Wine Reviews: Mini Round-Up for October 30, 2023
I taste a bunch-o-wine (technical term for more than most people). So each week, I share some of my wine reviews (mostly from samples) and tasting notes in a “mini-review” format.
They are meant to be quirky, fun, and (mostly) easily-digestible reviews of (mostly) currently available wines (click here for the skinny on how to read them), so you can get right to the point and decide if they’re for you (or not). Cheers!
- 2016 Gioacchino Garofoli ‘Piancarda’ Rosso Conero (Marche): A chewy, plummy mouthful of over-achievement. $20 B+
- 2013 Bella Grace Vineyards Old Vine Zinfandel (Amador County): If it had a tattoo, it would read “Guilty Pleasure.” $27 B+
- 2019 Eberle Estate Vineyard Chardonnay (Paso Robles): Vibrant, rich, and very nicely balanced for the CA style. $25 B+
- 2013 Vinum Cellars ‘The Insider’ Cabernet Sauvignon (Paso Robles): Still supple, sensual, seductive, and silky. $23 B+
- 2017 Cannonball ‘Eleven’ Chardonnay (Sonoma Coast): Peach, melon, and pineapple, all very good and all very ripe indeed. $35 B+
- 2020 Sonoma-Cutrer Grower Vintner Chardonnay (Sonoma Coast): Lemon curd, grilled pineapple, ripe peaches, and hints of citric acidity (but only just hints!). $30 B+
- 2022 Quivira Vineyards Wine Creek Ranch Rose (Dry Creek Valley): Wow. Fires on just about every conceivable rose cylinder possible. A fantastic sipper. $30 A-
- 2022 Game Box Wondercade Edition Rose (California): The trick is how simple and super tasty it is. You could sure do a whole lot worse for the money. $22 B
- 2020 Domaine Bousquet Gaia Red Blend (Gualtallary): Checks every box of the party list, including wood spice, plums, and deliciousness. $20 B+
- 2016 Simonsig Labyrinth Cabernet Sauvignon (Stellenbosch): Quite dark fruit, quite leathery, quite good. $25 B+
