W. Blake Gray, Author at Wine Review Online

Alpha Estate, Florina (Greece) 2008

by W. Blake Gray | Apr 30, 2013

This blend of 60% Syrah with 20% each of Xinomavro and Merlot is very tannic and not as pleasant as the pure versions of any of...

by W. Blake Gray | Apr 30, 2013

Made from 87-year-old vines at elevation over 600 meters, this wine has an earthy, mushroomy aroma reminiscent of good Pinot...

by W. Blake Gray | Apr 30, 2013

The minerality is more intense in this wine than the '08: It's like drinking plum juice squeezed from a stone. There is more...

by W. Blake Gray | Apr 30, 2013

There's a northern Rhône feel to the aroma, with earth and violet notes mingled with a slight animal note. In the mouth,...

by W. Blake Gray | Apr 30, 2013

The entry-level red, a 50-50 blend of Xinomavro and Syrah, has Alpha Estate's characteristic precise, ripe, red fruit, with a...

by W. Blake Gray | Mar 6, 2013

On the Greek island of Santorini, nobody could believe it. Greece was joining the EU, protector of place names – and...

by W. Blake Gray | Jan 16, 2013

A nice pizza red, with fresh mouthfeel, exuberant fruit yet dryness, enough tannin to give it some kickback in the mouth, and...

by W. Blake Gray | Jan 15, 2013

Winemaker Kenneth "Joey" Gummere started this label with his wife after working for Babcock, Santa Barbara Winery and...

by W. Blake Gray | Nov 14, 2012

Despite being consistently one of the most popular wines in restaurants in the United States, Jordan is not easy to write about....

by W. Blake Gray | Sep 19, 2012

Andrea Contucci lives in a home his great-great-grandfather's great-great-grandfather thought was old. Amazingly, he also...

by W. Blake Gray | Aug 23, 2012

It's amazing how easy it is, when talking about top California wine regions, to forget about Livermore Valley. It's not like...

by W. Blake Gray | Jul 24, 2012

A pretty wine that opens with dark cherries and shale and finishes with a nice floral note. Just 13.5% alcohol. I t's...