by Winepisser | Oct 15, 2017 | Quick Review
Rich black cherry and silky smooth tannins. Really luxurious. Drinks great right now.
by Winepisser | Oct 15, 2017 | Quick Review
Very fine Shiraz, very smooth with light and subtle fruit sneaking behind the deep ruby color. A great glass for those trying Shiraz for the first time, but pleased this seasoned lover of the grape as well. Recommended.
by Winepisser | Oct 15, 2017 | Full Article
Meet Hugel Gentil 2015, a Gewurztraminer blend from France’s Alsace region. My very first Winepisser post praised Hugel, a winery I have been familiar with for nearly 15 years, and which will likely be my favorite winery of all time when I shuffle this mortal...
by Winepisser | Oct 8, 2017 | Full Article
I get it. Cork rots. It leaks air. It’s unreliable. It makes no sense from a simple manufacturing standpoint. I mean, I really get it. In my day job, I’m an aerospace quality consultant, having worked with companies such as Lufthansa, Northrup Grumman,...
by Winepisser | Oct 8, 2017 | Quick Review
This year proved to be a huge year for New Zealand SBs, with dozens of them reviewed recently. It’s no secret I am a fan. This Stoneleigh from Marlborough, which I am pretty sure is where the Garden of Eden once existed, throws off a blast of lemon and fresh cut...
by Winepisser | Oct 8, 2017 | Quick Review
This Monterey County chardy has an interesting nose bearing the usual chardonnay scents but with a hint of cedar which really makes this intriguing. On the palate it’s the usual stuff, light cream and timid fruit. Not bad at all but just not memorable. At least...
by Winepisser | Oct 8, 2017 | Quick Review
Nose reminded me of the musty New York City apartment of my grandparents; that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Fruit forward but avoids jamminess, thankfully. Heavy berry flavors dominate with robust but not overpowering tannins. Came recommended by the server...
by Winepisser | Oct 8, 2017 | Quick Review
I am just not a fan of buttery chardonnay and this is only that. Hits all the usual beats, without anything to make it unique. Chardy enjoyers will, erm, enjoy; but I am utterly bored by this formula.
by Winepisser | Oct 8, 2017 | Quick Review
Pedestrian but not bad. The used sneakers of wine.
by Winepisser | Oct 8, 2017 | Quick Review
You can rarely go wrong with CDP, and I usually am ecstatic over any that I encounter. This one, however, left me wanting. A timid nose hinted at little of what the glass would offer the palate;in general, this hinted at a fruity back end, but was dominated by a...
by Winepisser | Oct 8, 2017 | Quick Review
Readers know Gewurztraminer remains my favorite grape, so I came at this one with great anticipation. So pale it’s nearly white in the glass. Nose is typical gwertz: light spiced apple. On the palate it’s a fantastic sweet prototypical Rheinhessen...
by Winepisser | Oct 3, 2017 | Full Article
Generally, 2017 started off pretty terribly, with not a single wine winning 5 stars until March, when Joh. Jos. Prüm’s 2012 Graacher Hehimmelreich Spätlese earned a cinco, and even that was easy, since I’m a fan of the German reezies. And then it wasn’t...
by Winepisser | Oct 3, 2017 | Full Article
Red blends are really amazing these days, as winemaking becomes more technologically savvy and producers have better predictive abilities of what may result from a little mixing and matching. This fantastic blend of 54% Malbec, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petite...
by Winepisser | Oct 2, 2017 | Quick Review
Unique blend of white SB with red carmenere which creates an alien hybrid worthy of a Ridley Scott film. The SB dominates but the carmy adds a nice fruity finish to the grassy apple front end. A fussy wine though, and did not pair well at all with either chicken or...
by Winepisser | Oct 2, 2017 | Quick Review
Agree with other reviewers: you must let this breathe before drinking. Smoke, oak and dark fruit await.
by Winepisser | Oct 2, 2017 | Quick Review
I approached this dessert wine with great hope, seeing as how I liked the Sauvignon Blanc from this winery earlier this year. Color is wheat, nose is spiced dates. Spice follows on the palate with sweet caramel apple but is tainted by an odd chemical note that...
by Winepisser | Oct 2, 2017 | Quick Review
Literally smells like a gasoline tank flooded a horse stable. All that sugar can be used for a handy ant trap, but for God’s sake don’t drink this stuff.
by Winepisser | Oct 2, 2017 | Quick Review
Fruity but not jammy, this is spiked with hints of licorice and chocolate. Mild tannins already showing this has aged nicely. Paired well with an assortment of red meats and chicken.
by Winepisser | Oct 2, 2017 | Quick Review
Last year saw the Winepisser Best Wine award go to a tannat from Uruguay, so you know I am a fan. I tell everyone I can that Uruguay is the number one country to watch in winemaking. This tannat didn’t hit 5 stars, but is nevertheless fantastic! Fruity nose...
by Winepisser | Oct 2, 2017 | Quick Review
Surprisingly citric but in an entirely pleasing way; no butter overdose here, this is a crisp and pleasant chardonnay that puts its fruit forward. Very nice.
by Winepisser | Oct 2, 2017 | Quick Review
Nose is all berries and a hint of flowers. Palate is is a moderately bold mix of potent blackberries with a bit of licorice and allspice. Paired well with a lovely Ruth’s Chris ribeye. Shy tannins and lack of finish keep this from 5 stars.
by Winepisser | Oct 2, 2017 | Quick Review
A haunted bookshop comes to mind, as this is all dusty cellar cobwebs and mushroomy goodness. Long finish with powerful lingering flavors of black cherry, tobacco and wet earth. An overly acidic back throat bite keeps this from 5 stars, but highly recommended.
by Winepisser | Oct 2, 2017 | Quick Review
I always get giddy when I see the Jadot label. I’m a fanboy, even of their lower end stuff. This one is on that side of the spectrum, alas. Faint cologne like nose, wine itself is fruit forward, mostly lacking in character and clearly unsophisticated. Minerals...
by Winepisser | Sep 21, 2017 | Full Article
Normally we hold the word “syrupy” as a pejorative, hinting at cough medicine or sickeningly sugary prison wine. I’m a fan of dessert wine, and at the same time have encountered my fair share of syrupy garbage that is sold as such, so I’m tuned...
by Winepisser | Sep 20, 2017 | Full Article
We placed this into a mano a mano battle versus Argentina’s Zuccardi Q 2012 offering, and it was a close match. Eventually, however, this Protos Ribera del Duero Roble 2015 won out, largely on the basis of is perfect tannin balance and playfully misleading nose....
