Alder Yarrow

Wine Blogger Vinography

9.3

Sophisticated soft velvet sings a beautiful song. Ripe berries, a touch of herbs and leather, and a lovely dried floral high note that has a sour cherry tang made this a stunner of a wine. This is ultra-orthodox Beaujolais in the Chauvet style, whole bunch, carbonic maceration in cement, aged in neutral oak and not a thing added, especially not any sulfur. Apparently some bottles are great and others, well… we got a great one. — 3 days ago

Alder Yarrow

Wine Blogger Vinography

9.5

Oh the jubilation of sitting outside on a beautiful day with people in addition to your immediate family and drinking the good stuff. What can be said about one of the world’s perfect rosés that hasn’t been said. Benchmark bright berries and watermelon citrus snap and mouthwatering acidity. Fresh and clean and disappears almost instantly on a warm day. Please sir, may I have some more? — 5 days ago

Alder Yarrow

Wine Blogger Vinography

9.4

I taste a lot of Napa Cabernet, but I don’t *drink* a lot of Napa Cabernet. But when I do I make sure it’s the good stuff, and it don’t get much better than @corisonwinery. Earth, lavender and black currant aromas give way to fantastically juicy and elegant black cherry, tobacco leaf, dried herbs and flowers, and a touch of pencil lead. Gorgeously balanced, with fine-grained, restrained tannins. Delicious now, but amazing in another 10 years. I just couldn’t wait that long. — 24 days ago

Alder Yarrow

Wine Blogger Vinography

9.4

Positively epic Chenin last night with dinner at @themorris_sf with some friends. Angled towards its mineral core, this wine offered citrus pith and unripe pear flavors with herbal overtones and a hint of flowers. A sappy membrillo note crept into the finish at the end but the pith and wet chalkboard minerality dominated with shimmering subtlety. A knockout from this tiny tiny producer working their 15 acres in Saumur to make 1200 cases per year. The wines are not racked, and have no added yeasts or sulfur, and are often aged for multiple years in the bottle. This particular bottling comes from 100+ year-old vines. — 3 days ago

Alder Yarrow

Wine Blogger Vinography

9.2

Needed something a little celebratory with dinner. 16 years of marriage!Bright berry with a touch of brioche and seawater and a hint of citrus peel. — 15 days ago

Alder Yarrow

Wine Blogger Vinography

7.7

I love this wine. Just not today. Usually pretty rich, somewhat oxidative and definitely oak inflected, my last bottle of the 2009 is simply… over the hill. Tasting flabby, fairly oxidized, and just uninteresting. A shame. Note to self: drink this one younger. — 17 days ago

Alder Yarrow

Wine Blogger Vinography

9.0

After our little vacation (what a pleasure and luxury after the year we’ve all had) it’s back to home cooking and drinking, and this bottle was sitting aside in the cellar because I was too lazy to reshelve it after pulling it out a few weeks ago and not getting around to drinking it. It smells of dusty dried sage and other herbs with a touch of cedar and red fruits beneath. Exceedingly silky, with dashi and miso notes mixing with raspberry and dried herbs that have this lovely aromatic sweetness that lingers with the herbs in the finish. Very pretty. — a month ago

Alder Yarrow

Wine Blogger Vinography

9.4

It’s hard to match Ribolla Gialla for its combination of refreshment and complexity. Maybe I’m just a sucker for chamomile and bee pollen and pear and lemon oil flavors that lean savory with fantastic acidity and salty mineral undertones. George Vare FTW, and RIP. — 5 days ago

Alder Yarrow

Wine Blogger Vinography

9.4

One bottle of rosé is never enough on a perfect afternoon with friends. And since @jolielaidewines went all Gamay on us this year, we gotta get with the program. Trademark deliciousness here, with silky berry and hibiscus and citrus peel plus a cool hint of floral sweetness in the finish. Grows in what can only be described as the OG Gamay vineyard planted by Steve Edmunds and Ron Mansfield at 3300’ of elevation in the Sierra Foothills. Killer site = killer fruit = killer wine. — 5 days ago

Alder Yarrow

Wine Blogger Vinography

9.2

With five and change years on it, this wine is beginning its transformation. What were bright and juicy lemon and quince in youth are starting to take on more steely, herbal notes as savory and saline elements come to the fore. The color, if anything is even more youthful than before, holding a greenish tinge along with its blonde highlights. Killer acidity still reigns supreme here for complete refreshment. Gonna save a bottle or two and see where it goes in another 5 years. — 17 days ago