Vinanmeldelser

Jammy and ripe, from gravel soils in the valley plain of Saint-Emilion, this is already a very drinkable wine. It has intense, concentrated red and black berry fruits surrounding a core of seriously…

This is a very flamboyant Chardonnay. The grapes are superripe in pie-filling pineapples, nectarines and oranges, enhanced with smoky oak and sweet buttered popcorn, but the finish is completely dry.…

This new Syrah from Betz is medium-bodied and displays light details of herb, olive, sage, a hint of lemon verbena, and tight red currant and berry fruit flavors. There is a pretty, finishing kiss of…

The 2005 continues along the established path of this rising star winery. It's big, no holds barred, rich and jammy, and just a bit warm at 14.8% alcohol. The fruit is nicely woven together, brambly…

Because he blends shortly after fermentation, Matt Loso's wines attain a seamless complexity early on; it's a hallmark of the winery. This beautifully crafted Claret has no rough edges; in fact, no e…

Quite roasty-toasty, this is heavily scented with coffee and smoke. Smooth tannins surround plummy fruit, and there is enough concentration for a good, long finish. The blend includes 8% Cab Sauvigno…

This is top drawer—elegant, detailed and richly varietal. The fruit is tart and tangy but not sour or thin. Mixed green fruits, apple, citrus, and a lightly toasty nose set up a wine with impressive…

I can see why so many of Washington's winemakers love this young vineyard. It is already expressing the sort of subtleties that most viticulturalists would kill for. The fruit is ripe but not too swe…

This is 100% Riesling, and the intense, floral aromas suggest a smattering of Gewürztraminer, at least in essence if not in fact. Beeswax, lemon candy, orange blossom and other juicy citrus component…

A great Zin from Napa, this shows the classic structure of a claret, but with Zin's distinctive personality. Briary, brambly wild berries, mocha and masses of white pepper are the aromas and flavors.

This 100-percent varietal wine is balanced and textural, with compact, spicy fruit. The barrel treatment is superb, adding cinnamon, spice and chocolate in wave after wave of lush flavor. It just kee…

The most structured of Sterling's recent releases and hence our favorite, the 2004 Diamond Mountain Ranch Cabernet boasts notes of cinnamon, cassis and clove, framed by firm tannins and finishing wit…

This Bordeaux blend has a surprisingly broad aspect, with very young fruit that opens up and then sits on the midpalate. It's much more open and expressive than the last few vintages. At first it see…

This full-bodied blend of grapes from a wide assortment of top vineyards shows fine acidity, a good phenolic frame of citrus rind, and core flavors of lemon and grapefruit, green apple and white peac…

The blend on this complex red wine is mainly Cabernet Sauvignon, with some Petit Verdot and what the winery calls “other reds.” It's the most interesting of Geyser Peak's 2011s, showing ripe, forward…

This is a carefully made, almost calculated wine that showcases controlled herbaceousness around tight, crisp black fruits. The mix evokes earth, herb, barrel and grape.

A flood of delicious, sweet/sour floral and citrus flavors sweeps across the palate, a lush compound of satsuma orange and highlights of honeysuckle, Meyer lemon and apricot. It's a tart and vivid wi…

Still quite compact with youthful tension and energy, this will reward your patience. Dense flavors of raspberry, boysenberry and cassis are streaked with espresso and dark chocolate. The length is i…

Now a strong focus for the Tranche estate, this is inky purple/black in the glass, almost impenetrable, and lushly aromatic with dried berries, plums and cherries. A generous vein of vanilla and toba…

Sestina celebrates old-vine Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc from the Red Willow and Bacchus vineyards. The initial punch and power gives way to a wine with sharp acidity and somewhat co…

This Red Mountain cuvée falls nicely between the winery's Columbia Valley and single-vineyard offerings. Raspberry and cassis fruit, young and compact, is underscored with chalky minerality and sugge…

Made from a blend of 62% Grenache and 38% Syrah, this is a classically dry, refreshingly crisp rosé, pink-salmon in color that's intense yet soft, crafted in a Provence style. The grapes come from Ru…

Viognier is half the blend, with the rest Roussanne and Riesling, yielding a delightfully aromatic, lightly honeyed wine, with a lush array of ripe fruits. Apricot, papaya, pineapple and banana are a…

The Hatcher delivers excellent value. Concentrated black cherry fruit runs on through a delicious, cherry cola finish. It's dusted with cinnamon and sassafras, and built for cellaring through 2024.