by Winepisser | May 5, 2022 | Quick Review
Faded photos from a vacation you already forgot. So-so, cheapo red blend from Argentina. Color was a bit brown which made me worry for heat damage, but didn’t translate to the taste. Main notes are black cherry, a bit of vanilla and some smoke. Overall not...
by Winepisser | May 3, 2022 | Quick Review
Local carpenter winds up being an artesan. French table wine proves the French must make great tables. This cheap-o, appellation-free chardonnay nevertheless beats so many of those pretentious California poseurs. Crisp but not tart, this is smooth pear and baked...
by Winepisser | May 2, 2022 | Quick Review
Smoke on the water, fire in the sky. Nose is very faint with cherry and vanilla. On the tongue, it’s more bright cherry, strong vanilla, very slight black pepper. Full disclosure: the label drew me in, as I had to know what a “black” cabernet was....
by Winepisser | May 1, 2022 | Quick Review
Chocolate-covered cherry, anyone? For me, “Haut-Medoc” usually signals a good, fun wine that will pair nicely with anything you throw at it. This bottle is no different: nose is chocolate and and earth and berries, and on the palate it’s more...
by Winepisser | Apr 28, 2022 | Quick Review
If this painting is fake, it was done by a master. Wine was delivered without foil or seal, so suspicion was high. Cork appeared fine, and after tasting all fears dissipated. Nose is black cherry with some earth. On the tongue it’s fruity AF but not at all...
by Winepisser | Apr 26, 2022 | Quick Review
French guy missteps on the dance floor. Nose is wood, black pepper, and blackcurrant. Palate is the same, with the pepper coming forward strong. Very dry, and perhaps too much so, since some sugar might balance out the overall glass. Lacking a lot of what makes a...
by Winepisser | Apr 23, 2022 | Quick Review
Clearly a fan of The Postmarks. I used to be a bigger fan of Malbec before I moved to Peru and got drowned by the stuff. This bottle (as well as this French one) reminded me of why I used to love the grape. Nose is cherry and olive with a hint of smoke. On the tongue...
by Winepisser | Apr 18, 2022 | Quick Review
Leather elbows on a tweed coat, is that the best you can do? Far too slate-y with weird citrus notes makes this closer to a Sauvignon Blanc than an Alsace Riesling. I had to check the label to make sure I had poured the right bottle. Some slight slice notes save this...
by Winepisser | Apr 16, 2022 | Quick Review
But, sir, this passport is genuine. This Argentino Bordeaux blend may have you suspecting “cabernet fauxvignon” but it’s very good. Nose upon decorking was shoe leather, but flavor notes included blackcurrant, spice and licorice. Label says it was...
by Winepisser | Apr 6, 2022 | Quick Review
Albino elephant is the most beautiful of the herd. Color is super pale, nearly white, but don’t let that fool you. Nose is honey, once guzzled it is more honey, green apple, slate. Lots of bright fizz hides the sugar, which is just right. Unlike some other Mosel...
by Winepisser | Apr 3, 2022 | Quick Review
November spawned a monster. Nose has earth, soil, bell pepper and eucalyptus. Flavor notes include basement must, black cherry. Super smooth tannins shows just how France does Malbec as compared to California cousins of the same age. Witchcraft maybe? This is a...
by Winepisser | Apr 2, 2022 | Quick Review
An art gallery in a glass. So-so red from Douro. Color is to die for, and car manufacturers wish they could replicate this deep purple. Otherwise, it’s standard red fare, some notes of black cherry and dark fruit, but a bit over tannic and bracing. But did I...
by Winepisser | Mar 15, 2022 | Quick Review
Yes, you can have fun at a chess club. Proof that dry Riesling doesn’t mean boring. Green apple dominates here, with some light fizzy bubbles to add fun. Loosen rarely fails to do reez right, and this is no exception. Pairs very well with even your spiciest fish...
by Winepisser | Mar 12, 2022 | Quick Review
Out of the bottle, this was a somewhat tasteless cab, but giving it 10+ minutes to sit in the glass improved it dramatically. Flavor notes include blackberry and smoke. Label says “aged in oak barrels” and it shows. Not as good as I expected, however, as...
by Winepisser | Mar 11, 2022 | Quick Review
A trip down memory lane, and just as blurry. Candy notes, like SweeTarts minus the sugar. Melon and grapefruit. I couldn’t find any oak, but did pick up some mild vanilla. Wasn’t served at ideal temperature (glass was a bit warm) but I think the review...
by Winepisser | Mar 10, 2022 | Quick Review
Upstarts don’t start, the old guys will finish you. The French can do little wrong with Sauvignon Blanc no matter how many New World countries try to unseat them. This is a fine Sancerre, but not the best of the breed. Nose is faint, maybe lemon if you can...
by Winepisser | Mar 7, 2022 | Quick Review
Minor league baller on the way up. Easy drinking but with 13% alcohol points to how mischievous those Alsatians can be. Nose is faint apple, tongue is a bit stronger of the same, but very, very subtle. Some slight citric tang, but only barely. Medium sugar. Very...
by Winepisser | Mar 6, 2022 | Quick Review
That new politician has great oratory, but needs more time on the stump. Rich but still not as soft as it will be someday. Nose has some earth and leather, and palate is black cherry and slight wood. Reliable example of Graves region of Bordeaux. The grapes are Merlot...
by Winepisser | Mar 4, 2022 | Quick Review
Unpopular kid proves capable after all. Spanish blend of Chardonnay and Albarino, and is very nice overall. Low reviews elsewhere had lowered my expectations, so I was happily surprised. Main flavor notes here are mild (very mild) lemon, and some spiced apple. The...
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,...
