Apr
2019

Big Sur Vineyard Rosé

categories: Booze, Wine

I’m not all into the “rosé craze” because I’m actually quite particular about the pink I drink. I expect it to be light and delicate but I also expect it to have substance and structure. I tasted this rosé “blind,” as in I didn’t look at any tasting notes or tech sheet before enjoying and there was zero information on the back of the bottle. Not that I usually rely on that kind of information, but with a rosé, as with my blends, I prefer to know what it is a rosé of. Now that I found my tech sheet (it fell behind the wine rack…) I can see why I enjoyed this rosé so much. (Who likes Rhone-style blends? Raise your hand…)

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Apr
2019

Levo Wines 2015 White Noise Rhone blend

categories: Booze, Wine

Winemake Bret Urness is a boots-in-the-dirt kind of winemaker and his wines speak to that. Sourcing from some of the best vineyards along the Central Coast (Ballard Canyon, Solpman, Duvarita anyone?, this guy makes some of the most earthy (but elegant) Rhone wines I’ve tasted — and yes that goes for the white wines as well.

I don’t know what made me stop in Tin City on a drive through the Central Coast. And I can’t say why, in particular, I walked into Bret’s urban tasting room. But I do know I’m glad I did and reliving that visit via this wine reminded me why I came away with a couple of bottles.

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Apr
2019

Vino Noceto 2016 Marmellata Vineyard Sangiovese

categories: Booze, Wine

I came across Vino Noceto a few years ago, writing a travel article for the SF Chronicle. What I loved was the modern atmosphere of the tasting room that sits amongst the beautiful vineyard setting. This is in sharp contrast to what I loved about their wines. Light, delicate, youthful expressions of classically Italian grapes, it made me nostalgic for the days I spent in Italy. Even their more rustic blends are nuanced with site-specific characteristics and show very little winemaking interventions. But so much so for their single vineyard, single-varietal offerings, like this Sangiovese.

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Apr
2019

Flora Springs 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon

categories: Booze, Wine

A Napa Cab that’s ready to drink straight out of the bottle? Yes please and thank you. Because sometimes you want a little rusticity, but not so much that the soil sinks in the bottle and the tannins are tacky on your tongue. Now this isn’t a varietal Cab, it  is blended with a bit of Merlot and Malbec to help add a bit of softness and fresh acidity. Ah, Flora Springs…you’ve gone and done it again.

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Apr
2019

Panther Creek 2016 Chardonnay

categories: Booze, Wine

I am on a Chardonnay kick. Wait. Let me edit that. I am on a QUALITY Chardonnay kick. As in, recently, I threw out 3 bottles of Chardonnay after the first sip because they are still adhering to the old-new world expression: over-oaked, buttery spread. But trends are changing: everything that’s old is new again and that goes for the “Chablis-style” Chardonnay. I recently attended a panel discussion of winemakers making wine in this style (please read The Chardonnay Style Spectrum) and I am so pleased that the industry is headed this direction. And much of this is headed by the Oregon wine industry. Chardonnay may be the most widely planted white wine grape in California, but it is creeping up the Oregon ladder (currently still behind Pinot Gris) — and these guys are doing it right. Case and point: Panther Creek Cellars.

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