Hello, and welcome to my periodic dig through the samples pile. I’m pleased to bring you the latest installment of Vinography Unboxed, where I highlight some of the better bottles that have crossed my doorstep recently.
This week included a lovely German Riesling and then a bunch of Rhone Rangers. Selbach Oster is a great producer and one that rarely disappoints for both quality and value for the money. This single-vineyard Kabinett from the Mosel was no exception.
The rest of the wines range from the tight, herbal notes of the Bonny Doon Bien Nacido Syrah, to the rich luscious fruit tinged with new oak of the Clos Solene bottling. There are a few other wines from Paso Robles in there this week, from producers Caliza and Villa Creek. The former’s “Kissing Cousins” white blend is a crowd-pleaser of a white wine, while the latter’s “Garnacha” Grenache made mostly in cement is a wonderful expression of the grape.
Enjoy!
2015 Selbach Oster “Zeltinger Himmelreich Kabinett” Riesling, Mosel, Germany
Palest greenish gold in color, this wine smells of unripe apples and citrus pith. In the mouth, mandarin orange and Asian pear flavors have a snappy crispness thanks to excellent acidity and a wet chalkboard and pink grapefruit background that lingers mouthwateringly in the finish. Delicious. 11% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $22. click to buy.
2014 Villa Creek “James Berry Vineyard” Roussanne, Paso Robles, Central Coast, California
Bright yellow in the glass, this wine smells of honey, lemon curd and bee pollen. In the mouth, citrus zest, candle wax and lemon curd mix with sweetish flavors of baked apples. A hint of bitterness on the finish. 14.8% alcohol. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $50. click to buy.
2015 Caliza Winery “Kissing Cousins” White Blend, Paso Robles, Central Coast, California
Pale gold in the glass, this wine smells of apple, greengage plums, and citrus. In the mouth, tart Asian pear, apple, and lime zest mix with a nice stony underbelly and a hint of green wood on the finish. Great acidity and freshness. A blend of 38% Viognier, 36% Roussanne, 26% Grenache Blanc. 14% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $30. click to buy.
2012 Bonny Doon “Bien Nacido Vineyard” Syrah, Santa Maria Valley, Santa Barbara, California
Dark garnet in color, this wine smells of black cherry and blackberries wafting on the smoke of a campfire. In the mouth blackberry and white pepper flavors have a nice blanket of suede-like tannins to nestle into, as notes of tart blackberry linger in the finish. Good acidity and length. 13% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $50. click to buy.
2014 Clos Solene “Cuvee Jean” Syrah, Santa Maria Valley, Santa Barbara, California
Inky garnet in color, this wine smells of blackberry and black cherry. In the mouth blackberry and black licorice mix with flavors of mole sauce and a hint of white flowers thanks to the 3% Viognier blended in. Smooth and bright with faint tannins and great acidity. A rasher of new oak makes this a bit more polished than I’d like, but very pretty nonetheless. 14.8% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $87.
2013 Caliza Winery “Azimuth” Red Blend, Willow Creek District, Paso Robles, Central Coast, California
Very dark garnet in the glass, this wine smells of black cherry, licorice, and crushed hazelnuts. In the mouth, dark cherry and licorice flavors have a slight saltiness to them, with cocoa powder and a hint of bitter wood on the finish. Good acidity and freshness, albeit with a bit of the alcohol showing on the finish. A blend of 40% Grenache, 40% Mourvedre, and 20% Syrah. 15.5% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $58. click to buy.
2013 Caliza Winery Syrah, Willow Creek District, Paso Robles, Central Coast, California
Inky garnet in the glass, this wine smells of blackberry pie. In the mouth, juicy blackberry and black cherry fruit has the bitter high-toned qualities of a higher alcohol wine. The fruit is sweet and lush, and honestly charming despite the 15.7% alcohol. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $58. click to buy.
2014 Villa Creek “Garnacha” Grenache, Paso Robles, Central Coast, California
Medium garnet in the glass, this wine smells of delicious strawberry jam. In the mouth, bright strawberry and cherry fruit has a fantastic juiciness and snap to it thanks to excellent acidity, and a nice herbal earthy backdrop that is quite appealing. 100% whole cluster, with 66% fermented and aged in concrete. 15.6% alcohol but not showing much of that. 325 cases made. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $50. click to buy.
2013 Villa Creek “High Road – James Berry Vineyard” Red Blend, Paso Robles, Central Coast, California
Dark garnet in the glass, this wine smells of raisins and black cherries. In the mouth, rich black cherry and raisin and chocolate has a lush powerful fruit core. The fruit is a tad ripe for my tastes, but there’s enough acidity there to keep it from being flabby. A blend of 40% Syrah, 40% Mourvedre, 20% Grenache fermented in 66% concrete. 15% alcohol. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $80. click to buy.
2013 Villa Creek “Luna Matta Vineyard” Red Blend, Adelaida District, Paso Robles, Central Coast, California
Very dark garnet in the glass, this wine smells of blueberry and black cherry. In the mouth, blueberry jam and blackberry jam have a powerful full-throated quality that leans a bit high-octane. Nice downy tannins coat the mouth, and linger with an earthy darkness in the mouth. Good acidity. A blend of 70% Mourvedre and 30% Syrah. 14.6% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $??
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