I recently visited the Soléna and Grand Cru Estate in Yamhill, OR. This wine, the only white produced, is very zippy and has lots of refreshing acidity in addition to loads of citrus and tropical fruit characteristics. Presumably much of-read more-
Ignore the urgings to drink this wine with food. Yes, it is a wonderful compliment to food. But it is much more enjoyable as a contemplative talking point, a wine for consideration and discussion. Six different tasters will spring forward-read more-
Long, dense, and generally not my style of Nebbiolo... but this wine turns the trick of amping up without losing the varietal character. A nice current of iron flows through to make sure the sweet fruit doesn't become cloying. It-read more-
Versatile. Quick but deep. Bright fruit and great acidity make for a tremendously well-balanced wine. Drink with a steak or solo. Awesome. WHO Bennett Lane Winery WHAT Cabernet Sauvignon WHERE California, Napa Valley WHEN 2006 HOW MUCH $95 (media sample)
Hedonistic but hardly recognizable as Nebbiolo. The nose evokes some of the hot vintages in the southern Rhone, with fig cake and jam. Dense, with rich and chocolate-covered fruit. The finish is halted by a wall of drying tannins that-read more-
Not as elegant as I had expected, but perhaps understandable given the vintage. Very perfumy, with stewed fruits and tar leading from nose to palate. A twinge of crowbar would keep the blind taster in Piedmont, as would the tannins,-read more-
The best spatlese I have ever had, dwarfing even the J.J. Prum from the same vintage. A buzz saw of gorge water and river rocks only amplifies the unfolding layers of fruit and spice. Caramel apple and lemon curd melt-read more-
Unusually low temperatures—as low as –20º C in mid-December—sent shivers down many Croatians’ spines. But the snow and frost that have covered vineyards in the northern and eastern parts of the country made conditions right for yet another excellent sweet-read more-