2018 – Page 3 – Wine Snob

June 14, 2021January 6, 2022

2018 Il Corvo (Columbia Valley) by Novelty Hill-Januik

Tonight’s occasion: 2018 Il Corvo (Columbia Valley) by Novelty Hill-Januik, Woodinville, WA. Super Tuscan Blend: 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Sangiovese, 4% Merlot Dark intense slightly opaque color. Long legs. Out of the bottle, a weighted nose with notes of slightly ripe plums, dark cherries, subtle dusty woody leather and hints of cola. Swirling vigorously intensifies all notes, bringing out more cherry cola. Body is somewhat light, crisp, for a wine this big. It shows good balance from attack to finish. Slightly restrained plums and blackberry greet the palate, introducing a measured structure with dusty, fine grained tannins. Bold spice makes its entrance shortly after and remains, warming the palate from start to finish. A clean crisp oak complements and enhances the fruit essence, conspiring with dark cherries to create a subtle cherry cola. As it opens up, slightly mineral, loamy sedimentary underpinnings reveal themselves as the palate clears in transition to finish. Dusty tannins render the palate parched shut while wisps of crisp oak dance in the background. My only regret is not bringing back an extra bottle. This is a very well built terroir driven wine with a broad appeal. Still very young, I can see this wine aging beautifully over the next decade. Laying a couple of these down would be a good idea. Novelty Hill-Januik has made a great wine here. Expertly crafted. It was a challenge picking one one during my visit earlier this year, as every wine in their lineup far exceeded any expectations. Nice work folks! WineSnob TV: You can watch more about my visit to this winery while tasting in Woodinville here: Off The Beaten Path – Woodinville, Seattle, Washington

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June 8, 2021January 6, 2022

2018 Eighteen Sixty One (GSM) by Skinner Vineyards

Tonight’s occasion: 2018 Eighteen Sixty One (GSM) by Skinner Vineyards, Fair Play CA Deep intense semi-opaque color. Nose is a little shy out of the bottle with an unmistakable dusty old leather. Swirling vigorously unlocks a slightly heavy layer of dark cherries, cola, and blueberries. Leather turns from slight sawdust to wet wood. Distant hints of licorice could almost be missed. As it opens up, the cherry cola becomes more pronounced. Body has almost no attack. It is balanced right down the line and greets the palate almost immediately with a soft plush light mouth feel. It brings a smile to my face because I know winemaker Adam Smith comes from an Oregon Pinot Noir background. The subtlety here bears an uncanny resemblance. Dark cherries are heavily restrained providing an unobtrusive structure. Minerality is subtle and has the effect of wetting the palate. Body is bone dry. If there is oak, I cannot detect it. I feel like I am tasting nothing but the grapes, the vines and the subtle parts of the terroir. Body and finish are almost one as wet an dry interplay on the palate, over a thin whispy cola.

Skinner for me has always been reference to the greater region. Adam’s style is precise, with clear vision and an unmistakable influence as a natural Pinot winemaker. For a region and Vineyard that easily makes some of the biggest boldest wines I know, this is a textbook exercise in restraint, balance and nuance. This wine demans focus and undivided attention of the intermediate to advanced palate. Nicely done Adam and the entire crew at Skinner Vineyards! Explore more Skinner Vineyads on WineSnob.

June 5, 2021November 7, 2021

2018 Grenache (Heringer Estates) by Passaggio

Tonight’s occasion: 2018 Grenache (Heringer Estates) by Passaggio Wines, San Francisco, California.

Just look at the color. Wow. Nose is slightly shy out of the bottle with primary notes of a crisp sweet cherry cola. A damp old oak leather lingers in the back. Swirling vigorously unlocks a burst of bright, sweet cherry, strawberry and red vines licorice. Faint blueberries linger in the back. Ugghhh… Seriously!

Body is restrained and precisely balanced. A plush, cola greets the palate, imparting a soft bitter essence. Cherries and crisp oak add a soft, fleshy, palate-wetting, mouth feel. Bacon Fat! That’s it! Thin crisp tannins provide just enough structure while remaining almost unnoticeable. As it progresses, a firm heat slowly ramps up, fully engulfing the palate from front to back. Over time this heat falls way back. Giving way to a dry dusty finish with cola and cherry dancing into the sunset, as it comes full circle. At 13.4% ABV, I am going to thoroughly enjoy this occasion.

Cindy’s wines are highly understated, precise, balanced, crisp and beautiful. There’s a certain obsession with perfection I don’t see often. This starts with the color. Usually wines this good, have an element of creative chaos. Not her wines. I cannot say enough about this Winemaker’s work.

Cindy… Stoppit! You’re killin me!🍷😭👌🏽

Read more about Passagio Wines on WineSnob.

June 4, 2021June 24, 2021

2018 Triptych (Dry Red Table Wine) by Saint Tryphon

Tonight’s occasion: 2018 Triptych (Dry Red Table Wine) by Saint Tryphon, Boerne, Texas.

Big bright cherries and damp forest floor dominate the nose. Are we in Texas? Hints of oak, honeysuckle and other floral notes intermingle.

Body is nicely balanced. Cherries carry through, adding a touch of plum as it opens up. Thin tannins provide a touch of structure. Berries and subtle oak create a full mouth feel, reminiscent of a Zinfandel. As it progresses, fruit notes become more prominent. Subtle spice notes become more intense as they turn into a warm ever present heat. Finish is fairly dry with a subtle tannic grip.

This is my first time tasting a wine from Texas. It is a simple wine, well made, not overly abstract, a pleaser with broad appeal. Somewhat fruit forward overall. I can see this particular wine as a chill-able red porch pounder. It is fairly dry for as expressive as its fruit characteristics are. If this is any indication, I think I should get my boots on the ground in TX and dig deeper.

Nice work Saint Tryphon. Thank you Angela for sharing your favorite wines with us.

May 17, 2021June 7, 2021

2018 Optu (Bordeaux Blend) by Fidelitas, Red Mountain.

Tonight’s occasion: 2018 Optu (Bordeaux Blend) by Fidelitas, Red Mountain.

Deep dark semi opaque color. Warm, aromatic nose with lots of ripe plums, blackberries, wet wood leather and dusty slate. A touch of caramel and cedarwood lingers in the back. When swirled vigorously, these all intensify and conspire to create subtle bursts of licorice.

Body is dry and moderately acidic on the attack. This is immediately tempered by restrained tannins in the form of tart plums. This provides a measured amount of structure. A subtle, crisp oak vanilla (reminiscent of neutral French oak), adds good dimension and enhances the fruit essence ever so slightly. Transition to finish is characterized by black currants and bitter cola ending with a dry, dusty tannic grip and moderate spice tingle.

I remember visiting their tasting room just outside Seattle. I enjoyed every wine I tasted but had to pick one to bring back and this is it. It’s a well built Bordeaux Blend that speaks to the region at large. I like how bigger blends express themselves with a little more restraint. While it may show well now, it still young and has many more years ahead of it.

Nicely done!

May 14, 2021June 7, 2021

2018 Pinot Noir by Bulgariana, Danube Plain, Bulgaria.

Tonight’s Occasion: 2018 Pinot Noir by Bulgariana (@bulgarianawine), Danube Plain, Bulgaria.

Not all expensive wine is good and not all good wine is expensive. This is one of the best things about venturing off the beaten path.

Dark intense color (for a Pinot Noir). Crisp, slightly warm and restrained nose with notes of black plum and a loamy wet wood leather. Swirl vigorously to unlock ripe dark cherries and subtle hints of licorice. A very distant floral/honey that you’d likely miss.

Body is dry, balanced. Crisp black plum and cherry carry through albeit even more restrained. This provides a thin, unobtrusive structure. Damp wood and a touch of crisp oak (guessing neutral French oak) bring good dimension to this otherwise fairly dry wine. Midway through a gentle but firm, warm heat emerges, quickly making its way down the chest. This marks the transition to finish, a graceful fade away leaving the palate parched with a gentle dusty tannic grip and subtle bitter cola.

This wine surprised me the first time I had it a couple years ago. I had the 2014 vintage and it was just as revealing. That vintage has aged very beautifully, revealing lots of all spice and earth notes. I can see this 2018 vintage showing even better a few years from now. Perhaps the best part about this wine is that it will set you back a modest $14 or so. What a great value for the intermediate to advanced palate looking to explore this lesser known region.

Nicely done!

April 29, 2021August 4, 2021

2018 Fiasco (Red Blend) by Via Romano, El Dorado County

Today’s occasion: 2018 Fiasco (Red Blend) by Via Romano, Sierra Foothills, CA

I give up. I was never meant to review this wine. Several times I have gone up the hill and come down with more of this wine. Each time with full intention of reviewing it on here. Every time I have failed. I brought back a case last time. It’s gone!

It vanishes so fast I never seem to get around to doing a focused tasting. This is the closest I have come – taking pictures. Moments after taking this picture, friends showed up. I figured they will all help me review it. I poured everyone a glass and that was the end of it.

Not all wines have to be superlative. This wine isn’t. But some wines are just so pleasant and enjoyable to sip, they go completely unnoticed. This is one of them. Smooth, light, creamy, body. Bright beautiful nose with lots of berries and El Dorado leather (my notes ended here)

It’s been over two years now I’ve been wanting to talk about the Fiasco. The irony in all this is that my review of this Gem of a wine has been, up to this point, a complete Fiasco!

2018 Minuit by DeLille Cellars

Tonight’s occasion: 2018 Minuit (French for Midnight) by DeLille Cellars, Woodinville, WA 70% Malbec, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, Yakima Valley Deep dark as midnight. Out of the bottle, nose is slightly shy, warm, with a healthy dose of ripe plums and blueberries which only intensify when swirled. A faint caramel butterscotch lingers in the back. Terroir is expressed in the form of a dusty silty leather, so subtle it could be missed. A faint anise makes an appearance in the distance. I briefly picked up very faint herbs. I like it! This is clearly a Malbec, very nicely complemented by Cabernet Sauvignon. After about an hour, the Anise is more intense and pronounced.

Body is absolutely gorgeous! Not as heavy as the color and nose would suggest. Balanced from front to back. It begins with a suggestion of acidity while ripe plums and blueberries rush in to balance it out. Slightly restrained tannins provide great structure while a very clean oak expression softens the edges, creating a clean plush mouth feel. This act quickly vanishes, giving way to thin blackberry and cola as it transitions to a finish characterized by crisp, dry tannic grip and a warm spice that descends down into the chest. There is a subtle freshness rendered on the palate like a mint-eucalyptus. My lips a left dry, yet moist. After an hour the tannins turn dusty and this texture permeates the entire experience. Now I remember what caught me about this wine when I visited them not long ago. Very nicely done DeLille! Explore more Delille wines on WineSnob.

March 17, 2021November 7, 2021

2018 Aglianico by Passaggio Wines

Tonight’s occasion: 2018 Aglianico (Heringer Estates, Clarksburg) by Passaggio Wines

The color is mesmerizing. Nose is a little shy out of the bottle with subtle hints of dried tart fruit. Swirl vigorously to unlock crisp plum, slightly ripe cherries and a wet loamy soil and driftwood underlayment typical of Clarksburg. Distant floral notes I can’t pinpoint, dance in the background. Gorgeous!

Body is crisp. Mildly acidic. That tart fruit carries forward, immediately accompanied by an unmistakable clean, crisp, refined caramel. Crisp, clean tannins provide a sparing framework without dominating. This is a massive beast of a varietal and I have never seen it tamed like this. Terroir is almost neutral. Transition to finish is seamless and ends in a subtle spice heat while those restrained tannins finally show themselves in the form of a long, dry enduring grip.

This winemaker took a chance with this beast of a varietal and I think it paid off. She also has another Aglianico made in the more typical/traditional style. I highly recommend getting them both together. They make a great study of this grape’s broad potential.

Cindy is a small artisan winemaker to follow closely. Her wines are all amazing if not head-scratching at at times.

Nicely done Cindy! 🍷😁👌🏽

Read more about Passagio Wines on WineSnob.

August 31, 2020January 7, 2022

2018 Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast) by Martin Ray

Tonight’s occasion: 2018 Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast) by Martin Ray. Bright rich ruby color. Beautiful nose out of the bottle characterized by wet sandy loamy leather. This quickly pulls to the back and gives way to berries and sweet cherries. There are faint tertiary herbal notes as well as a touch of sweet cola and the faintest hint of warm cedarwood. Swirl vigorously to revisit the whole affair. Nice!!! Body shows good balance up front with a slightly milder acidity. Oak quickly moves to the front, as tannins introduce good structure. The oak is just enough to tease out a velvety, buttery, mouth feel. Berries and sweet cherries play secondary notes. It is fairly dry but this is initially masked by the oak play and fruit notes. A graceful transition to finish culminates in slightly dry tannic grip and a noticeable dose of spice.

This is a well made wine. My favorite part is the nose. I absolutely love that Sonoma dirt, and it shines through in this Pinot. I’m not the least surprised coming from this winemaker. At this price point (currently listed for $19.99 on wine.com) it punches above its weight and presents good value. It is a pleasant (and slightly playful) wine to sip and should appeal to a broad spectrum of palates. For the advanced palate, the nose and finish should tickle your fancy. Buy 6, buy a case. You can’t go wrong having a solid every day Pinot on hand. Nicely done Martin Ray.! 🍷😁👌🏽 Explore more Martin Ray wines on WineSnob.