Wine Reviews - Palate Press

1 min read

This is a young wine, a very young wine. It is not a pop-and-pour, and won't be for a decade or more. It took a full 24 hours with an open bottle before it started to unwind. Once it did, though, the patience was well-rewarded. The powerful nose is redolent

What We’re Drinking – Napa by N.A.P.A.

David Honig

Wine Reviews

1 min read

This curiously successful wine is a blend of five different grapes from four different vintages. It was broadly distributed as samples upon release in 2013, so we decided to hang on to a bottle to see how it lasted in the cellar. It did well. Cherries, graphite, and a hint

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

David Honig

Wine Reviews

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

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