Wine Reviews - Palate Press

1 min read

The nose shows baked apple and a tiny dash of nutmeg. The wine is soft of the palate, baked apples and pears, with hite florals coming through on the mid-palate. It was aged in 50% natural oak and 50% stainless steel, and it shows. It has soft, sweet fruits with a

What We’re Drinking – Castello Banfi Rosso di Montalcino

David Honig

Wine Reviews

1 min read

This wine is deceptively simple until it is paired with a good steak - then the tannins kick in. The nose shows sweet cherry and violet. On the palate, though, the sweet turns to tart, with dried sour cherries, and leather. Some earthiness lingers. Tannins have a rustic grip. Drink

What We’re Drinking – Howell Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

David Honig

Wine Reviews

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,

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