Tag: 2018

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2018 Zinfandel by Caddis Wines, Sonoma

Tonight’s Occasion: 2018 Zinfandel by Caddis Wine, Sonoma Valley, CA

Purple, semi opaque color. Out of the bottle a firm, tart, black plum greets the nose. As it breathes, this turns slightly ripe. Slightly ripe dark cherries and boysenberry emerge atop a soft faint butterscotch underlayment. This progression continues, ripening, slowly adding sweeter notes until it finally reveals both its identity, Zinfandel and sense of place, Sonoma in the form of a raisin and loamy, earthy leather both so faint you’d likely miss them.

Smooth buttery tannins smother the palate in the form of crisp plum and berry skins accompanied by crisp caramel. These conspire to create a soft, slightly viscous mouth feel. Interestingly, it’s acidity that usually greets the palate first but the opposite is true here. Midway through, a slightly dry tartness re-balances the body. A gentle spice heat emerges, intensifying as it transitions to finish. The palate is rendered dry, with a gentle tannic grit and plums and berries fully ripen. At this stage the spice heat has made it farther down, warming the chest.

This is a clean, classy execution for a Zinfandel. A varietal better known for its brute, brash, and often off-balance expression, this winemaker has made a handsome, gentleman’s wine of it. If you are in the Sonoma area, I highly recommend stopping by the understated tasting room and taking a look at Chris’ work. You will be pleasantly surprised at the quality of his wines and tickled by just how artisan and limited (79 cases) his wines are. Truly special. Nicely done Chris!

Explore more Caddis Wine on WineSnob.

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2018 Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley) by Amrita Cellars

Tonight’s Occasion: 2018 Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley) by Amrita Cellars, Santa Rosa, CA

Out of the bottle this is clearly Russian River Pinot Noir. With primary soft notes of ripe red cherries and a wet leather of fine sedimentary soil this wine shows good sense of place. That Sonoma dirt/terroir shines through. Russian River gives it more of a fine silt twist as opposed to damp forest floor typical of say the Sonoma Coast. Bright berries and a hint of fresh herbal essence so subtle you’d likely miss it. Swirling vigorously only intensifies this subtle nose slightly, adding more cherry cola. I like it!

Body is nicely balanced from front to back, greeting with a touch of dry citrus, hints of cherries, and raspberry. Soft unobtrusive tannins quickly fill in the body, adding depth while a fain crisp oak creates a slightly plush, creamy mouth feel. Midway through, a gentle bitter cola emerges, ushering in the transition to finish. As the body fades, a mushroom leather makes a brief appearance. Ahhh Sonoma! As the show concludes, fruit notes take turn bowing out while the palate slowly drifts between moist and grippy dryness. A faint spice tingle remains and linger briefly.

This wine checks all the hallmarks of a classic Pinot Noir. It is a a clean, faithful and nuanced look at this region and this varietal. This is pretty far off the beaten path and about as artisan as it gets. I met the unassuming owner/winemaker Sunny last month at an industry function organized by our friends over at Sheldon Wine and Spirits (@sheldonwineandspirits). This is what I love about venturing off the beaten path. There seems to be a surprise in store at every turn. We truly are living in a golden age of winemaking. Great work Sunny. I look forward to many more vintages from you.

Read more Amrita Cellars on WineSnob.

WineSnob Discount

Sunny, owner/winemaker would like to invite you to taste his small batch production artisan wines. I think you should too, especially if you enjoy California Pinot Noir. You can order yours via their website Amrita Cellars (amritacellars.com) and use Promo/Discount Code WS2022 to get 10% off your order. A great opportunity to support a small artisan winemaker and explore another hidden gem off the beaten path. Be sure you share your thoughts and tasting notes with me.

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2018 Pinot Noir (Twin Hills) by Reichwage Winery, Sonoma Coast

Tonight’s Occasion: 2018 Pinot Noir (Twin Hills) by Reichwage Winery, Sebastopol CA.

Clear ruby color. Slightly shy nose greets with a flutter of red cherries, raspberries and subtle cola. As it breathes a damp, driftwood emerges in the background. Swirling intensifies the nose ever so slightly. Cherries turn slightly sweet with the emergence of caramel notes. Ahhhhh that quintessential Sonoma Dirt makes an appearance along with a touch of red vines licorice.

Body is light, bright. In line with the nose, greets with a slightly crisp attack which quickly hands off to a slightly viscous body of crisp caramel, damp wood leather and bitter cola. Great soft mouth feel. Thin but firm tannins provides crisp structure from front to back. Body is bone dry. Fruit carries forward in mere suggestions of raspberry. Hints of mushroom linger in the back, so faint you’d likely miss it. After a long expression, body quickly vanishes, leaving a dry palate with cola, mushroom leather, crisp lingering tannic grip an mild spice warmth.

Everything is a mere suggestion. This wine is very subtle and nuanced in its expression. It was made in the vineyard and obsessed over in the cellar. Pinot Noir doesn’t lie. It is unforgiving. In a sense a rite of passage for a winemaker. This one is squarely for the advanced palate. More traditional Burgundian style while preserving its sense of place. It reads like an exercise in core principles. What a great, well made wine! Just beautiful…

Explore more of Max Reichwage’s wines here.

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2018 Pinot Noir (O’Brien) by Willamette Valley Vineyards, Oregon

Tonight’s Occasion: 2018 Pinot Noir (O’Brien, Eola-Amity Hills) by Willamette Valley Vineyards, Oregon Intense ruby color. Slightly restrained nose with crisp, slightly sweet cherries, raspberries, and a touch of pomegranate. There’s a certain faint bitter essence in the distant background. This is typical of the region and its terroir at large. I love it when a wine shows good sense of place. In this case a subtle mineral leather. Swirling vigorously adds a little more raspberry and leather. Classic. Slightly crisp greeting on the body with cherries and refined caramel reminiscent of neutral oak. A very mild sweet citrus adds great mouth feel not unlike Meyer Lemon. Crisp tannins provide unobtrusive structure. This slowly morphs into a mild spice heat as it transitions to finish. A prickly spice tingle takes over the lips as raspberries, cherries and cola quietly debate who exists the stage last. I love what these folks are doing with their wines. Their tastings are more of an education on the region and it’s wines. Execution is clean, crisp and highly terroir driven. I have a soft spot for Pinot from this region and Willamette Valley Vineyards channels that very nicely in all their wines. Read more Willamette Valley Vineyards on WineSnob.
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2018 Cabernet Sauvignon (Four Flags, Red Mountain) by Delille Cellars

Tonight’s Occasion: 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon (Four Flags, Red Mountain) by DeLille Cellars, Woodinville, WA Dark opaque color. Tempered nose with blackberry, ripe plum skins up front. Wet hay/thatch and slightest touch of oak vanilla linger in the back. Swirling vigorously releases licorice, and intensifies the damp hay/thatch essence. Body is balanced on attack and quickly develops a slight creamy character. Big plum on the front gives way to black currants and a refined crisp caramel – so subtle you’d likely miss it – reminiscent of neutral French oak. Transition to finish is seamless leaving the palate dry with a crisp tannic grip. Delille Cellars puts out a veritable lineup of accessible wines that maintain a great sense of place. Their execution is clean, crisp and representative. If you are ever in Woodinville or the greater Seattle area, I highly recommend visiting their tasting room for a focused, guided, tasting. It’s a beautiful location that matches the wines perfectly! Nicely done Delille! Explore more Delille wines on WineSnob.
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2015 Cabernet Sauvignon (Thracian Valley) by Bulgariana

2015 Cabernet Sauvignon (Thracian Valley) by Bulgariana, Bulgaria

Good firm nose with dark plums, and dark cherries. This is very much a Cab. Swirl vigorously to release a damp grassy forest floor as cherries turn slightly sweet.

Body is nicely balanced front to back. There’s a hint of acidity. Plums are fairly dry and tart, providing good firm structure. As it breathes, a touch caramel softens the body ever so slightly. This is likely due to oxidation of those tannins since this wine is unoaked. A hint of leather carries over, as do slightly ripened dark cherries. This eventually subsides, giving way to a firm and ever tightening tannic grip. After a brief moment, a crisp caramel emerges before giving way to a gentle but firm spice heat over parched lips.

This is my second wine from the Thracian Valley. It is a classic, well built Cab. Great personality and value especially for the price. This Cab punches well above its weight. It’s always interesting to see this kind of execution from a region you seldom hear about.

Thank you Bulgariana Wine, G&B Importers

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2018 Sauvignon Blanc (Thracian Valley) by Bulgariana

Tonight’s Occasion: 2018 Sauvignon Blanc (Thracian Valley) by Bulgariana, Bulgaria.

Clean, bright yellow gold color. Up front, passion fruit, cantaloupe and a subtle wet earthy leather. Swirling vigorously gently intensifies the nose, rendering it somewhat mineral in expression. Tart white, stone fruit emerges towards the back (mostly plum). The faintest honeysuckle you’d likely miss. Very classy.

Body balanced, front to back. Dry. Without attack, a soft, plush, slightly weighed, mild mannered body greets and slowly blankets the entire palate. I can tell it’s dry but yet it’s mineral underpinnings have a mouth watering effect. Stone fruit carry forward and linger in the back. Leather turns from slight wet wood to mineral as it falls into the background. Transition to finish with very little fanfare, marked by emergence of a warm gentle spice, mineral leather with long enduring moist lips.

What a class act. At around $13, this wine is proof positive, not all good wine is expensive and not all expensive wine is good. Like the Lapostolle Sauvignon Blanc, it punches several levels above its weight for a fraction of the price. My first wine from the Thracian Valley, second wine from Bulgaria. It gives me pause as I sit here sipping – there is someone in Bulgaria making world class wines. I feel compelled to travel to Bulgaria.

Nicely done folks!

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2018 Napa Valley Sangiovese (Eliza Jane) by Dawn’s Dream Winery

Tonight’s Occasion: 2018 Napa Valley Sangiovese (Eliza Jane), by  Dawn’s Dream Winery, Carmel Valley, CA.

Rich ruby color. Thick, warm nose with lots of dry berries, red cherries, and a wet woody sandy leather. As it breathes, bursts of dried, dusty mushroom and red vines emerge. Swirling vigorously only intensifies these leathery terroir notes. Wow! This is right up my alley!

Body shows good balance off the bat. Greeting with just a touch of bright acidity in a citrus expression. This is quickly balanced out getting gentle tannins in the form of dry, dark, tart plums, blackberries and currants. The wet wood and slightly mineral expression emerges and conspires with a faint crisp (neutral) oak to create a soft, silky, palate-wetting overlayment. Transition to finish begins with a fade to subtle bitter as its dry dusty tannic foundations are laid to bear once again, only this time with a gentle spice tingle.

I absolutely love Dawn’s wines. The Pinot Noirs capture so much of the spotlight that is easy to miss this gem. I wasn’t expecting this but not the least surprised. Dawn’s wines tend to catch the focused palate off guard and prompt reflection. What a lovely take on the humble Sangiovese.

Nicely done Dawn and the crew!

Explore more Dawn’s Dream wines on WineSnob.

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2018 Gamay Noir (Sonoma Coast) by Reichwage

Tonight’s Occasion: 2018 Gamay Noir (Sonoma Coast) by Reichwage Winery, Sebastopol CA.

Semi opaque color. Supple aromatic nose with notes of cherries, strawberries, wet soil, subtle oak and hints of butterscotch. Swirling vigorously adds hints of eucalyptus, herbs and mushrooms in the back. It is very reminiscent of Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. Very interesting. I love this region and how the terroir is expressed in this wine.

Body greets with a slight bright (read acidic) attack. This is quickly matched and superseded by a full, plush, creamy, integrated, medium bodied mouth feel. Prominent notes are mushroom, wet wood, dark cherries, and hints of sweet citrus (think Meyer Lemon). Fascinating that I pick up earth notes at the front like this. The only Gamay I have explored were from France (Loire Valley I believe) and I do recall them being highly terroir driven. This one falls very much in line albeit not as heavy, slightly more expressive fruit but more subtle overall – think more of a big California Pinot. Tannins are very restrained, almost unnoticeable, providing good seamless and integrated structure. After a long and wide body, transition to finish is seamless and swift, leaving the palate under a subtle dusty, buttery, fine grained grip and modest spice tingle.

I like this wine. It is rich. I can taste the dirt. This is a Gamay and a terroir driven one at that. This wine absolutely pairs well with itself but if you must, mild artisan cheeses should do just fine. A hidden gem for sure. I am impressed with Max’s work and I look forward to following him.

Nicely done Max! 🍷😁👌🏽

Explore more of Max Reichwage’s wines here.

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2018 Grüner Veltliner (Columbia Valley) by Glacier View Cellars

Tonight’s occasion: 2018 Grüner Veltliner (Columbia Valley) by Glacier View Cellars, Woodinville, Seattle, Washington.

Clear golden colors with a touch of sediment suspension. This wine is unfiltered. Nose is restrained with primary notes of citrus, peach and secondary apricot. A subtle leather lingers in the background.

Crisp vibrant body greets the palate with a good dose of acidity in the form of lemon, tart white plum and green apple. This is quickly followed by a slightly viscous, weighted mouth feel. Subtle mineral body has the effect of wetting the palate ever so slightly, keeping the its dry acidic expression from completely drying out the palate. White pepper adds fuel to the fire midway through, warming the entire experience from body to finish. As it opens up and the palate settles, it’s subtlety and nuance begins to shine through.

This is a sipper. You can’t rush it and you certainly can’t judge this book by its cover. It is a wine of bold contrasts and juxtaposition. I recommend it chilled. It’s the first and only Grüner Veltliner I’ve had. I found this Winemaker while wandering off the beaten path in Woodinville, outside Seattle. She embodies the kind of winemaker that keeps me off the beaten path. Her wines, unique one-of-a-kind vintages. This one is no exception.

Nicely done Stephanie!

WineSnob TV:
You can watch more about my visit to this winery while tasting in Woodinville here:
Off The Beaten Path – Woodinville, Seattle, Washington