Despite how busy it is at the store, I need to continue to try and maintain a consistent writing schedule. I have been tasting quite a few wines each week and have found a number of them that made the grade to make it into the store. I enjoy sharing my tasting notes and hopefully help you to find a wine that fits your palate preferences. Here for your reading pleasure are my notes from five wines that I have tasted recently.
2016 Gamache Vineyards Boulder Red (Columbia Valley, WA)… $24.
Aromas of raspberries and cranberries. A nice bed of minerality and balanced acidity support a big blast of blueberries up front followed by notes of raspberries and ripe cranberries. Solid spice notes come through on the back of the mid-palate into the finish, joined by notes of chocolate and licorice with a kiss of veggie. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot and Syrah. (B/B+)
2018 Tonmasi Poggio Al Tufo Vermentino (Toscana, Italy)… $10.
Lemon notes come through on the nose, joined by hits of saline, wet stone and lime sorbet. Fresh on the palate with notes of lemon and lime shining through with saline and green apple. Lemon-lime sorbet converges on the mid-palate into the finish where the wet stone notes pop and linger. Good balance and nice complexity for the money. (B+)
2019 Austin Hope Cabernet Sauvignon (Paso Robles, CA)… $67.
Aromas of violets, currants and dark cherries with a kiss of earth and caramels. Big currant notes on the palate with a solid hit of chocolate and a pinch of caramel with violet notes lying underneath. Good balance and firm tannins. This baby has a long, long finish where spice notes come out and violet notes linger. (B+/A-)
2018 Daou Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Paso Robles, CA)… $56.
Dark cherries and currants on the nose, joined by notes of wilted dark flowers and tobacco with hints of licorice. Solid currant notes on the palate that rest on firm tannins with a solid kiss of milk chocolate underneath. Fresh acidity keeps the ripe fruit notes in check and gives it nice balance. This Cab is somewhat delicate in body with a little finesse to it. The tannins have a little grit on the back-end where tobacco and white pepper notes sneak out and linger. (B)
2020 Daou Chardonnay (Paso Robles, CA)… $23.
Butterscotch and butter on the nose with a backdrop of pear and biscotti. Creamy, round mouthfeel with notes of butterscotch and butter coming through. Pear notes hide underneath and baking spices pop on the mid-palate into the finish. Although big in the butter and butterscotch, there is a freshness from the acidity that keeps everything in balance. Nice integration of acidity and fruit. (B/B+)
Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man
