Wine columns and tasting notes since 2008.https://gusclemensonwine.com/https://gusclemensonwine.com/beronia-tempranillo-rioja-espana-2023/https://gusclemensonwine.com/beronia-tempranillo-rioja-espana-2023/Textbook example of the Tempranillo aromas and flavors you anticipate in a Rioja. It is 100% Tempranillo made to be relatively simple on your palate and easy on your pocketbook. Nothing to write about with exclamation points in your wine journal, but no need for frowning emojis either. Good weekday tipple from a consistent maker. Typically $14-18.Sat, 29 Aug 2026 15:55:16 GMThttps://gusclemensonwine.com/w-j-grahams-six-grapes-special-vila-velha-edition-reserve-porto-douro-valley-portugal/https://gusclemensonwine.com/w-j-grahams-six-grapes-special-vila-velha-edition-reserve-porto-douro-valley-portugal/Is there a better way to finish a quality meal than enjoying a glass of Porto (authentic port wine from Portugal)? I don’t think so either.Sat, 22 Aug 2026 14:22:51 GMThttps://gusclemensonwine.com/teliani-valley-8k-ancient-red-georgia/https://gusclemensonwine.com/teliani-valley-8k-ancient-red-georgia/Rich Saperavi wine aged in qvevri (clay amphora) in Georgian tradition dating back thousands of years. Georgian winemaking has made a spectacular comeback from its dreary days of Soviet plonk pushing. This is a crowd-pleasing example of that revival at a bargain price. $12-20Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:51:11 GMThttps://gusclemensonwine.com/wedding-oak-winery-tioja-texas-red-wine-2022/https://gusclemensonwine.com/wedding-oak-winery-tioja-texas-red-wine-2022/Texas riff on Spain’s Rioja reds, “Tioja” being a play on the Spanish name. Tempranillo is the dominant Rioja grape, and dominates Texas’s Tioja, too, with a blending assist from Primitivo, Dolcetto, Pinot Noir, and Mourvèdre. Meat-friendly crowd pleaser worth finding. $30-37Sat, 15 Aug 2026 23:14:54 GMThttps://gusclemensonwine.com/san-felice-chianti-classico-borgo-docg-2022/https://gusclemensonwine.com/san-felice-chianti-classico-borgo-docg-2022/Next level of San Felice’s Chianti Classico bottlings. Clean, affable tannins, helpful accompanying acidity. Chianti made darker and more interesting with the rare, revived Pugnitello grape. Delicious, palate-pleasing pour. Worth finding. $30-35Mon, 10 Aug 2026 23:20:45 GMThttps://gusclemensonwine.com/dugladze-wines-spirits-otskhanuri-sapere-dry-red-georgian-wine-2021/https://gusclemensonwine.com/dugladze-wines-spirits-otskhanuri-sapere-dry-red-georgian-wine-2021/Very dark, somewhat rustic wine made from ancient Otskhanuri Sapere grapes thought to be a transitional variety between wild and domesticated vines. This example displays a gamey, savory edge. At the same time, it is smooth with noticeable but amenable tannins and works well with hearty, umami-driven fare. $15-24Sat, 08 Aug 2026 20:02:22 GMThttps://gusclemensonwine.com/history-sauvignon-blanc-smith-cernie-vineyard-columbia-valley-2024/https://gusclemensonwine.com/history-sauvignon-blanc-smith-cernie-vineyard-columbia-valley-2024/Features fruit rather than sharpness thanks to excellent ripe grapes, partial fermentation in oak, and three months on the lees. This presents another facet of sauv blanc, not the grassy sharpness of New Zealand or the flinty minerality of a Loire effort. $35-40Sun, 02 Aug 2026 18:52:16 GMThttps://gusclemensonwine.com/among-the-giants-estate-merlot-goose-gap-ava-washington-2022/https://gusclemensonwine.com/among-the-giants-estate-merlot-goose-gap-ava-washington-2022/Rich, well-made pour from the Monson Family, one of the major players in Washington State and Pacific Northwest wines. Dark fruits. Its tannins have mellowed after four years, but this still has a bit more bite than expected from a mid-shelf Merlot. That is offered as praise rather than criticism. Good value at $18-22.Fri, 31 Jul 2026 17:18:33 GMThttps://gusclemensonwine.com/jean-luc-colombo-les-abeilles-cotes-du-rhone-2023/https://gusclemensonwine.com/jean-luc-colombo-les-abeilles-cotes-du-rhone-2023/Smooth, juicy GSM, a simple, pleasing dark-fruit pour that works at its lower price point. You can do better in the GSM lane if you go for something priced $20 or more—and Jean-Luc Colombo has many such options—but there are times when good enough is good enough.Tue, 28 Jul 2026 17:59:24 GMThttps://gusclemensonwine.com/domaine-allimant-laugner-pinot-noir-vin-dalsace-2023/https://gusclemensonwine.com/domaine-allimant-laugner-pinot-noir-vin-dalsace-2023/Excellent, affordable pure Pinot play from Alsace backed by a rich history of vineyards and winemakers. You typically think white with Alsace, but the region produces cool-climate reds, too. This presents somewhat more substantial red fruit and mouthfeel than expected from Alsace Pinot Noir while still delivering typicity of France’s northeastern wine region on the border with Germany. Very nice value. $19-22Thu, 23 Jul 2026 18:14:10 GMThttps://gusclemensonwine.com/sake-for-goodness-sake-7-22-2026/https://gusclemensonwine.com/sake-for-goodness-sake-7-22-2026/This column is intended as an introduction to Japanese “rice wine” anchored by Bōken No. 77 Junmai Ginjō Saké.Wed, 22 Jul 2026 17:07:58 GMThttps://gusclemensonwine.com/stags-leap-cabernet-sauvignon-napa-valley-2022/https://gusclemensonwine.com/stags-leap-cabernet-sauvignon-napa-valley-2022/Leans toward elegance and approachability rather than power while still possessing the allure of Napa fruit. Medium-full body. Moderated tannins, acidity, alcohol, power. A Napa cab on its best behavior so as not to offend anyone.Mon, 20 Jul 2026 14:14:38 GMThttps://gusclemensonwine.com/casadei-sogno-mediterraneo-blend-rosso-toscana-igt-2022/https://gusclemensonwine.com/casadei-sogno-mediterraneo-blend-rosso-toscana-igt-2022/Tuscan version of a Southern Rhône GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre), in this case dominated by Syrah. Serious dark fruit flavors. Not an accommodating easy-drinker, best deployed alongside hearty food after time in air. $20-28Wed, 15 Jul 2026 23:19:48 GMThttps://gusclemensonwine.com/clos-mogador-nelin-white-priorat-doq-catalunya-spain-2022/https://gusclemensonwine.com/clos-mogador-nelin-white-priorat-doq-catalunya-spain-2022/Balanced, impressive, age-worthy white with a parade of delicious fruit and enchanting aromatics. This is a serious white. Creamy, complex, harmonious. $75-85Sat, 11 Jul 2026 13:40:02 GMThttps://gusclemensonwine.com/j-lohr-pg-vineyard-pinot-blanc-arroyo-seco-monterey-2023/https://gusclemensonwine.com/j-lohr-pg-vineyard-pinot-blanc-arroyo-seco-monterey-2023/Limited-release, high-quality Pinot Blanc with an intriguing harvest strategy. First pass harvests greener, more acidic fruits to achieve an Alsatian element. Second pass is for riper grapes for softer, melon elements. The two are blended and spend six months sur lie in both concrete and large, neutral oak vessels. No malolactic conversion. Sold through the winery. $35Wed, 08 Jul 2026 16:45:21 GMThttps://gusclemensonwine.com/symington-family-estates-quinta-da-fonte-souto-syrah-2021/https://gusclemensonwine.com/symington-family-estates-quinta-da-fonte-souto-syrah-2021/Refined, elegant 100% Syrah from a high-elevation vineyard (for Portugal). This is their flagship Syrah effort in their limited Varietal Series. Symington’s Quinta da Fonte Souto bottlings already are noteworthy in white wine; this is a solid element of their emerging red wine program. $45-50Fri, 03 Jul 2026 19:50:58 GMThttps://gusclemensonwine.com/del-dotto-vineyards-st-helena-mountain-family-reserve-cabernet-sauvignon-centre-taransaud-french-oak-connoisseurs-series-2019/https://gusclemensonwine.com/del-dotto-vineyards-st-helena-mountain-family-reserve-cabernet-sauvignon-centre-taransaud-french-oak-connoisseurs-series-2019/Impressive, higher-end Napa cab that is sensationally smooth that delivers plush, hedonistic delights. All you demand from wine in this price neighborhood. $250Thu, 02 Jul 2026 15:34:56 GMThttps://gusclemensonwine.com/true-myth-chardonnay-central-coast-2023/https://gusclemensonwine.com/true-myth-chardonnay-central-coast-2023/Pays homage to the classic oak-and-butter style of California chardonnay while avoiding the ponderous excess of that style. You do not have to worry about wood splinters or think of milk when you sip this pour. $16-18Mon, 29 Jun 2026 14:22:54 GMThttps://gusclemensonwine.com/maison-sinnae-enfant-terrible-cotes-du-rhone-red-wine-2022/https://gusclemensonwine.com/maison-sinnae-enfant-terrible-cotes-du-rhone-red-wine-2022/Smooth, solid, value-focused blend of Southern Rhône red grapes—Grenache Noir, Syrah, and Carignan—produced by a cooperative formed by the merger of two cooperatives with histories up to a century old and traditions dating back more than 2,000 years. $14-18Sat, 27 Jun 2026 16:31:39 GMThttps://gusclemensonwine.com/benziger-family-winery-rose-frank-johnson-vineyard-2025/https://gusclemensonwine.com/benziger-family-winery-rose-frank-johnson-vineyard-2025/Serious Sonoma Rosé, not a mere poolside pour or summer porch pounder to get you through the afternoon until you can move on to your “good stuff.” It is a single-vineyard, small-production effort that showcases quality biodynamically raised fruit the winemaker wisely allows to shine rather than imposing winery tricks.Sun, 21 Jun 2026 15:43:22 GMT