Author: winesiders

Posted on

2016 Domaine Lavantureux Chablis

The wines of Roland Lavantureux have always been on the list of favorites year after year since the 90s. Whether it’s the Premier Cru Fourcharme, the all stainless steel vinified Petite Chablis or just the Chablis, their white wines from Burgundy’s Chablis region are always nothing less than sensational.

The 2016 Domaine Lavantureux Chablis is one of those go to wines that stands out in the field of Chardonnays, which are often viewed as oaky, buttery, toasted and almond flavored. Lavantureux’s Chablis is none of that.

What you do get is the pure, minerally, green apple, the striking citrus flavors of lime and lemon and Bartlett pears, with a hint of summer flowers and spice that entice you to go for more before you finish the first glass. 

The wine is not blowsy the way some California Chardonnay’s seem to be that entice so many people to drink them. Instead you get a wine of sophistication and silk. One that is at home as much with a fish or oyster dish as it is with some fresh blue or goat cheese.

And that’s why, the 2016 Domaine Lavantureux Chablis is today’s WineSiders’ Wine of The Day!!!

 
Posted on

2016 Le Roc de Anges Segna de Cor

Le Roc de Anges is one of those producers you just need to know about.

As someone who has been cellaring and drinking the exquisite wines from this husband and wife team in the hills of the Roussillion Cotes Catelanes region near Maury, the 2016 Segna de Cor is one to seek out.

The wine is a blend of very old Carignan, Syrah and Grenache vines grown on the desolate lunar landscape. The blackberry, blueberry and lush strawberries encircle a warm chocolate like center. Toss in the Northern Rhone olive and herbs aromas and you have a wine to kill for. It’s also built to age.

That’s why the 2016 Le Roc de Anges Segna de Cor is today’s Winesiders’ Wine of The Day.

Posted on

2015 Faury Vieilles Vignes St. Joseph

It’s getting Rhonely out there. With Decouvertes du Rhone just two weeks away, and and the tour of four days on day two taking the trade tasters to Mauves the wines of St. Joseph will be flowing. 

With that in mind it was time to enjoy a 2015 Faury Vieilles Vignes Saint Joseph.

For years the wines of St. Joseph, and Crozes-Hermitage have been some of my favorite go-to wines, especially when dining on grilled beef or spicy Asian fare. Years back a Kermit Lynch sampler of Rhone wines include two from Blachon and Faury. While the Blachon wines are no longer around my cellar, the Faury family wines are.

Here’s a 100 percent Syrah made from vines planted between the 30’s the 70s. The Faury is a full bodied red, loaded with brambly blueberry pie filling fruit, and a wonderful bouquet of green and black olives, green bell pepper.

Wines like the Vieilles Vignes are true gems.  While many Rhonies are quick to turn towards Chateauneuf du Pape for hedonistic thrill rides, there is an option. The North, and wines like this St. Joseph,  that provide total pleasure, and enjoyment rivaling those Southern stars every time. 

And that’s why the 2015 Faury Vieilles Vignes Saint Joseph. is today’s WineSiders’ Wine of The Day!!!

Posted on

2015 Domaine de la Mordoree La Reine Des Bois Lirac

Domaine de la Mordoree’s La Reine Des Bois Lirac is a wine that has  consistently been a go to since staple since the 2001 vintage. Back then, and with the 03, 04, 07 releases, and then again in the ’10-15 vintages, and even in 2016 when tasted in barrel, the wines have consistently shown to be an outperformer from the Rhone year after year.

In grand vintages like ’07 and ’16 putting the top Lirac cuvee against Chateauneuf du Papes is possible, and while the prices of the Mordorees have crept up, the Liracs have not seen the same jumps as their other side of the Rhone river siblings.

The Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre blend of which Syrah is 40 percent while the other two contribute 30 percent each, make this a prototypical GSM blend from the Rhone. But what makes this wine so special is the vines that are grown on galets, or loosely translated, cobblestones that cover the vineyard.

The inky reddish black purple colored wine is full of layered berry fruit. Rich and deep blackberry, blueberry and strawberry flavors, along with fresh spring violets and a slight toasted bread aroma makes this wine such a standout.

That’s why the 2015 Domaine de la Mordoree’s La Reine Des Bois Lirac is today’s WineSiders’ Wine of The Day

Posted on

2016 Owen Roe Ex Umbris

I became a huge fan of the wines of Owen Roe when I started to spend time in Seatlle a few years back. As time went on I started to buy the Ex Umbis Syrah starting with the 2014 vintage.

Over the past few years the wine that are pretty much like drinking a Northern Rhone are some of the best values around from Washington State.

Think blueberry pie and grape jam. Think even more. In many ways the Ex Umbris is as close to a baby Cornas made in the USA that you’ll find.

That’s why the 2016 Owen Roe Ex Umbris is today’s WineSiders’ Wine of The Day!!! 

Posted on

2017 Chotard Sancerre

There’s always something so inviting about a cool, crisp, bright glass of Sancerre. Maybe it’s simply the way Sauvignon Blanc is one of those refreshing white grapes. Or, perhaps it’s the grassy, herbaciousness that the wine has in principal no matter where it hails from.

Then again, maybe it’s simply that as the weather turns warmer, and as humidity returns to the air to signify the real end of winter, that the refreshing, clean and bright body found in a well made Sancerre just always hit the spot.

That’s the 2017 Chotard Sancerre to a T. 

It all starts with the pale yellow color of the wine and the flavors of lemons, ripe grapfruit and a hint of lime. The minerals from the Loire valley add some stoney and flinty notes to it, all tied together in a perfect finish.

That’s why the 2017 Chotard Sancerre is today’s WineSiders’ Wine of The Day!!!

Posted on

2013 The Pairing Red

Ever since the first vintage of The Pairing found its way to my cellar I’ve been hooked. Dollar for dollar this is one of the very best value reds from anywhere, but especially California.

The Pairing is an offshoot of Jonata and Screaming Eagle. The rumor is that some leftover grapes from Screaming Eagle make their way into the “all California” blended red. If it isn’t true, it doesn’t matter as the 2013 again demonstrated.

A nice plum and cherry core, with some cedar notes that blend nicely with the creme de cocoa, chocolate and light tobacco flavors, the 2013 The Pairing is the seventh vintage I’ve enjoyed, with 2007 and 2009 really winning people over. So did the ’13.

The wine has style, structure and balance, and for a low $20’s price point it sure punches way above its weight.

Made from 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Franc, 10% Petit Verdot, the Bordeaux varietal blend is a real California wine.

The rich Cabernet and Merlot stands out, but based on the way the 13 tasted the Cab Franc is also putting its mark in the glass by adding some structure and restraint to the fruit forward nature of the Cabernet Sauvigon and Merlot.

That’s why the 2013 The Pairing is today’s WineSiders Wine of The Day!!! 

Posted on

2017 Domaine Magellan Le Fruit Defendu Rose

The 2018 Rose wines are slowly arriving in the USA, but by no means does this mean that the 2017s are any less desireable. In some cases they may be even more.

Take the 2017 Domaine Magellan Le Fruit Defendu Rose, made from 100 percent Cinsault that has its roots in Chateauneuf du Pape. Grown in the Languedoc in the gentle rolling hills around Pezenas, in the village of Magalas, the Bruno Lafon and Sylvie Legros made blushing pink wine is a delight as much as it is a bargain at $14.00 or so.

As a long time buyer of all wines Magellan that we can find in the USA, the wines from the small property are some of the freshest, fruit forward and most complex produced in the region. They are also amazing bargains in an era of where Rhone wine prices are skyrocketing.

The 2017 edition of the Defendu Rose offers up a lovely bright raspberry and blueberry bouquet and flavor, a hint of herbal garrigue spice, long, lush, almost never ending, thirst quenching berries, all the while not being sweet, cloying or even remotely heavy.

That’s why the 2017 Domaine Magellan Le Fruit Defendu Rose is today’s WineSider’s Wine of The Day!!

Posted on

2015 Barmes-Buecher Cremant d’Alsace Brut

Wines from Alsace offer incredible value and finesse. Often overlooked are the sparkling wines from the region that borders Germany in France’s northeast quadrant. 

The 2015 Barmes-Buecher Cremant d’Alsace Brut is pure joy any time of day or night. Serve it at brunch with gravlax or any smoked salmon or whitefish. Have it with a creamy French brie over lightly toasted bread or serve it with sushi or oysters, lobster, shrimp and mussels. Or better yet, just drink this zesty, light, toasty bubbly any time day or night. 

A blend of Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Auxerrois, Riesling and Chardonnay, the light lime and lemon zest flavors are quickly backed up by  green apples and a rich and creamy melon flavor, all with a hint of almond spice. 

That’s why the 2015 Barmes-Buecher Cremant d’Alsace Brut is today’s WineSiders’ Wine of the Day!  

Posted on

2016 Comte Abbatucci Rouge Frais Imperial

The 2016 Abbatucci Rouge Frais Imperial is one of those wines from Corsica that you just can’t stop going back to.

Priced in the mid thirty dollar range, the Beaujolais weight red is a perfect spring and summer wine. Made from 100 percent Sciaccarellu, this bio-dynamic wine is all berries and cherries and spice. The Corsican wine offers lots of brambly wild cherry flavors, plus light strawberry and red plum notes.

Fans of Pinot Noir and Cote’s du Rhone reds will easily find a way to enjoy this silky and elegant wine, as will those who of course enjoy just about anything from Corsica.

That’s why the 2016 Abbatucci Rouge Frais Imperial is today’s WineSiders’ Wine of The Day