Tag Archives: red wine

Joseph Drouhin Musigny Grand Cru 2011 Burgundy Red Wine

April 2016

Joseph Drouhin Musigny Grand Cru 2011 750ML ($799.95) Buy Now: $549 special

drouhin musigny 2011Stephen Tanzer–Vinous 92-95 points “Good deep red. Captivating aromas of blueberry, violet, coffee bean, white pepper and crushed stone. Juicy on entry, then tight and imploded in the middle, with an energetic core of fruit currently dominated by the wine’s structure. Most impressive today on the rising, expanding back end, which saturates the mouth with dusty minerality. This will need eight to ten years of cellaring.” ST

Wine of the Day: Evesham Wood Temperance Hill 2013 4-16-16

Evesham Wood Temperance HillEvesham Wood Temperance Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills 2013 750ML ($39.95) Buy Now: $31.90 special

Evesham Wood Temperance Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills 2013 1.5L ($89.95) Buy Now: $79 special

Why we love it: The aromas! Sizzling red fruit, campfire spice, and herbs… An incredibly seductive wine with nice follow-through; cherry and currant flavors marry into a lasting, bright finish. A balanced and playful wine with very broad appeal. – Tyler

Winery note: “What a special place Temperance Hill is and what special wines come from it. As always, that “Temperance Hill note” is immediately evident on the nose. It’s hard to nail that note–cedar, green tobacco, freshly sawn wood–whatever you call it, it’s always there, but this year right there with it is a cherry and almost strawberry jam component. The mid palate is well-structured and full of fruit notes. 145 cases produced.”

Wine of the Day: Crowley La Colina 2013 4-14-16

Crowley La Colina 2013Crowley La Colina Vineyard Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2013 750ML ($59.95) Buy Now: $51.90 special

The Dundee Hills AVA is delineated in part by the soil, termed Jory. Jory soil is a very old, dark red loam, silt and clay soil formed from the decomposed basalt deposited by 15 million year old lava flows.  The soil is well-draining and is credited for giving the AVA’s wines classic red fruit and dusty spice notes.  The vineyard in question, La Colina, was planted by George Hillberry in 1999.  Since 2005 (first under the Entre Nous bottling and now also as a single vineyard) Tyson Crowley has worked with the non-irrigated vineyard.  La Colina is between 450 and 550 feet in elevation and boasts over 6 feet of Jory soil.

This is my third time visiting with the 2013 La Colina, which has just begun to open up. The wine is very much true to its origins: it opens with a classic dusty, darker spice note.  On the palate, it shows bright black raspberry notes with hints of iron.  The flavors sit on the palate for over a minute after tasting, lingering with savory notes of Assam tea and red cherries.  Tannins are present yet fine.  This bottling from Crowley continues to impress and suggests yet again a long life ahead. -Suzanne

Wine of the Day: Mas Cal L’Infidele 2010 4-10-16

Mas Cal Demoura L'InfindeleMas Cal Demoura “L’infidele” 2010 750ML ($31.95) Buy Now: $27 special
“I have no shame in loving the rough-and-tumble wines of southern France. When the yields are kept in check and the wine’s development isn’t stunted by efforts of standardization, the resulting wines can be at once charming and startling. These sorts of blends have a broader appeal than I think we allow – I’d bet a day’s wages, for one, that you could get a Napa Cab guy and a Loire geek to agree on some gems of the Languedoc.

“One such gem comes from Mas Cal Demoura, situated not far from Montpelier along the slopes of the Cévennes mountain range. These wines are soulful, playful – reverent, even, as they’re not shy to display the seemingly-paradoxical traits of their terroir: bold, fresh, mineral-laden, layered, dynamic…“L’Infidele” integrates all five varietals of the domaine each vintage: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, and Carignan.

“Each varietal is fermented separately and then blended to the vintner’s liking. One grape may account for 3% one year and 18% another; this makes the process of tasting year after year particularly interesting. The resultant wine, for 2010, is soil-driven and linear with open-ended red fruit and all-over-the-place aromatics in a good sort of way. I love it.” -Tyler

Wine of the Day: Teofilo Reyes Ribera del Duero 2011 4-7-16

Teofilo Reyes, Ribera del Duero 2011 ($29.95) Buy Now: $24 special
Case-12 Teofilo Reyes, Ribera del Duero 2011 ($319.95) Buy Now: $259 special
Teofilo Reyes 2011Bodegas Reyes was founded by Juan Jose and Luis in 1994, under the supervision of his father, Teofilo Reyes, who hoped to bring some continuity from his 50 years of experience.% 100 Tempranillo. The wine is hand harvested and aged in French and American oak for 16 months. On the palate, wonderfully dense, layered dark fruit gives way to supple tannins and a nice, long finish. Notes of spice, oak, and anise compliment this well produced wine.  Great value at $24 per bottle, or our case-12 special for $21.58 each! -Troy