by Winepisser | Jun 15, 2019 | Quick Review
Very fine red blend with notes of cherry and charred vanilla, but with a brief finish and general inability to rise up with food. Drinks well on its own but pairing may be difficult if you’re fussy about your pairings. Grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec,...
by Winepisser | Jun 5, 2019 | Quick Review
Slight lemon with bright slate notes, grassy nose, but very low tartness. Pretty damn good. Another great Marlborough NZ offering.
by Winepisser | Jun 2, 2019 | Quick Review
Middling Loire chenin blanc with way too much tartness. Pairing this with a plate that would ordinarily go well with see-bee will not work here. Strong green apple and steely sharp bite means you’d better put this up against a spicy cream sauce dish....
by Winepisser | May 29, 2019 | Quick Review
Strong plum flavors backed by cloves and mint. Nose is jammy but on the tongue it’s not, so don’t worry. Drinks very well on its own, but will pair well with red meat as well as veal. Short finish and lack of some depth keeps this from 5 stars. The grapes...
by Winepisser | May 15, 2019 | Quick Review
Powerful prunes dominate but the wine is still dry and not necessarily fruity. Moderate tannins and medium peppery finish. Drinks only OK by itself, needed to be paired with spicy Italian pasta dish. Blend of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sangiovese.
by Winepisser | May 10, 2019 | Quick Review
Apricot but with an apple-y tartness, sans the apple. A bit oversweet even for a spatlese, and with a nose that invokes sauvignon blanc rather than riesling. Still very good, just being your sweet tooth.
by Winepisser | May 8, 2019 | Quick Review
Here’s the scenario. You poured your old uncle a nice glass of cab while he was grilling, but he’s easily confused, and accidentally poured pepper over his glass of wine rather than the steaks. Then someone drank it and thought, “this is great, let...
by Winepisser | May 5, 2019 | Quick Review
Tannins didn’t overpower me as much as other reviewers reported. Not a fat cab by any stretch, but with enough depth to balance out the fruit. Notes of cigar, dark berry. Potent nose does promise a bit more than the glass delivers.
by Winepisser | May 3, 2019 | Quick Review
Great ice wine that balances the high sugar with just ever-so-tart apple pie notes. Just fell shy of a full 5 stars due to needing a tad bit more fruit to offset the sweetness.
by Winepisser | May 1, 2019 | Quick Review
Surprisingly poor Gewurztraminer but still squeaks by to get 3 stars. Too sweet with not enough of the typical Alsatian spice. Wouldn’t be mistaken for a German riesling but way too much sugar. Did these grapes come from somewhere else, and were only bottled in...
by Winepisser | Apr 28, 2019 | Quick Review
Middling German Pfaltz Gewurztraminer put to shame by its French neighbors in Alsace. Too close to a riesling to make it a great gwertz, and a gwertz should never be this close to a reez. Some nice fruit here, with floral notes, but nearly zero spice.
by Winepisser | Apr 12, 2019 | Quick Review
Gewurztraminer being my favorite white, having only reached three stars is a disappointing surprise. Too much sugar knocks down the usual gwertz spice, leaving this tasting like a cheap blend. Still good, but just not up to par with other German offerings.
by Winepisser | Apr 3, 2019 | Quick Review
No year noted. The Bodega Santa Ana makes wine that ranges from middling to terrible, so this is on the better end, but still lacking. Mild, with very faint tart apple and floral notes. Drinkable but forgettable.
by Winepisser | Apr 2, 2019 | Quick Review
Passion fruit and crisp apple that brightens this up and makes it slightly unique from other offerings and even other vintages of the same wine. Drinks well by itself, but will be fussy to pair with, so stick with classic fish.
by Winepisser | Apr 2, 2019 | Quick Review
Middling cab with nearly zero tannins. There’s a point where smooth becomes bland and this approaches that. Nose is expressive with berry and sneaker leather but that doesn’t make it into the glass. Paired with simple lasagne, the wine wilted.
by Winepisser | Apr 1, 2019 | Quick Review
Fantastic German reez with a great mix of tart apple and sweet flowers. Tartness might turn off those looking for a more traditional offering and keeps this from five stars but it’s otherwise great
by Winepisser | Mar 29, 2019 | Quick Review
Bold leathery nose, palate is black cherry and earth. Balanced tannins don’t overpower. Very nice and drinks well solo. Blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec.
by Winepisser | Mar 28, 2019 | Quick Review
Nose of strawberry cupcake, palate is semi-dry bright berry with vanilla hints. Odd duck for a red but it’s proper French gamay, which is always fun.
by Winepisser | Mar 27, 2019 | Quick Review
Green olive, with a blackberry note hiding behind the typical meaty notes. No leather here, this is a bit more fruity than offerings from nearby Uruguay. Tannat continues to be a surprising grape.
by Winepisser | Mar 27, 2019 | Quick Review
Where the 2016 was impressive (for an airport wine) the 2017 drops a full star. Too oaky and lacking anything interesting. A low rent domestic chardonnay.
by Winepisser | Mar 25, 2019 | Quick Review
About the same as the prior year’s vintage, but perhaps with less grapefruit. Mild, pleasant and utilitarian, but a fine riesling from Germany which always ranks high in my book. Perfect Goldilocks level of sugar. Those who are not reez-obsessed like me would...
by Winepisser | Mar 16, 2019 | Quick Review
Nose is grassy like a knoll, but without all that drama like the one in Texas. This is unoaked so there’s none of that California toothpick flavor here. A bit citric but not in a good way. Finish lasts a minute and then falls into forgetfulness. Paired with...
by Winepisser | Mar 12, 2019 | Quick Review
Grapefruit is all over this, with light floral nose and mild sugar. White zin gets a bad rap but this one is very nice. Will be fussy to pair with food but drinks well on its own.
by Winepisser | Mar 12, 2019 | Quick Review
Those bored by restaurant grade chiantis will find nothing new here. Tepid, a bit flat and nearly entirely noseless. Nice light tannins, moderate notes of cherry and tobacco, but blink and you’ll miss ’em. Better than “meh” but only...
by Winepisser | Mar 4, 2019 | Quick Review
Just wow, a labyrinthine maze of notes such as blackberry, mint, chocolate, smoke and earth. It’s definitely an “in your face” experience and not for those afraid of robust flavors. Smooth and silky but not so much that it is dull. A potent glass by...
