I will admit it – Pinot Grigio isn’t my first “go-to” in white wine, but wines like this one could...
Stephen & Walker, Russian River Valley (Sonoma County, California) Zinfandel 2018
There’s great interplay between red berry fruit and vanilla oak notes in this fresh Zinfandel from Stephen &...
Aquilini, Red Mountain (Washington) Sauvignon Blanc 2020
A soft, elegant entry fools you up front into thinking that this is a non-plus example of Sauvignon Blanc. Then the...
Quarantine Chronicles: Epilogue (I Hope…)
Back in October, in the middle of the quarantine, I ended a column with the words, “I’m ready for 2020 to end. ...
Wakefield / Taylors, Clare Valley (Australia) Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
I LOVE this wine. There's real elegance here, and it's mainly textural. Singing varietal fruit character...
Bollini, Vigneti Delle Dolomiti IGT (Alto Adige, Italy) Pinot Grigio 2019
Complex isn’t a word I often use when describing Pinot Grigio, but it fits the bill here. Pear, lemon, and...
Brys Estate Vineyard & Winery, Old Mission Peninsula (Michigan) 2020
Here is an off-dry Riesling that will make you wonder why you aren’t drinking more Michigan wine. Riveting...
Cameron Hughes, Dry Creek Valley (Sonoma County, California) Sauvignon Blanc 2020
It’s unusual to find a mineral-driven Sauvignon Blanc from Sonoma County. This bottling leans into the stony...
Robert Hall, Willow Creek District, Paso Robles (Central Coast, California) GSM 2019
Here’s a monster of a GSM that’s loaded with ripe dark fruit, oodles of oak spice and notes of tar and not a...
ZD Wines, Napa Valley (California) Sauvignon Blanc 2020
It’s great to see ZD continue this wine after the success of the 2019 vintage. This year delivers the same...
Note to the ABC Club: Time to Disband
I count myself fortunate to have the chore of tasting a lot of wine. In the thirty-five years or so that I’ve been...
Whitehaven, Marlborough (New Zealand) Sauvignon Blanc 2020
Here is a fine expression of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc that’s not overblown, but rather finessed into being. ...