity. This is the perfect wine for mid-hike picnic breaks or a sunny day spent on the coast.
Price:
$19.95
2021 Samuel Louis Smith "Sandstone Terrace" Santa Cruz Mountains Syrah
Review Date: 04-05-2023
The pretty, lifted nose of this wine screams one thing: Syrah. Right out the gate, this is Syrah through-and-through, albeit an elegant, fresh style. Wild blackberry, cracked black pepper, and crushed graphite swirl into a vortex of intensely aromatic complexity. Fresh violets, white pepper, and subtle white smoke join the fray, and the longer your nosed stays in the glass, the more aromas float forth. Upon first sip, that same nervy energy is immediately apparent- these are wines with something to say; a story to tell. Bright, crackling acidity washes over chalky tannins and carries the wine through a vibrant and spiced finish.
2016 Cornerstone Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon
Review Date: 03-29-2023
The plentiful crop of the 2016 harvest strikes again and brings this beautiful 2016 Cornerstone Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon at an unbeatable price. Deep in color and intense in concentration, this is very serious wine. Ripe, concentrated flavors of blackberry and cassis fold into a layer of baking spice, vanilla and cocoa powder only to fold again into a layer of leather, cedarwood, dried herbs, and licorice. Big, rounded tannins bounce off juicy, ripe fruit in the finish, putting a nice little bow on a mighty impressive package. At a price point that has all but disappeared for Napa Cab, this is a case-buy kind of wine. It is beautiful now, and I expect it'll be stunning in the next decade as well.
2020 Quartz "Red" Pinot Noir Casablanca Valley
Review Date: 03-22-2023
The 2020 Quartz "Red" Pinot Noir from Chile's cool, coastal Casablanca Valley is easily one of the best values in Pinot Noir on the K&L shelves today. Just a touch under medium bodied with a soft, plush texture and just enough fine-grained tannins to lend backbone and structure to a supremely drinkable wine. Brambly earth, dried herbs, and a touch of spice are given lift by fresh, zippy raspberry, cranberry, and pomegranate fruits. The wine finishes fresh with loads of intensity, paving the way for each subsequent sip. At this price, the Quartz "Red" should be every home's daily drinker.
2022 Sheild (Middle-Earth) Sauvignon Blanc Nelson
Review Date: 03-21-2023
The Sheild Sauvignon Blanc is light and deliciously crisp with a delicate, flinty nose that alludes to the crisp apple flavors that await on the palate. Fresh citrus zest, kiwi fruit, and green apple strike a bright, linear streak across the palate carrying a bright, zesty finish. This is certainly one of the easiest drinking whites on the market, and at a stunningly approachable price.
2021 Union Sacre "Kick On Ranch - Old Vine" Santa Barbara County Dry Riesling
Review Date: 01-24-2023
The 2021 Union Sacre Riesling from the esteemed Kick On Ranch is fresh and zesty with heaps of zippy acidity. Stone fruit and citrus zest flavors are in 50/50 balance, making this a wine that is dangerously enjoyable to drink. Grab an ice bucket and a straw, because this is a wine that will disappear by the case in no time at all.
2014 Joseph Swan "Great Oak Vineyard" Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
Review Date: 08-23-2022
The 2014 Joseph Swan "Great Oak Vineyard" Pinot Noir is a masterclass in perfectly aged California Pinot. Bright, nervy raspberry, cranberry, and sour cherry flavors reverberate through the palate as savory tones of forest floor, tobacco leaf, and mushroom add complexity that only comes with age and expert winemaking. The finish is long and zippy, drawing you directly into each and every sip. At just under $30, there are few better deals in Pinot Noir, and none I can think of with the complexity this wine has.
Price:
$29.95
2018 Farella "Estate" Coombsville Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Review Date: 08-15-2022
The 2018 Farella Cabernet Sauvignon hails from the historic Farella Estate in the heart of Napa Valley's Coombsville appellation. With a winemaking lineage dating back to the late 1970s, the Farella family values restraint over rambunctious fruit and elegance over explosive power, crafting a wine that harkens back to the height of Napa Valley age-ability while remaining delicious in the now. Plum skin, cassis, blackberry, and maraschino cherry flavors envelop earthy, minerally tones of graphite and damp earth. This is a terrific example of the balance of which Napa remains capable.
Baron-Fuenté "Esprit" Brut Nature Champagne
Review Date: 05-06-2022
Consisting of equal thirds Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier, the 'Esprit' Brut Nature undergoes the same extensive seven years minimum lees aging as the standard 'Esprit' you've tried and loved, but this bottling sees 0 g/L dosage. The result is electrifying. Bight, fresh, and steely with persistent acidity and wonderful texture from it's considerable time on lees, the 'Esprit' Brut Nature is one of the best values in the shop for lovers of super dry, super fresh, super tasty Champagne.