It’s time for the general wine round-up and I’m featuring 20 of the 35 wines from 5 countries that I sampled this time around. These wines are diverse, they have some great stories behind them and they most importantly are interesting, which is always my personal quest when I’m tasting.
Sparkling
NV Camino Calixo Cava Brut – Notes of lemon, green apple, brioche and floral notes. Super drinkable and priced at $10.
NV Domaine Bousquet White Brut – Notes of green apple, citrus and lots of tropical fruit as well as baked bread. Another great sparkling for under $14.
NV Domaine Bousquet Brut Rose – juicy cherry and raspberry with notes of citrus, toasted bread and floral notes.
Red
2012 Bodegas Godelia Mencia – Cherry and earthy with plum, berry and chocolate with a touch of oak. Earthy, funky and delicious.
2012 Brennan Vineyards Tempranillo – notes of blackberry, cranberry, herbs, leather and a touch of earth.
2015 Canoe Ridge the Explorer Red (Horse Heaven Hills) – blackberry, plum, cedar, spice and a great balance. I really loved this blend.
2015 Cono Sur Reserva Especial Pinot Noir – tried last week during a Twitter tasting, this one was a crowd favorite so I had to include it. It had intensity with earth and spice with notes of tea, leather, berry, cherry and herbs, but the balance was there and it kept until the last drop disappeared
2015 Domaine Petroni Corse – notes of violet, strawberry, raspberry, earth and spice. Elegant and delicate.
2013 Dry Creek Meritage – this wine was one that continued to evolve in the glass throughout the night. I tasted raspberries, cherries, dried flowers, black fruit and spices along with herbs.
2014 Highwayman Proprietary Red – notes of Heath bar, extracted berries, mocha, cranberry, herbs, oak and chocolate.
2015 Macchia Winery Oblivious Old Vine Dry Farmed Zinfandel — this century-old, dry-farmed vineyard is Oblivious to the fact that a town has grown up around it, hence the name. Notes of blackberry, raspberry, herbs, spice and meat. This is a full-bodied delicious Zinfandel.
2014 Norton Privada Family Blend – this family blend from Bodegas Norton in Argentina continues the family’s trend for high-quality, easy to drink, value wines. The blend of Malbec (40%), Merlot (30%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (30%) is full of black, red and blue fruits, spice, tobacco, mocha and chocolate. There is a lot going on in this wine.
2015 Rutherford Ranch Two Range Napa Valley Red – notes of cassis, black cherry, chocolate, mocha, eucalyptus and herbal notes. An easy drinking and elegant blend.
2015 Rutherford Ranch Merlot – notes of red cherries, blueberry pie, spice, tobacco, raspberry and vanilla notes.
2014 Rutherford Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon – this was a delicious and elegant Cabernet. Lots of black cherry, blackberry, chocolate, plum, herbs, mint and eucalyptus.
2015 Fort Ross Winery Pinot Noir Sea Slopes – this Pinot Noir sang with the salmon dish at our dinner table. It was rich and earthy with notes of black cherry and red raspberry with plum, tea leaf, spice and earth.
White
2015 Bodegas Godelia – notes of lime, melon, flint, flowers and ginger. We took this to the beach and it was a perfect match for the paired shellfish.
2016 Cornerstone Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley – this has long been a favorite Spring sipper of mine. Lots of white stone fruit, tropical fruit and flowers with a great minerality.
2016 Empire Estate Dry Riesling – this Riesling was fun to bring to a group of folks that thought they didn’t like Rieslings. It was full of rocky soil with hints of green apple, lemon, citrus, dried fruit, candied ginger and a great minerality. I loved it!
Port
Warre’s Otima 10 Year Old Tawny Port — lots of white stone fruit, almonds, toffee and cinnamon. I really loved this as a perfect end to an after dinner drink. It’s rich, but dry.
