Wine Reviews: Weekly Mini Round-Up For July 29, 2019

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 Cartograph Transverse Pinot Noir (North Coast): Earthiness and edginess crossing foils in entertaining ways. $64 A-
• 2013 Cartograph Leonardo Julio Vineyard Brut Zero (Russian River Valley): Showing its age? Proudly, when wearing it this exceedingly well. $68 A-
• 2015 Bannister Campbell Ranch Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast): The raspberries and cherries may be dark, but its soul is nothing but shine. $55 A-
• 2016 Bear Flag Wines Zinfandel (Sonoma County): Doing it’s home state proud with a juicy, spicy level best. $24 B+
• 2018 Eberle Cotes-du-Robles Rose (Paso Robles): And now…. Give us salmon burgers!!! $24 B+
• 2018 Gamble Family Vineyards Gamble Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc (Yountville): Did you know that the Valley could churn out lemongrass and sage…? Well… $25 B+
• 2017 Mayacamas Vineyards Chardonnay (Mount Veeder): Like rereading a favorite novel; and it turns out to be one of the Great American Novels. $50 A
• 2014 Domdechant Werner’sches Weingut Hochheimer “Independence” Riesling Classic Medium Dry (Rheingau): The Founding Fathers were apprently *very* into limes. $NA B+
• 2015 Podere Rocche dei Manzoni ‘Vigna d’la Roul’ (Barolo): Classically styled, classically attired, classically lean. $45 A-
• 2018 Weingut Fred Loimer Rose Trocken (Niederosterreich): Hard to argue with this on a hot Summer’s day… or any other time for that matter. $17 B

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Storied (2017 Mayacamas Vineyards Chardonnay)

Wine Reviews: Weekly Mini Round-Up For July 22, 2019

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!

• 2018 Domaine Bousquet Cabernet Sauvignon (Tupungato): Reminding you to always look on the plummy side of life. $20 B+
• 2015 Jordan Winery Cabernet Sauvignon (Alexander Valley): Playing it safe? Maybe, but doing so with excellent precision and poise. $57 A-
• 2016 Moshin Vineyards River Myst Haven Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley): A haven for those who have patience, and enjoy the earthier side of all things PN. $58 A-
• 2017 Siduri Anderson valley Pinot Noir (Anderson Valley): Back to where it all began for them, and acting like they never left. $40 A-
• 2017 Siduri Edmeades Pinot Noir (Anderson Valley): Structured, buoyant, elegant; this one will float your boat, Pinot-lover. $50 A-
• 2017 ZD Wines Founder’s Reserve Pinot Noir (Carneros): Godzilla vs. Mothra kinds of big, and just as entertaining. $90 A-
• 2018 Tablas Creek Vineyards Patelin de Tablas Rose (Paso Robles): Wait, it’s not from France? Are you sure about that?!?? $20 B+
• 2018 Inama Vin Soave Classico (Veneto): Good luck controlling yourself well enough to keep you from drinking the entire delicious bottle… $18 B+
• 2018 Weingut St. Urbans-Hof Nik Weis Riesling Dry (Mosel): When you grill your fruits because that’s awesome and whatnot. $16 B
• 2017 Julian Haart ‘1000 L’ Riesling (Mosel): The “L” stand for “lemons,” I think. Or maybe “lemony freshness?” Whatever, I’ll have another glass, please. $25 B+

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Copyright © 2016. Originally at Wine Reviews: Weekly Mini Round-Up For July 22, 2019 from 1WineDude.com - for personal, non-commercial use only. Cheers!

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Blah Blah Blah, Natural Wine, Blah Blah Blah

I have taken to avoiding use of the term “natural wine.” This has nothing to do with wines largely considered to be natural wines, some of which have beguiled me (though most too often are a disappointing combination of everything I don’t want in a wine married with a distinct lack of what I do want in a wine), and everything to do with the fact that I have to type things like “largely considered to be natural wines” every time that I bring up the topic.

This is because, despite now having garnered more mainstream publicity and hipster cachet than at any previous point in recent memory, natural wine producers, purveyors, and proponents have yet to define what in the f*ck a “natural wine” actually is.

Somehow, despite having a marketing designation that implies tanker-loads of douchebaggy superiority, natural wine has managed to get a foothold into the door to a wider fine wine audience, but its serious lack of definition is feeling like the dog caught the car and now has no idea what to do with it….

This elephant-in-the- amphorae-fermentation-vessel issue of vagueness surrounding natural wine has grown so large that it is now well past the point of absurdity. To wit: as of the time of this writing, the world’s single most expensive wine – an indigenous variety, amphorae-vinified, limited edition from Liber Pater in Graves – could seriously be argued to be a natural wine… or maybe not.

At this point, you’re no doubt wondering “dude, when the f*ck are you going to define what natural wine is?!??” And mostly all that I can do is point you to its Wikipedia entry, which itself is an exercise in frustration for the detail-oriented. The term is basically the minimal-interventionists spiritual equivalent to “reserve” wine in the USA, which is similarly vague to the point of being meaningless for consumers. There is no formal definition of what constitutes a natural wine.

I know that the natural wine crowd has its collective pants down when I read things such as this (also from the Wikipedia entry):

The inherent ambiguity of the term has been defended by Bradford Taylor, owner of Ordinaire, a wine bar in Oakland, California that exclusively serves natural wine. According to Taylor, “there’s something productive about how nebulous the term ‘natural’ is, how it opens itself up to debate every time it comes up.

No offense to Ordinaire, Taylor, or Oakland, but there’s nothing quite like redefining failure as success, is there?

There absolutely is a place in the fine wine market for the natural wine movement; its best products are authentic and superb, and its message about wine lovers caring what additives they allow in their foods (and, ultimately, their bodies) justifiably resonates with informed vine geeks. But let’s be clear: when we allow this kind of ambiguity, we are only benefiting the people who use the term, while allowing consumers who could become lovers of the movement and its wines to confusingly scratch their heads.

Cheers!

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Wine Reviews: Weekly Mini Round-Up For July 15, 2019

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!

• 2018 Marco Felluga Russiz Superiore Sauvignon Collio (Friuli-Venezia Giulia): Making a compelling, authentic case for FZG being your go-to spot for refined SB. $29 B+
• 2017 Schloss Johannisberg Gelblack Riesling Feinherb (Rheingau): The kind of ginger-tinged awesomeness that you should – and very well could – drink all day long. $NA B+
• 2018 Chateau Roubine Cotes de Provence La Vie en Rose (Cotes de Provence): Basically, as cute and as lovely as its eye-catching packaging. $23 B+
• NV Weingut Fred Loimer Brut Rose Reserve (Niederosterreich): A duality in waves and bubbly particles of peachy loveliness. $24 B+
• 2017 Troon Vineyard Vermentino (Applegate Valley, $16): The whole predictably over-achieving package, from vibrant to nutty, from a not-very-predictable place. $17 B+
• 2016 Le Cadeau Vineyard ‘Merci’ Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley): Ahhhhhhh, merci, mercy, me, this is how bigger WV PN is supposed to beeeeeeee…. $80 A
• 2017 Beckmen Vineyards Cuvee Le Bec (Santa Ynez Valley): Sweet oak, big plums, and even bigger flavor. $25 B+
• 2017 Beckmen Vineyards Estate Grenache (Santa Ynez Valley): It’s hard to resist a bold mover with violets in hand. $32 B+
• 2014 Mount Peak Winery Sentinel Cabernet Sauvignon (Sonoma County/Napa County): Big, black, gritty, sporting dried herbs and a very austere, stern attitude. $62 A-
• 2017 Eberle Cotes-du-Robles Red (Paso Robles): All yumminess, mostly juciness, and absolutely no reservations. $34 B+

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WTF Rosé?

Trinity Of Trinities (Israeli Wine, Part 1)

Wine Reviews: Weekly Mini Round-Up For July 8, 2019

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!

• 2018 Yalumba Bush Vine Grenache (Barossa): Friendlier than your neighbor’s Labrador retriever. $20 B+
• 2018 Cantine Argiolas Serra Lori Rose Isola dei Nuraghi (Sardinia): Fun-loving, seeking salmon burgers, prefers bitter, sarcastic jokes. $18 B
• 2016 Chateau des Capitans Julienas (Beaujolais): Perkiness that belies a decent amount of backbone grit. $22 B+
• 2016 Georges Duboeuf Domaine des Rosiers Moulin-a-Vent (Beaujolais): A little too much iron in its blood, but it’s still got plenty of energy. $24 B+
• NV Domaine Mittnacht Freres Cremant d’Alsace Extra Brut (Alsace): Quaternity of apples, pear, vibrancy, and deliciousness. $24 B+
• NV Volage Cremant de Loire Brut Rose Sauvage (Loire): A misnomer, for sure; there’s hardly anything savage or boorish about its stylized, earthy purity. $29 B+
• 2015 Alloro Vineyard Riservata Pinot Noir (Chehalem Muontains): Savory black cherry goodness awaits, if you’re willing to open up the pocketbook – and fancy a bit of a treasure hunt. $50 A-
• 2017 Left Coast Cellars Queen Bee Bubbly (Willamette Valley): A gimmick probably shouldn’t be this juicy and interesting… but it is. $36 B+
• 2017 Dutton-Goldfield Dutton Ranch Chardonnay (Russian River Valley): Walking a fine line, balanced between buttery and lively, and not slipping even once. $40 A-
• 2016 Dutton-Goldfield Angel Camp Vineyard Pinot Noir (Anderson Valley): Uncharacteristically large, but also full of largesse – the deep, dark, balanced, intriguing kind. $58 A-

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Sweet Sixteen (Highlights From The 2019 Critics Challenge Wine Competition)

Wine Reviews: Weekly Mini Round-Up For July 1, 2019

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!

• 2017 Duchman Family Winery Trebbiano (Texas): Crowd-pleasing perkiness from where you might just have least expected it. $20 B+
• 2017 Duchman Family Winery Viognier (Texas): Oily breadth, citric bounce, and floral breath. $18 B+
• 2016 Pedernales Cellars Texas Albarino (Texas): Topping off your tropical fruits with candied ginger and honey? Count me in. $30 B+
• 2016 Pedernales Cellars GSM “Melange” (Texas): Rollin’ tobacco in the bramble, and striking the match on a well-used block of flint. And doin’ it all sexy-like, too. $35 B+
• 2015 Bending Branch Tempranillo (Texas): Sweet pipe tobacco, sultry plummy plumpness, and leather boots just tailor-made for kickin’ ass. $30 B+
• 2015 Bending Branch Winery Tannat (Texas): See, you though that crowd-pleasing Tannat only came up out of Uruguay. And see, you thought dead wrong. $30 B+
• 2016 Brennan Vineyards Tempranillo (Texas): Showing off the savory, feminine side of the red grape that Texas should be showing off after all. $28 B+
• 2017 Le Cadeau Vineyard Diversite Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley): Painting with substantive, rich strokes, yet with a deft, light hand. $50 A-
• 2017 Le Cadeau Vineyard Rocheux Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley): And then things got very, very, veeeeeerrry serious around here… $50 A-

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Copyright © 2016. Originally at Wine Reviews: Weekly Mini Round-Up For July 1, 2019 from 1WineDude.com - for personal, non-commercial use only. Cheers!

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