2016 Montefalco Rosso Riserva Pipparello Paola Bea, Umbria

2016 Montefalco Rosso Riserva Pipparello Paolo Bea, Umbria

A little history Paolo Bea doesn’t strictly adhere to organic or biodynamic principles, but it’s quite challenging to discover a more natural approach elsewhere. The family cultivates five hectares of vineyards primarily located near the estate, with some vineyards like Cerrette reaching altitudes of up to 500 meters above sea level. In contrast to numerous other producers, Bea has successfully crafted exquisitely balanced wines each […]

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Pere Mata L’Ensamblatge Brut Nature Gran Reserva 2012

Pere Mata L’Ensamblatge Brut Nature Gran Reserva 2012

Pere Mata L’Ensamblatge Brut Nature Gran Reserva 2012 50% Xarello, 25% Macabeu, 25% Parellada The quality and transparency of these sparkling wines inevitably draw comparisons to Champagne. However, Pere is not trying to replicate Champagne. Instead, he dedicates himself to crafting Cava with a level of dedication and craftsmanship usually associated with the world’s finest sparkling wines. The results are truly inspiring. Hailing from Sant […]

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La Antigua Clasico Blanco 2016

Vinos Atlantico

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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remelluri rioja reserva 2014

Mic Drop…Boom!

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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Evensham Wood pinot noir Willamette 2021

Evesham Wood Pinot Noir WIllamette 2021

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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Davies Hyde Vineyard Pinot Noir 2018

Valentines day

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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Gaba do Xil Tinto 2019

Tinto, the Other Village Wine from Telmo Rodriguez

Gaba do Xil are the estate-grown red and white village wines of Ladeiras do Xil, they are handmade Galician wines offering incredible value for everyday drinking in addition to stashing a few away for a few years to mature further. The tinto is a blend of 70% Mencía and 30% Merenzao all hand-harvested grapes that are fermented with native yeasts in stainless steel then aged in steel […]

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Grochau Cellars Pinot Noir Commuter Cuvée 2021 and George Lignier Bourgogne Passetoutgrain 2020

One French and One American

Our host asked for a wine with “soft tannins” as the food to be served was Asian-inspired flavors with fish as the main course. Most people think of fish and white wine, personally, I prefer to consider the time of year and flavors. In this case, it was also the dead of winter. My thoughts immediately leaned toward Pinot Noir, Gamay, or Bobal. I decided […]

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