2010 Domaine de la Chanteleuserie Bourgueil Cabernet Franc
Initially it seemed to have held up better than I expected it to have, but it crashed pretty quickly in the glass. Drink or dump.
NV Poderi Morini MoRosé Spumante Brut Rosé Emilia IGT Centesimino
Grabbed a bottle of this, previously untasted, as I ran out the door to a blind tasting lunch. Expert Europhiles all, the initial guesses went to champagne. Italy, when revealed, was a huge surprise. Balanced fruit with good minerality and a tight, dry finish. Thinking I paid "only about $23" for it, I was impressed. Now that I see I paid less than $13, I'm VERY impressed.
2012 Reynvaan Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 'The Classic' Walla Walla Valley
Much tighter and less generous than the last bottle we opened and therefore a mistake to take this to a blind tasting lunch where the preference is for mature European wines in general. The latter's a constant but young new world wines are forgiven if they show something new and special. The "Rocks funk" which gave it's name to one of WA's newest AVA's showed beautifully in the last bottle we opened and that would have been special if it had been more present, but it wasn't.
2016 Henricsson Vineyard Chardonnay 'Kajsa' Okanagan Valley
Liked this a lot. Some tasters found it a bit too sweet but me, probably more accustomed to NW chardonnays, did not. Impressive concentration and depth, easily among the best BC chards I've had, but a challenge at $70ish.
1975 Château Léoville Las Cases St. Julien Red Bordeaux
Bill's bottle. Easily the best of the three I've had in recent years and proof that the wine's still kicking. Good fruit, spice and a long finish. A thrill for Bordeaux lovers.
2011 Domaine de la Côte Pinot Noir Estate Sta. Rita Hills
Just medium bodied with en pointe dried cherry flavors and tomato leaf in the reticent ISOB style that is Domaine de la Cote. Seems fresh, was surprised by it's age. Very enjoyable.
1995 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville
Cigar box, black cherries, cassis and roasted red bell pepper. In stunning shape for its age.
2015 Portteus Barbera Rattlesnake Hills
The earthiness would keep you from guessing it was Italian, but there's a decent amount of acid here especially for a scorcher like 2015. Raspberry and cranberry dominate the flavor profile.
2004 Chase Zinfandel Hayne Vineyard St. Helena
Drinks okay now but its best days are past, drinks more like a tired cabernet than a good zinfandel.
2017 M. Chapoutier Côtes du Rhône 'Belleruche'
Looks and tastes like the majority is grenache. Crunchy, brambly red fruit dominates but it has a sweet blackberry finish. Joyful and inexpensive.
2015 Liquid Farm Chardonnay White Hill Sta. Rita Hills
Last reviewer liked it better than I did. And it was my bottle we shared--it's just that this was riper and lacked the Burgundian old world style that I looked forward to based on the '13 and '14, which had that in spades.
2017 Villa Sparina Gavi di Gavi Cortese
Pretty delish for a $10 wine. Lacked the depth of the Broglia at twice the price, but nonetheless refreshing. Great deck wine.
2017 Broglia Gavi La Meirana Cortese
Hal's bottle. Great nose, fruit and balance; lasting finish.
2012 Chinook Wines Cabernet Franc Yakima Valley
Served blind. Low tannins and relatively low acid, maturing red berry fruit with cocoa and a new worldish maple syrup sweetness on the finish that prevents us for mistaking it for the older Loire also in the line-up.
2014 Portteus Cabernet Franc Reserve Rattlesnake Hills
Started off with a touch of alcohol burn but it quickly went away. Big fruit with a heavy black licorice streak that made it the most popular CF at the table. Great body and concentration.
2014 Township 7 Cabernet Franc Rock Pocket Vineyard Okanagan Valley VQA
In a flight of five cab francs blind, surprisingly light in color and body for a CF. Would never have guessed the grape, but that said: bright acidity, a touch jammy, sour cherry fruit, and attractively scant oak.
2014 Chateau Ste. Michelle Cabernet Franc Cold Creek Vineyard Columbia Valley
Mellowed out in the glass, rich finish, brambly. A touch more oak than I'd prefer but that's CSM. Good wine.
1997 Dow Porto Vintage Port
Six years since my last bottle and the extra aging really shows. Plums, figs, chocolate, walnut skin and spice. Beautiful alone--and I usually prefer not to serve ports with (vs. instead of) desserts, but it showed spectacularly well with a black cherry upside down cake.
2017 Castello della Sala (Antinori) Chardonnay Bramìto del Cervo Umbria
Solid Macon-like chardonnay with a lot of flavor, minerality and backbone. I've had this in other vintages--this is the best yet. It has more body without doing a full-on Mae West. Heading back to Costco to stock up for summer.
2010 Novy Family Wines Syrah Garys' Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands
Thought it would be safe to PnP a '10 Cal Syrah but not so, Bucky. Great syrah nose, nice entry but hollow mid-palate and citric finish. Definitely needs more time.
2015 Portteus Zinfandel Rattlesnake Hills
I like it. I like it a LOT--def the best WA zin I've had by far. The '15 vintage is a gift to this grape which needs heat and long hang time. More a claret-style but with rich zin bramble notes and an engaging Medoc-like green note in the background. I'm putting in a case order.
2011 Robert Biale Zinfandel Black Chicken Napa Valley
Peak drinking window. Sleek, racy, elegant, traditional Zin. Not overly extracted, not syrup, really in a nice spot.
2018 Sokol Blosser Pinot Noir Estate Cuvée Rosé of Pinot Noir Dundee Hills
Quite tight on first opening, needed an hour or so to open up. Light flavors of strawberry, watermelon and dust; tangy and dry. A great value; will head back to Costco this weekend and hope to find more.
2014 Teutonic Wine Company Pinot Noir Battle of the Cracken Chehalem Mountains
Sour cherry, cranberry and tomato and thyme. Zingy, crunchy, rewards food.