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Showing posts from May, 2018

Delightfully Drinkable | Black Magnolia 2015 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley, Oregon | By Real Nice Winemakers

You seldom encounter an Oregon Pinot Noir of this quality at this price.  "I’ve missed you Oregon Pinot Noir." I am strongly recommending the Real Nice Winemakers 2015 Black Magnolia Pinot Noir. My Pinot Noir drinkers will instantly appreciate this wine. And speaking to you non-Pinot Noir drinkers, this wine is the perfect excuse to try again. It is well crafted and priced reasonably. You can afford to give it a taste. I think you will be as pleased as I was. "Wow. Very good. Ready to drink. Big like." Tasting Notes Black Magnolia 2015 Pinot Noir Color : Pale ruby, clear rim. Nose : Medium intensity, earthy raspberry, savory spice, blackcurrant, strawberry jam. Pretty. Palate :  Medium body, fruity, bright red cherry, ripe strawberry, creamy, medium plus acidity, dry, pretty medium finish. Well done. 30 minutes : Medium ruby color. Tobacco leaf, candied fruit, ripe raspberry, perfume on the nose. Fluid, medium minus body, cranberry, cherry, str...

Deeply Delicious Shallow Seas 2017 Rosé Wine | Willamette Valley, Oregon

"Patio thinker into a sunset sharing wine." Today I am pleased to share my sentiments on the second vintage of Shallow Seas Rosé, by winemaker Anthony Van Nice, of Real Nice Winemakers . "The name and the antique diver helmet refer to our marine sedimentary soils here. The whole area was an inland seas millions of years ago and plate tectonic forces pushed this ancient seabed up to the surface. You can walk the vineyards and break apart rocks with your hands and find fossilized seas shells and other marine life." Tasting Notes Shallow Seas 2017  Rosé Color: Rose gold. Nose : Medium-minus intensity, minerality, dried strawberry, perfume, hint of pink grapefruit and pomegranate. Pretty. Palate : Medium minus intensity, medium body, dry, textured, tingle on tongue, Delicate flavor, savory, raspberry, cherry, juicy quince, medium finish. Lovely, nuanced flavors, focused and spot on. My speed. I like this wine, a lot. Day two : Juicy, dry, savor...

Michael David Winery 2017 Ancient Vine Cinsault Rosé | Lodi Appelation

132 year old vines produce a plush Lodi Rosé wine. Brothers Michael and David Phillips, constitute the 6th generation of grape-growers in the Phillips family. The Phillips family has farmed fruits and vegetables in the Lodi region since the 1850s, cultivating wine grapes for nearly a century. Tasting with David Phillips of Michael David winery at Bare Ranch. I enjoyed meeting David Phillips two years ago in Lodi, California . Not only did we taste through many of his Michael David wines at Bare Ranch ( available to rent ) we also visited the Bechthold ancient vine Cinsault vineyard in the Mokelumne AVA. David Phillips at Bechthold ancient vine Cinsault vineyard, Mokelumne AVA. This is my first tasting of his Cinsault  Rosé made from those ancient vines. What is an ancient vine? The dry-farmed Bechthold ancient vine Cinsault Vineyard in the Lodi, Mokelumne AVA is 132 years old! I believe that makes this wine quite special. This Rosé wine was last produced i...

My Style of Rosé, Klinker Brick 2017 Bricks and Roses Rosé from Lodi, California

Drink now, thank me later. Have I shared how well I like Lodi wines? Well, yes I have. In 2016, I enjoyed visiting Lodi, California wine country and wrote about the wines I enjoyed and the friendly, passionate people I met in northern California wine country. "There is another California wine country destination worth discovering. It is not over-priced, it is not crowded and it is full of local charm and flavors. This is your opportunity to experience small town California wine country before everyone else."  see:  Lodi, California re-discover wine country and Wines of Lodi, California . Now that spring is transitioning to summer, and the digits are counting upwards, it feels like Rosé wine season to me. This time of year many wineries are releasing their Rosé wines just in time for Mothers Day. Or just because. The Klinker Brick 2017 Bricks and Roses Rosé is my style of Rosé. A blend of Rhone grape varieties, it was dry, crisp, focused, and...

Part 5a - Mas LLunes 2013 Rhodes from DO Empordà, Catalunya: A Return Home

Vi Català. More than a review of the Mas LLunes 2013 Rhodes red wine. I want to begin today's wine review with a much overdue re-cap of my visit to the Mas LLunes winery in 2016. There are more winery visits and reviews pending, which is why I have titled this post, " Part 5a ". Wine review is further below. * You can jump back to the original Outline if needed. Note: Empordà is a Spanish Denominación de Origen (DO) for wines produced in the northeastern corner of Catalunya, in the province of Girona. Up until 2006, it was defined as DO Empordà-Costa Brava to associate the large tourist beach area within the region to the east. On the Road to Mas LLunes Winery in  DO Empordà The drive to the Mas LLunes winery was full of narrow, shoulder-less, twisty back roads. Through some very beautiful country. Once the Pyrenees mountain range became visible, it served as the backdrop for our drive through wine country. Manel shared a lot of detail about the area and...