Tom Casagrande

8.6

So here was an interesting spur of the moment comparison. I’d popped a bottle of J.C. Somers “La Revanche” Willamette Valley Chardonnay for dinner, and I’d braised the chicken in a Clos Du Bois California Chardonnay that someone had brought to a dinner at our house. My wife and I actually liked the Clos du Bois supermarket Chardonnay better. It’s basically old school Cali Chard form the 70s and 80s. Butterscotch and ripe apple and some wet stones from a stream in the nose. A whack of pineapple/apple fruit up front. Not complex at all but a balanced mouthful. Nice pleasant finish. Sure, there’s a bit of residual sugar, but that’s what the American masses want. Not bad at all. — 18 hours ago

Tom Casagrande

9.3

This is the Heritage Zinfandel blend. Nose has deep Zin blackberry fruit, lots of dry crumbly sun-warmed gravel too. On the palate, it’s so balanced. Deep flavors. Remarkable acids for a fairly full-framed Zin. Some tannin too, a fair amount. This will age well for a Zin, but is so nice now. — 6 days ago

Tom Casagrande

9.3

Notes from (foggy) memory. What was remarkable about this wine was the juxtaposition of the light color, slightly shy nose, and elegant “floatiness” of texture and weight (it almost hovered in the mouth) and the explosive flavor density. How they achieve this with Grenache is remarkable. 9.3+ — 7 days ago

with Dan

Tom Casagrande

9.2

This is a balanced, elegant Condrieu. It’s got rich, juice-oozing ripe fruit (only slightly tropical) on the nose, but not in an over-the-top way. There’s also a lightly smoky minerality. Soft and richly flavored in the mouth, but, again, somehow in a balanced way. Acids a little in the low side but heck, it’s Viognier. In a word, elegant. — 8 days ago

with Dan

Tom Casagrande

8.4

This is the J.C. Sommers Vintner “La Revanche” Willamette Valley Chardonnay. Popped it for dinner and had it alongside the cooking wine. We preferred the cooking wine! This wine is consciously made in a lean and restrained style, and went a bit too far with that concept, in my view. Light intensity nose reluctantly gives up underripe peach and citrusy fruit and some bright, limestone like minerality. Not a helluva lot going on on the palate. Nice acids, but little fruit or any other kind of flavors. Meh. — 19 hours ago

Tom Casagrande

8.9

375ml. Nose has crunchy black cherry fruit, and the characteristic earthiness of the region has taken on a slightly animal, feral quality in this iteration. Savory and relatively full in the mouth. A little drying and bitter at the end of the finish. — 7 days ago

Tom Casagrande

9.3

Remarkably youthful for a 16 year old. Leather, cracked stone, spice still-bright cherry. How is that possible? Light but deep. Fantastic transparency and acids. — 8 days ago

with Dan

Tom Casagrande

9.3

This is the Mettenheimer Loss Riesling from the Rheinhessen. Screwcap. Nose explodes with crushed rock and a note of green herbs. Also bright green apple fruit. Big palate is dense with ripe fruit and mineral notes. Feinherb level sweetness. This does not skimp on character. Not sure how long it will age but very nice and deep and satisfying right now. — 3 days ago

Tom Casagrande

9.1

Always well made and always a great value. Nose needs some air to coax it out. But then there’s gorgeously pure black cherry and crushed stone powder. Mouthfilling flavors of dark, ripe fruit and minerality. Fairly long finish. Seems very tight, and there’s good acidity and some noticeable tannin, so this looks like a sure bet for improvement over the next few years at least. 9.1 for now but I’m pretty sure there’s upside. — 4 days ago

Tom Casagrande

9.2

A special treat with family and a Portuguese dinner on the deck. After an hour of air, the nose shows a complex amalgam of crushed rock dust, hickory smoke, leather, and even a little macerated cherry fruit. Loads of flavor in an impossibly light frame. 11% alcohol. Went very well with braised chicken and Chourica stew. — 8 days ago

with Dan