Wine Reviews

An archive of all wine reviews

Transcendence, Santa Ynez Valley (Santa Barbara County, California) Syrah 2009
Robert Whitley
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March 26, 2013
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Of the three new releases I recently sampled from Transcendence, the 2009 Syrah was by far the most impressive, with dense, complex layers of...
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Owl Ridge, Alexander Valley (Sonoma County, California) Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
Michael Franz
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March 19, 2013
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Impressively meaty and substantial for a $20 Cabernet, this is quite a mouthful of wine for the money.  Importantly, though, the wine’s size and...
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Cupcake Vineyards, Chianti DOCG (Tuscany, Italy) 2011
Michael Franz
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March 19, 2013
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Want to know why reputable reviewers and wine competition judges taste wines blind, without knowing their identities?  Here’s a stunning case in point, by...
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Pollak Vineyards, Monticello (Virginia) Merlot 2010
Michael Franz
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March 19, 2013
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This is an excellent wine that is very nearly outstanding, which it may yet become if it picks up a little more aromatic expressiveness...
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ZD Wines, Carneros (California) Pinot Noir 2011
Michael Franz
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March 19, 2013
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Lovely, exemplary purity of fruit on the nose; pie cherries and fresh strawberries. Admirably light and delicate, but delivers very energetic and persistent flavors...
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Domaine Gilles Robin, Hermitage (Rhône Valley, France) 2009
March 19, 2013
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This is the inaugural vintage of Robin’s Hermitage, made from purchased grapes grown on granite.  With prices for vineyard land on the Hermitage hill...
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Domaine Gilles Robin, Saint-Joseph (Rhône Valley, France) 2010
March 19, 2013
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Gilles Robin’s Saint-Joseph vineyard lies at a high altitude on steep granite slopes with excellent southeast exposure.  The vines were planted in the 1960’s,...
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Domaine Gilles Robin, Crozes-Hermitage (Rhône Valley, France) 2010
March 19, 2013
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The grapes for this old-vines cuvée are from vines planted in the 1950’s and 1960’s.  The pedigree allows for more seasoning with oak so...
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Domaine Gilles Robin, Crozes-Hermitage (Rhône Valley, France) 2011
March 19, 2013
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Gilles Robin took over the family estate in 1996, and had immediate success winning awards from his first vintage.  This is the estate’s  “normal”...
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Croft, Porto (Portugal) 2009
Michael Apstein
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March 19, 2013
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Of the trio of 2009 vintage Ports from the family owned Fladgate Partnership, Taylor Fladgate, Fonseca and Croft, Croft’s is the silkiest at this...
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Fonseca, Porto (Portugal) 2009
Michael Apstein
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March 19, 2013
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Fonseca vintage Ports are typically slightly riper and less taut than Taylor’s because of the location of their major vineyard, Quinta do Panascal.  The...
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Taylor Fladgate, Porto (Portugal) 2009
Michael Apstein
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March 19, 2013
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Taylor’s 2009 vintage Port is stunningly good.  The 2009 vintage Ports in general are riper because of the warmth of the growing season.  Even...
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