by Winepisser | Jan 10, 2018 | Quick Review
A slightly skunky nose gives way to a pretty nice Chileno SB from the Valle de Maule region. Grass and ocean make this very pleasant, but it’s a bit underpowered. Paired well with polenta and whitefish plate. Just faded fast.
by Winepisser | Jan 1, 2018 | Quick Review
A bit too tangy for my tastes and the Chenin Blanc is entirely buried under the Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Unfortunately, it picks up most of the less desirable aspects of those two dominant grapes, too. Would benefit from more floral notes and a tad less tang....
by Winepisser | Jan 1, 2018 | Full Article
It was slow going last year, with a struggle to find some 5-star winners until mid-year, but 2018 hit the road running. The very first wine tasted nailed a coveted cinco! Meet the Errazuriz Estate Series Carmenère 2013 from Chile, a budget carmy that will absolutely...
by Winepisser | Jan 1, 2018 | Quick Review
Great blend of cab, syrah and carmenere, with the syrah really leading the pack despite only being 20% of the mix. Nose is raisin and spice, on the palate it’s fruit forward, dry and well balanced, just the right level of tannins means it’s great to drink...
by Winepisser | Jan 1, 2018 | Quick Review
Remarkable carmenere at an insanely low price, your wine snob pals will never know you paid under $15 for this. Smoky nose leads to incredibly balanced tannins, fruit and low sugar. Palate is dark berries and more smoke, but not too much of the latter. Finishes strong...
by Winepisser | Dec 27, 2017 | Quick Review
Winepisser announces its annual Best Wine winner for 2017! Click here to read the final result.
by Winepisser | Dec 27, 2017 | Full Article
The third annual Winepisser Best Wine Award goes to Alvear’s Pedro Ximénez de Añada 2014, a fantastic dessert wine that my original review boldly claimed didn’t need dessert because it was the dessert. Let’s get this out of the way first, as I am sure some...
by Winepisser | Dec 22, 2017 | Full Article
For the past two years, Winepisser has reveled in its negative reviews of wines — hell, snark is in our site’s name — but we hadn’t given the really terrible wines their due at the end of the year, during award season. This year we launch a new...
by Winepisser | Dec 22, 2017 | Quick Review
Really interesting blend where the chardonnay dominates but the chenin Blanc adds a fantastic floral note. Just a tad bitter before the CB kicks in. Intriguing though. Paired well with baked corvina in garlic sauce.
by Winepisser | Dec 13, 2017 | Quick Review
Bright fruit but a bit too much vanilla, chardonnay fans will enjoy this but other folks, not so much.
by Winepisser | Dec 13, 2017 | Full Article
We’re heading into the final weeks of 2017, which means an announcement is quickly forthcoming for this years Winepisser Best Wine award. The contenders so far are a wild, rambling mix of whites and reds, dry and sweet, including — for the first time...
by Winepisser | Dec 12, 2017 | Quick Review
A bit understated but OK if you like that sort of thing. I frankly was expecting more. Nose was slightly medicinal like grandma’s pillcase, but it was imbued with smoothish tannins. Finish just crumbled quickly though. Unimpressive.
by Winepisser | Dec 12, 2017 | Quick Review
Another Italian that doesn’t stand up on its own and requires a spicy pasta dish to make it at all interesting. Wine should be as food alone as when paired, and this one ain’t that. Won’t improve with age, so go ahead and throw it in the gravy and...
by Winepisser | Dec 12, 2017 | Quick Review
Chocolate, cherry and a whiff of salt water mean this is a winner. Lackadaisical mouthfeel keeps this from a higher rating, but serve with a robust meaty dish and you may not notice. Smooth tannins.
by Winepisser | Dec 12, 2017 | Quick Review
Jam but not jammy, so don’t freak, jamophobes. This is an awesome zin full of fruit and gooey goodness but without becoming a mess of berries. Semimooth tannins if you let it sit a bit, and flavor notes of black cherry and German chocolate cake are present....
by Winepisser | Dec 12, 2017 | Quick Review
A fine reez but nothing stands out to make this any better than the rest.
by Winepisser | Dec 12, 2017 | Quick Review
Another French chard that schools those Cally posers. Nearly imperceptible oak keeps the grapes first, which goddammit is what wine is supposed to taste like. A hint of tartness keeps this lively, while a definite mineral undertongue makes it downright intriguing....
by Winepisser | Dec 12, 2017 | Quick Review
Gorgeous nose of faint flowers. Medium sweet but don’t let that dissuade you. Floral flavors meet delicate white cake, this would serve equally well with white fish or pork. Chenin Blanc is quickly becoming a favorite white for me and this didn’t...
by Winepisser | Dec 12, 2017 | Quick Review
Don’t let the weird-ass color (peach?) turn you off, this is an interesting blend of pinto noir and chardonnay that tastes like neither of its parts, but is refreshing nonetheless. Tasted blind I would bet no one could name the grapes. Flavors of apple and pear...
by Winepisser | Dec 12, 2017 | Quick Review
Wow, didn’t expect much from this low end reez despite the Mosel pedigree but it surprises nicely. Medium sweet, with apples but not the usual tart green ones you’d expect. A dilute honey like flavor washes over the fruit but (again) without making it too...
by Winepisser | Dec 12, 2017 | Quick Review
Did not live up to the other reviews I had seen, even after giving it ample breathing time. Cherry and leather are strong here but the tannins are still a bit oppressive given the age.
by Winepisser | Dec 12, 2017 | Quick Review
Wait… A tempranillo from Texas? And it’s awesome? You read that right. While I might not have guessed it was a tempro, this potent red enhanced a plate of Italian veal parmigiana and kept on giving long after the plate disappeared. Nose is not...
by Winepisser | Dec 12, 2017 | Quick Review
Surprisingly timid German riesling;some might call it subtle but I think it’s too underwhelming to be forgiven so easily. Nevertheless it’s got enough fruit and mild sugar to identify itself as a reez, but little else. Served with the salad course, it...
by Winepisser | Nov 24, 2017 | Quick Review
Wow. Chenin Blanc can trend towards boring, but this one defies that. Mildly tart, mildly mineraly, and mildly fruity, all those “mild” flavors nevertheless come together in a bold, if sophisticated, glass. Very, very nice.
by Winepisser | Nov 24, 2017 | Quick Review
Syrah is always nice but this blend just ramps up the enjoyment tenfold. This is complex, and keeps revealing different flavors and noted as you work down the glass. There’s equal amounts of fruit to tobacco here, but those who might not like smoke in their wine...
