by Winepisser | Aug 31, 2019 | Quick Review
Silky smooth cab, heavy on fruit but sufficiently dry to avoid an insult of jamminess. Blackberry is dominant and carries through to the nose, notes of fresh leather add some bookish kick. Finish is long if subtle. From the Red Mountain region of Columbia Valley WA....
by Winepisser | Aug 6, 2019 | Quick Review
Licorice dominated for me, so much so that it nudged down a half star since I’m not a fan of licorice. Blackberry is strong, but middling tannins and some unevenness suggest this either needs more time or possibly should sit open in the glass a good hour before...
by Winepisser | Aug 5, 2019 | Quick Review
Very sweet wine wrongly marketed by the maker as “semi.” Equally dubious is their refusal to name the grapes and instead just call them “Niagara,” making me suspect it’s concord. The wine definitely tastes suspiciously close to concord...
by Winepisser | Jul 3, 2019 | Quick Review
Another flowery California reez but this one comes with a mild tartness that spices it up a bit. Pear finish.
by Winepisser | Jul 1, 2019 | Quick Review
Flower power baby! A surprisingly floral SB with little of the usual notes other than some mildly citric pink grapefruit. No asparagus or cat pee here, this leans into a chenin blanc territory but with some hints of minerality. Would be a great choice to win back...
by Winepisser | Jul 1, 2019 | Quick Review
Cherry cherry and more cherry, you’d be excused if you were afraid of swallowing a pit. Back end suffers from a bit of bittermess that subtracts a full point. Moderate tannins. Paired well with meat dish, though.
by Winepisser | Jun 30, 2019 | Quick Review
Nose was a but chemical like burnt plastic which carried through to the glass. Smooth tannins, hints of coffee and black cherry. Wilted when paired with goat cheese plate. I don’t like burnt plastic, apparently.
by Winepisser | Jun 28, 2019 | Quick Review
Earthy like fresh stable hay, very smooth tannins which might be a bit too smooth. Nose is fantastic enough that they should sell it as a fragrance. Black cherry finish.
by Winepisser | Jun 25, 2019 | Quick Review
Long-legged and rich, like the 6-foot tall daughter of a shipping magnate. The primary flavor here is plum, but not sweet. Some black coffee in there too. Highly recommended. Grapes are Petit Verdot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petite Sirah.
by Winepisser | Jun 20, 2019 | Quick Review
Bright and breezy like a physics university freshman in a sundress. Some spiciness for the back end and fruity cherry up front. Wilted when paired with simple pasta dish, though.
by Winepisser | Jun 17, 2019 | Quick Review
Blackberry and some mild spice with smooth tannins, but abrupt finish. A bit sleepy given the hype.
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.
