This blend of 50% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir, and 5% Pinot Meunier is the kind of wine you want to bathe in, with a rich scent of baked cinnamon apples and brioche. It’s fragrant and a little decadent, soft and-read more-
Though there’s a hint of strawberry-vanilla saltwater taffy on the nose, this is a seriously dry wine, with loads of minerals, Earl Grey tea and thyme, as well as a hint of Clementine (pith included). This wine is crystalline and-read more-
Very fruit-forward with mixed black and red fruit, mulberry and sweet cherry, with leathery tannins and a little black pepper. It is smooth, slightly sweet, a little young, and one-dimensional. There are no changes from attack to mid-palate and the-read more-
Gorgeous translucent ruby color with clear edges, pure Pinot noir, with no tell-tale purple edges hinting at Syrah in the mix. When first opened it is a full plate of heavily smoked meat, like slow-smoked pork with a perfect pink-read more-
Tasted with 1997 Cheval Blanc, Château Margaux, and Mouton-Rothschild, the Haut-Brion clearly stood out as the most balanced and complex of this fine lot. Minerality was remarkable. Wet gravel and scorched earth formed the base for red currant, sweet wood,-read more-
The Palate Press Wine of the Week, July 19 - 23, is:
Very juicy wine up front, offering up loads of blueberry, plum, and some prune, along with some coffee on the mid-palate. There are some obvious wood tones, cedar and spice. Unfortunately, it is less than the sum of its parts,-read more-
This single vineyard Chardonnay shows clear effect of the 40% new French oak, but wood complements rather than overwhelms. Pear, apple, honeydew melon and some tart pineapple are joined by caramel, smoke, and a surprising kick of white pepper. This-read more-