2014 Sueño Profundo Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District
This is a great little (because I didn't pay much for it) bottle of Napa Cab. Has excellent typicity: black cherry, cigar box, cedar. Good mouthfeel, long finish. Bought a case, wish I'd bought two.
2016 Biohof Pratsch Sauvignon Blanc Ried Kittel Weinviertel
Funky nose with a fairly fruity mid palate that feels like it's going to end sweet; it doesn't, but it comes way too close. No resemblance here to SB as I know it.
2014 Caves Saint-Pierre Châteauneuf-du-Pape Le Fiacre du Pape Red Rhone Blend
Not oxidated like previous bottle. In fact, a very good bottle with good gamey Rhone notes and grenache up front. Neat buy for $20 at Trader Joe's two years ago.
2017 Domaine de la Madone Beaujolais Le Perréon Gamay
Grapey with an offputting whiff of vinegar on the nose. In fact, that's what's going to become of this bottle--in about four months, it will be a finished vinegar.
2003 Querciola Barolo Sorì Nebbiolo
Full bodied with gravelly tannins so lacks elegance, but there's good secondary development and it went very well with last night's cheese ravioli and spicy tomato sauce. Good bottles should continue to age well.
2015 Long Shadows Wineries Syrah Sequel Columbia Valley
Bright dark red fruits and polished textures, no pepper notes like others report but none of the McClaren Vale-ish lactic notes of the early years when John Duval actually had a real hand in it. Has the stuffing to cellar through 2030.
2014 Woodward Canyon Charbonneau Walla Walla Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
Pretty and brawny at the same time. That is, soft and feminine on the surface but muscular underneath with complex evolved fruit that shows old vines wisdom in so young a wine. The vineyard is not long for this world, though, and this will be one of the last Charbonneau's Rick makes. I bought three.
2017 Toil Oregon Pinot Noir Rosé Willamette Valley
From Chris Higgins (son of Leonetti) new Oregon pinot project. Has firmed up nicely since we last tasted it 8 months ago, the fruit's calmed down and the acidity shows better.
2013 Jonata Winery Todos Ballard Canyon Syrah Blend, Syrah
Full bodied, complex, elegant. Excellent.
2012 Boudreaux Cellars Syrah Wallula Vineyard Horse Heaven Hills
I think we caught this one sleeping: prominent acidity needs more time to settle out, and the fruit is dialed back from what I tasted at the winery last summer. Hold.
2010 Sparkman Cellars Syrah Untamed Yakima Valley
Inky purple with sweet saturated fruit and a milky, lactic note. Though nine years old now no notes of aging (sadly), and although called 'untamed' there's nothing wild (sadly) here--it's just a new world fruit bomb waning into its later years. Drinkable, but not exciting for my preferences.
2015 The Walls Vineyards Stanley Groovy Red Mountain Touriga Nacional blend
Benefits (what doesn't) from an hour of decanting to lose some primary grapey flavor, but settles into a fruit forward, complex wine with lots of stuffing. I paid $40 for my first Stanley 2013, this for $20 at Costco is a steal.