Wine Reviews

An archive of all wine reviews

Heirloom Vineyards, Barossa Valley (South Australia) Shiraz 2015
Michael Franz
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April 4, 2017
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This is the sort of wine that Australian vintners can rely upon to win new friends and retrieve ones lost in recent years.  Dark,...
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Shooting Star, Lake County (California) Barbera 2013
Michael Franz
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April 4, 2017
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Barbera is inherently high in acidity and low in tannin by comparison to most other varieties, making it a great choice for California vintners...
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Da Vinci, Chianti DOCG (Tuscany, Italy) 2014
Michael Franz
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April 4, 2017
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Many wines from various Chianti appellations suffer not from bringing too little to the table, but rather from bringing too much.  This is especially...
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Flying Goat Cellars, Sta. Rita Hills (Santa Barbara County, California) Pinot Noir 2012
Michael Apstein
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March 28, 2017
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Norman Yost, owner and winemaker of Flying Goat Cellars, acquired detailed knowledge of the vineyards of Santa Barbara County when he worked for Foley...
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Sweetzer Cellars, Santa Barbara County (Central Coast, California) Pinot Noir 2014
Michael Apstein
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March 28, 2017
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It’s worth keeping your eyes out for wines from this new small producer in the Sta. Rita Hills of Santa Barbara County.  Sweetzer, like...
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Paraduxx, Atlas Peak (Napa Valley, California) 2013
Rich Cook
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March 28, 2017
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A super-Tuscan styled wine with a twist from Duckhorn’s offbeat blends label succeeds with wild raspberry and ripe strawberry fruit complemented by pepper and...
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Flying Goat Cellars, Santa Barbara County (Central Coast, California) 2013
Michael Apstein
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March 28, 2017
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Norm Yost, owner of Flying Goat Cellars, was either crazy or a visionary when he was the first to make a sparkling wine in...
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Illuminati, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Colline Teramane DOCG (Abruzzo, Italy) 2011
Michael Apstein
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March 28, 2017
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The somewhat unwieldy name of Abruzzo’s sole DOCG and the reputation of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo for producing only inexpensive wine might put some consumers off...
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Cosentino, Lodi (California) Old Vine Zinfandel 2015
Rich Cook
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March 28, 2017
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The ever popular Cigar Zinfandel gets a makeover inside and out, with a new label and a drier style.  It works thanks to ripe...
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Fullerton Wines, McMinnville (Oregon) Pinot Noir 2014
Rich Cook
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March 28, 2017
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Most Pinot Noir makers will tell you that the goal is to carefully nurture the wine in the vineyard, and then not mess it...
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Fullerton Wines, Willamette Valley (Oregon) Pinot Noir 2014
Rich Cook
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March 28, 2017
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Here’s a plush Oregon Pinot Noir — not words generally found in the same sentence together — and it shows the warm 2014 growing...
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Masseria Li Veli, Salento IGT (Puglia, Italy) Susumaniello 2015
Rebecca Murphy
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March 28, 2017
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This Susumaniello is from the Falvo family’s Askos project dedicated to discovering and growing endangered, ancient, indigenous grape varieties of Puglia.  They grow head-pruned...
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