2020 Post & Vine Mule Plane Vineyard Carignane

 A lighter nose of cinnamon candy and cranberry juice. Some white pepper and darker plum notes emerge. 

Light and lively on the palate, with big acidity. The flavor of Red Hots carries from the nose as do the tart cranberry juice and additional pomegranate and white pepper-flecked red plum and barely ripe red currant. So, it's quite red and very high toned. 

For me, this is the perfect wine for a Pinot lover seeking to expand into other varietals. It's lively and crisp, but I believe would be well suited to food vs enjoying alone. It's pretty, lively, balanced and bright. Light on its feet, it'll dance around your palate in point shoes. 

2021 Russian River Valley Chardonnay

 Aromas of baked apples and pears, Acacia blooms, fresh mallow and hints of mango. I'll admit, I am playing pitmaster with some chicken this evening, so the coal and applewood smoke may be shutting down my nose a bit. 

It's vibrant on the palate with nice weight along with bright juicy acidity. That apple/pear galette is there along with lovely tropical hints of mango and just underripe pineapple. There is a hint of chalky minerality along with a salinity that adds nice earthy layers to the wine. It's generous without being flashy and the juiciness keeps it going a nice while, leading into a longer finish. 

I appreciate the oak is integrated well enough to merely give the pastry crust and baking spice notes. This isn't a bargain bottle, but it definitely drinks above it's price point well into it's European counterparts in my opinion. Really a lovely wine. 

2019 Clos du Val Napa Valley Chardonnay

 Pretty and aromatic with notes of lemons and cream with candied pineapple and shortbread accented by white flowers.

It enters both luscious and vibrant on the palate. Lively acidity provides lift to a layered but not heavy mouthfeel with flavors of candied ginger, pineapple, pear and sweet apple. There are hints of sweet pea tendril and basil oil. 

To summarize in simpler terms, it's rather like lemon curd with fresh chantilly cream on brioche. 

Really it's a lovely wine with great balance, complexity and flavors. It leans a touch sweet in flavor, but is kept in check by the acid. 

2013 Anakota Helena Montana

 I'd been sitting on this bottle since about 2016 or 17. Since I worked for the section of Jackson Family that represents the boutique, high end wines, I am well acquainted with this wine, so can give some context. 

The Vérité winemakers Pierre Seillan and daughter Hélène, produced two single Cabernet wines from individual vineyards in Knights Valley, Sonoma, Helena Dakota at 750 feet and Helena Montana at 950 feet.

The nose is still a bit reserved, with aromas of dusty hillside rocks, fig, a tomato leaf savoriness and red and black berry compote. There are hints of blueberry pie filling. The telltale roasted coffee and toasted oak on the nose that I always associate with these wines in their youth has not fully dissipated, but taken a backseat to the other aromas; dare I say they're in the trunk.

It enters with a rich, dense texture on the palate. The fruit flavors are dark, leaning into black and purple fruits with fig jam and a compote-leading into-stewed style. The shaved cocoa and roasted coffee flavors emerge on the palate and are powerful enough to nearly overpower the fruit which is kept lively by a nice flash of acitity to balance the density of the mouthfeel and rounded yet still-grippy tannin. There is a slight herbal or leafy suggestion that I cannot quite put my finger on. It finishes long on flavors of blue and blackberry compote along with broan baking spice. 

** Slight update- After using the Coravin and letting it sit a couple days, once opened and letting it really breathe for some time, more ripe fruit showed itself and it became a bit prettier vs earth and more stewed fruit as before. Decant!

2021 Kumusha

 This looked interesting to me as it was from both a trusted bottle shop and an interesting combination of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cinsault. 

It exhibited mostly red fruits on the nose with some definite green earth. Notes of just-underripe strawberry, pomegranate and currant. 

On the palate, it was difficult to gauge for me as it was dominated by a near-offensive amount of green vegetal qualities, smoky peat and dare I say, even manure. Now, I do not believe it was infected by brettanomyces as there was none present on the nose, to any of the three of us. Perhaps there is just something about Cinsualt from South Africa that doesn't appeal to my palate. 

I have the same reaction to just about every Pinotage I have ever tried from this region and that is a cross of Cinsault. Whatever the case, we didn't drink it. To be as magnanimous as I can, I shall simply say the wine was "not my style." If you enjoy really unique, natty, funky wines, it's not a huge investment to try it. 

2021 Sojourn Gap's Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir

 Not a shy Pinot in the glass, it's deep ruby and fairly opaque. 

At first on the nose, crunchy red fruits like currant, Bing cherry and Damson plum with some red apple skin. Notes of spice indicate some forward oak. There are also hints of some fresh green herbs and a savory edge. 

Definitely a bigger, riper style. That said, it's still Pinot Noir and by that I mean it's not a "doctored" or extracted into wannabe Cabland or given additives, etc. like some who will remain nameless here.

It enters with a dark crimson-skinned apple I cannot recall the name of along with flavors of acai, marionberry, black cherry and plums. It's always interesting to me when a Pinot wine veers into blue and black fruits. It's got a real verve in it's freshness and again, the only way I can describe the fruit is "crunchy." There is a savory edge to it which is rather like a streak of Genovese basil and a touch of dill. There are flecks of an almost coconut hint which rather leads me to wonder if there was some American oak on this wine. 

The tannins are soft and round, balanced by lovely acidity and though 14.6%, doesn't seem "hot" or too intensely ripe. It's a nice wine that will go well with a range of food or can sip on it's own perhaps to the bigger Bordelais varietal drinker. 

2020 Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc

I cut my teeth on the "Icon" bottling in my early days of starting to really enjoy wine. It perhaps made the Kiwi style, my preferred one. So I finally wanted to check out the regular bottling of SB from them. 

The nose matches those same crunchy, ripe orchard fruits and that telltale freshly mown grassiness along with bright grapefruit citrus that the Icon bottling has. There is a fun salinity to the nose as well.

It's got surprisingly mellow acidity given all that action on the nose. It exhibits super fresh flavors of lychee, Papple pear, passionfruit water, and sweetened ruby grapefruit. I think perhaps the Icon has more prominent brightness and acid, or maybe it's just this vintage. I'll have to explore more. It's on the lighter side, washes clean on the palate and is super easy drinking and very food friendly. Think light white fish, roast chicken, sushi or any manner of bitter greens and other salads. It'll work nicely with a pesto pasta as well. 

Waldele Chardonnay

 I first had this couple's wine at a performance in Sonoma and was struck by their purity. We tasted both the Pinot Noir and the soon-to-be released Chardonnay. They were both quite enjoyable such that I procured some recently. Pinot review to follow down the line.

2021 Carneros, Sonoma County Chardonnay

It's a lean and mean Chardonnay. Bright aromas of white flowers over green and yellow apples, fresh lemon, Meyer lemon curd, hints of whipped meringue and underripe peach. 

On the palate, it has laser focused acidity but isn't bracing. It gets the salivary glands active which helps all the vibrant fruit cover the entire palate. It has lovely lithe mouthfeel with flavors of both fresh and baked apple leaning golden and green. The lemon is balanced by the sweetness of white peach, Asian pear and an almost roasted parsnip sweet/earthy quality. 

Its construction is obviously low intervention and in a fully European style which no doubt harkens back to Hannes' family history of winemaking in Germany. That said, it's not so lean that it isn't enjoyable on its own, without food. With some air, it opens up beautifully and everything is in balance. 

I recommend seeking them out as the wines are delicious, very resonably priced and it's a small family brand that really takes care in their product. Since not widely available, learn more at waldelefamilywines.com 

19 Crimes 2020

 Aside from celebrity likeness on the already irreverend labeling and clouded glass, I thought it time I finally gave these a whirl... or a swirl as it were.

2020 Martha's Chard

The color would indicate this has seen some manner of oak. It smells like Chardonnay, so that's a good start! I almost have come to expect just a buttery almost sugary meringue nose on Chardonnay wines in this tier.

Warm, ripe stone fruits along with apple and pear on the nose with some hints of sea air and vanilla.

On the palate, the oaky notes are much more present with flavors of toasted vanilla, hazelnut and creme brulee. Following that entry, it has a creamy texture on the palate without feeling heavy and shows some nice acidity. The flavors of golden apple, Bartlett pear and white peach are luscious indicating a warmer growing zone or riper pick. There is some bright lemon zest to keep it lively and from feeling too weighty. 

All in all, it's a pleasant, well composed wine. At this price point, you're not getting nor should you expect some ethereal, long and contemplative wine. It's tasty, balanced and very drinkable.

2020 Cali Red

Highly expressive nose on this wine. Toasty wood and heaps of fresh berry fruit. As powerful as the aromas jump out of the glass, they're not overly layered or complex. Oak that implies a heavier toast on the staves with aromas of espresso grounds, cedar dust, hints of pencil shavings and black berry and plum skins. 

It enters the palate with some subtlety then once it hits the midpalate the intensity of the oak takes over. It has flavors of red and black currant with black plum and Luxardo cherry. It has some acidity to balance the powerful oak, but not in harmony. It seemd a touch disJOINTed (no offense Snoop) in it's balance with the acid and oak some distance from each other. This creates some perceived "heat" on the palate for me, though the alcohol is labeled at 14.1%. 

The fruit on this wine is nice, but for my taste, it's just got too much aggression in the oak profile. It is a youthful wine so that may relax with some time, however I don't see many folks laying this wine down to age for 5-7 years. That said, at a BBQ or cookout with a range of salty, fatty foods, it should treat you just fine. 

2015 Freemark Abbey Ted's Blend

 Lively nose of holiday spices, oak and cedar. Aromas of red currant, black currant and blackberry with a floral, herbal tinge. 

Juicy entry, with plenty of still-forward toasty oak. The fruit offers a nice dance between red and black berries with some plum and boysenberry compote. There are undercurrents of fresh sweet basil and tarragon along with a floral element that add a nice layer. 

For me, the oak isn't quite cumbersome, but does somewhat overshadow the other flavors. If memory serves, this wine has that as part of its style, so it will likely relax with more age and provide better balance in flavor profile. That said, if you like a nice, toasty and oaky profile, drink it now and it'll being you plenty of enjoyment.