We had a last-minute neighborly get-together on Thursday night, I thought of pairing the Robert Mondavi Maestro 2018 robust and full-flavored red blend (meritage), a blend of: 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc, 17% Petit Verdot, 11% Merlot, 5% Malbec with Vegan chili. The wine a great choice, boasting sweet red plum and Bing cherry aromas, complemented by savory notes of tamari, black pepper, and […]
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Envínate Albarha Vinos Mediterraneos 2021. Envínate (translates as “wine yourself”) is the brainchild of 4 friends, winemakers Roberto Santana, Alfonso Torrente, Laura Ramos, and José Martínez. This gang of 4 formed back in 2005 while studying enology at the University of Miguel Hernandez in Alicante. They are part of the group that Telmo Rodriguez refers to as the “new generation of Spanish winemakers”, pushing the boundaries […]
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On Saturday, I attended a small tasting event at a newly opened wine shop, however, it resembled more of a general store/gift shop which sold wine. During the tasting, I was introduced to a delightful and reasonably priced wine, the Guy Allion Les Mazelles Sauvignon 2021, a 100% Sauvignon Blanc wine from the Touraine region in the Loire Valley. The wine has a pale straw […]
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The La Antigua Clasico Blanco 2016 was recommended after my mentioning recently having an R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Reserva Blanco 2010; Viura (90%), Malvasía (10%). For those of you unfamiliar with the latter, the wines are barrel aged in American Oak and bottled for no less than 10 years. The end result of their 146-year-old process is a wine that maintains the characteristics […]
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I couldn’t wait to finally open this bottle! I’ve done my research on it, even listening to a podcast that mentioned it. This is yet another wine by Telmo Rodriguez, as part of his Rioja project. Remelluri has a rich history, tracing back to the 14th century when it was founded by monks. However, records show that winemaking on the estate dates even further back, […]
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I came across this wine at a local shop tasting and was impressed with its simplicity and finesse. The wine is made using a combination of both tank and barrel fermentations that are aged in neutral barrels. The fruit is sourced from three vineyards in Happy Canyon; Grassini, McGinley, and Star Lane. A bright energetic wine with spring flowers and hints of mint. The wine […]
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I recently hosted a dinner and decided to serve three “bordeaux” style wines, two from the Bordeaux region and one from California, a Cabernet Sauvignon. The first wine I opened was the Clarendelle Bordeaux 2016, which consists of 84% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 6% Cabernet Franc. It was a pleasant wine overall, but nothing particularly stood out. I learned that Clarendelle purchases wines from […]
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I discovered this wine quite by accident last summer. A new wine shop had just opened and one of my favorite things is to peruse a new wine shop. I was impressed with their selection of natural, organic, and biodynamic wines. Many I was already very familiar with. However, I was not impressed with their pricing. I believe I paid $29. for this wine much […]
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Although the Evesham Wood Willamette is the largest wine produced by this maker, it is still of considerable quality. The wine is a blend of grapes from Illahe (Mt. Pisgah, Polk County, Oregon AVA) and Mahonia (Willamette Valley, located in the Jory hills just south of Salem). Despite never having tried this particular wine before, I paired it with baked cod, dirty rice, and roasted […]
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I first learned of this wine from Eric Asimov’s New York Times column 20 under $20. In it he says its made by Juan Antonio Ponce, of Bodegas Ponce of which I am familiar from his outstanding Bobal La Casilla. Still, the bottle has no visible references to the grapes or the maker other than “Parra Jimenez”. So I delved a bit further and found […]
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Remember the name Bobal, a red grape variety that is native to the Utiel-Requena region in Valencia, Spain, which is located on the southeastern Mediterranean coast, is the second most commonly grown grape in Spain. Atance Bobal 2019 is a wine that is 100% Bobal and is produced by Toni Sarrion, the winemaker of Bodegas Mustiguillo. He has taken it upon himself to champion this […]
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From the family that makes the finest American sparkling wine. Their experience with Pinot Noir dates back to 1967, when Jack and Jamie Davies first used this elegant red varietal to make their inaugural vintage of Schramsberg Blanc de Noirs sparkling wine. They’ve expanded to making fine pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon wines in addition to their sparkling wines. Napa Valley is making wine that […]
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