Palate Press

1 min read

Red fruit and grippy tannins will pair well with any baked pasta dish. Cherry, cranberry and leafy herbs show on the nose. Dark cherry, cranberry, leather, and black tea work well together on the palate. Hint so tea and chocolate covered cherries sneak out on the mid-palate. Tannins are very

What We’re Drinking – Rodney Strong Symmetry

David Honig

Wine Reviews

1 min read

Rich, luscious and deep, this is a big mouthful of joy. Black currant and black cherry waft up from the glass. Deep black fruit and loads of dark chocolate and espresso coat the entire mouth, huge, rich, and round. The mid-palate adds a touch of tart blackberry, adding acid-bright freshness.

What We’re Drinking – Meierer Riesling

David Honig

Wine Reviews

1 min read

Pair this succulent sixteen dollar gem with peppery fried chicken, and it's a picnic any time of year. The nose shows baked apple, honey, and a touch of ginger. It is sweet, but not cloying, on the palate, with 9% alcohol and 47 grams of residual sugar. That attack starts

What We’re Drinking – Smith-Madrone Cabernet Sauvignon

David Honig

Wine Reviews

1 min read

The color is dark, almost opaque at the center. On the nose, black currant and unsweetened chocolate take the lead. The real action is on the palate. Huge black fruits, deep, but not jammy, erupt, followed by unsweetened chocolate, espresso, mint, cedar, and a meaty umami. It's chewy and fat,

What We’re Drinking – Grgich Hills Estate Merlot

David Honig

Wine Reviews

1 min read

This is an Old World wine in a New World bottle, made with indigenous yeasts and extra bottle age prior to release. The nose shows black and red fruits, but what is remarkable is the savory and herbal background, promising depth and complexity on the palate. It keeps its promise.

What We’re Drinking – Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc

David Honig

Wine Reviews

1 min read

Next year this bottle will be old enough to drive. Don't wait. It's drinking great now. 2003 was a very hot year and the fruit is still explosive. It's fresh, too, with zingy citrus. Honeysuckle, citrus flowers, and guava pastry waft up from the glass. The real action starts on

What We’re Drinking – Bodegas Añadas Cariñena Care Finca Bancales

David Honig

Wine Reviews

1 min read

The wine comes from 80 year old vines in the Bancales vineyard. It's juicy, but complex and balanced, not simple. The color is a bright ruby. The nose has cherries, plums, and black licorice. Cherries, raspberries, and licorice lead, with juicy red plum and hints of umami presenting on the mid-palate.

What We’re Drinking – Shafer Merlot

David Honig

Wine Reviews

1 min read

Black cherry, raspberry, a touch of cinnamon and some mint waft up from the glass. Les sweet on the palate, cranberry and raspberry join the cherry. Loads of spice plus eucalyptus and shine through on the palate. This is no flabby over-ripe mass produced Merlot. :It has balance, firm tannins,

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What We’re Drinking – Fattoria Casabianca Chianti Colli Senesi Coppaia

What We’re Drinking – Rodney Strong Symmetry

What We’re Drinking – Meierer Riesling

What We’re Drinking – Smith-Madrone Cabernet Sauvignon

What We’re Drinking – Grgich Hills Estate Merlot

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What We’re Drinking – Shafer Merlot