Wine – Page 9 – Wine Snob

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.

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October 25, 2021November 7, 2021

2017 GSM by Passaggio Wines, San Francisco

Tonight’s Occasion: 2017 GSM by Passaggio Wines, San Francisco CA

Deep ruby color. Bright aromatic nose with lots of red berries, raspberry, ripe strawberry and a touch of sweet mellon. A backdrop of sweet cedarwood leather, hint of eucalyptus, and red vines licorice. Yummy!

Bright body greets with a touch of acidity. This quickly gives way to a smooth silky, viscous body with hints of citrus, pomegranate and crisp caramel. Dark cherry skins provide a thin firm structure that permeates the experience. A slightly creamy mouth feel fades away leaving behind crisp tannins, a hint of cola and mild spice.

What a vibrant melodic interpretation of the iconic GSM blend. I love every single one of Cindy’s wines. Words that come to mind are: precise, crisp, subtle, rich, balanced, humble, unassuming. This blend embodies all of those. It reminds me of the Fiona GSM by Bumgarner I have previously reviewed on here.

Read more about Passagio Wines on WineSnob.

October 22, 2021November 7, 2021

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.

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 16, 2021October 16, 2021

2008 Cabernet Sauvignon by Windwalker, El Dorado, California

Tonight’s Occasion: 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon by Windwalker, El Dorado, CA

Dark opaque color. Out of the bottle nose is a little shy but there is an unmistakable honeysuckle and beeswax essence. As it opens up, the nose fills up, thickens into a melange of lemon zest, tangerine, ripe, red berries, and a sharp star anise, it’s sense of place, a hallmark of the Sierra Foothills. Pine, cedar-wood and dusty granite linger in the background. This wine is ripe!

Body is nicely balanced up front. It is slightly fruit forward but nowhere near as much as the nose would suggest. A mild acidic attack quickly hands off to a bold spice heat that intensifies through the body. Ripe plums and Dark cherries add a thick chassis of soft tannins. Oak accentuates the berry and citrus notes nicely. Transition to finish is seamless as the body slowly soaks into the palate leaving behind a slightly moist lips, a fine grained, dusty tannic grit a warm but firm heat. Faint notes of cocoa and caramel linger. This is how this wine was meant to be enjoyed.

There’s endless ways to make a wine. What I find interesting about this winemaker is their willingness to embrace what is most characteristic of this region – hang time. They have a longer ripening season which yields higher sugar, and more intense flavor profiles. At 13.9% ABV it is fairly restrained for this region but the flavors are intense. At 13 years of age, it has had time to integrate very nicely. This is a beautiful wine.

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October 14, 2021October 16, 2021

2017 Petite Sirah by Paza Estate Winery, Sierra Foothills, California

Tonight’s Occasion: 2017 Petite Sirah by Paza Estate Winery, Sierra Foothills, CA.

Dark opaque color. Ripe dark plum, ripe dark cherries and a touch of sweet oak vanilla. A damp wood and old leather essence lingers in the background. Swirling unlocks hints of licorice, spice and unmistakable granite dust.

Body is on the softer side of balanced. Dark plum, cherry skins, greet the palate immediately. Wet wood, granite leather and oak provide a great plush mouth feel while accentuating the fruit. Blackberries, and black currants provide great structure underlayment. As it opens up, seemingly restrained tannins roar to life, completely dominating the entire experience with a firm dry grip. Spice gives way to more black currant. Finish leaves the palate dry, lips parched shut with a mild spice tingle.

This is my favorite of the Paza lineup. It’s a nice Petite Sirah. It shows good creativity while maintaining its sense of place. The other wine that stood out was their sparkling wine. It is pretty good. We will be taking a look at it here soon. If you’re looking for nice, little, quaint winery off the beaten path, this is a great, fun little, chill experience with great views. There’s also a good chance you will be hosted by the owner/winemaker. Nicely done Paza!

October 13, 2021October 16, 2021

2016 Syrah by William Church, Yakima Valley, Washington

Tonight’s Occasion: 2016 Syrah (Red Willow Vineyard) by William Church and Tinte Cellars, Yakima Valley, WA

Dark inky color. Thick intense nose greets with wet slate gravel, ripe plum and blackberries. A bright sweet citrus lingers in the background sort of like Meyer lemon. Very pretty nose. Swirling vigorously intensifies the whole experience. As it opens up, a faint anise makes an appearance in the distant background.

Body greets with a bright acidity. This quickly transitions to a thick, slightly creamy body. It is fairly dry. Tannins are surprisingly restrained, providing just enough structure without dominating the experience. That wet, gravel carries over alongside slightly ripe plum and blackberry. A subtle burst of oak further softens the edges. A bold spice heat emerges towards the back marking the transition to finish characterized by black currant, a moderate dusty tannic grip and spice tingle. After an hour the anise dominates. Wet gravel develops an unmistakable old wet wood leather and hints of tobacco so faint you’d likely miss it.

I just love how Syrah can be so gentle in this region. This winemaker has done a fantastic job with this one. It is far more interesting than a Syrah should be. A pleasant, multi dimensional, interesting interpretation of this otherwise monolithic varietal. I picked this up at Tinte Cellars (@tintecellars) while exploring the Woodinville outside Seattle. Now I understand why I absolutely had to bring it back with me.

Nicely done folks!

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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.

October 9, 2021January 8, 2022

2019 Grenache by Robert Oatley, McLaren Vale, Australia

Tonight’s Occasion: 2019 Grenache by Robert Oatley, McLaren Vale, Australia. Pretty nose. Slightly restrained with slightly ripe raspberries up front and fine dusty leather in the back along with hints of anise. As it opens, it develops a white pepper spice, over red cherries. Body is buttery smooth from front to back. A soft light and plush body greets with hints of cola. Raspberries carry over ever so slightly. A subtle wet wood leather as well. This conspires to lend a faint banana peel essence to the body which persists through the finish. After a long body, the finish comes fairly abruptly characterized by a thin but firm, crisp, dry tannic grip and a moderate but very noticeable spice heat. After about an hour, it develops a slight tobacco and the anise becomes a little more prominent. What I love about Grenache is that, not unlike Pinot Noir, it doesn’t lie. Channeling terroir, it lays to bear what happened in the Vineyard and offers little forgiveness for what happens in the cellar. This is a great, well made wine, offering a glimpse into both. I love this region especially for its Pinot. This Grenache is welcomed diversion. Nicely done Mates! Explore more Australian wines on WineSnob.