My friends, you don\u2019t always get what you pay for. Especially in the world of wine.<\/p>\n
In keeping with the \u201cyou don\u2019t see these every day\u201d theme, I also got a pair of Albari\u00f1os this week. Considering the furor over Sauvignon Blanc at the moment, perhaps we\u2019re also about to see the stars align for an explosion of Albari\u00f1o? Equally refreshing and with a similar flavor profile, Albari\u00f1o is just much less common in California, though it\u2019s been around for decades. The two wines I received represent two equally compelling interpretations of the grape, so to speak. The\u00a0Croma Vera<\/a>\u00a0version is fruitier, perhaps more \u201cCalifornia\u201d in style, but with the bright acidity and snap you expect from the variety. The\u00a0Edio Vineyards<\/a>\u00a0version is more in tune with the Rias Baixas version of Albari\u00f1o, lean and steely. There\u2019s an irony here, in that the Croma Vera comes from the SLO Coast, a climate that much better resembles the grape\u2019s homeland in coastal northern Spain, whereas the Edio is grown in a high-elevation mountain climate in El Dorado county. Keep an eye out for the tasty GSM \u201cFrank\u2019s Blend\u201d from Edio as well.<\/p>\n I also tasted a couple more wines this week from\u00a0Darling Wines<\/a>\u2014a very lean Pinot Gris and an interesting Pinot Noir, both from the Petaluma Gap AVA.<\/p>\n Moving to the darker shade of reds, we can begin with a crunchy, surprisingly (in a good way) lean interpretation of Nero d\u2019Avola from the\u00a0Perlegos<\/a>\u00a0brothers in Lodi, as well as a classically profiled Cabernet Sauvignon from\u00a0Post & Beam<\/a>, which is a sub-brand of Far Niente winery in Napa.<\/p>\n It\u2019s tough to taste Barolo\u2019s when they\u2019re too young, and the bottle of\u00a0Pio Cesare<\/a>\u00a0\u201cBarolo Pio\u201d that got sent to me recently is a good example, but this one will likely blossom with some time in the bottle.<\/p>\n Lastly, and certainly not least, I recently received the latest vintage of Insignia from\u00a0Joseph Phelps<\/a>. Their flagship Cabernet-dominant red blend is reliably one of Napa\u2019s top bottlings every year and one that (though expensive) is made in quantities that allow ordinary humans (or at least humans who can afford it) to get their hands on a bottle without being on a mailing list. The 2019 vintage is beautifully accessible now but will improve for the next 10 years for sure.<\/p>\n Notes on all these below.<\/p>\n 2017 Ch\u00e2teau Couhins Graves Blanc, Pessac-L\u00e9ognan, Bordeaux, France<\/strong> 2022 Veronique Barthe Ch\u00e2teau La Freynelle Bordeaux Blanc, France<\/strong> 2021 Croma Vera Wines Albari\u00f1o, Edna Valley, SLO Coast, California<\/strong> 2020 Edio Vineyards Albari\u00f1o, El Dorado, Sierra Foothills, California<\/strong> 2022 Darling Wines \u201cLa Cruz Vineyard\u201d Pinot Gris, Petaluma Gap, Sonoma, California<\/strong> 2021 Darling Wines \u201cGrand Vent Vineyard\u00a0\u201d Pinot Noir, Petaluma Gap, Sonoma, California<\/strong> 2021 Johan Vineyards \u201cEstate\u201d Pinot Noir, Van Duzer Corridor, Willamette Valley, Oregon<\/strong> 2020 Edio Vineyards \u201cFrank\u2019s Blend\u201d Red Blend, El Dorado, Sierra Foothills, California<\/strong> 2021 Perlegos Family Wines \u201cFernow Ranch\u201d Nero d\u2019Avola, Mokelumne River, Lodi, California<\/strong> 2021 Post & Beam Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Napa, California<\/strong> 2019 Joseph Phelps \u201cInsignia\u201d Red Blend, Napa Valley, Napa, California<\/strong>Tasting\u00a0<\/span>Notes<\/h2>\n
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\nPale greenish gold in the glass, this wine smells of lemon oil, white flowers, and a hint of smoke. In the mouth, wonderfully saline flavors of lemon oil, grapefruit, and passionfruit mix with a bit of green apple skin leaving a faintly pleasant bitterness in the finish. Contains 2% Sauvignon Gris. 13.5% alcohol. Score: between\u00a08.5<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a09<\/strong>. Cost: $250.\u00a0click to buy.<\/a><\/p>\n
\nPale greenish gold in color, this wine smells of white flowers and lemon peel. In the mouth, flavors of passionfruit, lemon blossom, and a touch of green apple mix with a hint of candle wax. Excellent acidity and a lovely silky texture. A blend of 60% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Semillon, and 10% Muscadelle. 13.5% alcohol. Closed with a screwcap. Score: between\u00a08.5<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a09<\/strong>. Cost: $15.\u00a0click to buy.<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLight greenish gold in the glass, this wine smells of green apples and a hint of candied lemon. In the mouth, candied lemon and green apple flavors are wonderfully bright and sourish, with excellent acidity and a faint salinity. Quite tasty. 14% alcohol. Closed with a screwcap. Score: between\u00a08.5<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a09<\/strong>. WEBSITE: https:\/\/delfinofarms.com\/edio-vineyards\/<\/a> \u00a0Cost: $30. click to buy.<\/a><\/p>\n
\nPalest gold in the glass with a hint of green, this wine smells of green apple and wet steel. In the mouth, bright green apple flavors have a stony, wet-chalkboard quality as excellent acidity and hints of lime zest linger in the finish. Classically profiled. 13.7% alcohol. Score: between\u00a08.5<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a09<\/strong>. Cost: $28.<\/p>\n
\nLight blonde in the glass with a hint of bronze to it, this wine smells of pears and a hint of unripe apricots. In the mouth, bright acidity makes flavors of pear, citrus pith, and dried herbs juicy on the palate, though the overall sensation is more savory than fruity. A very lean wine at just 10.8% alcohol. 75 cases made. Score: around\u00a08.5<\/strong>. Cost: $36.\u00a0click to buy.<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLight to medium ruby in the glass, with a faint haze, this wine smells of spiced red apple skin, dried herbs, and redwood bark. In the mouth, red apple skin, raspberries, and dried apple flavors are shot through with mulling spices and cedar. Powdery tannins flex their muscles in the finish. Quite pretty but tastes very evolved for its young age. 12.1% alcohol. Score: between\u00a08.5<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a09<\/strong>. Cost: $60.\u00a0click to buy.<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLight to medium garnet in the glass, this wine smells of potting soil and raspberries. In the mouth, lean, herbal flavors of raspberries and bramble have a faint barnyard quality to them. Silky texture, with lightly grippy tannins. 12.2% alcohol. Demeter-certified biodynamic. Score: around\u00a08.5<\/strong>. Cost: $37.\u00a0click to buy.<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLight ruby in the glass with garnet highlights, this wine smells of flowers, boysenberries, and a hint of herbs. In the mouth, bright flavors of boysenberry, strawberry, and sour cherry have a tangy quality and even a little salinity as faint notes of bitter herbs emerge in the finish along with dried citrus. A blend of 65% Mourv\u00e8dre, 20% Grenache, and 15% Syrah. 14.2% alcohol. Score: around\u00a08.5<\/strong>. Cost: $62.\u00a0click to buy.<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sp-ao.shortpixel.ai\/client\/to_webp,q_lossy,ret_img,w_319,h_895\/https:\/\/www.vinography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image-2.png\")
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\nMedium purple in the glass, this wine smells of blackberries and leather. In the mouth, tangy blackberry flavors have a nice sourish quality that makes the mouth water along with excellent acidity. There\u2019s a faint herbal note that creeps into the finish. Light cotton-ball tannins. Nicely restrained. 12.9% alcohol. Score: around\u00a08.5<\/strong>. Cost: $31.\u00a0click to buy.<\/a><\/p>\n
\nVery dark garnet in the glass, this wine smells of black cherry and blackcurrant. In the mouth, plush muscular tannins grasp a core of black cherry and blackberry fruit that has orange peel notes and excellent acidity. Hints of dried herbs linger in the finish with a touch of licorice root. 14.5% alcohol. Score: between\u00a08.5<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a09<\/strong>. Cost: $49.\u00a0click to buy.<\/a><\/p>\n
\nVery dark garnet in the glass, this wine smells of cherry and black cherry fruit with hints of dried flowers. In the mouth, rich flavors of black cherry, cola, and black plum are shot through with mocha and cocoa powder. Excellent acidity and beautifully supple tannins. As usual, quite seamless and well-balanced. A blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, and 2% Malbec. 14.5% alcohol. Packaged in a slightly heavier bottle than it needs to be, weighing 1.53 kg when full. Score: around\u00a09.5<\/strong>. Cost: $352.\u00a0click to buy.<\/a><\/p>\n