Deep ruby color; cherry, plum, blackberry, raspberry, oak spice, white pepper, rose petals, tobacco, smoke on the nose and palate. Continue reading “Vara Tinto Especial Vino Tinto Español 2020”
Month: April 2025
Poliziano Lohsa Morellino di Scansano DOCG 2019
Deep ruby color; cherry, plum, strawberry, rosemary, thyme, balsamic, earth, chalky minerality on the nose and palate. Continue reading “Poliziano Lohsa Morellino di Scansano DOCG 2019”
Questions and answers 4-23-2025
Answers to common wine questions: Continue reading “Questions and answers 4-23-2025”
Duckhorn Vineyards Napa Valley Chardonnay 2023
Medium gold color; pear, peach, nectarine, lime, Meyer lemon, vanilla, bread dough, crème brûlée, candied ginger, saline minerality, oak spices on the nose and palate. Continue reading “Duckhorn Vineyards Napa Valley Chardonnay 2023”
Balletto Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley 2023
Pale yellow color; lime, pear, citrus, earth, minerality on the nose and palate. Continue reading “Balletto Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley 2023”
Markham Vineyards Merlot Little Cannon Vineyard, Napa Valley 2021
Deep ruby color; cherry, plum, blackberry, raspberry, redcurrant, chocolate, rose petals, earth, spices, dried herbs on the nose and palate. Continue reading “Markham Vineyards Merlot Little Cannon Vineyard, Napa Valley 2021”
Stoller Family Estate History Red Blend, Columbia Valley 2020
Deep ruby color; rich black cherry, plum, fig, redcurrant, green peppercorn, dark chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon spice, earth on the nose and palate. Continue reading “Stoller Family Estate History Red Blend, Columbia Valley 2020”
Sokol Blosser Estate Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, Oregon 2020
Medium ruby color; black cherry, strawberry, raspberry, blood orange, truffle, earth-forest floor, leather, baking spice on the nose and palate. Continue reading “Sokol Blosser Estate Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, Oregon 2020”
Questions and answers 4-16-2025
Some answers to common questions:
• What does “fruity” and “sweet” mean in a wine review?
They are two different concepts. Fruity or “fruit-forward” wine is one where fruit flavors dominate over other flavors such as vanilla, oak toast, minerality. Sweet wine has perceptible residual sugar because not all of the grape sugar was converted into alcohol or sugar was added after complete fermentation.
Confusion arises when a dry wine with little or no residual sugar has very ripe fruit flavors. Our minds and tastebuds associate vivid fruit flavors with sweetness. We think the wine is sweet, even if lab results show there is little or no residual sugar. Most table wines are dry or off-dry (0-35 g/L). Dessert wines such as sauternes, porto, and sherry usually have significant residual sugar (120 or more g/L).
• What do “perlage,” “mousse,” and “bead” mean in sparkling wine?
Broadly, they all refer to the bubbles. Perlage can indicate finer, softer, smaller bubbles. Mousse can imply creamier bubbles. Bead can refer to the trail of bubbles rising in the glass. There is no hard definition and the terms can be used interchangeably.
• What should I do if I break my wineglass at a restaurant?
Notify a staff member immediately. No need to be embarrassed or make excuses; this happens all the time. The staff will want to clean it up themselves so you won’t cut yourself and make the situation even worse. The staff has the tools and experience to make the problem go away quickly. You might sweeten the tip, however.
• What is “structure” in a wine?
Structure is an abstract term that is hard to define. Structure is about the relationship between all the components in a wine—tannins, acidity, alcohol, body, glycerol, and more. When a wine has “good structure” it means all the parts work together harmoniously. Tannins are the base element of wines with good structure, but structure is the sum of all the parts of a wine. You may not be able to define it, but you will know it when you taste it.
• How do I open a bottle of wine with a wax seal?
Ignore the wax seal, insert the worm through the wax into the cork and twist it down. Pull the cork. The wax seal will shatter to bits and fall away. If some wax clings near the opening, peel it away before fully pulling the cork.
Last round: May your troubles be less, your blessings more, and nothing but happiness come through your door. I think that means a wine delivery. Wine time.
Three Sticks One Sky Vineyard Chardonnay, Sonoma Mountain 2021
Pale gold color; granny smith apple, honeydew melon, pineapple, lemon-lime, peach yogurt, banana, toasted almond, oak, baked bread, white flowers, jasmine, minerality on the nose and palate. Continue reading “Three Sticks One Sky Vineyard Chardonnay, Sonoma Mountain 2021”