Tag: California Wines

Eureka! California Wine Discovery NYC

Published on by Bruno DonaggioLeave a comment

The Eureka California Wine Discovery tour stopped in New York City on September 8th and was held at Moonlight Studios located at 330 Hudson Street in Manhattan.

It was sponsored by the California Wine Institute to promote “the incredible diversity of California wine regions”.

It was a walk around tasting of 30 producers from several California wine regions which included the well know AVAs of Napa Valley, Sonoma County and Paso Robles to name a few but also some not so well known AVAs such as Livermore Valley, Temecula Valley and Lodi. There were also several master classes held throughout the afternoon.

This wasn’t one of those mega tastings in a warehouse sized event space but a very manageable tasting. Each AVA had their own table which made it easier to sample their wines and compare them to the other AVAs.

The afternoon session was for members of the trade with a consumer session later in the evening. I attended the seminar, California Wines: Texture and Verve by Elaine Chukan Brown.

Some of what I sampled:

2023 Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay (Napa Valley): Clear light gold with greenish tints, spicy tropical fruit notes on the nose, tight and crisp with green apple notes.

2018 Santa Cruz Mtn. Vineyard “Branciforte Creek” Pinot Noir (Santa Cruz Mtns): Clear medium brick, tar and green herbs on the nose, medium red fruit with red licorice notes, crisp finish.

2019 Mount Eden Vineyards Estate Pinot Noir (Santa Cruz Mtns.): Clear medium brick, tarry red cherry on the nose, tight red fruit with milk chocolate notes ending with crisp acidity.

2021 Villa Creek Garnacha (Paso Robles): Clear medium brick, tarry dark chocolate on the nose, chewy and chunky black fruit, nice balance and a long finish.

2021 Morgan Pinot Noir “Double L Vineyard” (Santa Lucia Highlands): Clear medium red, tar and milk chocolate on the nose, chewy dark fruit with slate notes and a firm finish.

2021 Alma Rosa Winery Pinot Noir “El Jabali Vineyard” (Sta. Rita Hills): Clear medium purple, smoky blueberry on the nose, juicy red fruit with steel notes and a good balance.

2021 CO’LLUVIAL Pinot Noir “Las Nenas” (Sta. Rita Hills): Clear light purple, barnyard notes on the nose with juicy tar notes on the fruit, nice balance, easy drinking.

2021 Pedroncelli Zinfandel “Bushnell Vineyard” (Sonoma): Opaque medium purple, crushed black fruit and mint on the nose, chewy and chocolaty ending with big tannin.

2022 Siduri Pinot Noir “Rosella’s Vineyard” (Santa Lucia Highlands): Clear medium purple, tarry milk chocolate on the nose, juicy red fruit with a nice grip.

2022 Michael David Winery Carmenere (Lodi): Clear medium purple, crush stone and black fruit on the nose, chewy and juicy with black licorice notes, good balance.

2023 Roar Pinot Noir (Santa Lucia Highlands): Clear light purple, tarry dark chocolate on the nose, chewy red fruit with green herb notes, nice balance.

2023 Sandlands Red Table Wine (Lodi): A blend of Cinsault and Carignan, clear light purple, dirty dark chocolate on the nose, juicy red fruit with a nice grip at the end.

2023 Tablas Creek Vineyard Grenache (Paso Robles): Clear light purple, candy apple on the nose, juicy red fruit with some chalk notes on the finish, nice grip.

Decanter Fine Wine Encounter New York City 2025

Published on by Bruno DonaggioLeave a comment

On June 7th, I attended the fourth annual Decanter’s Fine Wine Encounter. Decanter is a British based wine magazine with news focusing on wine regions, wine makers and wine with the requisite wine reviews and buyers guide.

It was a consumer tasting event with several sit-down master classes, a walk around Grand Tasting and a separate room dedicated to wines from this years featured region of Rioja, Spain where over 30 wines from that region were available to sample. The Grand Tasting brought together more than 55 world wine producers to showcase their wines.

This event was a very nice consumer tasting. The event didn’t have the quantity of wines that the mega tastings of the Suckling, Icons or Spectator tastings had but they did have a tight, well curated list of global wines on hand.

I liked the fact that the Bordeaux and California wineries that were there all brought a bottle or two of an older vintage wine to sample along with the current release wine.

There was enough good wine with an amazing view from the 60th floor for an enjoyable afternoon.

Some of what I sampled:

New World

2022 La Jota W.S. Keyes Vineyard Chardonnay Howell Mtn. (Napa Valley): Medium gold with greenish tints, sweet white flowers on the nose, juicy peach and melon fruit, good structure.

2022 Cobb Doc’s Ranch JoAnn’s Block Chardonnay (Sonoma Coast): Medium gold, toasty white flowers on the nose, tight with good acidity.

1999 Clos du Val Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red, brick rim, pretty perfume of black olives, mint and dark chocolate, chewy fruit with chocolate and stone notes.

2013 Ponzi Vineyards Reserve Pinot Noir Chehalem Mts. (Oregon): Clear light brick, tree bark on the nose, dusty and minty fruit with firm structure.

2014 Quintessa Rutherford (Napa Valley): Magnum. Opaque black, brick rim, green olives and milk chocolate on the nose, chunky and chewy with black olive and dark chocolate notes, great structure.

2015 Cornerstone Oakville Station Merlot (Napa Valley): Opaque medium purple, warm crushed red fruit on the nose, chewy with licorice notes, good grip, long finish.

2015 La Jota Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mtn. (Napa Valley): Opaque black, dark purple rim, mint, tobacco and roast meat on the nose, chewy and concentrated with black licorice notes, firm structure, long finish.

2015 Delille Cellars Harrison Hills (Columbia Valley): Opaque dark red, crushed black fruit on the nose, tight with earth and tree bark notes, firm finish.

2015 Black Stallion Estate Transcendent (Napa Valley): 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Opaque dark red, purple rim, toasty barnyard on the nose, tight, silky red fruit with mint notes, firm, long finish.

2016 Outpost Wines True Vineyard Immigrant Howell Mtn. (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, crushed red fruit, bacon and dark chocolate on the nose, tight with slate notes, crisp acids.

2021 Clos du Val Yettalil Stags Leap District (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red to black, roast meat and crushed black fruit on the nose, concentrated and firm with slate notes and a long finish.

2021 Outpost Wines Howell Mtn. Grenache (Napa Valley): Clear medium red, crushed strawberry and tree bark on the nose, tight with ripe and chewy fruit, firm finish.

2022 Quintessa Rutherford (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red, crushed stone and red berries on the nose, chewy with bitter cherry and smoke notes, nice structure.

Old World

2010 Chateau Lascombes (Margaux): Opaque medium brick, mint and black olives on the nose, smoky and chewy with tobacco and slate notes, great balance.

2012 Chateau Clerc Milon (Pauillac): Magnum. Opaque medium red, mint, tar and black olives on the nose, chewy and smoky with slate notes, great balance, long finish.

2015 Domaine de Chevalier (Pessac Leognan): Opaque dark brick, closed nose of forest floor and dark plums, smoky and chewy with mint notes on the firm tannins.

2018 Jean Claude Boisset Chambolle Musigny (Burgundy): Clear medium brick, barnyard on the nose, silky red fruit with bitter cherry notes on the finish, good balance.

2019 Pasqua Amarone Famiglia Pasqua (Veneto): Clear light red, bacon fat on the nose, chewy red fruit with leather and crushed berry notes, balanced with a good grip.

Vinous Icons New York City 2025

Published on by Bruno DonaggioLeave a comment

Antonio Galloni is a wine critic and founder of the internet wine magazine Vinous. On February 27-March 1, the magazine held its second edition of Vinous Icons New York which was a series of wine dinners and two walk around tastings.

This year the event was held at the Pier Sixty event space at 60 Chelsea Piers on the west side of Manhattan overlooking the Hudson River.

This space was much larger than the venue that held the event last year with more room to walk around, in addition to a great view of the New Jersey skyline across the river.

The events were open to members of the trade and to the public and I attended both walk around tastings on Friday and Saturday afternoons.

This is one of the best wine tasting experiences of the year with the sheer quantity of top end wines to sample from France, Italy, Spain, Chile, Argentina and the United States.

With so many wines available to try, as usual I focused my attention on the wines of Bordeaux and Napa Valley. Most of the wineries poured different wines on each day so there was more than enough on both days to keep me busy with those two wine regions.

Some of what I sampled:

Old World

2006 Chateau La Grange (St Emilion): Clear medium brick, black olives and cigarette smoke on the nose, chewy, black licorice fruit, chewy tannins with crushed rock notes on the finish.

2009 Cos D’Estournel (St Estephe): Opaque black, brick rim, dirty cooked fruit and dark chocolate on the nose, dense and chewy with silky tannins and dark chocolate notes on the long finish.

2010 Cos D’Estournel (St Estephe): Opaque dark red, brick rim, closed nose of smoke and tree bark, dense and chewy dark chocolate fruit, silky tannins, great balance.

2015 Chateau Haut Bailly (Pessac Leognan): Clear medium brick, tarry dirt on the nose, chewy graphite fruit ending with firm tannins.

2015 Chateau Troplong Mondot (St Emilion): Opaque black, brick rim, closed nose of crushed stone, chewy dark fruit with firm tannins, balanced acidity.

2016 Cos D’Estournel (St Estephe): Opaque dark red, brick rim, tarry barnyard on the nose, tight red fruit, firm tannins.

2020 Chateau Pichon Longueville (Pauillac): Opaque dark purple, toasty violets on the nose, tight with chewy red fruit, firm, long finish, still young at this point.

***

2008 Ornellaia (Tuscany): Opaque black, brick rim, tar and leather on the nose, chewy dark fruit with slate notes, nice acidity, long finish.

2014 Vega Sicilia “Unico” (Ribera del Duero): Opaque dark red, brick rim, smoky dirt and tar on the nose, chewy, dusty fruit with graphite notes, long finish.

2016 Bodegas Vatan “Arena” (Toro): Opaque black, purple rim, spicy red cherry nose, chewy dense fruit with tar, mint and smoke notes on the finish, great balance.

2016 Allegrini Amarone “Ferramonte”(Veneto): Opaque medium brick, pencil shaving and mint notes on the nose, chewy, chunky dark fruit with great balance.

2019 Biondi Santi Brunello di Montalcino (Tuscany): Clear light brick, toasty dirty cherry on the nose, moderate chewy fruit with leather notes, drinking nicely now.

2020 Isole e Olena “Cepparello” (Tuscany): Opaque medium brick, brick rim, tar, graphite and dark chocolate on the nose, chewy with silky acids with dusty tar notes on the finish.

2021 Ornellaia (Tuscany): Opaque dark red, purple rim, stinky tar and leather on the nose, chewy, dense and dusty fruit with slate notes, nice balance.

New World

2014 Stag’s Leap Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon “Fay” (Napa Valley): Opaque black, brick rim, blueberry and crushed rocks on the nose, chewy dark fruit with tar and cigarette smoke notes ending with firm tannins.

2015 Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, smoky tar and dark chocolate on the nose, chewy fruit with slate and chocolate notes on the finish.

2018 Continuum Estate Red Blend (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red, purple rim, dark chocolate on the nose, concentrated dark fruit ending with nice balance.

2021 Brand Proprietary Blend (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, stemmy, plummy smoke on the nose, chewy black fruit ending with firm, silky tannins.

2021 Brand Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, tree bark on the nose, chewy black fruit with mint notes, silky and firm tannins on the long finish.

2021 Futo “Seta” (Napa Valley)” A red blend, opaque dark red, purple rim, stone and crushed rocks on the nose, concentrated dark silky fruit with slate and dark chocolate notes, great balance.

2021 Futo Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Estate (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, crushed rocks, smoke and blueberry on the nose, juicy, silky fruit with silky, firm tannins on the finish.

2021 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon “Red Rock Terrace” (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, ripe smoke and black fruit on the nose, tight and chewy dark chocolate fruit firm tannins on the great balance, still young.

2021 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon “Volcanic Hill” (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, crushed black fruit and blueberries on the nose, concentrated black fruit, nice silky tannins, great balance.

2021 Vineyardist Cabernet Sauvignon “Heritage Ridge” (Napa Valley): Opaque black, smoky dirt on the nose, concentrated, chewy and chunky with silky tannins, nice balance.

2021 Vineyardist Cabernet Sauvignon “Calarcadia Vineyard” (Napa Vally): Opaque black, closed nose of slate and crushed rocks, silky dark chocolate fruit, firm tannins on the nice balance.

2021 Stag’s Leap Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon “Fay” (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, stone, tree bark and crushed sweet fruit on the nose, chewy black fruit, firm and silky tannins, long finish, still young.

2021 Repris Cabernet Franc Moon Mtn. Vineyard (Sonoma): Opaque dark red, purple rim, closed nose of vanilla and milk chocolate, mouth coating dark fruit with dusty, firm tannins, long finish.

2021 Ovid Red Blend “Hexameter” (Napa Valley): A Cabernet Franc focused wine, opaque black, purple rim, tree bark and milk chocolate on the nose, chewy fruit ending with toast notes on the crisp tannins.

2021 Hirsch Vineyards Pinot Noir “Raschen Ridge” (Sonoma Coast): Clear medium purple, spicy cinnamon on the nose, juicy, dusty red fruit, nice balance.

2021 Hall Cabernet Sauvignon “Sacrashe Vineyard” (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red, purple rim, chewy and thick fruit with graphite notes on the silky tannins, nice balance.

2021 Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon “Coombsville” (Napa Valley): Opaque dark purple, crushed rocks on the nose, dense and tarry red fruit, dusty finish, nice balance.

2022 Merry Edwards Pinot Noir “Richaven” (Russian River Valley): Opaque dark red, toasty red fruit on the nose, juicy dark fruit with tar notes, crisp acids.

2022 Tor Cabernet Sauvignon To Kalon Vineyard (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red, brick rim, dark plum and cigarette smoke on the nose, chewy and minty fruit ending with silky tannins.

California At Wine Paris 2025

Published on by Bruno DonaggioLeave a comment

On February 10-12, I attended the 6th annual Wine Paris trade show in Paris, France. The event was curated by Vinexposium which organizes major international events for the wine & spirits industry.

It was a trade show for members of the trade, winemakers, distributors, sommeliers and merchants. This years show had over 5,300 exhibiters from 50 wine producing countries with a record attendance of over 52,000 attendees.

It has always been on my bucket list to attend one of these major international wine trade shows in Europe whether it be in London, Verona, Düsseldorf or Paris. It’s been over fifteen years since I’ve last been in Paris, and it’s a beautiful city and I welcomed the opportunity to go back this year and experience the trade show.

The event took place at the Porte de Versailles expo center in the 11th arrondissment in the southern part of the city, conveniently with a Metro stop on the number 12 line.

This expo center is massive. As a point of reference, I have the Javits Center in New York City which is the city’s expo center. Porte de Versailles was a least three times the size of the Javits Center with eight pavilions.

Not surprisingly , the French pavilion was the largest with three floors, Italy had a pavilion to itself, there was a pavilion for worldwide spirits and cocktails, and a pavilion for “foreign” wines where wines from the United States and other counties other than Italy were showcased.

Each day had many master classes and opportunities to speak with industry professionals and to sample wine. Lots of wine.

Most of the wines from the U.S. were from California, with Napa Valley having a dedicated area to itself. There were also wines from Oregon and outlier States of New York and Virginia. I spent one afternoon at Napa Valley chatting with the people behind the bottles. I was curious to hear how receptive the Europeans were to the American wines .

2019 BV Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red, purple rim, crushed black plums and smoke on the nose, juicy with slate notes, silky tannins, nice balance.

2021 BV Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon “Georges De LaTour” (Napa Valley: Opaque black, purple rim, dark cherry chocolate on the nose, chewy with silky tannins, long finish, still young at this point.

2018 Cain Five (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, pretty perfume of violets, chewy black fruit ending with silky, mouth coating tannins.

2021 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red, purple rim, crushed rocks and violet on the nose, dark and chewy with chocolate notes, silky, firm tannins, nice balance.

2021 Cliff Lede Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon “Poetry” (Stags Leap): Opaque black, purple rim, dirt and chocolate on the nose, tight concentrated fruit with a firm, dusty finish, great balance.

2021 Darious Cabernet Sauvignon “Darius II” (Napa Valley): Opaque black with a purple rim, crushed rock and dark chocolate on the nose, concentrated black fruit with mint and graphite notes, silky and dusty tannins, firm acids.

2021 Grace Family Estate Cabernet Sauvignon “Cornelius Grove” (Napa Valley): A single vineyard bottling, opaque dark red with a purple rim, closed nose of crushed black fruit and chocolate, concentrated silky dark fruit and tannins, nice balance, long finish.

2021 Grace Family Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red, purple rim, stone, violets and green herbs on the nose, chewy and dusty fruit with milk chocolate and graphite notes, very firm tannins.

2018 Morlet Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon “Coeur de Vallee” (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red, purple rim, perfume of black olives and milk chocolate, chewy red chocolate fruit with green olive notes, nice balance, long finish.

2022 Ridge Vineyards Lytton Springs (Sonoma County): Clear medium red, purple rim, earth and cigarette smoke on the nose, chewy fruit with chocolate notes ending with firm, mouth coating tannins.

2022 Ridge Vineyards Zinfandel “Pagani Ranch’ (Sonoma Valley): Opaque medium red, purple rim, bright, ripe green fruit on the nose, juicy red fruit with licorice notes, tannins and acids are balanced.

2021 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon “Hillside Select” (Napa Valley): Clear dark red, purple rim, crushed red fruit and fresh rosemary on the nose, bright red fruit, dusty tannins, crisp acids.

2022 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon “1.5” (Napa Valley): Clear light red, purple rim, tarry green herbs and roasted nuts on the nose, bright red fruit with dusty tannins and moderate acidity.

2014 Staglin Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (Napa Valley): Opaque dark black, nose of ripe fruit, cooking spices and tree bark, chewy ending tight with tart notes.

2021 Staglin Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (Napa Valley): Opaque black with a purple rim, crushed rocks and spices on the nose, juicy black fruit with green olive notes and crisp acids.

2021 Staglin Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon “Salus” (Napa Valley): Opaque black with a purple rim, black olives and dark chocolate on the nose, tight and concentrated ending with some tart notes.

Seminar: California Pinot Noir

2019 Long Meadow Ranch Pinot Noir (Anderson Valley): Clear medium brick, tar, leather and roast nuts on the nose, juicy fruit with earth and roast fruit notes, toast notes on the finish, crisp acids.

2020 Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir “Larmes de Grappe” (Sta. Rita Hills): Clear light brick, toasted earth and red leather on the nose, tight and toasty light fruit ending with crisp acids.

2021 Kistler Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley): Clear medium red, crushed black fruit, plums and white pepper on the nose, firm, bright red cherry fruit, tannins and acids are balanced.

2023 Black Stallion Estate Pinot Noir (Los Caneros): Opaque medium red, juicy red fruit on the nose, bright red fruit with roast meat notes on the finish, crisp acids and firm tannins, still young.

California Sparkling

Published on by Bruno DonaggioLeave a comment

On August 6th, I attended the California Classic Sparkling Wines tasting which was held at Corkbuzz wine bar. The wine bar is located at 13 East 13th Street in the Union Square neighborhood of Manhattan.

The event was curated by Please the Palate, a marketing company for wine and spirit events.

It was a walk around tasting of sparkling wines from the California producers of Domaine Carneros, Schramsberg and Roederer Estate.

All the producers poured their entry level Rosé and non vintage Brut but what were the stand outs were their vintage and disgorged offerings. I was not able to attend the earlier seminar where they poured some older vintages. Fortunately they carried over some of those wines to the walk around tasting so I was able to sampled some of the older bottles.

Those vintage and disgorged wines stood up to anything that was produced in Champagne and in a blind tasting would be hard to tell the difference. Not unexpectedly, Corkbuzz put out some nice charcuterie and fried chicken to go with all that good sparkling wine.

Some of what I sampled:

Domaine Carneros

2016 Le Reve2020 Brut
2006 Le ReveNV Brut Rosé
1995 Le Reve

Schramsberg

2004 J. Schram Late DisgorgedNV Brut Rosé
2014 J. Schram NoirsNV Blanc de Blancs
2015 J. Schram Blancs

Roederer Estate

2007 L’ Ermitage BrutNV Brut Rosé
2017 L’ Ermitage BrutHarvest 2020 Black Road Vineyard

Slow Wine @ Eataly NYC 2024

Published on by Bruno DonaggioLeave a comment

Slow Wine is an organization that seeks to “preserve simple, traditional ways of living and eating and that wine, just like food must be good, clean and fair, just not good”. They support and promote small scale wine makers who use traditional techniques.

Every year they host a tour in which they showcase wineries that follow their philosophy.

This year that tour will take them to Washington DC, Austin, Denver and San Francisco. On March 19th the tour came to New York City.

The event was held at Eataly Downtown located at 101 Liberty Street in lower Manhattan.

They had a walk around tasing and seminars for members of the trade in the afternoon with an evening session for consumers.

I would say that about three quarters of the wineries at the event were Italian with a handful of wineries from other countries.

I attended the trade tasting in the afternoon and as in previous events in the past, it was a lively event. These trade tastings are obviously about the wine but it’s nice to have something to snack on while sipping. Sometimes that’s some cheese and crackers but not surprisingly at Eataly they put out a nice spread of food for the attendees. Besides some excellent cheese and charcuterie, they served pasta and some really good pizza.

Some of my highlights:

2020 Authentique Wine Cellars Riesling “Brementown” (Oregon): Clear light gold, petroleum on the nose, peachy fruit with a nice balance.

2020 Donum Estate Chardonnay “Year of the Rat” (Carneros): Clear medium gold, tropical fruit notes on the nose, juicy lime notes on the long finish.

2021 Grgich Hills Sauvignon Blanc (Napa Valley): Clear light gold, herbaceous, tropical notes on the nose with herbaceous notes and crisp acids on the finish.

2021 Grgich Hills Chardonnay (Napa Valley): Clear light gold, tropical fruit notes on the nose, surprisingly light and crisp on the fruit.

2022 Unti Vineyards Vermentino (Sonoma): Clear yellow gold, sweet nose, medium bodied with kiwi notes, good structure.

2016 Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville (Napa Valley): Opaque medium red, crushed black fruit and green herbs on the nose, tight, concentrated, dusty black olive notes on the fruit, nice finish.

2019 Unti Vineyards Aglianico (Sonoma): Opaque dark purple, oak notes on the nose, concentrated and dusty fruit, silky tannins, nice finish.

2020 Crocker & Starr Cabernet Franc Blend (St Helena): Opaque dark red with a purple rim, smoky crushed dark fruit on the nose, chewy and tight with a nice structure and a long finish.

2020 Ceretto Barbaresco “Bernadot” (Piedmont): Clear light brick, smoky roast meat on the nose, toasty light fruit with firm tannins.

2020 Terrabianca Croce Chianti Classico Riserva (Tuscany): Clear medium red, dusty sweet nose with dusty fruit and a nice balance.

2021 Crocker & Starr Cabernet Sauvignon “RLC” (St Helena): Opaque dark red, dried herbs on the nose, chewy dark chocolate fruit, good structure and balance.

2021 Unti Vineyards Sangiovese (Sonoma): Clear medium red, tar and cigarette smoke on the nose, medium fruit with a nice structure and a balanced finish.

2021 Donum Estate Pinot Noir “Three Hills” (Sonoma): Clear light red, earth and cola on the nose, juicy cola fruit, good balance.

2021 Scarzello Nebbiolo (Piedmont): Opaque dark purple, tar and leather on the nose with silky red fruit and silky tannins.

2021 Casa E, di Mirafiore Nebbiolo (Piedmont): Clear light red with a classic nose of tar and leather, sweet fruit ending firm but balanced.

2021 Podere Il Carnasciale “Carnasciale” (Tuscany): Made from the obscure Caberolot varietal, opaque dark purple, sweet herbs on the nose, silky red fruit, balanced and a long finish.

Vinous Icons Tasting NYC 2024

Published on by Bruno DonaggioLeave a comment

Vinous/Explore All Things Wine is an online wine Magazine run by Antonio Galloni that features articles of all things wine and wine reviews.

On March 1 & 2, they held their first annual Icons tasting which consisted of wine dinners and a walk around tasting. The event was held at the Altman Building venue space at 135 West 18th Street in Manhattan which is next door to its sister venue, the Metropolitan Pavillion. Both the dinners and the walk around tasting were open to consumers and to members of the trade and I attended both walk around tastings.

This was an amazing event for the sheer quantity of high-end quality wines from around the world. Most of the wineries in attendance were from the United State, France and Italy with a handful of wineries on hand from Australia, Spain, Argentina, Chile and even China. Most of the wineries poured different wines or vintages each of the two days so there was the opportunity to sample a wide range of wines.

As is the case in these types of tastings with such a large selection of top end wines, I narrowed my choices and focused my energies on California Cabernet and Bordeaux.

Hopefully this will be an annual event from now on.

Some of my highlights:

New World

2019 Brion Cabernet Sauvignon “Sleeping Lady Vineyard” (Napa Valley): Black with a purple rim, earth and tree bark on the nose, concentrated silky black fruit, nicely balanced with a long finish.

2019 Brion Proprietary Red Blend “Ecotone Vineyard” (Napa Valley): Black with a red rim, perfume of crushed black fruit and fresh herbs, thick and juicy with good structure on the finish.

2017 Cornell Cabernet Sauvignon “Cornell Estate” (Sonoma): Black with a purple rim, roast meat on the nose, dense and chewy fruit with chewy tannins and a long finish.

2014 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red with a purple rim, saline and pickle juice on the nose, silky red fruit with saline notes on the balanced finish.

2021 Pahlmeyer Merlot (Napa Valley): Black with a purple rim, oak and tobacco on the nose, thick and chewy with mint notes with silky, firm tannins.

2013 Plumpjack Winery Cabernet Sauvignon “Oakville” (Napa Valley): Opaque black with a brick rim, warm leather and dark chocolate on the nose, sweet mont and red fruit, silky tannins.

2018 Realm Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon “The Bard” (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red with a brick rim, ripe slate and dark fruit on the nose, chewy, dense leather fruit with dusty, silky tannins.

2009 Ridge Vineyards Lytton Springs Red Blend 1.5L (Dry Creek Valley): Opaque dark red with a brick rim, pretty perfume of sweet violets, chewy and minty with dusty tannins, long finish.

2016 Ridge Vineyards “Monte Bello” Blend (Santa Cruz Mtns): Opaque dark red with a brick rim, sweet perfume of tar and violets, silky fruit with some astringency on the finish.

2013 Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon “Hillside Select” (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red with a purple rim, dried herbs and mint on the nose, juicy, dark chocolate fruit, gritty tannins, nice balance.

2016 Stag’s Leap Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon “SLV” (Napa Valley): Opaque black with a purple rim, dark leather and roasted nuts on the nose, chewy dark chocolate fruit, silky tannins, long finish.

2016 Stag’s Leap Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon “FAY” (Napa Valley): Opaque black with a purple rim, crushed black fruit and red roses on the nose, concentrated black fruit, dusty tannins.

2021 Tor Cabernet Sauvignon “Beckstoffer To Kalon BFD” (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red with a purple rim, crushed black fruit on the nose, juicy with coffee and roast meat notes on the fruit, dusty and silky tannins.

2012 Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon “VHR” (Napa Valley): Black with a brick rim, pretty perfume of sweet violets, tar and leather, silky red fruit with a great balance.

2020 Vina Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon “Puente Alton Vineyard” (Maipo Valley): Opaque medium red, crushed green herbs on the nose, tight with bright red fruit.

Old World

2016 Chateau Brane-Cantenac (Margaux): Opaque medium red, closed nose of mint and earth, chewy red fruit with bitter almond on the long and balanced finish.

2015 Domaine De La Chapelle “Hermitage La Chapelle” (Rhone): Opaque dark red to black with a brick rim, closed nose of roast meat, juicy and chewy black fruit with firm tannins on the great balance.

2016 Chateau Canon (St Emillion): Opaque medium red, big nose of smoke and roast nuts, tight red fruit, firm tannins.

2018 Chateau La Gaffeliere (St Emilion): Clear medium red, perfume of barnyard on the nose, chewy with gritty tannins on the long finish.

2016 Chateau Larcis Ducase (St Emilion): Clear medium brick, smoky toast on the nose, tight and concentrated fruit, silky tannins with bitter almonds on the finish.

2010 Chateau Montrose (St Estephe): Clear medium red, brick rim, pretty perfume of slate, mint and red roses, silky dark red fruit with a dusty and balanced long finish.

2019 Chateau Montrose (St Estephe): Clear medium red with a purple rim, perfume of roast meat and crushed red fruit, juicy and thick with chalk notes on the dusty and balanced finish.

2009 Chateau Pichon Longueville “Comtesse de Lalande” (Pauillac): Clear medium brick, warm cigarette smoke on the nose, dusty fruit with a smoky notes on the tight, but balanced finish.

2018 Chateau Pichon Longueville “Comtesse de Lalande” (Pauillac): Clear medium brick, tree bark on the nose, crushed red fruit with green herbs, earth and leather on the fruit, firm but balanced finish.

2014 Bodegas Vega Sicilia “Unico” (Ribera del Duero): Opaque medium red with a brick rim, tar and cigarette smoke on the nose, silky red fruit with bitter almond notes on the finish.

James Suckling’s Great Wines of the World NYC 2023

Published on by Bruno DonaggioLeave a comment

The James Suckling Great Wines of the World tasting event took place on June 15 & 16 and was held at the Altman Building event space at 135 West 18th Street in Manhattan.

James Suckling is a journalist, wine and cigar critic that has established online wine and cigar related websites.

This was a two day walk around tasting of highly rated wines from 195 producers from the top wine regions of the world.

As per usual when I attend a tasting with this volume of wines, I focused on Bordeaux and Napa Valley Cabernet but sampled wines from other regions as well.

Old World

2012 Bertani Amarone (Veneto): Clear light brick, earth and dark chocolate on the nose, silky black leather on the fruit, great balance.

2015 Paolo Scavino Barolo Bric del Fiasc (Piedmont): Clear light brick, toasty tar on the nose with dusty fruit ending with firm tannins.

2015 Chateau Leoville Las Case (St Julien): Clear medium brick, pretty nose of tar and leather, tight red fruit ending in mouth puckering tannins.

2016 Chateau Malatric Lagraviere (Graves): Opaque medium red, ripe crushed black fruit on the nose with silky red fruit and firm tannins.

2016 Phelan Segur (St Estephe): Opaque medium red, dusty crushed rocks on the nose with dusty black fruit ending with silky tannins.

2017 Frescobaldi Castelgiocondo Brunello di Montalcino (Tuscany): Clear medium red, smoky red cherry on the nose, silky and spicy fruit with a long finish.

2017 Biondi Santi Brunello di Montalcino (Tuscany): Clear light red, barnyard notes on the nose, tight with earth notes on the fruit, nice balance.

2018 Phelan Segur (St Estephe): Clear dar red with a brick rim, tobacco and graphite on the nose, tight dusty fruit with bitter cherry notes on the long finish.

2018 Chateau Meyney (St Estephe): Opaque dark red, ripe camphor on the nose, dark and juicy with bitter almond notes, long finish.

2018 Chateay D’Issan (Margaux): Clear dark red, closed nose of strawberry. dusty, bright red fruit, good balance.

2018 Chateau Gran Puy Ducasse (Paulliac): Opaque medium red, tar and ripe black fruit on the nose, dusty, silky red fruit with a balanced finish.

New World

2009 Clos de los Siete (Mendoza): Opaque dark red, crushed ripe red fruit on the nose, chewy dark red fruit, silky tannins.

2017 Secret Door Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Vally): Opaque dark red, tar and ripe red fruit on the nose, juicy, silky black fruit with a long finish and nicely balance.

2018 Newton Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Mt Veeder (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red, dried herbs and crushed rocks on the nose, concentrated and silky ending with firm tannins.

2019 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon “Red Rock Terrace” (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red. smoky black fruit on the nose, silky bright red fruit with a tarry, balanced finish.

2019 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon “Volcanic Hill” (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red with a purple rim, perfume of tar and crushed rocks, juicy fruit with tar and black licorice notes ending with a tarry, moderate to long finish.

2019 Outpost Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mtn. (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red, closed nose of dirt and dark chocolate, chewy, dark chocolate fruit, with a good grip

2019 BV Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford Reserve (Napa Valley): Opaque medium red. minty dark chocolate on the nose, concentrated with dark chocolate notes ending with silky tannins.

2019 BV Cabernet Sauvignon “George de Latour (Napa Valley): Opaque medium red with a purple rim, dirty camphor on the nose, tight, concentrated dusty fruit with a good grip and a long finish.

2020 Garzon Single Vineyard Tannat (Uraguay): Opaque dark red, smoky dark chocolate on the nose, chewy fruit with slate notes and silky tannins.

2022 Chacra Pinot Noir (Patagonia): Clear light purple, crushed blueberry on the nose with crushed blueberry fruit ending with nice silky tannins.

Decanter Wine Encounter NYC 2023

Published on by Bruno DonaggioLeave a comment

Decanter is a British based wine magazine that is similar to the Wine Spectator magazine in that they feature articles on all things related to wine including wine reviews.

Each year they host a wine tasting in London and last year for the first time, they held that tasting in New York City.

On June 10th they held the second annual fine wine encounter tasting in New York City. As in last year, the event was held at Manhatta restaurant located at 28 Liberty Street in lower Manhattan.

The restaurant is on the 60th floor and fortunately, the Canadian wildfire smoke from the previous week was gone and the picture windows in the restaurant provided an impressive view of lower Manhattan harbor.

They brought “world class wines from around the world” with over 50 of the producers on hand to explain what they were pouring. They also held several master classes and a separate tasting of 34 of their Gold, Platinum and Best in Show winning wines from the Decanter World Wine Awards.

It was a selection of wines of the world with France and Italy well represented and Californina and Oregon not so much so.

Some of what I sampled:

Old World

2001 Domaine de Chevalier Pessac Leognan: Clear medium brick, pretty nose of sweet bell pepper and crushed flowers, tight with bell pepper notes on the finish.

2006 Famille Perrin Chateauneuf du Pape: Clear medium brick, tar and ripe fruit on the nose, juicy, mouth filling fruit with herbs notes on the long and balanced finish.

2009 Chateau Potensac Medoc: Clear medium red, tar, spice and crushed red fruit on the nose, juicy with spicy bright red fruit, firm finish.

2011 Marquis de Murrieta Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial Rioja: Clear medium brick, crushed red fruit and ripe vegetables on the nose, smokey, tight and tart.

2010 Chateau Pichon Baron Pauillac: Opaque dark brick, pretty perfume of anise, violets and tobacco, silky black fruit with tobacco notes on the finish, good grip.

2009 Chateau Clerc Milon Pauillac: Clear medium brick, stinky tar and tobacco on the nose, tight with firm acids.

2015 Chateau Clerc Millon Pauillac: Medium red, dusty dark fruit on the nose, chewy fruit ending with firm acids.

2010 Chateau Lascombes Margaux: Opaque dark red with a brick rim, crushed blueberry on the nose, chewy, crushed sweet cherry fruit with tar and mint on the long, balance finish.

2011 Chateau Lascombes Margaux: Opaque dark brick, tar and smoke on the nose, juicy and dense with herbs and mint notes on the finish, balanced.

New World

2013 Rutini Apartado Gran Blend Uco Valley: Opaque dark red with a brick rim, tobacco and anise on the nose, juicy red fruit ending with big tannins.

2014 Horsepower Sur Echalas Vineyard Grenache Walla Walla Valley: Opaque medium brick, juicy nose of crushed blueberry with juicy, smoky black fruit with dried herbs on the finish.

2017 Trefethen The Cowgirl and The Pilot Napa Valley: Mostly Merlot. Clear medium brick, smoky ripe fruit on the nose, silky red fruit ending with firm tannins.

2011 Verite La Jolie Sonoma County: Opaque dark red to black, big nose of mint, tar and crushed black fruit, chewy, silky fruit with silky tannins on the long and balanced finish.

2019 Verite La Jolie Sonoma County: Opaque dark red to black, toasty crushed black fruit on the nose, dense and young ending with firm tannins.

2019 Black Stallion Transcendent Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley: Opaque black, crushed red fruit, blueberry and milk chocolate on the nose, chewy, minty fruit with a tart cherry grip at the end.

2019 Daroush Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley: Opaque dark red to black, muted nose of crushed black fruit, chunky and dusty with dark chocolate on the finish, balanced.

2019 Daroush Cabernet Franc Napa Valley: Opaque dark red, crushed rocks and dark chocolate on the nose, juicy with milk chocolate and dried herb notes on the fruit, silky tannins on the finish.

SlowWine NYC 2023

Published on by Bruno DonaggioLeave a comment

The Slow Wine movement began 30 years ago in Piedmont, Italy and is aligned with the Slow Food movement.

The wineries that were selected by Slow Wine are wineries “that respect and reflect the local terroir and practice sustainable methods that benefit the environment” and are 100% free of chemical herbicides. They are given the “snail” seal of approval.

The multi city tour stopped in San Francisco, Miami, Dallas, Seattle and on March 14th, in New York City.

The event was held at Eataly downtown at 101 Liberty Street in downtown Manhattan in a stylish room with an expansive view of the surrounding area. Of course, since it was Eataly, some nice food was provided.

About three quarters of the wines at the event were from Italy with wines from the United States a distant second and a handful from the rest of the world. Most of the wine regions of Italy were represented, and the U.S. had a respectable showing with wines from California and Oregon.

My pet peeve: When I go to these events, I like to take notes on what I sample. I do it the old school way with a pen and paper. Usually in the past a book or sheet with the wines being poured and room to take notes was available. Nowadays they are forgoing a physical book for a QR code, and I have to grab a scrap of paper to write on and it’s time consuming to copy all of the wine information.

Some of what I sampled:

2019 Unti Aglianico (Sonoma): Rare Italian varietal in Cali, dark red to black, perfume of sweet violets, chewy dusty fruit, nice grip and a long finish.

2019 Unti Syrah (Sonoma): Opaque dark red, forest floor and camphor on the nose, juicy and chewy with slate notes, good grip.

2019 Ruby Vineyard Pinot Noir “Flora’s Reserve” (Oregon): Clear light purple, red fruit and earth on the nose with juicy red fruit.

2019 Evening Land Pinot Noir “La Source” (Eola-Amity Hills): Clear medium purple, earthy black cherry on the nose ending with tart red fruit.

2019 Gallica Grenache (Sonoma): Clear medium red, ripe crushed fruit on the nose, chewy, earthy fruit with crushed stone notes on the finish.

2019 Gallica Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): Opaque medium red, slate and crushed black fruit on the nose with dusty black fruit and a firm finish.

2018 Newton Cabernet Sauvignon Mt Veeder (Napa Valley): Dark red with a brick rim, roasted meat and camphor on the nose ending with tight red fruit.

2018 Newton Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mt (Napa Valley): 100% Cabernet, opaque dark red, tobacco and crushed rocks on the nose, dusty, dark fruit with silky tannins.

2021 Vicara Grignolino (Piedmont): Very light red, smoky nose, delicate fruit with crushed stone notes ending with moderate acidity.

2020 La Spinetta Barbaresco “Bordini” (Piedmont): Clear light brick, toasty barnyard on the nose, tight red cherry fruit with moderate acidity.

2019 Castello di Neive Pinot Nero (Piedmont): Clear light brick, tree bark on the nose, tight red cherry fruit, moderate tannins and acid.

2019 La Spinetta Barolo “Garretti” (Piedmont): Clear light brick, tar and leather on the nose, silky dark fruit with gritty tannins and a long finish.

2018 Pian delle Querci Brunello di Montalcino (Tuscany): Clear light brick, tar and cigar box on the nose, good fruit with a nice balance.

2016 Col D’Orcia Cabernet Sauvignon “Olmaia” (Tuscany): Clear medium red, barnyard on the nose, black licorice fruit.

2016 Badia a Coltibuono “Sangioveto” (Tuscany): 100% Sangiovese, clear light brick, toasty nose, tight, dark ripe fruit with red licorice notes on the finish.

2015 Col D’Orcia Brunello di Montalcino Riserva “Poggio al Vento” (Tuscany): Clear medium brick, cooked ripe fruit on the nose, tight and tannic.