Category Archives: 60 Second Reviews

60 Second Wine Review — Pedroncelli Sonoma Classico

Published on March 27, 2019

A few quick thoughts on the 2016 Pedroncelli Sonoma Classico Red Blend from the Dry Creek Valley. Note: This wine was received as a sample.

Pedroncelli Sonoma Classico

The Geekery

John Pedroncelli, Sr. started Pedroncelli Vineyards during the height of Prohibition, purchasing land in the Dry Creek Valley in 1927. He survived those years by selling grapes to home winemakers until he could legally produce wine in the 1930s.

Today, the winery remains family-owned with now the fourth generation joining the team. Many of the prominent stakeholders of Pedroncelli are women. This includes winemaker Montse Reece who joined the winery in 2007 after working at Gloria Ferrer, Rodney Strong and Ferrari-Carano.

The Sonoma Classico is a proprietary blend of Merlot, Zinfandel, Petit Sirah and Syrah sourced from throughout the Dry Creek Valley.

The Wine

Photo By VoDeTan2 - Own work, Uploaded to Wikimedia Commons under CC BY 3.0

A gorgeous mix of spices characterizes this wine.

Medium-plus intensity nose. Mix of red and dark fruit with blackberries and red currant. Lots of spice on the nose that ranges from pepper to coriander to star anise.

On the palate, the rich dark fruits carry through the most, giving the wine medium-plus bodied weight. Medium-plus acidity accentuates the spice but also brings out a savory black olive note that reminds me of old world Syrahs. The ripe medium tannins have a slight edge that adds structure. Moderate finish lingers on the spice.

The Verdict

There were several bottles in the Pedroncelli sampler set that impressed me including their 2017 Russian River Pinot noir and 2016 Mother Clone Zinfandel. But at $18-20, the Sonoma Classico struck me as the most criminally underpriced of them all.

This wine is loaded with character and could easily be priced in the $25-30 range without anyone blinking an eye. While exquisitely food friendly, the balance of rich fruit and tangy spice also plays well as a treat to enjoy on its own.

Smart sommeliers will certainly snatch this bottle for their wine lists. If you see it at a restaurant, it will be one of the best buys on the list and worth getting.

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60 Second Wine Review — Smith-Madrone Riesling

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews, Napa Valley

Published on February 18, 2019

A few quick thoughts on the 2015 Smith-Madrone Riesling from the Spring Mountain District of Napa Valley. Note: This wine was received as a sample.

The Geekery

Smith Madrone Riesling

When Stu and Charlie Smith bought 200 acres on the top of Spring Mountain in 1970, the area was so densely covered with Douglas Firs, poison oak and Madrones that they needed a logging permit to clear the land.

However, Stu Smith’s belief that the best grapes come from the hillsides encouraged him to plant in this area that still had remnants of old grapevine stakes from the 1880s.

Today, the Smiths focus on estate-grown fruit that is dry-farmed on their 200-acre ranch. In 2015, Smith-Madrone produced 685 cases of the Riesling.

The Wine

Photo by Runghold. Uploaded to Wikimedia commons under CC-BY-SA-3.0

The stony flint notes adds some intriguing Old World elegance to this Riesling.

High-intensity nose. Green apple and apricot. Very fresh smelling. As the wine warms, petrol also shows up adding more complexity.

On the palate, the same high-intensity of the nose carries through with very vivid and intense green apple and apricot. The high, mouthwatering acidity also highlights some lime as well as a stony flint note that reminds me more of a Sancerre than a Riesling. Dry with medium body weight. Long-finish brings back the petrol but it’s not as intense as the fruit.

The Verdict

This is an outstanding Riesling that I’m disappointed that it took me this long to discover.

At $30-35, this is on the high-end for American Rieslings. But I’m not pulling your leg when I’m saying that this is, hands down, the best domestic Riesling that I’ve tried. I’m spoiled with a lot of great Washington State Rieslings but this tops them. I would put this Smith-Madrone more on par with minerally Trocken Rieslings from Germany.

However, the last Riesling that impressed this much was the Alsatian Cuvée Frédéric Emile from Trimbach (WS Ave $59). While a different style, this Smith-Madrone is not that far off in quality and is certainly worth the splurge. If you can find it, grab it.

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60 Second Wine Review — Ergo Sum Shiraz

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews

Published on February 12, 2019

A few quick thoughts on the 2012 Ergo Sum Shiraz from Victoria, Australia.

The Geekery

Ergo Sum Shiraz

Ergo Sum was a collaboration project between Michel Chapoutier and Rick Kinzbrunner of Giaconda. The first vintage of this single-vineyard Shiraz from the Victorian Alps was released in 2008.

This was one of several projects that Chapoutier has been involved in. In addition to his own eponymous Rhône wines, Chapoutier collaborates with his longtime assistant Pierre-Henri Morel to make PH Morel.

He also has two projects in Roussillon, Domaine de Bila-Haut and Agly Brothers–the later a collaboration with the Laughton family of Jasper Hill. Chapoutier became acquainted with the Laughtons in the late 1990s when he first visited Australia.

With Ron Laughton, he planted a vineyard near Jasper Hill to produce La Pléiade (Cluster M45). Chapoutier also started Domaine Terlato & Chapoutier in Australia with his longtime importer and founded Domaine Tournon in the Victorian Pyrenees.

2012 was the last vintage of Ergo Sum with Chapoutier and Kinzbrunner. Peter Graham, Kinzbrunner’s assistant winemaker, took over the label as part of his Domenica Wines brand.

The wine was aged 18 months in 30% new French oak barrels with around 300 cases produced.

The Wine

Lots of smokiness in this wine but its more distracting than anything.

Medium-plus intensity nose. Very smokey with herbal rosemary and black pepper. Underneath is dark fruit but it’s not very defined.

On the palate, the smoke comes through but has almost a char-y character that is a little distracting. Medium-plus acidity defines the dark fruit as black plum and blackberry with a juicy edge to balance the wine’s full-body. Medium-plus tannins are ripe. Moderate finish brings back the pepper but lingers on the smoke.

The Verdict

This wine tastes like it’s in an awkward spot at the moment. There are some hints of character and it has a solid structure. But the pieces just aren’t coming together.

At $55-65, it has the potential to live up to its price point but right now it is fairly underwhelming.

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60 Second Wine Review — Canard-Duchêne Brut

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews, Champagne

Published on February 5, 2019

A few quick thoughts on the non-vintage Canard-Duchêne Brut Champagne.

The Geekery

The origins of Canard-Duchêne is a love story. Léonie Duchêne was a winemaker and daughter of a grower in Ludes, a premier cru village in the Montagne de Reims. In 1860, she married the local barrel marker, Victor Canard, convincing him to start a Champagne house together in 1868.

Rather than move to the big cities of Reims and Epernay, Léonie and Victor stayed in Ludes. Their son, Edmond, took over the estate in 1890 and greatly expanded the house’s presence in Russia. He soon acquired the rights to be the official Champagne of Tsar Nicolas II.

The house remained family owned until 1978 when the conglomerate LVMH acquired it. Tom Stevenson and Essi Avellan noted in the Christie’s Encyclopedia that Canard-Duchêne then became a “second label” of Veuve Clicquot.

In 2003, LVMH sold the brand to Alain Thiénot who began a long process of renovating the house and vineyards. He brought in Laurent Fédou as cellar master and introduced an organic line of Champagnes.

The non-vintage Brut is a blend of 40% Pinot noir, 40% Pinot Meunier and 20% Chardonnay. Fédou puts the wine through full malolactic, aging it on the lees 23-26 months before bottling with 9 g/l dosage. Around 10,000 cases are imported to the US each year.

The Wine

The palate has more going on than the nose with a lemon-custardly mouthfeel.

Medium intensity nose–citrus and floral notes.

On the palate, the citrus notes carry through but become weightier and more pronounced. Coupled with the soft mousse and slight toastiness, the Champagne takes on a lemon custard feel. Lively acidity keeps it fresh and well-balanced with the dosage. The acidity also brings to life some spiced pear that lingers on the moderate finish.

The Verdict

This is a solidly made Champagne for $35-40. The simplicity does remind me a bit of Veuve but with more citrus notes and a drier profile.

It’s not worth going out of your way to find, but it’s an enjoyable glass.

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60 Second Wine Review — Bledsoe Family Red Wine

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews, Washington wine

Published on January 27, 2019

A few quick thoughts on the 2015 Bledsoe Family Red Blend from Walla Walla.

The Geekery

Bledsoe Family Wines is the second label of former NFL quarterback Drew Bledsoe, owner of Doubleback. A Walla Walla native, Bledsoe started his winery in 2008 with Chris Figgins of Leonetti as winemaker.

In 2015, Josh McDaniels succeeded Figgins as winemaker & general manager after working closely together for several vintages at FIGGINS, Doubleback, TOIL and Leonetti.

Bledsoe sources fruit for the red blend primarily from vineyards in the SeVein project in the Rocks District of Walla Walla. This includes two estate vineyards, McQueen and Bob Healy (named after Bledsoe’s father-in-law) as well as Seven Hills Vineyard and the XL Vineyard owned by John & Martina Rempel.

Other wineries that use fruit from XL includes Rasa Vineyard (owned by Master of Wine Billo Naravane), Sweet Valley Wine (Josh McDaniels’ winery), Dusted Valley, Reininger, Bridge Press Cellars, El Corazon and Five Star Cellars.

The 2015 vintage is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Petit Verdot and 15% Merlot. McDaniels aged the wine for 16 months in a combination of 50% new and 50% used French oak barrels with 1,017 cases produced.

The Wine

The jammy black fruit notes of this wine remind me more of Napa than Washington.

Medium intensity nose. Dark fruits–black plums and black cherries. A little dark chocolate espresso as well.

On the palate, the dark fruits carry through and feel very weighty and full-bodied. Medium acidity gives some balance but not quite enough to keep the fruit from being jammy. The medium-plus tannins are ripe with a velvety texture that is accentuated by creamy vanilla from the oak. Moderate length finish ends with the rich fruit.

The Verdict

In a blind tasting, I would peg this as a Napa Cab with a fair amount of Merlot blended in. The body, mouthfeel and rich dark fruit are very hedonistic like Napa.

While not typical of what I associate with Washington, at $45-55 this drinks on par with Napa Cabs at twice the price.

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60 Second Wine Review — Wallis Family Little Sister Cabernet Sauvignon

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews, Napa Valley

Published on January 22, 2019

A few quick thoughts on the 2011 Wallis Family Little Sister Cabernet Sauvignon from the Diamond Mountain District of Napa.

The Geekery

Edward Wallis first purchased 85 acres on top of Diamond Mountain back in 1975. The property included two buildings on the National Register of Historic Places–a 19th-century carriage house designed by architect William H. Corlett and a stone castle built in 1906 by Frenchmen Jacques Pacheteau.

In 1997, the Wallis’ planted 13 acres with plans of selling grapes to wineries like Lokoya and Ramey. By 2006, they were producing wine from their estate fruit.

Since 2008, Thomas Rivers Brown has been making the Wallis Family’s wines. Brown began his career in 1997 at Turley before moving on to cult producers Schrader and Maybach. In addition to making his Rivers-Marie wines, Brown consults for 45 clients in the Napa Valley including Vermeil, Revana, Round Pond and Outpost.

The 2011 vintage of Little Sister is 99% Cabernet Sauvignon with 1% Petit Verdot. The wine was aged 18 months in 80% new French oak barrels with only 650 cases made.

The Wine

Photo by Fir0002. Uploaded to Wikimedia Commons under CC-BY-SA-3.0

The juicy plums are quite fresh in this 2011 Cab.

Medium-plus intensity nose. A mix of red and black fruit–cherries and plums. Pop and pour, just the fruit shows up. But after 2 hours decanting, cured tobacco and spicy fennel emerge.

The fruit carries through on the palate and tastes fresh with medium-plus acidity. However, the palate brings out more oak than what the nose revealed. Creamy vanilla, allspice and clove become even more pronounced as the wine decants. The firm, high tannins also soften with the added time–balancing the full-bodied fruit. Moderate finish lingers on the fennel and oak spice.

The Verdict

The 2011 vintage in California has been hit or miss for me. Some wines, like the 2011 Stag’s Leap Fay have had way too much pyrazines for my taste. But there have been others that I’ve enjoyed.

This 2011 Wallis Little Sister falls into the enjoy camp, holding its own for $70-80. It definitely benefits from decanting, but it seems to have escaped the green monster of 2011.

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60 Second Wine Review — Rivetto Barbaresco Marcarini

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews

Published on January 17, 2019

A few quick thoughts on the 2014 Rivetto Barbaresco from the Marcarini vineyard.

The Geekery

The Rivetto family has been producing wine in the Langhe region for four generations. Their origins began with Giovanni who made wine for a food shop in Asti in the late 19th century. Today the family’s estate includes 15 ha (37 acres) of vines based in the Serralunga d’Alba region of Barolo. Giovanni’s great-grandson, Enrico, runs the winery.

In 2009, Enrico started moving his family’s estate towards organic viticulture with Rivetto certified entirely by 2013. In 2015, the estate subsequently started experimenting with biodynamics.

However, the fruit for the 2014 Marcarini is sourced from a grower who practices organic viticulture.

Alessandro Masnaghetti’s very excellent book on the vineyards of Barbaresco, Barbaresco MGA, notes that the Marcarini cru is surrounded by the crus of Ferrere (northeast), Vallegrande (east), Casot (southeast) and Pajorè (southwest).

Other producers who source fruit from Marcarini include Marcarini (actually based in La Morra in the Barolo zone), Ca’ del Baio, Elvio Pertinace, Giuseppe e Figlio Mascarello and Nada Giuseppe.

The Wine

This Barbaresco is very spice-driven, especially on the nose.

High-intensity nose. Lots of spice going on ranging from tobacco spice to the fruitcake spices of cardamom, nutmeg and allspice. Also a little black pepper as well. Underneath the spice is some red fruit and herbal notes. Not quite defined yet.

On the palate, those spices carry through with the red fruit becoming more defined as cherries. High acidity amplifies their presence and makes the wine very mouthwatering. Medium-plus tannins are somewhat soft for a Nebbiolo but balance the medium-plus bodied fruit well. Moderate finish brings back the herbal notes. However, the mouthwatering cherry lingers the most.

The Verdict

The softness of the tannins for this relatively young Barbaresco surprised me. However, it certainly has the acid and fruit structure to continue developing.

At $40-50, it’s a decent value for a spicy wine that is enjoyable now. But really you are banking on its potential to deliver a lot more.

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60 Second Wine Review — Sea Smoke Southing Pinot noir

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews

Published on January 14, 2019

A few quick thoughts on the 2014 Sea Smoke Southing Pinot noir from the Santa Rita Hills.

The Geekery

Sea Smoke Southing Pinot noir

Bob Davids founded Sea Smoke in 1999, planting over 100 acres on south-facing bluffs overlooking the Santa Ynez River. The name comes from the cool Pacific fog that funnels into the Santa Rita Hills each day and tempers the ripening of the vines.

In 2016, Sea Smoke acquired the neighboring Rita’s Crown Vineyard which allowed them to expand their holdings to 144 acres of mostly Pinot noir planted to 10 different clones. Focusing exclusively on estate production, Sea Smoke sells a limited amount of grapes to other wineries such as Foxen and Brewer-Clifton.

Until 2008, Sea Smoke’s winemaker was Kris Curran. When she left to join the Foley Wine Group, her assistant, Don Schroeder, took over winemaking and is still in charge today.

The 2014 Southing is sourced from Sea Smoke’s estate vineyard that has been biodynamic since 2013. The wine was aged 16 months in French oak barrels (55% new).

Across all their wines, around 13,000 cases a year are produced.

The Wine

The overt oak and chocolate espresso notes dominate this Pinot.

Medium-plus intensity nose. Noticeable oak vanilla and chocolate espresso notes. Underneath is some dark fruits–black cherry and plum. Smells more Merlot-like than Pinot.

On the palate, the oak certainly carries through with baking spices of clove and nutmeg joining the vanilla, chocolate and toast. Medium acidity gives some lift to the full-bodied fruit but not enough to balance the sense of sweetness. Ripe medium-plus tannins are very velvety. Long finish lingers on the oak, particularly the chocolate espresso flavors.

The Verdict

I fell in love with Sea Smoke’s wines ten years ago and was excited to join their mailing list. But, unfortunately, these last few vintage releases have been underwhelming and I’m going to leave their list soon.

Only the color would keep me from thinking this was a Merlot. While this 2014 Southing would be a decent $40-60 Napa Merlot, it’s not quite what I’m looking for in an $80-100 Pinot noir.

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60 Second Wine Review — Chante Cigale Vieilles Vignes Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews

Published on January 1, 2019

A few quick thoughts on the 2010 Domaine Chante Cigale Vieilles Vignes Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

The Geekery

Chante cigale CDP wine

The Favier family tends the 40 ha (100 acres) of Domaine Chante Cigale in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The estate was founded in 1874 by the Faviers’ ancestor, Hyppolite Jourdan.

Alexandre Favier, grandson of Noël Sobon and part of the notable Sobon clan, has been in charge of his family domaine since he was 20 years old. Harry Karis notes in The Châteauneuf-du-Pape Wine Book that Noël (Roger’s brother) ran the domaine from 1950 to 1975 when he was then succeeded by Alexandre’s father.

On the label, cicadas feature prominently in the crest and pay homage to the French translation of Chante Cigale, singing cicadas.

The domaine’s best parcels include Grenache plantings next to Chateau Rayas as well as old vine plantings in Bois Dauphin, Pignan, Les Pialons and Cabrieres.

The 2010 vintage is a blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre. Parcels for the Vieilles Vignes comes from vines with a minimum age of 80 years up to 100+ years. After fermentation, Favier then aged the wine in a combination of 30% oak barrels (mix of new and neutral), 30% concrete tank and 40% foudre.

Yearly, Chante Cigale produces only around 20,000 bottles with the Vielle Vignes accounting for about 500 cases.

The Wine

Roasted coffee beans compliment the savory bacon notes of this wine.

High-intensity nose–roasted coffee beans with some smokey bacon fat. Very mouthwatering aromatics. Blackberries and pepper spice round out the bouquet.

On the palate, the roasted coffee notes come through with a little chocolatey espresso flavor of oak. Medium-plus acidity amplifies the full-bodied dark fruit, adding black currants and cherries. Medium-plus tannins have a firm grip with a chalky texture. Long finish ends on the spice and mouthwatering bacon notes.

The Verdict

This is an incredibly elegant and complex Châteauneuf that more than merits its $80-100 price tag. A bottle worth savoring.

The wine is in a good spot now with its mix of fruit and savory notes. However, it certainly has the structure to continue aging beautifully.

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60 Second Wine Review — 2008 Champagne Colin

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews, Champagne

Published on December 27, 2018

A few quick thoughts on the 2008 Champagne Colin Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs.

The Geekery

Tom Stevenson and Essi Avellan note in the Christie’s Encyclopedia that the origins of Champagne Colin dates back to 1829. Constant Piéton founded the estate with the property eventually being inherited by his great-granddaughter, Geneviève Prieur. She ran the domaine for many years and instilled a tradition of strong female leadership at the house.

Today, her grandchildren–Richard and Romain Colin–run Champagne Colin. The house shouldn’t be confused with the Congy estate Ulysse Collin, located south of the Côte des Blancs in the Coteaux du Morin.

Most of Colin’s 10 ha (25 acres) are in the Côte des Blancs Grand Cru villages of Cramant and Oiry as well as the Premier Cru villages of Vertus and Cuis. Another third of the family’s holdings are located in the southern Côte des Blancs sub-region of the Côte de Sézanne with a few additional parcels in the Vallée de la Marne.

The estate farms all plots sustainably and produces less than 7000 cases a year.

The 2008 vintage is 100% Chardonnay sourced from the Grand Cru villages of Cramant and Oiry. The wine spent at least five years aging on its lees before being bottled with an 8 g/l dosage.

The Wine

The honey roasted almonds add complexity to the racy citrus notes of this Champagne.

High-intensity nose. Roasted almonds with honey. There is also a grilled citrus lemon note.

On the palate, those nutty and toasty notes carry through but the citrus becomes more fresh and lively. Ample medium-plus acidity highlights a racy streak of minerality. Dry and well balanced with a creamy mousse adding softness and weight. Long finish lingers on the citrus and mineral notes.

The Verdict

For around $70-80, this is a very character-driven Champagne. While it’s in a delicious spot now, the oxidative almond notes are steadily starting to take over.

If you want more of those tertiary flavors, this will continue to drink great for another 5+ years. Otherwise, think more 2-3 years.