Wine of the Week

Garden Party Wine Picks Zinfandel – not to be mistaken for White Zinfandel – is one of the most underrated red wines. Typically big and jammy, Hartford Family aims for a more refined expression but still retains the big fruit flavors that people like about Zinfandel. Burgers and barbecue are perfect pairings for this.

I loved the purity and focused, finesseful feel of this wine; the bright, upbeat red and blue fruited Pinot qualities humming along with great clarity through a silken middle and prolonged, lip smacking finish. Gran Moraine winemaker Shane Moore tells us, “The Dropstone was blended from our two different estate vineyards to combine elegance and power, which I think is what Yamhill-Carlton is all about.... The 777 on our winery block usually drips with intense red fruit and driving acidity, and the Pommard Clone 4 at our Gran Moraine Vineyard faces due south, bringing barely ripe yet ethereal blue fruit, more elegance and spice... I try to coax the spice and intense fruit out of these wines without pulling out too much extraction (long cold soaks, cool ferments, relatively little cap manipulation, only once-filled oak, picking on the earlier side, and no extended maceration or whole cluster).”

The wine showed a light-medium ruby color. Cherry, raspberry, cranberry, strawberry, mossy earth and oak all arrived on the nose. Cherry, raspberry, cranberry, rhubarb, loamy earth, strawberry and oak on a palate teeming with red berry fruit. The wine exhibited good structure and length, along with soft tannins. This wine would do well with a piece of grilled salmon or alongside a hearty dish of Coq Au Vin.

Wines of the Week The prestigious Gran Moraine Vineyard – five miles west of Carlton, Oregon - was planted in 2005 to several different Dijon clones of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. This wine is a fantastic testament to the potential of Oregon Chardonnay, offering aromas of stone fruits, tropical citrus and brioche followed by rich flavors of pear and apricot with mineral and crisp acidity on the finish.

Reasonably aromatic and then sandpaper dry on the end but without quite enough compelling fruit in the middle. Relatively lean (for a Napa Valley wine) with some freshness. Probably not such a bargain as a really good Chinon. 16/20

Cardinale starts out with 50 different wines, and under winemaker Chris Carpenter that number is reduced to a handful of complex, aromatic samples awash in intensity, texture and length. In 2014 there were only a few heat spikes, leaving Carpenter to settle on 24 different wines, spanning six different appellations and 12 vineyard sites. A third of the final blend came from Spring Mountain’s volcanic loam soils, which Carpenter credits with fine tannins and delicate floral notes. Howell Mountain kicks in 25 percent, bringing dark fruit characters, herbs and weight adding complexity and depth. The final blend is an 88/12 mix of cabernet sauvignon and merlot aged 19 months in French oak, 94 percent of which is new. Complexity is a big part of Cardinale, with additional fruit sourced in Stags Leap, St. Helena, Diamond Mountain District, and Mount Veeder. It’s a wine for the ages from Carpenter and Napa that will repay a decade of bottle age. If you can’t wait, roast lamb would be a fine match.

Chile 2018 Special Report This superb Carignan, grafted on to old vine País is made for the Jackson family by Andrés Sánchez. Perfumed, refined and well balanced with remarkable precision and focus, notes of mint and liquorice and polished tannins.

Mt. Brave Vineyard sits high atop Mt. Veeder at 1,400 to 1,800 feet. The estate, on the western flank of Napa Valley, is named for the native Wappos who first called it home. Mt. Veeder has been planted to wine grapes since the early 1860s, while Mt. Brave Vineyard dates to 1841—before the Gold Rush and the Civil War. The site is all about high elevation and thin, rocky soils that present many winegrowing challenges. Four cabernet clones (191, 4, 8, and 337) and three rootstocks (3309C, 101-14, and 1103P) neutralise some of the issues in what is normally a slow moving, long, cool growing season above the fog line. Winemaker Chris Carpenter says “Mt. Brave Cabernet Sauvignon is meant to show all that is Mt. Veeder without overt tannins, and the 2014 is a great example of that proposition". I say, is it ever; the finesse of this wine and the silkiness of the 2014 tannins is other-worldly. The wine fermented in stainless steel and goes through malolactic fermentation in French oak barrels (89 percent new). After some 19 months of barrel ageing it is bottled without fining or filtration. The attack mixes black raspberry/blackberry fruit, dried herbs and blueberries with a floral, mineral undercurrent that perfectly meshes with the silky tannins. The blend is 90.5/4/3.5/2 cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc and malbec. Cellar for a decade.

Moderately light garnet color in the glass. Reserved, but pleasing aromas of forest and blackberry fruit. Both earthy and fruity, exhibiting a mid weight core of fresh black cherry and black raspberry sap clothed in gracious toasty oak. Soft and silken in the mouth with a notable juiciness and a big, even giant, persistent finish. When tasted the following day from a previously opened and re-corked bottle, that glorious finish continued to grab my attention.

Moderately light garnet color in the glass. Lovely perfume of black cherry, clove, and Wassail spices, becoming more explosive over time in the glass. The mid weight black cherry essence is pure and vivid in the mouth, carrying over through an exceptionally long finish. Even better when tasted the following day from a previously opened and re-corked bottle. This wine has an aura that captivates me year in and year out.

Blended with 10% Petit Verdot, this age-worthy beauty is impressively oaked and tannic in its youth, with a concentration of densely packed red and black currants. Coconut shavings and vanilla appear from the background alongside black pepper and cinnamon.

Medium crimson color from a label named for the Babylonian goddess of wine; velvety with ripe cherry and floral notes; herbal and generous with a crisp, tangy finish.

Moderately light garnet color in the glass. Energetic aromas of black cherry, cardamom spice and complimentary oak. Discreetly concentrated in a charming and poised style, with flavors of black cherry, black tea and spice. Highly accessible, with welcome elegance, a silky mouth feel and seamless integration of t n’ a. “Graceful Lady” is an apropos name for this wine. Still highly aromatic and charming when sampled the following day from a previously opened and re-corked bottle.

Moderate garnet color in the glass. A classic Pinot nose of spiced cherry and earthy flora. A big gulp of dark fruit goodness that is bold yet refined with gracious tannins and giving acidity. Satiny in the mouth, with noticeable oak backing, and a long finish. The majestic fruit is unusually concentrated for Pinot Noir. More desirable when tasted the following day from a previously opened and re-corked bottle when the oak showed better integration. Decant or hold awhile in the cellar.

Pure and powerful, with intense red berry and dark cherry flavors that are supported by fresh acidity and firm tannins. Dried green herb and spice notes show on the engaging and mineral-filled finish.

This is a 100% varietal wine, juicy and broad on the palate with mouth-filling tannins that show its youthful vigor. Cherry and raspberry liqueur flavors run deep, wrapped in sizable oak and well-integrated accents of cedar and dried herb. This stands to be cellared; enjoy best 2024 through 2029.

Fleshy cherry and dark spice with a long, naughty finish on this California Pinot Noir. Medium-bodied and satin smooth like lingerie. A supple red wine with cherry-berry mouth-filling wonder and flavours. Just enough oak for hedonists. Layered yet not heavy. This pinot has been one of my favourites for years. Satin seduction in a glass. Pair with roasted turkey or chicken.

Outstanding - Wine of the Week We opened this with some microwave popcorn and the latest episode of This is Us. While I am not sure how I feel about letting the world know that I watch the series, this wine was nothing less than gangbusters. Light but a bit cloudy in the glass, with black cherry, earth, and cassis on the nose, this is simply stellar. Subtle yet tasty fruit, an earthiness on the mid-palate that defies most American Pinots, and a finish that is simply remarkable. I have had a few wines from Brewer-Clifton and this wine underscores the need for more. Bravo.

Lively blueberry and bitter chocolate aromas open to expressive black raspberry, pepper and orange peel flavors that gain zest on the finish.

Largely structured and weighty, this well-made wine is youthful in its grippy tannins and full embrace of huckleberry and black-cherry fruit, the exuberance tempered by complements of black licorice and toasted oak. This will be happy in the cellar; enjoy best 2024–2029.

Blended with 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, then aged 18 months in 64% new French oak, this is a lovely example of the variety: velvety, with smoky undertones of oak. Milk chocolate, raspberry and wild truffle combine well on the medium-bodied palate, the finish bright and focused in acidity.

La Jota Vineyard Co. has a long history that dates to 1898, when Frederick Hess founded the company in a remote, wind-swept hollow high on Howell Mountain. Winemaker Chris Carpenter is the man behind La Jota’s Howell Mountain wines, bringing some two decades of mountain winemaking experience with him. The blocks are nestled between forested areas, each bringing a distinctive story to the grapes and the wine. Power and elegance is the La Jota mandate and it has both in spades. The merlot is dense, and intense, with bright mulberry/blueberry fruit, excellent acidity, compelling lush tannins with dark chocolate and clove highlights. It’s spicy and persistently long and warm in the finish. The blend is 90/10 merlot/petit verdot that is cold-soaked for a more gentle extraction of colour, flavours and tannins, and fermented with native yeast in a mix of open and closed-top stainless-steel tanks before aging 19 months in oak. You could easily cellar this through 2025.

This opaque and very dark garnet colored Cabernet Franc from La Jota was the winner of a mini-blind tasting of Cab Francs from California. It opens with a blueberry and cherry bouquet. On the palate, this wine is full bodied, well-balanced and juicy. The flavor profile is a blend of blueberry and minerality with notes of blackberry and stewed plums. We also detected some hints of cherry-cola in the mix. The finish is dry and its huge tannins stick around for quite a while. Our mini-panel suggested decanting this Cab Franc in the near term and serving it with a well-marbled ribeye with some hush puppies on the side.

This is an impressive style of RRV pinot beginning with its fresh, almost electric, acidity followed by lifted aromas of sandalwood, plums and boysenberry fruit. The attack is the classic black fruit that dominates Russian river pinot with bits of brown spice threaded throughout its lush finish. The grapes come off 20-year-old, neighboring estates, Piner and Olivet, in the heart of the Russian River Valley where the fog often lingers into the late morning hours. The soils are free draining Huichica loams well-suited to a mix of pinot clones in this case 23, 667, 777, Flowers and Pommard. The Fog Veil harvest began on August 31 and the wine spent 15 months in 33 percent new French oak. Delicious stuff.