Loads of tiny bubbles float up through the pale, barely yellow, wine. Aromas of baking pie crust and pears show on a very pretty nose. Apples and strawberries join the pears on the palate, while yeasty flavors add ginger and more to the background. There is a shift toward tart
Surprisingly rich for a pinot noir, this wine was enjoyed by both more- and less-experienced tasters, both with and without food. Beginning with the aromas and lasting throughout, this wine has the intensity of fruit found in a good sorbet -- though it’s not sweet. It is smoothly layered. Along
Dark cherries and a touch of mesquite smoke on the nose. Cherries are fresher, more tart, on the palate. Smoke and cola come through on the mid-palate. Acids really drive this wine, searching for a rich fats or gravy to challenge. Drink with bacon-wrapped figs or duck with gravy. Recommended.
A true low-alcohol Bourgogne for half the price of a tooth-staining California pinot, this shows true balance and minerality. Strawberries, some raspberries, and damp black earth shoveled over hot coals show on the nose. On the palate the fruit is more muted, hinting at a resting phase calling for a
The nose is a treat in itself, aromas of fresh-ground medium-roast coffee and black cherries, tinted around the edges with fresh sage. The same coffee-cherry theme shows on the attack, the initial taste, adding hints of cola, milk chocolate and licorice on the mid-palate. Tannins are mild and silky, with
In 2011, winemaker Paul Hobbs oversaw the release of his new Cahors collaboration as well as the expansion of one of his American labels, CrossBarn Wines by Paul Hobbs. His schedule is brutal, but the chance to work in Cahors, the traditional region for French Malbec was too exciting for
A third-generation winemaker, Piero Incisa della Rocchetta comes from a family that's legendary in Italian winemaking. His grandfather was the creator of Sassicaia, one of the first Bordeaux-style blends in Italy and a wine that inspired many imitators. After time spent at the family wine estates, Piero began his own
Another lovely offering from the folks at White Rose in Oregon. They offer a wide range of wines from different vineyards. This one opens with a classic pinot nose of smoked cherries and plums. Tannins are soft and fruit is silken as it lingers on the palate after you first