wine.com – Page 4

December 21, 2021January 8, 2022

2014 Syrah (Jay Wilderotter) by Terre Rouge Easton Wines, Plymouth, CA

Tonight’s Occasion: 2014 Syrah (Jay Wilderotter) by Terre Rouge * Easton Wines, Plymouth CA Dark inky opaque color. Out of the bottle, nose is a bit shy. Dry, tart plum skins, blackberry and a touch of ripe dark cherries take center stage. A woody leather permeates the background. Swirling vigorously unlocks ripeness, licorice, a hint of crisp eucalyptus wood, herbal notes and granite mineral essence (a subtle bitterness that usually accompanies anise/licorice). Body is firm, greeting with a touch of acidity and spice. This is almost immediately balanced by heavy dusty fine grained tannins dropping deep down and creating a solid monolithic base structure. Midway through, dry dark plum, and blackberry, conspire with crisp oak to create a slightly softer mouth feel. This quickly gets absorbed by the monolithic structure beneath, leaving black currants and a bitter mineral essence on the palate. At this point the entire palate is under a warm spice heat. Massive tannins and granite minerality sway the palate momentarily from slightly moist to dry and grippy and back again. This act continues until there is little left but parched lips and a spice tingle.

Also affectionately referred to as The Wildebeast, this wine is stands as yet another fine example from our 2019 Winemaker Of The Year. With great sense of place, and crisp execution, this wine is a faithful representation, a world class wine from this highly understated region. No journey into California wines is complete without venturing into Amador and the Sierra Foothills. This Winemaker’s wines stand as solid reference point for what this region and California at large has to offer. Explore more Terre Rouge Easton wines on WineSnob.

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December 13, 2021January 3, 2022

2017 Pinot Noir (Maverick Vineyard) by Panther Creek Cellars

Tonight’s Occasion: 2017 Pinot Noir (Maverick Vineyard – Willamette Valley) by Panther Creek Cellars, Woodinville, WA Beautiful aromatic nose greets with raspberries up front and a mild leather of sedimentary soil essence. Swirling vigorously unlocks blackberry and sweet cherry and a faint cedarwood in the back, so subtle you’d likely miss it. Body is balanced from front to back, greeting with a touch of acidity in the form of a mild citrus. This creates good tension. Cherries and blackberries quickly bring good balance and mouth feel along. Mild but crisp tannins provide good unobtrusive structure. Transition to finish is seamless as body evolves, developing a subtle, crisp caramel reminiscent of neutral French oak. This accentuates the cherry essence, turning it slightly sweet. This one note lingers over the palate through the finish. The palate is rendered slightly dry with just the faintest hint of cola. This Pinot is on the lighter side of medium bodied. A well built wine that offers a familiar while different look at this region. I have come to expect a certain caliber of Pinot from this region in general and Panther Creek delivers here again with great complexity without being overly abstract. It remains approachable and should please the intermediate to advanced palate. Nicely done Panther Creek! Read more Panther Creek Cellars on WineSnob. Be sure to check the out the Panther Creek Cellars, website for occasional bundles, specials and opportunities. They are currently offering a Holiday Bundle. It’s a great opportunity to explore their signature wines. See link below.

December 4, 2021January 3, 2022

2013 Pinot Noir (Santa Rita Hills) by Rusack, Central Coast, CA

Tonight’s Occasion: 2013 Pinot Noir (Santa Rita Hills) by Rusack Vineyards, Central Coast, CA Deep ruby color. A burst of bright ripe berries fills the air as soon as it’s uncorked. This is the most recognizable hallmark of a faithful Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir. Crisp, bright red cherries, raspberries and berries. A soft sand and driftwood leather lingers throughout the stage. Swirling intensifies the nose across the board. It’s intoxicating. Hints of pepper dot the experience. Just beautiful. Body greets with a touch of acidity in the form of a slight citrus cola essence. This is quickly followed by a subtle, crisp, refined caramel reminiscent of neutral French oak. Very gentle, crisp tannins quickly follow lending a grounding effect with just enough structure to frame the stage. Body takes a slightly soft, plush mouth feel. Sweet citrus (think Meyer lemon), subtle cola and berries reemerge towards the back. This marks the transition to a gentle fading finish as gentle tannins and mineral leather take turns drying and wetting the palate. A gentle spice punctuates the whole experience.

One of the first winemakers I explored from this region. It’s amazing how much of an impact the right winemaker can have on the inquisitive palate. Rusack is a must for the intermediate to advanced palate. One seeking to better familiarize their palate with this region and its unique expression. A faithful wine that is representative of both the Varietal and the region. A great sense of place. Nicely done Rusack! Explore more Rusack wines on WineSnob. Read more on my first visit to Rusack Vineyards a few years ago.

November 19, 2021January 3, 2022

2017 Pinot Noir (Kalita Vineyard) by Panther Creek

Tonight’s Occasion: 2017 Pinot Noir (Kalita Vineyard – Willamette Valley, OR) by Panther Creek Cellars, Woodinville, WA Dark intense ruby color. Subtle aromatic nose with bright cherries, raspberries and a hint of sweet cola. An underlying wet mineral leather permeates the nose. This is its sense of place – Willamette Valley. A bright body greets with a touch of acidity in the form of a slightly sweet citrus reminiscent of a Meyer Lemon. This is quickly counterbalanced with a slightly viscous weighted body. Crisp tannins add great structure midway through as crisp caramel reminiscent of neutral French oak and red cherries fill the palate. A taught mineral leather carries over. This marks the transition to a finish characterized by a firm, dry tannic grip over a wet mineral leather. This is a well built Pinot with a touch of personality. This small understated boutique winemaker was one of the highlights of my visit to Woodinville. Their small batch production artisan wines are just the type of wines I obsess over and constantly seek out, off the beaten path. Read more Panther Creek Cellars on WineSnob. Be sure to check the out the Panther Creek Cellars, website for occasional bundles, specials and opportunities. They are currently offering a Holiday Bundle. It’s a great opportunity to explore their signature wines. See link below.

November 6, 2021January 3, 2022

2014 Pinot Noir (Santa Lucia Highlands) by Belle Glos

Tonight’s Occasion: 2014 Pinot Noir (Las Alturas – Santa Lucia Highlands) by Belle Glos, Monterey County, CA Intense, ruby color. Out of the bottle, nose is all terroir up front with an intense damp wood leather. This note is unwavering as subtle dark cherries peek through from behind the scene. As it breathes bright berry expression typical of this region pulls forward nicely. Hints of red vines licorice and soft buttery oak linger in the background. Beautiful nose. This wine is alive. Body is slightly creamy up front. A viscous body is framed by soft tannins in the form of dark cherry skins lending unobtrusive structure to this full bodied Pinot. Soft buttery oak lends a nice creamy mouth feel, further accentuating the fruit and softening the tannins. Towards the back, a warm spice heat emerges along with a firming of tannic structure. This marks the transition to finish characterized by a long slow tango between an intensifying spice heat and tightening tannic grip over a backdrop of subtle bitter cola. Both eventually settling for a truce.

This is my first Belle Glos wine. Even at 7 years of age (long for a Pinot), it feels like it could still use more time to further integrate. I recommend decanting for at least 30 minutes. It is a well built, terroir driven wine, faithful to its origins. I’m not sure what took me so long to explore their wines but I very much look forward to exploring the rest of their lineup. Nicely done Belle Glos! Explore more Belle Glos Wines on WineSnob.

November 1, 2021January 3, 2022

2017 Grenache (Rogue Valley) by Willamette Valley Vineyards

Tonight’s Occasion: 2017 Grenache (Rogue Valley) by Willamette Valley Vineyards, Southern Oregon Intense clear ruby color. Aromatic nose with bright ripe fruit, cherries, raspberries and red vines licorice. A white pepper permeates the stage. Hints of crisp refined caramel reminiscent of neutral French oak. Body is balanced from front to back. A soft, lush, slightly weighted mouth feel greets the palate immediately, usually a mineral expression. This quickly dissipates into a thin, wispy cloud. Contrary to what the nose would suggest, it is dry. Cherry and raspberry carry forward as mere suggestions. A crisp caramel accentuates the restrained fruit. Thin, crisp tannins provide a restrained, unobtrusive but firm structure. A bold, crisp spice emerges midway and intensifies through the finish. Transition to finish is seamless, culminating in a subtle bitter tannic grip, hints of crisp caramel, and a warm spice heat. For the sensitive/advanced palate there is a touch of bacon fat so faint you’d likely miss it. Can you pick it out? Grenache is fast becoming one of my favorite varietals. As with Pinot Noir, it is highly terroir expressive. I love exploring how it channels different regions and their terroir. In this case – Southern Oregon – it presents a more subtle, nuanced even muted expression. This region is known for some very nuanced wines and tamed big varietals. This is a well executed Grenache that opens the window into this region with a view the intermediate to advanced palate should appreciate. Willamette Valley Vineyards has done a great job with this wine. Read more Willamette Valley Vineyards on WineSnob.

October 26, 2021January 14, 2022

2019 Pinot Noir (Roger’s Creek) by Sojourn, Sonoma, CA

Tonight’s Occasion: 2019 Pinot Noir (Roger’s Creek) by Sojourn Cellars, Sonoma, CA Deep ruby color appears unfiltered. Rich aromatic nose out of the bottle with a very noticeable bright red berries and ripe red cherries. A very present earthy leather takes a close secondary note reminiscent of damp forest floor. I absolutely love this about a faithful Sonoma Coast Pinot such as this one. I find this sense of place somewhat intoxicating if not raw and rich. A sweet tertiary note lingers in the background. It’s more of a melange that creates a sweet, buttery, shortcake essence. Swirling vigorously unleashes puffs of green, herbal notes so faint you’d likely miss it. I love it! Body is balanced from front to back. Subtle acidity brings great tention which slowly morphs into a gentle, warm spice heat towards the back. Suggestion of raspberry, and red cherry carry forward. Subtle, almost unnoticeable tannins provide just enough structure. A crisp, clean caramel further softens the body to create a beautiful, slightly weighted mouth feel. A hint of bitter cola ushers in a finish characterized by a slow fade of the entire ensemble leaving the palate slightly moist. I have no idea why it took me so long to explore Sojourn wines. Their Pinot Noirs embody so much of what I love about Sonoma. Even after all this, it’s still hard to put in words. I’m excited to dive deeper into another artisan winemaker off the beaten path. Nicely done! Explore more Sojourn Wines on WineSnob.

October 20, 2021January 6, 2022

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.

October 17, 2021January 6, 2022

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.

October 11, 2021January 6, 2022

2017 Viognier, by Skinner Vineyards, Fair Play, California

Tonight’s Occasion: 2017 Viognier (El Dorado), by Skinner Vineyards, Fair Play, CA Peach, cantaloupe, subtle honeysuckle, faint strawberry over a granite leather underlayment. Swirling vigorously intensifies the nose especially the peach and cantaloupe which turns slightly sweet. Leather develops a mineral character. Beautiful! Light body is precisely balanced right down the middle, front to back. Greeting with not so much as a suggestion which gently reveals a soft, plush somewhat creamy mouth feel. Stone fruit and cantaloupe carry forward ever so slightly. It is fairly dry but a masterful play between crisp caramel, mineral leather and citrus create a pleasing effect. Transition to finish seamless as body slowly fades into the sunset leaving the palate slightly dry, under a gentle spice heat. You’d likely miss it but there’s a sweet nutty after taste, not unlike coconut and walnut. It’s very faint. I just love it when visiting a winery and the first wine you are greeted with is a wine of this caliber and finesse. That’s what caught me about this wine. For me, Skinner Vineyards is a solid reference for the region and California at large. You won’t find any compromises here. I love what they are doing. Winemaker Adam Smith brings a complementary perspective to the region. You cannot go wrong with Skinner. A Vineyard and organization with a great story, people behind it. Always a treat! To the entire team at Skinner, Thank you! Explore more Skinner wines on WineSnob.