Whole berry, basket pressed; wild yeast Ferment, lees maturation and battonage. Rosé shown some love, the Yangarra way. Touch of Turkish Delight and rose petal, softly accented, to entice. Crisp, clipped, has a cool approach - in that it feels punchy across the palate. Spiced nuance moving through the final third, driving length. Rivals the best of any, so-called, Provençal style Rosé.
Those looking for a healthier way to imbibe this Labor Day Weekend will enjoy Kendall-Jackson’s new Lower Calorie Chardonnay. With only 85 calories, no sugar, and 3 grams of carbs per serving, compared to about 120 calories for a typical Chardonnay, this vegan-friendly wine boasts bright flavors of grapefruit, pineapple and creamy lemon meringue that pair deliciously with leaner Labor Day recipes, such as grilled scallops with seasonal vegetables.
One of the more challenging releases, this Yangarra Ovitelli Grenache 2019 is a fascinating, layered wine, if not as loveable as the current release High Sands.From the 2ha Block 30, planted in 1946. Destemmed, crushed and tipped into 675l ceramic eggs and spends 101 days on skins. Matured for a further 8 months on skins post-press. Numbers: pH 3.37 TA 6.5g/L.There’s a waft of VA to announce things, then a nose and palate that is so lucid. Raspberry and red texta, there is a glycerol roundness through the palate, but the tannins are sandpapery and firm. I get a little distracted by the volatility and a slight soapiness, but the vibrancy of the fruit is excellent. The tannins are going to be divisive too – they’re pronounced and grainy – though that just adds layers. Quality Grenache, although I preferred last year’s release more (and the Hickinbotham too).Yangarra Ovitelli Grenache 2019. Best drinking: It’s going to live. But I would drink it within the next five to eight years.
A strikingly fresh and complex pinot that hails from a cooler season. Plenty of red-cherry, redcurrant an slighter strawberry aromas, as well as florals, spicy oak and sappy elements. The palate has a pure red-cherry core and fine, taut tannins. Fresh finish. Drink now.
A very fresh and composed chardonnay that offers aromas of lemon, lightly spiced pear pastry and peach. The intense and fresh palate holds a line of juicy peach and pear flavors in a smoothly enriched, focused style. Drink now.
Let's start spring with a bang! This is a brilliant McLaren Vale Shiraz. Captivating aromas from the outset, oh, I'm in love! A passage of calm washes over you. Come at me... Red plums, blueberries and mulberries all the way - you could bathe in it. Dark chocolate is flanked with a herby factor. The oak is integrated beautifully - I feel consumed in all its glory. That drying finish just rolls along gracefully with powdery tannins the parting gift. All class.Drink to ten years+
This coastal wine comes from a site north of Fort Ross and at high elevation. Rich and rounded in style, it has texture and complexity that complements and tames the opulent flavors of peach and vanilla. The finish is spicy and lifted, with a lasting tang. Enjoy from 2028–2032.
It can be hard to find coastal Syrah, so this hearty version from the producer’s Far Coast Vineyard stands out in several ways. It is lifted in tones of dried herb, lavender and garrigue, with a meaty midpalate that is notable in blueberry and game flavors. Supple, integrated tannins and oak accents surround it all.
A full-bodied, generously flavorful and robust wine, this is spicy and earthy in tree bark, cedar and dried herb. Fresh acidity confronts a wall of riotous intensity of crushed rock and deep, dark cherry.
This is a gorgeously crafted, complex and structured wine, made from a cool-climate site at 1,150-feet-elevation near the town of Occidental. Meyer lemon citrus bursts from the opening, leading the way to a silky texture of great tension and acidity. Green apple, Asian spice and a taste of tea round out the finish.
This deeply colored Cabernet sees small additions of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. It is soft and supple, with red fruit at its core. A mix of cherry and currant play well against the savory components and graceful structure.
With a small amount of Merlot blended in, this ageworthy red is thick and concentrated in blueberry, black currant and a hint of black olive. With grip and power, it shows earthy, savory characteristics of cedar, tobacco and dried herb, with a length of firm tannin and integrated oak. Enjoy from 2027–2032.
This is made from one of the coldest sites in the appellation, planted in 1975 to a single clone. Cranberry, cherry and strawberry fruit adorn a plush and velvety palate of textured intensity and tannin, with jolts of black tea, dried herb and forest complementing and contrasting.
Lushly tropical with a richness of crème brûlée, this wine is made from several sites in the Laguna Ridge neighborhood of the appellation. Generous oak supports the layering opulence and spiciness, offering a voluptuous expression of the grape.
An exuberantly fruity, fleshy and pleasing wine, this shows concentrated flavors of green apple, pear and mandarin. The acidity is moderate and the oak spicy, with hints of nutmeg, lemongrass and Nilla Wafer that remain fresh and focused in the glass.
With small amounts of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, this is a rounded and rich red with balanced acidity. Dark plum, berry and mocha highlight a soft, lush opulence of integrated oak with hints of baking spice and tobacco.
This is a jubilant style of Pinot Noir, loaded with cherries and strawberries as mace and oak spice uplift the fruit. The fresh red fruit explodes on the palate, where cinnamon and sumac wrap into vanilla- pastry flavors, with lingering oak on the finish.
Creamy texture akin to salted butter leads the way to a mineral-driven midpalate of stone, citrus and peach in this delightfully complex and balanced wine. Hints of baking spice and dried herb provide additional character and intrigue.
Reductive red fruit, cedar and oak combine around an intensely grippy and powerful midpalate in this appellation wine. Nuanced elements of cherry, currant and cassis whisper within the layers of tobacco, tomato leaf and fine structure.
A supple and sultry red wine that is brimming in baking spice and tannin, this small-production wine shows the appellation’s funk and earthiness to great effect. Tree bark, tea and a bit of barnyard work well within a generously full-bodied context of concentration and dense red fruit.
Earthy and herbal in cedar, pencil shaving and sage, this wine has thick, firm tannin structure and an enduring elegance. Full bodied, it holds its power in check, with rich layers of cigar and dark chocolate leading to a seamless finish.
Rounded, with substantial, elongated tannin, this is a richly layered, concentrated wine that expertly showcases the appellation in its embrace of dark blue and black fruit, cola, tea and baking spice.
Very delicate on the nose, this rosé begins with clean and tight aromas of rose petal and red apple. There’s a line of chalk to the palate, where wet stone, pluot and light pomegranate flavors align.
From the Barham Vineyard, this bottling begins with deep and dark aromas of black currant, blackberry and purple flowers on the nose. The palate is loaded with candied purple fruit and flowers, cut by a line of intranet acidity and rounded with a bit of smoke.