($38): 
Dry Creek Vineyard continues their streak of balanced, not overblown, wines with their 2019 bottling of their Old Vine Zinfandel. It combines an alluring amalgam of subtle sweetness with spicy elements. Its suave texture makes it immediately enjoyable. It would be a good choice for spicy Mexican food.… Read more
Category Archives: Reviews
Dry Creek Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley (Sonoma County, California) “The Mariner” 2018
($50): 
Dry Creek Vineyard’s Bordeaux-blend, labeled Mariner, has always been a bargain among that category of California wine. Their 2018 follows in that tradition. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (2/3rds) with Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdon and Cabernet Franc filling out the other third, it is a muscular, but not overwrought, wine. … Read more
Vietti, Langhe Nebbiolo DOC (Piedmont, Italy) “Perbacco” 2017
($31, Dalla Terra Winery Direct): 
Vietti is one of a handful of producers whose wines never fail to impress. I doubt that they have ever made an undistinguished wine. You can safely buy anything Vietti makes. This Langhe Nebbiolo displays understated elegance and wonderful austerity. … Read more
Domaine de la Mordorée, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (Rhône Valley, France) “La Reine des Bois” 2018
($101, Kysela Père et Fils): 
Domaine de la Mordorée, founded only in 1986 by the Delorme family, makes a wonderful range of wines from several southern Rhône appellations. La Reine des Bois is, for all practical purposes, their top Châteauneuf-du-Pape (They do make a special cuvée occasionally, once or twice a decade, labeled Plume du Peintre, which is practically impossible to find and priced for the one-percenters of the world.) … Read more
Hugel, Alsace (France) Pinot Gris “Classic” 2017
($23, Frederick Wildman and Sons Ltd.): 
Hugel, one of the brightest lights in Alsace, excels with their Rieslings, late harvest wines, and just about everything. This “classic” Pinot Gris delivers a touch of sweetness balanced by acidity that leaves the mouth clean and fresh. … Read more
Far Mountain, Sonoma Valley (Sonoma County, California) Cabernet Sauvignon “Fission” 2018
($69): 
Far Mountain is a new project by two Chileans who have a vast experience in the wine business, the husband and wife team of Mai Errazuriz and Rodrigo Soto. Mai, from the family that founded Viña Errazuriz, a leading Chilean producer, also has experience in California as marketing director for Quintessa. … Read more
Rodney Strong Vineyards, Sonoma County (California) Merlot 2017
($16): 
Easy to sip, this fleshy and fruity Sonoma County Merlot from Rodney Strong displays ripe plum-like flavors wrapped in suave tannins. It’s especially fine for those who relish a glass of red wine before a meal.
87 Michael Apstein Dec 7, 2021… Read more
Rodney Strong Vineyards, Sonoma County (California) Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
($17): 
Compared to Rodney Strong’s Sonoma County Merlot, this 2018 Cabernet displays more savory — olive-like — notes, as befitting that variety. It’s still fruit-focused, but with more structure. Suavely texture, it’s perfect for current consumption. Have a sip of their 2017 Merlot before dinner and take this Cabernet to the table.… Read more
Davis Bynum, Russian River Valley (Sonoma County, California) Pinot Noir Dutton Ranches 2019
($58): 
Davis Bynum’s Dutton Ranches bottling offers sweeter and riper notes, with more fruitier elements and fewer savory ones compared to their straight Russian River bottling. It is a more muscular and juicy wine that finishes a touch sweet. People who crave power in Pinot Noir will embrace it.… Read more
Davis Bynum, Russian River Valley (Sonoma County, California) Pinot Noir 2018
($35): 
Davis Bynum was a pioneer with Pinot Noir in the Russian River Valley, being the first to bottle a single vineyard example of that wine almost 50 years ago. This one, despite a stated alcohol of 14.5 percent, is balanced and not overblown or overdone. … Read more
Rodney Strong Vineyards, Alexander Valley (Sonoma County, California) Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
($21): 
Rodney Strong’s Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon takes several giant steps up in interest and complexity from the Sonoma County bottling, but thankfully, not at the cost of a big jump in price. Since the winemaking is similar, this bottling shows the importance of the origin of the grapes. … Read more
Jacques Lurton, Bordeaux (France) Cabernet Sauvignon “Diane” 2020
($14): 
The Lurton name is famous in Bordeaux. The recently deceased André Lurton was instrumental in carving out the Pessac-Léognan appellation from Graves. The family owns more than 20 châteaux and nephew Pierre Lurton manages Château d’Yquem, the greatest property in Sauternes. … Read more
Denis Jamain / Domaine de Reuilly, Reuilly Rouge (Loire Valley, France) Pinot Noir 2018
($24, Kermit Lynch Wine Merchants): 
Cognoscenti know Reuilly, a tiny (300-acre) off the beaten track appellation in the eastern Loire, for its Sauvignon Blanc-based wines — kind of a mini-Sancerre. Curiously, Denis Jamain has more Pinot Noir planted there than Sauvignon Blanc (~20 acres versus 15). … Read more
Trivento, Mendoza (Argentina) Malbec Reserve 2020
($9): 
This is a softly textured easy to sip red that finishes a touch sweet. Fortunately, it is not overdone, weighing in at a modest 13.5 percent stated alcohol, which makes it a fine choice for those who prefer to sip on a red wine as an aperitif. … Read more
Tenuta Carretta, Roero Arneis Riserva DOCG (Piedmont, Italy) “Canorei” 2017
($27): 
Canorei is Carretta’s oldest vineyard. They vinify and then age their best grapes from this vineyard in oak barrels. The oak influence is still apparent in this 2017, but the alluring stone fruit aroma of Arneis still comes through. The oak, and perhaps the age of the vines, add opulence and weight that some consumers will find appealing. … Read more
Tenuta Carretta, Roero Arneis DOCG (Piedmont, Italy) “Cayega” 2020
($22): 
White wines from Roero, an area just across the Tanaro River from Barolo, must contain at least 95 percent Arneis, a grape that has been resurrected over the last over the last several decades. Arneis likely was neglected because Piedmont, after all, is known for its red wines. … Read more
Tenuta Cerulli Spinozzi, Colli Aprutini IGT (Abruzzo, Italy) Pecorino “Cortalto” 2018
($17, Romano Brands): 
First, Pecorino is also an Italian grape, not just a cheese. Second, it makes lovely wines that I predict will take the world by storm. This one by Cerulli Spinozzi, one of the region’s top producers, delivers a panoply of mouth-cleansing citrus flavors that buttresses its good density. … Read more
Bodegas Granbazan, Rias Baixas DO (Galicia, Spain) Albariño “Etiqueta Ambar” 2020
($23): 
Riás Baixas, a small area tucked away in Galicia in north western Spain, can make cutting white wines, like this one, from the Albariño grape. Grandbazan’s 2020 delivers a hint of grapefruit rind pithiness and good depth. Not a pre-dinner sipping wine because it might take the enamel off your teeth. … Read more
Villa Maria, Marlborough (New Zealand) Sauvignon Blanc “Private Bin” 2020
($14, Winebow): 
The popularity of Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough area of New Zealand’s South Island has grown enormously over the last two decades. And Villa Maria is one of the reasons. This clean and fresh Sauvignon Blanc displays an electricity-like energy that accompanies, but does not overwhelm, its subtle fruitiness. … Read more
Vinicola Cherchi, Vermentino di Sardegna DOC (Sardinia, Italy) “Tuvaoes” 2019
($27, Romano Brands): 
Vermentino can produce wines ranging from innocuous to stunning. Put this one in the stunning category. It combines a lovely saline-like invigorating character with good weight and length. It commands a presence on the table without being heavy or overdone. … Read more
Jordan, Alexander Valley (Sonoma County, California) Cabernet Sauvignon 2017
($59): 
Jordan, a leader in California Cabernet, continues to do what it does best — making graceful and elegant Cabernet Sauvignon. As usual, their 2017 is fits that mold. Not a bombastic wine, this mid-weight beauty delivers a wonderful combination of red fruit notes and spice. … Read more
Tenuta Regaleali, Sicilia DOC (Italy) Catarratto “Buonsenso 2020″
($19, Winebow): 
Tasca d’Almerita family owns Tenuta Regaleali, a great and reliable name for Sicilian wine. They have transformed Catarratto, another autochthonous grape, into a fleshy and cutting wine. (Soon Catarratto will be called Lucido, after one of its clones, for marketing reasons because the Sicilians believe it is easier for foreigners — mainland Italians included — to pronounce.) … Read more
Donnafugata, Passito di Pantelleria DOC (Sicily, Italy) “Ben Ryé” 2018
($35, Folio Fine Wine Partners): 
Pantelleria is not an appealing place to make wine. An island off the coast of Sicily closer to Africa than to Rome, it’s been described as “a volcanic rock jutting from the sea” where the major activity is “listening to the wind.” … Read more
Planeta, Etna Bianco DOC (Sicily, Italy) 2018
($29, Taub Family Selections): 
Planeta is so consistently reliable that consumers can basically pick any of their wines and be thrilled with the choice. Their Etna Bianco, made from Carricante, a grape indigenous to Sicily, is stunning and dispels any notion that Sicily is incapable of making great wine. … Read more
Planeta, Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG (Sicily, Italy) 2019
($19, Taub Family Selections): 
Cerasuolo di Vittoria, Sicily’s only DOCG wine, is a blend of Nero d’Avola and Frapatto, two of Sicily’s autochthonous grapes. Planeta’s is simply marvelous. Refined, it delivers a balanced combination of minerals and cherry-like fruit. Weighing in at a modest 13 percent stated alcohol, it is not particularly opulent, but it is particularly penetrating. … Read more
Vivera, Nero d’Avola DOP (Sicily, Italy) 2020
($23, Montcalm Wine Importers): 
I was unfamiliar with this producer until samples arrived on my doorstep. Now, with this Nero d’Avola and their equally impressive Etna Rosso, Vivera is a name I will remember. The fleshy character of this Nero d’Avola presents a great counterpoint to the sleek austerity of their 2019 Etna Rosso. … Read more
Concha y Toro, Valle del Limar (Chile) Pinot Noir Quebrada Seca Vineyard Marques de Casa Concha 2019
($25): 
Valle del Limari, in the north of Chile, is hot and dry, not exactly the conditions that Pinot Noir loves. But Concha y Toro’s shines, in part, because of the vineyard’s location on the banks near the Limari River, which cuts through the coastal range of mountains and allows cooling Pacific Ocean air to bath the grapes. … Read more
Concha y Toro, Peumo (Cachapoal Valley, Chile) Carmenere Marques de Casa Concha 2019
($25): 
Carmenere (often spelled Carménère), originally and still planted in Bordeaux, has taken off in Chile. Growers there confused the grape with Merlot (which was often planted in the same areas long before precise record keeping became the norm) and wound up harvesting it too early, which led to weedy, green flavors in the wine. … Read more
Sonoma-Cutrer, Russian River Valley (Sonoma County, California) Pinot Noir 2019
($30): Sonoma-Cutrer, a leading Sonoma producer, bottles a bevy of Pinot Noirs. T
his, their “entry level” offering, is a good example of Russian River Pinot Noir. Though fruit-focused, attractive earthy, leafy notes appear with air and add complexity. Its fruitiness comes through in the finish as a hint of sweetness. … Read more
Las Moradas de San Martin, Vinos de Madrid DO (Spain) Garnacha “Initio” 2011
($25): 
First, please note that this decade-old wine is the current release. Secondly, if you read the label and note its 15 percent stated-alcohol, you might be put off. Don’t be. I can’t explain it, but Garnacha can carry that level of alcohol beautifully, as this wine shows. … Read more
Pasqua Vigneti e Cantine, Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG (Veneto, Italy) “Famiglia Pasqua” 2016
($45): 
Amarone, by type, is a big wine because regulations require that it be made from partially dehydrated grapes. Its power comes from the concentration of sugar, resulting in higher alcohol, acids and everything else that occurs as the grapes dry and shrivel. … Read more
Pasqua Vigneti e Cantine, Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG (Veneto, Italy) “Mai Dire Mai” 2012
($105): 
Never say never, the translation of Mai Dire Mai, as in “I never like Amarone,” is appropriate for this massive wine. I’m not usually a fan of Amarone because they can be overwhelming. And that’s what you’d expect from one with a stated-alcohol of 16.5 percent. … Read more
Tenuta Carretta, Roero Riserva DOCG (Piedmont, Italy) “Bric Paradiso” 2016
($35): 
The red wines from the Roero DOC, just across the river from Barolo and Barbaresco are under-rated and fly under the radar as Michael Franz, my friend and colleague at WineReviewOnline.com, has pointed out. Juicy and succulent, this youthful example shows just how impressive the wines from this DOC can be. … Read more
Tenuta Carretta, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG (Piedmont, Italy) “Cascina Bordino” 2015
($55, Consortium Wine and Spirits Imports): 
With prices of Barolo and Barbaresco going higher and higher, this wine should be on every Piedmont-lovers list. Its relative bargain status — I hate to call a $55 wine a bargain, but it is — could be due to the 2015 vintage, an excellent year overshadowed by the hype justifiably afforded the 2016s. … Read more
E. Guigal, Crozes-Hermitage (Rhône Valley, France) Blanc 2018
($28): 
Guigal, an undisputed leader in the Rhône, shows his considerable talents with this white wine from what is best known for its reds. White wine from Crozes-Hermitage comprises less than ten percent of the appellation’s total production. This one, a blend of mostly (90+ percent) of Marsanne with Roussanne providing the remainder, delivers delicate and refined stone fruit flavors with wonderful acidity, a characteristic often lacking in Rhône whites. … Read more
Coen, Uco Valley (Mendoza, Argentina) Malbec 2020
($25): 
Full disclosure: I’m prejudiced against Malbec because all too often it produces a plodding, hit-you-over-the-head red wine. But, that’s why you keep tasting. This one does not fit my prejudicial paradigm. It’s a big wine, to be sure, but balanced and, most importantly, fresh. … Read more
Peconic Bay Vineyards, North Fork of Long Island (New York) Riesling 2020
($28): 
Move over Finger Lakes. Here is a terrific Riesling from Long Island. It delivers a masterful blend of delicate fruitiness — think subtle peaches — offset by zesty acidity. Clean and pure, it gives the impression of sweetness, then it disappears. … Read more
Dominique Piron, Coteaux Bourguignons (Burgundy, France) 2016
($12): 
Coteaux Bourguignons, a relatively new appellation in Burgundy, has few rules, allowing growers broad latitude. They can blend Burgundy’s Pinot Noir and Beaujolais’s Gamay, along with a couple of obscure varieties, grown anywhere in Burgundy from Chablis in the north to Beaujolais in the south. … Read more
Dominique Piron, Beaujolais Blanc (Burgundy, France) 2019
($20, Baron Francois): 
Yes, some Beaujolais is white. And it’s worth looking for because it frequently delivers great value. As white Burgundies, even from the Mâconnais, rise in price, consumers need to search elsewhere for value for French Chardonnay-based wines. Made exclusively from Chardonnay, white Beaujolais accounts for only about five percent of the region’s production. … Read more
Résonance, Willamette Valley (Oregon) Pinot Noir 2017
($37): 
Résonace is just another example of how the Burgundians believe in the potential of the Willamette Valley, especially for Pinot Noir. Drouhin started what is now a trend with establishment of Domaine Drouhin Oregon three decades ago. Maison Louis Jadot, another stellar Burgundy producer, purchased the 20-acre Resonance Vineyard in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA in 2013 and expanded by buying the Découverte Vineyard in the Dundee Hills AVA. … Read more
Résonance, Willamette Valley (Oregon) Pinot Noir 2018
($37): 
The 2018 Résonance Pinot Noir is Jadot’s eighth vintage. Unsurprisingly, the wines just get better and better. Their 2018 is riper and slightly more robust — black cherries rather than red ones — than their 2017, yet conveys the same lovely freshness and vivacity. … Read more
Ravines Wine Cellars, Finger Lakes (New York) Dry Riesling 2018
($17): 
Despite its northern location and frigid winters, the Finger Lakes region of New York State is well suited for Riesling and other European grape varieties. The lakes are remarkably deep, so the water moderates the temperature of the surrounding shores, allowing Vitus Vinifera planted close by the waters’ edge to survive the winter. … Read more
Dr. Konstantin Frank, Finger Lakes (New York) Dry Riesling 2018
($17): 
The story of the founding of the Dr. Konstantin Frank winery is nothing short of phenomenal. He went from arriving in the U.S. in 1951 as an emigrant from the Ukraine, speaking no English and with virtually no money, to making one of America’s finest Rieslings from a place where no one had thought of planting that grape. … Read more
Ravines Wine Cellars, Finger Lakes (New York) Dry Riesling Argetsinger Vineyard 2017
($32): 
Ravines may not have the storied history of Dr. Konstantin Frank, but they are making sensational Rieslings as well, as demonstrated by this single vineyard bottling and their “regular” one. Morton Hallgren, winemaker and owner with his wife, Lisa, identified the Argetsinger Vineyard as a top spot for Riesling shortly after establishing their winery in 2001 and have produced a single-vineyard bottling every year.… Read more
Bodegas Muriel, Rioja DOC Reserva (Spain) Fincas de la Villa 2016
($18, Quintessential Wines): 
One of the many charms of Rioja is the ability to find wines with aged character at a reasonable, dare I say, bargain, price. This one displays the balanced combination of fresh and dried fruits, the latter of which comes from bottle age. … Read more
Viña Eguia, Rioja DOC (Spain) Tempranillo 2018
($13, Quintessential Wines): 
Bargain alert. Light, bright and zesty, this Rioja would fit into my category of “pizza wine” if it came from Italy. So, call it a tapas wine instead. But you get the point. Though it’s a lightweight red, its lively red fruitiness allows you to serve it with barbecued chicken. … Read more
Vivera, Nero d’Avola DOP (Sicily, Italy) 2020
($23, Montcalm Wine Importers): I was unfamiliar with this producer until samples arrived on my doorstep. Now, with this Nero d’Avola and their equally impressive Etna Rosso, Vivera is a name I will remember. The fleshy character of this Nero d’Avola presents a great counterpoint to the sleek austerity of their 2019 Etna Rosso. … Read more
Vivera, Etna Rosso DOC (Sicily, Italy) 2019
($34, Montcalm Wine Importers): 
Wines made from grape grown on the lava-rich slopes of Sicily’s Mount Etna transmit their origins beautifully and precisely. The cherry-like fruitiness of this Etna Rosso takes a back seat to its angular lava-tinged character. Wonderfully austere, this sleek wine delivers a saline-like freshness. … Read more
Canavere di Giacosa Fratelli, Barbera d’Alba DOC (Piedmont, Italy) Bussia 2019
($24, Montcalm Wine Importers): 
The versatility of Barbera helps explain its popularity. Typically bright and fresh, like this one, they are a “go-to” choice for many tomato-based pasta dishes. This one’s raspberry-like fruitiness and mild tannins means that it could take a chill nicely in the waning days of summer. … Read more
St. Innocent, Willamette Valley (Oregon) Chardonnay Freedom Hill Vineyard 2018
($36): 
The Freedom Hill Vineyard, located in the foothills of the Coast Range ten miles southwest of Salem, benefits from the warmth of the valley floor (which aids ripening) and night time ocean breezes (which lower temperatures and allows grapes to hold acidity). … Read more