Full disclosure notice: I’ve never been a big fan of most of these wines, finding them geared more toward marketing ploy than the palate. Approaching this one even with an open mind unfortunately confirms my prejudices. A nose of overripe-read more-
Opaque purple in the glass, with a nose of chocolate, smoked bacon, and nutmeg. (Chocolate and bacon is a great combination, in fact.) Opens up tantalizingly but with great promise on the palate, with long, expressive flavors of black currant-read more-
An odd, almost clashing nose of smoky bacon and blackberries, but not a lot of fruit there. At first comes across light on the palate with flabby tannins. It almost yells at you, “not home, come back later.” And you-read more-
Traveling with wine today means checking wine. No longer can you cradle that precious tasting room find in your arms for the flight home, or hand-carry a liquid gift to a wedding or anniversary. What to do? You can wrap-read more-
A mix of elegance and muscle. Surprisingly dark ruby color in the glass. A nose of overripe raspberries and blackberries is almost misleading as this is not a fruit bomb. The fruit is not shy on the palate with some-read more-
A Cabernet from a vineyard situated on the backside of the Mayacamas Range some three miles from the intersection of Sonoma, Lake, and Mendocino counties that compares to 90 point Napa Cabs (depending on where you sit on the current-read more-
Another lovely Pinot from the folks at White Rose Wines in Oregon in their diverse Dragon’s Bluff line. It is almost Burgundian, rather like a light Pommard. Nose of earth, cedar, and lingonberry. Opens up on the palate with vibrant-read more-
A special Malbec indeed. An opulent nose with black currant and licorice with some oak (but not overwhelming) at the back. A lively follow through on the palate with soft tannins singing low harmony to a higher range of slightly-read more-