Wine Reviews
Latoque Reserve
Primarily Cabernet Sauvignon with a bit of Syrah and Malbec. It’s also quite delicious and drinks above its mysterious lineage: melted chocolate and blackberry and licorice on the nose. A bit of forest floor (Sous Bois) on the palate backed up with lush, full-bodied tannins. The finish edges into bay leaves and black fruit. Very nice indeed.
89 Points | Wine Report by Keith Wallace
Simonsig Chenin Blanc Stellenbosch
This Chenin is one of the more successful I’ve seen from Simonsig in recent years. This charismatic bottle is pure and deep with tree fruits and melons. Guava, honeydew, peaches, and pears are present. A bright lemon acidity keeps the slight richness in balance and gives a note of minerality to the charming finish.
89 Points | Wine Report by Keith Wallace
Shannon Ridge “High Elevation Collection” Sauvignon Blanc Lake County
This is the style of Sauvignon Blanc that only a Cali winemaker can accomplish. Stylistically, it’s somewhere between a high-end Bordeaux Blanc and a New Zealander. On the nose, there is quince, buttered herbs, and spring flowers. The palate is texturally rich and slightly decadent, although the fresh acidity opens up in the mid-palate. The finish hints at tomato leaf and bay leaf and progresses into zesty grapefruit.
90 Points | Wine Report by Keith Wallace
Bersano Generala Barbera d’ Asti Superiore Nizza
The Generala is Bersano’s luxury-level Barbera, sourced from the Generala vineyard in Nizza, which was originally planted in the 1950s. This is an atypical Barbera, with dense aromas of persimmon and fenugreek, followed by a full-bodied expression of toasted oak, mocha, and smoked vanilla. The finish opens into wildflowers and blackberry. There have been at least 6 of their wines that have shown up in our stores, including their excellent 2010 Barolo I reviewed a few months ago.
91 Points | Wine Report by Keith Wallace
Chateau Lanbersac Puisseguin Saint Emilion
Françoise Lannoye is one of my favorite unknown Bordeaux winemakers. Year in and year out, her wines are both authentic and aristocratic. My first exposure to her wines was a bottle of her old-vine Chateau Lanbersac. Then there was a beautiful bottle of Moulin de Clotte. Year in and year out, her wines are both authentic and aristocratic.
Rich currant and graphite on the nose. The palate is muscular and angular with a firm mineral edge. This wine is going to need three to five years in the cellar. At this point, the tannins are overpowering the fruit, which offers up rich boysenberry and plum flavors and a beautiful finish of burnt cedar and allspice.
91 Points | Wine Report by Keith Wallace
Z’ivo Pinot Noir Eola Amity Hills,Willamette Valley
This bottle is a classic example of Willamette Valley Pinot from the Eola Amity Hills. Elegant and composed, the wine offers enticing floral and cherry notes. The structure is sleek with supple tannins that lend this Pinot Noir a glossy sophistication. A very pretty bottle, and a great value for Pinot.
90 Points | Wine Report by Keith Wallace