Category: Tasting Notes

A great find—a Chianti with this much delicious balance and classic, food-friendly profile at an excellent price point. Made by one of the major players in the Chianti Classico region between Florence and Siena, this is an impressive Chianti Classico. $22-30 Continue reading →

Smooth, satisfying dark-fruit wine made in the country where archaeology indicates human wine production began 8,000 years ago. This wine was fermented and aged in qvevri using a distinct red grape, then made in a modern winery born after the disasters of Soviet-era wine diktats. Whew, more than worth a sip, especially at its price point. $19–30. Continue reading →

Flagship wine from Frescobaldi’s Collio estate. It is 100% Sauvignon Blanc from a single terraced hill at the foot of Monte Calvario in Collio Goriziano, a region in northeastern Italy that spills over into western Slovenia (the DOC stops at the border). While the wine has a Sancerre-like freshness, it delivers more weight and texture. Its oak regime shows as spice rather than sweetness. This offers a fascinating, palate-pleasing glimpse into another dimension of Sauv Blanc. $35-40 Continue reading →

Delicious, very food-friendly, and an exceptional value from a legendary Alsatian biodynamic white wine maker. Blend of Auxerrois Blanc and Pinot Blanc grapes. $30-35. Continue reading →

Well-made Napa Chardonnay deploys restrained oak and full malolactic conversion to deliver a polished pour that avoids the sharp edges of an unoaked Chard and the excessive melodrama of too much wood and butter some Napa makers produced in the past. $38-40 Continue reading →

Svelte, sophisticated, red-wine blend fashioned by a partnership between top Portuguese and French winemaking families. Together, they create another example of the impressive value available in Portuguese wine beyond the country’s long domination of Porto (port wine). $28-35 Continue reading →

Delivers the polished, richer, even creamy side of SB, thanks to a fusion of 13% Sémillon and five months on the lees (sur lie). Duckhorn has made this wine since 1982. $28–32 Continue reading →

Superb expression of Oregon fruit made in a white Burgundian style with emphasis on purity and depth. It is not Chardonnay slathered with oak and butter. Instead, the palate progression is an inviting parade of complexity, reflecting time spent on the lees. $45-50 Continue reading →

Clean, non-oaked, fruit-forward 100% Malbec. It is made with grapes harvested from many vines that are 100-plus years old, tended by two brothers making a name for themselves in Argentine wine. Nice combination. $30-34 Continue reading →

Tasty, well-made wine using an ascendant white grape in Virginia. Petit Manseng wines can match—even surpass—Sauvignon Blanc’s vibrant acidity, but Petit Manseng is richer, fuller-bodied, and more aromatic. This wine checks all those boxes and deserves a spot on your wine bucket list. $25–28 Continue reading →