by Winepisser | Mar 1, 2019 | Quick Review
Absolutely fantastic barbera from California, nose is fruit with some mild wood notes, glass is blackcurrant with earl grey tea and mild tannins. From earlier reviews in 2015 this appears to have aged nicely and drinks well now, and will only improve. Long finish of...
by Winepisser | Feb 25, 2019 | Quick Review
First sip from the glass was all cherry, and a bit too much of it. After sitting a bit, it calmed down. Strong dark fruit notes make this palatable only to fruit-forward fans. Light tannins but the smoothness is cut by the brash fruit. Comes off sweeter than it...
by Winepisser | Feb 23, 2019 | Quick Review
Peach with sauvignon blanc like grass notes, despite the actual grapes. Only mildly tart, very slightly off dry. No nose but long floral finish. Paired very well with Ruth’s Chris lobster bisque. A blend of Sangiovese, Corvina, Molinara, Merlot.
by Winepisser | Feb 20, 2019 | Quick Review
Another reviewer mentioned sorbet and that’s accurate, but also awful. There’s a sooth butteriness here that is just off putting. The overall flavor note is floral but the end result is like a daisy smoothie. Off dry.
by Winepisser | Feb 14, 2019 | Quick Review
Tasted this while suffering beginnings of a cold, so couldn’t comment fairly on the nose. Flavors are wonderful though, with bright green apple and citrusy lemony, slight hints of grass. So many of these US sauvignon blancs are disappointing but this one is very...
by Winepisser | Feb 12, 2019 | Quick Review
Good wine in general but I was slightly disappointed because it’s only a fair tempranillo, which usually fares better in my reviews. Some timid notes of cherry and moderate tannins, but you’d be forgiven if you couldn’t remember much else afterwards....
by Winepisser | Feb 3, 2019 | Quick Review
Reliably great Malbec from Argentina, with smooth tannins and deep near-black color. Blackcurrant and plum present here.
by Winepisser | Jan 12, 2019 | Quick Review
Much better than the tepid 2014 vintage, this is bright and tart and just a little spicy. May be too tart for some though. Green apple is the dominant note here.
by Winepisser | Jan 9, 2019 | Quick Review
Fantastic white blend of Torrontes and Riesling with a surprising perfumy nose and bright apples coming through in the glass. You’d swear there was a bit of Chenin Blanc in here. Off dry. Paired well with a spicy chicken dish. Came very close to a five-star...
by Winepisser | Jan 9, 2019 | Quick Review
Delicious red blend that might have scored higher but was served at the wrong temperature. Musty cellar with bright fruit and strong tannins. Vivino reports it as a blend of cab, merlot and syrah; but it’s cab heavy. That’s a good thing.
by Winepisser | Jan 6, 2019 | Quick Review
First wine reviewed for 2019! Despite the label, let’s get this straight: this is not a garage wine in the traditional Bordeaux sense. It’s mass produced for one. Having said that, it’s a fine malbec, if somewhat overhyped for a standard grade...
by Winepisser | Dec 27, 2018 | Quick Review
Yet another sweet Peruvian wine made from the local Concord table grape cousin, Borgoña. Like most of these wines from Peru, they have a nose of horse stable which can — and usually is — off-putting. The flavor of the San Leonardo Perfecto Amor is better...
by Winepisser | Dec 15, 2018 | Quick Review
This chenin blanc falls short, lacking typical flowers and generally sitting mildly in the glass; some notes of generic fruit, but you’d be hard-pressed to determine which, since they are so fleeting. Fell flat when paired with soppressata.
by Winepisser | Dec 15, 2018 | Quick Review
Remarkably different from its Mosel brothers, this Pfalz region German reez has far less apple and far more tart, fresh pear; imagine biting into one fresh off the tree. Very mild nose, but moderately potent flavors hit the tongue; a floral finish lasts and lasts....
by Winepisser | Nov 21, 2018 | Quick Review
White grape blend of chardonnay, pinot grigio, gewurtz, muller-thurgau and more, the nose is perfumy and the overall flavors light and refreshing. Chardonnay dominates, but there’s no oak here. Peach and pear, perhaps. Drinks quickly, but you may forget it...
by Winepisser | Nov 18, 2018 | Quick Review
Dessert blend of semillon and sauvignon blanc renders as a peach-nosed, only-semi-sweet offering with honey as the dominant note. Despite the honey, it’s not syrupy; there’s no raisin here, either, thankfully. Honey was a bit too much like cough drops for...
by Winepisser | Nov 16, 2018 | Quick Review
Mineral nose, palate is strong green apple, with strong floral notes throughout. Some apricot. Slight bite which was not pleasant, since it didn’t fit well with the other characteristics.
by Winepisser | Nov 15, 2018 | Quick Review
Some very bright fruit but without much sugar, as this is fairly dry. Moderate tannins typical of the breed. Powerful nose of cherry. Paired well with veal parmigiana. I am only so-so on Chianti in general, but this was very nice.
by Winepisser | Nov 10, 2018 | Quick Review
Medium body cab with only moderate complexity but some interesting notes. Black pepper, blackcurrant and plum. Medium finish. Paired well with beef and pork plate.
by Winepisser | Nov 8, 2018 | Quick Review
Jammy but not sweet. Remove the cork and you are smacked in the nose with grape jelly, but the glass is slightly more sophisticated than that. Moderate acid, mild tannins, and powerful fruit notes. Probably wouldn’t pair well, but drinks fine by itself.
by Winepisser | Nov 7, 2018 | Quick Review
This isn’t a New Zealand SB, but like a perv sitting next to you in a movie theater, it comes close.
by Winepisser | Nov 5, 2018 | Quick Review
Great Rheinhessen riesling with notes of honey, apricot and apple. Moderately sweet. Long finish.
by Winepisser | Nov 3, 2018 | Quick Review
The Georges Duboeuf label is always reassuring. This one is great, and lively if a bit too smooth. Like Kojak after an arrest. Who loves ya, baby?
by Winepisser | Nov 2, 2018 | Quick Review
Nose is all jam and jelly but this doesn’t mean the flavors are jammy. Instead it’s a bold, dry and dark leathery cup. Bracing tannins.
by Winepisser | Nov 1, 2018 | Quick Review
Despite the Prisoner label, this one was a surprising let-down. Over-subtle, lacking typical zin notes and punch, and appearing overprocessed. It’s fine, and it paired well with a traditional US grilled hamburger, but just didn’t live up to the...
