2014 Felton Road Chardonnay Block 2 Central Otago
Loved this. All about class, not power, very Burgundian minerality and flintiness ; reticent on day one but bloomed to full glory on day two. Drink or hold, with big rewards for oxygenation.
2016 Domaine d'E Croce (Yves Leccia) I. G. P. Île de Beauté Grenache Blend, Grenache
Minerally and bright, a joyful light-bodied grenache from Corsica with a little bottle age. Delightful quaffer at $17 locally, paired perfectly with a spicy garbanzo bean soup.
2016 Lutum Pinot Noir La Rinconada Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills
All red fruit: racy, crunchy and pure. Lighter bodied, just kind of floats into your mouth with flavors of chiogga beets, sweet potato, and blood orange backed up with modest alcohol and no obvious oak. The kind of California pinot I love. Interesting producer--Lutum means 'soil' in some ancient language and each bottle's front label describes the soil type. There are multiple possibilities within the Santa Rita Hills appellation. This one: clay.
2014 Woodward Canyon Charbonneau Walla Walla Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
Lean and green on first opening and didn't blossom in the glass, so we set aside the rest for the next day when it was open, elegant and approachable. One of Washington's great red wines--so sad that the vineyard source is going away.
2016 La Chanterelle Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley
What a contrast with the Charbonneau. Big bodied, heavy. Tons of alcohol (15.4). Ugh.