by Winepisser | Mar 3, 2022 | Quick Review
Subtle philosopher makes a point after all. Pleasant if quaint. Nose is nearly absent, and tongue notes are elusive. Licorice dominates, with blackcurrant close behind. But it’s all very, very subtle. This wine might shine with the right pairing, but easily wilt...
by Winepisser | Mar 2, 2022 | Quick Review
Youngest child can’t beat his older brother. Whereas I gave the 2015 a full four stars, this one just skirts beneath that, for a 3.8. Nose is just as powerful as the earlier vintage, but fruit notes on the palate fade quickly under some uneven tannins and acid....
by Winepisser | Mar 1, 2022 | Quick Review
You like heavy metal, and got invited to a jazz concert. Not the usual buttery mess that passes for Calichards, but tilted more to the citrus side. Lemon dominates but is smoothed out by slight oak. Some lychee in there, too. Still not a fan of chardonnay from this...
by Winepisser | Feb 22, 2022 | Quick Review
A new chess player beats his opponents with moves that even the masters hadn’t seen before. Another fantastic offering from Argentina’s Andaluna. Nose is super subtle, with only the only slightest hints of black fruit and spice. On the tongue it’s...
by Winepisser | Feb 22, 2022 | Quick Review
Love letter got misdelivered but wound up launching a whirlwind affair anyway. Very nice new world essbie that shows how far Argentina has come with this grape; you’re on notice, Chile! Nose is what you’d expect from a New Zealand offering, with notes of...
by Winepisser | Feb 13, 2022 | Quick Review
That mysterious stranger who caught your eye on the train suddenly farted, ruining the moment. This one is a weird blend of four hundred different grapes, or at least it seems that way reading the label. Apparently, it’s Grenache, Syrah, Marsanne, Carignan,...
by Winepisser | Feb 10, 2022 | Quick Review
Gene splicers ignored all ethics and created a living Venus de Milo. Nose is horse stable and earth, with musty, burned oak. The palate is potent blackberry, tannins smooth as velvet. Rich, dense, luxurious. Tannat dominates but merlot adds smoothness, and tempranillo...
by Winepisser | Feb 8, 2022 | Quick Review
This baby’s diaper was just changed, apparently, because he’s dry. Nose is very faint, disappearing quickly after pouring. Notes of grape jam maybe? Once swigged, the jamminess resurfaces but this grapey flavor is not accompanied by sugar. Might have...
by Winepisser | Feb 8, 2022 | Quick Review
That politician’s autobiography was exactly how you expected, and not a bit better. Middling Sauvignon blanc that hits the usual notes of lemon and citrus but without much else. Faint nose and short finish make this forgettable, but it’s not all bad if you...
by Winepisser | Feb 5, 2022 | Quick Review
Holy chocolate-covered cherries, Batman! Musty nose prophesies flavors of black cherry, chocolate earthy goodness. Medium silky, moderate finish. Powerful flavors dominated above steak and ribs plate. The blend is primarily Malbec, spiked with 15% Bonarda and 6%...
by Winepisser | Jan 29, 2022 | Full Article
I like to remind people that I’m a wine slob, not a wine snob. A street-level wine thug, as the saying goes. I mean, hell, the site’s called Winepisser, for heaven’s sake. So don’t hold this next one against me, but I will take credit for...
by Winepisser | Jan 29, 2022 | Quick Review
Pop-art but not pop-tart. Notes of cinnamon, honey and slate on the nose. Flavors are spiced apple, more slate and honey. Despite the honey notes, this is very not sweet. Slight fizz adds some fun, but not the best Mosel reez I’ve had. Finish is over-tart and...
by Winepisser | Jan 28, 2022 | Quick Review
That briefcase was on sale, but it should impress the folks on the commuter train. This is a color-by-numbers Rhone red blend. Entirely serviceable and will pair with nearly any red meat you throw at it, but also nothing particularly memorable. Nose is wimpy, but...
by Winepisser | Jan 28, 2022 | Quick Review
By order of the peaky fookin’ blinders! Nose has bits of leather, very yummy. Palate is blackcurrant and darkest black cherry. Potent 14.5% alcohol shows these Languedoc boys are not playing. Medium tannins, medium acidity. This blend from the Corbières region...
by Winepisser | Jan 27, 2022 | Quick Review
When Tom Jones did that Prince song. It’s hard to fuck up a pooey-fwizzay. Nose is vanilla and asparagus. Chug it down the gullet and it’s all flavors of lemon, vanilla, and lemongrass. Medium dry, medium tart. Long finish. A winner. Grapes are chardonnay...
by Winepisser | Jan 26, 2022 | Quick Review
Polaroid taken last week, but has already faded. Nose of grass and lemon, and color is light green. Flavor notes include slate and lemon. Short finish and a bit too citrus for my taste. Given the provenance, I was slightly disappointed. Might pair well with spicy...
by Winepisser | Jan 22, 2022 | Quick Review
Magical disappearing act ends up a crowd-pleaser. Remarkably priced, best of breed Malbec from a country awash in the stuff. Nose is jammy jammy jammy, but once down the gullet it’s super dry, so no grape juice here, friends. Notes of plum and black cherry, but...
by Winepisser | Jan 22, 2022 | Quick Review
The house you bought in a middle-class neighborhood is discovered to have an underground passage to a lost gold mine. Nose is pure grape, but not jammy in the traditional sense; typical for the Argentinian breed. Mouthfeel is astonishing: soft, supple, dry, and...
by Winepisser | Jan 21, 2022 | Quick Review
Village witch turns gold into silver. I’m not sure I understand the alchemy at play that injects a citrus note into a malbec just by scraping the skins. But this is that. Lemon dominates, but a meaty hint of traditional smoke and red malby remains underneath....
by Winepisser | Jan 12, 2022 | Full Article
As you may have noticed, in 2021 I began reviewing wines by adding one-liner blurbs, or quips. Let’s call them “burps.” I did this because Winepisser wasn’t nearly as clever as I had imagined it, and was getting to be yet another stale wine...
by Winepisser | Jan 12, 2022 | Quick Review
Giggling teens on a rollercoaster. This is a fun wine, so shut up. Cheap, sweet, fizzy, and fresh, but low in alcohol (7%) and easy to gulp. Sure, it would pair well with cheese or dessert, but why be traditional? Just chug the stuff from the screw top bottle, and...
by Winepisser | Jan 8, 2022 | Full Article
After awarding no Best Wine in 2021 (due to pandemic), 2022 came back online with a limited number of reviews; only 31, in fact. Compare that to prior years where I reviewed 150+ each year, and it was obvious that the choices were limited. Sure enough, only a single...
by Winepisser | Jan 8, 2022 | Quick Review
That new, young substitute minister who you thought was going to be dynamic, but who then just read a passage from Luke in monotone. Chardonnay dominates, but some perfume points to the Chenin Blanc. Low acidity, low tang. Lemon is the most obvious note. Not bad, but...
by Winepisser | Jan 5, 2022 | Quick Review
Undercover cop has fake mustache, but gets the job done anyway. One of the better essbies from Chile, with nose of a New Zealand offering – slate and asparagus. On the palate it’s similarly traditional, but subtle. Only slightly tart, with the slight cat...
by Winepisser | Dec 31, 2021 | Quick Review
Valedictorian-in-running later graduates to run pastry shop. This one is all apricot, straw and honey. Sweet as a sauternes should be, but not saccharine. Paired well with a dessert course of chocolate. Would pair better with strong goat cheese, but none on hand to...
