Featured Wines - October 2023

“Wow! Big in flavor, but smooth as silk,” blurted one of our most experienced tasting panel members. “This is my kind of wine,” uttered another to the agreement of the entire panel. The deep purple 2019 Donati Family Vineyard Paso Robles Claret (49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 5% Malbec, 5% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc) is one of California’s most consistently delicious Bordeaux blends. Redolent with the seductive scents of blackberry...

Painted Wolf’s 2022 The Den Swartland Chenin Blanc warrants serious attention. Every bit deserving of high praise and 93 Points from Decanter, this Chenin Blanc may also lay claim to being the finest quality and value Chenin Blanc in the market today. Best of all, the 2022 Painted Wolf The Den simply tastes great. It offers a sensuous perfume of green apple infused with hints of honeysuckle and wisteria. In the mouth, Painted Wolf’s 2022 The...

The 2022 Thistledown Gorgeous Shiraz Old Vine Small Batch No. 4 (90 Points – James Halliday) makes a fine first appearance, exhibiting an inviting purple color, which beckons from the moment the wine is poured. Blueberry and blackberry fruit greet the nose and palate. In the mouth, Thistledown’s 2022 Gorgeous Shiraz, which features an unusual and inventive dash of the white grapes Zibibbo (11%) and Fiano (3%), is silky smooth, beautifully...

Pale yellow and shimmering in the glass with flashes of green, the 2021 Waldschütz Kamptal Grüner Veltliner exudes great energy and vitality. A pleasantly fruity aroma of lemon zest dusted with ginger and exotic spices greets the nose. In the mouth, this Grüner Veltliner bursts with flavor and enlivens the palate. Fruit and spice along with Kamptal’s distinctive minerality come front and center, offering Grüner Veltliner’s unique zing on the...

The scion of a splendid vintage in Tuscany, the 2019 Selvapiana Vigneto Bucerchiale Chianti Rufina Riserva DOCG (95 Points – Jeb Dunnuck; 94 Points – James Suckling) from 100% Sangiovese vines is stunning in all respects, beginning with an entrancing floral bouquet. Scents of red raspberry, cherry, and rose petal waft from the glass. Although quite young and built for long ageing, the 2019 Bucerchiale Riserva already comes across as seamless...

Walt continues to fashion a compelling and thoroughly delicious Chardonnay from Sonoma County’s Sonoma Coast AVA as the recently released 2020 Walt Sonoma Coast Chardonnay (92 Points – Wine Spectator) aptly attests. Radiant and vibrant with outstanding purity, Walt’s 2020 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay offers a delectable bouquet replete with fresh pear, honeysuckle, lemon curd, and exotic floral tones. In the mouth, Walt’s 2020 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay...

Bold, beautiful, and nicely burnished, Tait has once again fashioned the quintessential Barossa Shiraz in their 2016 Tait Basket Pressed Old Vines Barossa Valley Shiraz (93 Points – Josh Raynolds). Sporting a deep impenetrable purple color and a complex set of aromatics, this full throttle Shiraz opens with notes of blackberry, plum, and dark chocolate along with hints of clove, violets, and exotic spices. Yet the real fireworks begin in the...