Freddy R. Troya

8.9

River Road Chardonnay 2023
Sonoma County, California 🇺🇸

Overview
100% Chardonnay from Sonoma County, one of California’s most acclaimed regions for this varietal. River Road is known for crafting approachable, value-driven wines that showcase Sonoma’s balance of ripeness and freshness. This vintage leans toward a classic California style but with a refreshing lift.

Aromas & Flavors
Bright orchard fruit (pear, apple, and peach) mingles with citrus zest, tropical pineapple, and a touch of honeysuckle. Subtle notes of vanilla and toast from oak aging add roundness without overpowering.

Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied and creamy, with a soft texture that’s balanced by lively acidity. The finish lingers with a clean streak of lemon and a whisper of minerality.

Winemaking Notes
Fermented in stainless steel and partially aged in French oak, striking a balance between fruit purity and soft, toasty complexity.

Food Pairing
Perfect with roast chicken, creamy pasta, crab cakes, or a simple cheese board with Brie and Camembert.

Verdict
A well-priced, approachable Sonoma Chardonnay that offers both creaminess and freshness. It’s versatile, polished, and a great daily drinker with real Sonoma character. — 2 months ago

Vanessa

9.3

Hello, California Syrah!!

From everything we’ve read, the Alder Springs Vineyard sounds like a truly majestic place.

It’s isolated in an undeveloped part of northern Mendocino County, situated in California’s North Coast region, where the steep and rugged terrain meet sweeping views of the ocean, bordered by rivers, redwoods, and snowcapped mountains… elevation stretches up to 1,800 feet above sea level.

It’s no wonder so many acclaimed producers, like Pax Mahle, source their fruit from here, where vines are sustainably farmed and cared for by Stuart Bewley. We were fortunate to visit Pax in Sebastopol in 2022, where we picked up this 2011 Cahto Ridge Alder Springs Vineyard Syrah. We’ve been waiting patiently to taste it. And here we are.

100% Syrah. Whole cluster fermented. Aged 12 months in neutral French oak barrels.

This wine is deep ruby trending towards garnet. The aromas are concentrated with ripe boysenberry, black cherry, blackcurrant, next to violet, black peppercorn, licorice, cured meat, peat moss, smoke, clove, leather and olive notes. On the palate, it is dry with medium (+) acidity, a medium (+) body, high alcohol (14.6% ABV), medium (+) fine-grained tannins, and a long, elegant finish.

It’s both elegant and wild all at the same time and we love it.

Cheers! — 2 years ago

with Deked1

Brandon T

9.2

Highly acclaimed and while solid, there’s plenty of other Pinot’s below this price point out there for me. — 4 years ago

Andrew Mitchell

9.1

2023 variant — 8 months ago

Vasanth Balakrishnan

9.4

No 2020 🔥 concerns with this acclaimed #threepalmsvineyard #merlot. A “relative” value for a 1.5L at a typically costly steakhouse wine list. Supremely elegant, didn’t have much time to properly taste at a customer dinner a fantastic wine with gossamer tannins. Beautiful pairing with a nicely cooked filet mignon. — a year ago

Vanessa

9.1

This wine has a medium lemon hue with refreshing and zesty notes of lemon peel, grapefruit pith, and kumquat, alongside juicy peach, nectarine, yellow apple, chamomile, white blossom, chervil, saline, and wet stone characteristics. 

It carries a relative richness lending balance to the fresh primary and mineral notes with a fuller mouthfeel.

This wine is made exclusively from the Godello variety hailing from northwest Spain’s Bierzo appellation in the Castilla Y Leon region.
 
It was produced by Raul Perez, an acclaimed, small-batch winemaker whose practices have built a beautiful platform upon which the fruit and terroir may express themselves to the fullest and purest extent.
 
A delightful pairing with pan-seared halibut with roasted broccolini. Cheers!

Bodegas Raul Perez Ultreia La Claudina Godello 2019. ABV 13.5%. — 3 years ago

with Deked1

Vanessa

9.2

We’ve been patiently waiting for the right moment to taste this wine following a friend’s recommendation; tonight felt like the right time.

This wine comes from the Bekaa (Beqaa) Valley of Lebanon, idealistically situated in the rain shadow of Mount Lebanon. The Valley offers an “oasis of agriculture” and is home to many acclaimed Lebanese wine producers, like Chateau Musar.

Gaston Hochar founded Chateau Musar in 1930, after finding inspiration while traveling in Bordeaux. Since then, it has remained in the loving hands of the Hochar family. While Chateau Musar wines are notably influenced by the winemaking practices of Bordeaux, they have a story to tell of the Bekaa Valley and terroir of this beautiful region.

This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, and Carignan. It’s more than 21 years old with a medium garnet hue.

The nose offers pronounced, layered, and complex aromas of dried fig, prune, plum, crème de cassis, violet, licorice, black olive, cedar, pencil shavings, nutmeg, cardamom, vanilla, clove, potting soil, garrigue, bacon, leather, tobacco, and delicate barnyard. The palate is consistent with the nose.

The acidity remains fully present, supporting its longevity. The alcohol is medium at 13.5% ABV. The body is medium and tannins are fine-grained and smooth. It has a long, elegant finish. It’s delicious and is tasting wonderfully now.

Cheers to wines of the Bekaa Valley and Chateau Musar! — 4 years ago

with Deked1

Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Monte Xanic – Chardonnay 2020
Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California – Mexico 🇲🇽

Overview:
100% Chardonnay from one of Mexico’s pioneering and most acclaimed wineries. The warm, sun-drenched vineyards of Valle de Guadalupe impart a distinctive richness while preserving freshness through careful vineyard management.

Aromas & Flavors:
Tropical and expressive, with baked mango, ripe pineapple, and a touch of papaya. Subtle floral hints and a light buttery note give added dimension.

Mouthfeel:
Medium-bodied with weight and intensity, balanced by a lively streak of acidity. The palate carries a fine texture and lingers with a long, elegant finish.

Food Pairings:
Pairs beautifully with grilled sea bass, ceviche, roasted chicken with citrus glaze, or even creamy pasta with shrimp.

Verdict:
A Chardonnay that showcases Mexico’s unique terroir, warm, bold, and tropical, yet elegant in its balance. A strong reminder that Valle de Guadalupe is producing wines worthy of global attention. Cheers!

Did You Know?
Monte Xanic was one of the first boutique wineries in Mexico (founded in 1987) and is often credited with helping elevate the reputation of Mexican wines internationally. — 4 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.4

2019 vintage. On the heels of the excellent 2015 and 2016 vintages, the acclaimed 2019 was already behind the 8-ball. After tasting approx 60-65 2019 Brunellos, they are good but generally lacking that extra level of oomph that the ‘15’s and ‘16’s have. This is an exception. Blind tasting it, woulda flagged it for 2015-2016. 8.28.24. — a year ago

GaryWEdwards

9.5

Among the best Tignanello offerings to date, rivaling the '97. In fact , time will tell but it might rival the last 3 acclaimed vintages. Leather, licorice, and smoke in a larger than normal from this maker. Full with long lovely finish. — 3 years ago

with Logan