Freddy R. Troya

9.0

A casual pinot noir that smells, tastes and feels fresh. The fundamentals of medley of berries, dark cherries and Black Forest notes prevail at all times on the nose. It has a nice juicy entry on the palate, baked raspberry and the tarty cherry pie flavors are enticing.

Bright acidity and wet crush pebbles with a decent structure, still tannins stay in the soft-to-moderate range and it has a long oaky finish. Great price point. Cheers! — 2 days ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.0

This is a very exotic “White Field Blend” of Galician varietals: 35% Godello, 35% Loureiro and 30% Treixadura sourced from the Sierra Pelona Valley (near Los Angeles), CA. It is another unique master piece from Jasper Dickson, a proprietor/winemaker of Angelino Wine Co. who is part of the rediscovering White Field Blends in the California while developing naturally made wines with minimal intervention.

All varietals were picked at 21 Brix and whole cluster pressed the grapes, and were co-fermented in stainless steel tanks. The result is a very rare, complex, dry and refreshing wine with an array of aromas of orange and acacia blossom.

On the palate is very crisp, with solid citrus characters and some stony fruit and yellow opal apple. As for mouthfeel, the wine has lots texture, sediments with a moderate-to-long finish. It can be an acquired taste as well.

Every vintage of the White Field Blend is completely different, the V.2021 the came out very aromatic, and some fresh wild grass and the wine as finished product is very hazy! It can be paired with seafood, apéritifs and lighter dishes. Clams steamed, Vietnamese summer rolls with prawns would a nice pairing option as well.

Also heartier as lightly-flavored cuisine can be another pairing alternative. Cheers! — 2 days ago

Freddy R. Troya

8.9

100% Chard from Monterey County, California. A very typical oaky Chard with plenty notes of stony fruits, a mix of golden sliced apples, and baked pear on the nose. It pleases the palate with pronounced creaminess and oak attack all the way. It also has a hint of hazelnut taste as well.

Mouthfeel overall, the wine has a lot of tension and weight as it finishes, still persistent on tropical fruits, melon and lemon custard at the very end and it has lingering long finish.
Not my cup of tea, but I can easily have a glass, or two! Cheers! — 3 days ago

Freddy R. Troya

8.9

A Chard dedicated to showcasing the diverse viticultural landscapes of Argentina by the Catena Family vineyards. Grapes for this wine are sourced from vineyards located in Mendoza by the Andes mountains and planted at high altitudes, above 3,000 feet of sea level, which bring cooler temperatures and warm days producing well-ripened grapes with intense fruit flavors and often a spicy oak character

This Chard provides enticing aromas of baked pear and white flowers on the nose and has a natural acidity, ripen lemon and concentrated stony fruit flavors and lemon pie on the palate. Medium-bodied and toasty a moderate creamy finish with a subtle salinity at the very end as well. Cheers! — 3 days ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.0

An interesting dry white wine vinified by Feravino winery, 100% Graševina, also known as Welschriesling, it originally comes from vineyards located by the South of Hungarian border (that´s what the name stand for SoHu!) from the appellations Fericanci, Slavonia, Croatia.

Hand harvested and de-stemmed. All fermentation was done in stainless steels tanks at controlled
temperatures to preserve the aromas and freshness. The wine has compelling aromas of green crushed apples, mandarine peel and lemon zest that gives some vibrancy upon opening.

On the palate, stony fruits dominate from the entry, mineralilty is evident and has some tension and weight. It also has a texturized finish with an interlaced pleasant astringency, loved how acids remains persistent which makes a rounded, complex an attractive style. A wine to flex your taste buds. Cheers! — 2 days ago

Freddy R. Troya

8.6

A white dry and crisp blend of 98.61% Sauvignon Blanc, 1.39% Sauvignon Musqué sourced from two separate terroirs; Sonoma County and North Coast of California. A very traditional-styled Sauv. Blanc that still delivers alluring aromas of tropical fruits, lychee, mango, and mandarine peel.

The pronounced acidity and freshness (feels steely) is attributed to stainless steel tank fermentation, yet some subtle oak character coming from neutral French oak barrels may push some depth and body complexity.

Nice crowd-pleaser sipper with a great price point and traditional profile, which can pairs nicely with South Eastern asian cuisine and spicy dishes as well. Cheers! — 2 days ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Sonoma-Loeb, a distinguished winery renowned for producing exceptional Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines sourced from Sonoma County's most esteemed vineyards. Phillip Titus is a celebrated Napa Valley winemaker for this Chard, who also serves as winemaker for both Chappellet Vineyards and his family's Titus Vineyards since 1990 in Napa Valley.

As aromatic as it can get, the tropical fruits, nectarine, honeysuckle, and crisp melon notes on the nose are very welcoming and persistent. The palate gets coated with lemon custard, a balanced acidity and a creaminess that bond together the rest of nuances from the primary flavors of tropical fruits, and lemon zest.

A mouthfeel snap, absolutely vibrant expression of Sonoma County Chard, superb contrast of stable acidity with integrated flavors of green apple and tropical fruits that delivers a crispy, mineral-driven long finish. Cheers! — 3 days ago

Freddy R. Troya

8.9

The private label, as the Diamond Series are positioned as higher-end wines at Trader Joe's, and are broken into four tiers: Petite Reserve, Grand Reserve, Platinum Reserve, and, at the very top, Diamond Reserve label. These are typically made from the highest-quality grapes and great vintages. However, some flavors and complexity may vary as these are still sensibly-priced wines.

This Barolo from the Bersano Estate, 100% Nebbiolo grapes, a V.2020 is still evolving, the usual "tart & roses" profile remains as a backbone at the front of both nose and palate. The concentration of dark baked cherries, stewed strawberries and spices flavors are truly prominent while grippy tannins and texture take over by the mid-range of the palate. Bone dry and the degree of complexity is yet to be fully developed. Overall, the wine does the job at its price point, and may evolve a bit more. Cheers! — 2 days ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.0

A distinctive 100% Sauvignon Blanc (Mevushal; Kosher-use-ready) sourced from Herzog’s own vineyards in Lake County, Northern California, known for their high elevated mountains, volcanic soils and unrestricted vineyard management techniques and open viticulture as a whole. The history of the Herzog winemaking tradition goes over 150 years and 8 generations.

This particular Sauv Blanc is driven on lemongrass, grilled pineapple and honeysuckle aromas to wake up any olfactory senses. On the palate, a compelling acidity interlaced with zesty lemon peel and intense baked pineapple provides a very palatable but still intense long finish with high ABV@14.5%.

This wine pairs nicely with delicate fish thanks to its elevated acidity. Cheers! — 3 days ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.0

100% Chardonnay from Napa Valley AVA, this is label is exclusively crated for Total Wine stores for the US market. As typically occurs in this region, the harvesting period of this Chardonnay took place at night and early in the morning to retain the coolest fruit possible, which reflects on the quality.

This chard opens beautifully with rich aromatic tones of ripe white peach, lemon zest, grilled pineapple. Moreover,
as it progresses to more air contact it evolves to a more toasted and caramelized notes as well.

On the palate bursts a vibrant acidity driven by tropical fruits, a touch of lemon pie, it keeps stable and balanced between oak and other tertiary nuances. It also feels very fresh, which is attributed to the initial and primarily fermentation in stainless steel and eventually aged in French oak barrels (45% new) for 9 months.

Mouthfeel in general, it’s progressive and creamy with a great balance of fruit and oak through the very end. It has clean, nicely lingering and elegant finish. Simply tasteful! — 3 days ago