Featured Wines - Sept 2005

The outstanding 2001 vintage has imbued the 2001Breton Loriñon Tinto Crianza with everything it needs to succeed in life, including a deep ruby robe, an amplifying aroma, supreme extract, and the requisite balance to live a long healthy life. In short, both extract and subtlety play off each other, and this is just the youthful beginning for this marvelous Rioja. The wine’s amplifying nose offers a smorgasbord of tantalizing aromas: cassis, plum,...

An intriguing bouquet of ripe black cherry fruit, strawberry, and the subtlety of spice, seeps indefatigably from the regally robed 2003 Walnut City WineWorks Pinot Noir. On the palate, this Côte de Nuits Burgundian style Pinot Noir opens slowly and unfolds propitiously to reveal textured ripe fruit, oriental spice, and just a hint of smoke that adds a note of complexity. Moreover, this WineWorks Pinot Noir has sufficient underpinning and a zesty...

Wow! If more Chiantis tasted like the 2003 Giacomo Mori, Chianti would be the hottest wine in town. The product of true commitment, superb winemaking, and the outstanding 2003 vintage, this latest release from Giacomo Mori exudes the quintessence of authentic Chianti: a deep ruby robe, a beguiling nose, and oodles of pure ripe Sangiovese and Canaiolo fruit that just won’t quit. Layer upon layer of fruit along with subtle earth tones unfold with e...

Refreshing like a late summer breeze, the 2004 Walnut City WineWorks Willamette Valley Pinot Gris offers more than a flavorful, thirst-quenching libation; it is the quintessential Oregon Pinot Gris and could easily double as the poster child for Pinot Gris – one of Oregon’s two state drinks. Pale in color, with the barest hint of green, this Pinot Gris proffers a light, easy aromatic profile, replete with the aroma of spring flowers, ripe apples,...

Never before have we tasted a Soave quite like the 2003 Inama Vigneti di Foscarino Soave Classico. This is no ordinary white wine nor is it indicative of any other Soave; it is the ultimate Soave Classico and a unique exciting white wine unto itself. From its golden robe to its elegant lingering finish, the Inama Vigneti di Foscarino makes almost all other white wines look clumsy and unsophisticated. In the nose, this lovely dry white wine is all...

Bright, creamy, and brimming with tropical fruit, the 2003 Chateau St. Jean Sonoma County Chardonnay doesn’t miss a beat. In fact, this wine hits all the right notes from an aromatic prelude to its resounding finish. It may also leave you shaking your head, wondering why you hadn’t bought more. Perhaps, the most telling comment on this extroverted Chardonnay comes from a member of our tasting panel, who rather casually remarked: “the second glass...

The 1998 Vina Ardanza shouts RIOJA! A blend of Tempranillo (75-80%) and Garnacha (20-25%) grapes, this classic Rioja Alta has been aged for 36 months in small American oak casks and then an additional 24 months in the bottle before release. A deep garnet color in the glass, the ’98 Ardanza foretells the ultimate gratification that is to follow. Before one even takes a sip, this wine’s highly aromatic profile, replete with a cigar box scent, emerg...