Color is starting to add some orange-hued brick around the edges. The first whiff on the nose makes it clear that this is more Rhone than Outback, showing blackberries, black olives, and very rare beef. Blackberries and olives show, too, on the palate, with tar, white pepper and a tiny touch of cayenne. Meat, smokier than on the nose, shows on the mid-palate. The finish is long. Standing alone, the high acid-content might be a bit much, but with food, perhaps a rare bacon-wrapped filet, it will shine. Highly recommended. DH
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This is good, and would pair well with any seafood you have to pry from the shell. Try it with a large plate of small oysters. Recommended. DH Read More
This is good, and would pair well with any seafood you have to pry from the shell. Try it with a large plate of small oysters. Recommended. DH Read More
The nose is interesting, with blackberries, mocha, and a bit of tobacco leaf. The palate is interesting, too, with surprising cherry fruit in the lead, a background of blackberry, and hints of tobacco leaf. Very soft mocha shows upon the mid-palate. The mouthfeel is full and smooth, tannins very finely dusty. The finish is medium length. Drink with a black-and-blue ribeye (charred on the outside, rare inside) and sweet potato fries. Highly recommended. Read More
This merlot-driven Washington cuvee shows big fruit slathered with big, but fine, wood. Layers of deep black cherries, some slightly bruised, unsweetened chocolate, and espresso, are sandwiched between thin layers of French oak, offering richness, some depth on the mid-palate, and wood-spice flavors, cedar and sandalwood. Drink with something very thick, very red, and only slightly cooked. Recommended. Read More
An elegant offering from Washington’s Columbia Valley. Alcohol on the nose (14.5%) initially obscures the lovely treats underneath of cedar, anise, and fresh leather. Crisp on the palate, soft tannins, and expressive flavors of dark cherry and blackcurrant. At first it seems to finish short, but comes around in short order. A slow starter out of the gate, but a winner by many lengths. A great steak wine. Highly recommended. Read More
This is a very nice bottle of wine, and it has improved with time in the cellar. When the first bottle was opened in 2008 the nose was shy, refusing to give up its secrets without several hours of decanting. Now, after two additional years of rest, it sings. Leather and a touch, a light touch, of barnyard cradle layers of different cherries all sprinkled with white pepper and a spray of foam from an Atlantic wave. Hide this wine in a blind tasting of Chateauneufs and nobody will question its place in the lineup. Drink with steak au poivre. Read More
Somewhat floral aroma with toasted yeast, pears, and honey. Medium toasty body, opening and showing more fruit in the glass. Crisp, citric finish. A California sparkler that has taken on the depth and rounded flavors characteristic of vintage champagne, so sip it slowly. From the Ferrer family, one of the top cava producers in Spain with a couple decades of Carneros production under their belts, this wine is an amazing value. Grab it whenever you can find it. Read More