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 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 19, 2017 | Quick Review
We battled this against a Protos tempranillo and while the Protos won out, this fell just shy of 5 stars due a some slight imbalance and tannins which just didn’t work for me. Dark ruby in the glass, it’s all blackcurrant, blackberry and black pepper....
by Winepisser | Sep 17, 2017 | Quick Review
Sometimes you encounter a bad wine pairing and this was one of them. Since I prepared the food, I thus blame the wine. This tasted of sour apple and petrol, which is never good. Had none of the usual SB aspects, except for a touch of grassiness. Not recommended.
by Winepisser | Sep 16, 2017 | Quick Review
Slightly more lively than the 2014 vintage but not much so. Lacks almost all of the characteristics of SB bit has a hint of apple. Generally unexciting.
by Winepisser | Sep 15, 2017 | Quick Review
Wildly erratic, I have had bottles of the same vintage that were dull and flat, and others that were flavorful. This review found a generally good glass, with aspects of apple and green pepper, which paired very well with a tame chicken and rice dish. Your mileage...
by Winepisser | Sep 5, 2017 | Quick Review
Nose was obscured by the restaurant kitchen smells so can’t comment on it. But on the tongue it’s a mineraly experience with a slight tanginess, and relatively dry. I paired this with a salmon burger and it lined up very nicely. Very subtle flavors but I...
by Winepisser | Sep 1, 2017 | Quick Review
Garnet color looks nice in the glass and nose is very subtle, almost nonexistent. Tasty though, with enough fruit to please most folks but still dry enough to pair with most Italian plates. Seeing the name Cavit on the label was disappointing but it was nevertheless...
by Winepisser | Sep 1, 2017 | Quick Review
Slightly tart, slightly citric, slightly fruity, but no one thing dominates the others. Not bad, and paired well with a spicy fish dish. Drinks well on its own, too. Overall a very surprising blend with very surprising results, all of them good.
by Winepisser | Aug 31, 2017 | Quick Review
Very nice with a perfect balance of grassy goodness and fruit, without either overdoing it. A great example of the miracle that is Marlborough sauvignon blanc. Easy minerality too, so it avoids the cat pee that turns off some SB fans. Nice bite. Recommended.
by Winepisser | Aug 31, 2017 | Quick Review
Not complex or particularly robust but nevertheless very nice. Strong red cherry notes on the nose. Pleasant, but will probably be much, much better in a few years.
by Winepisser | Aug 31, 2017 | Quick Review
Low tannins in this vintage make it chocolatey smooth but also hinder the character just a bit. Nose of tobacco and cocoa and then a rush of smoke and deep, deep black cherry follows through on the tongue. A touch of sugar keeps this from being called dry, but blink...
by Winepisser | Aug 26, 2017 | Quick Review
Noseless but bright and fizzy on the tongue, lack of initial oomph makes you think you’ve just swigged seltzer water but give it a second and some pleasant floral tones come through. Needs more fruit to give it character but those who like their wines more...
by Winepisser | Aug 25, 2017 | Quick Review
Now that’s more like it! The 2014 vintage left me wanting (review here) but this one is a knockout. Nice straw and cat scents without one dominating the other with a great balance of light, bright fruit and gravely minerals. Medium dry. Highly recommended.
by Winepisser | Aug 25, 2017 | Quick Review
Much better than the 2016 vintage (review here), this one hits enough of the right notes to earn a recommendation, albeit a cautious one. Tart fruit would benefit from more gravely minerals, but it’s nevertheless a very nice glass. I paired this with a steak...
by Winepisser | Aug 23, 2017 | Quick Review
Jammy and spammy. Too much fruit and the bourbon barrel thing comes off as gimmicky. It’s also way the hell too sweet, bordering on port. I’m not sure what this wine wants to be. Packs an alcoholic punch though. 38% Merlot, 37% Syrah, 11% Zinfandel, 7%...
