Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Alpine Roots Humagne Rouge 2023 — AOC Valais, Switzerland 🇨🇭

Overview
100% Humagne Rouge, an indigenous Swiss variety from the Valais region. Grown in alpine conditions with strong diurnal shifts that preserve freshness and structure. A terroir-driven red that showcases mountain precision and regional identity.

Aromas & Flavors
Red currant, wild cherry, dried cranberry, subtle black pepper, alpine herbs, light earth, and a faint smoky mineral tone. Fruit is bright but never heavy.

Mouthfeel
Light to medium body with soft edges and polished tannins. Fresh acidity keeps it lifted and energetic. Smooth, approachable, yet quietly complex. A clean, savory finish that lingers with elegance.

Food Pairings
Charcuterie, mushroom dishes, roasted poultry, alpine cheeses, herb-roasted pork, or lentil-based dishes.

Verdict
A showstopper in disguise. Unexpected, terroir-driven, and refreshingly different. Hard to compare directly to mainstream grapes, and that’s precisely its charm.

Did You Know?
Humagne Rouge is native to Switzerland’s Valais region and thrives in steep alpine vineyards, where altitude and sunlight intensity contribute to vibrant acidity and aromatic precision.

🍷 Personal Pick
A curveball that overdelivers. Approachable yet distinctive, the kind of wine that makes people say, “Wait… Switzerland?” and then reach for another glass. — 18 days ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.3

Domaine Marc Portaz – Apremont 2021
Vin de Savoie AOC – Savoie, France 🇫🇷

Overview
Made from 100% Jacquère, this white comes from the alpine slopes near Chambéry. Apremont is one of the most famous crus of Savoie, known for producing crisp, mineral-driven wines that reflect their high-altitude terroir and limestone soils.

Aromas & Flavors
Delicate white flowers, green apple, lemon zest, and a touch of mountain herbs. Light, citrus-driven palate with a flinty minerality that lingers.

Mouthfeel
Lean, bright, and bone-dry, with zippy acidity and a refreshing, alpine finish. A classic mountain white—clean and precise.

Food Pairing
Perfect with fondue Savoyarde, raclette, lake fish (like perch or trout), or alpine charcuterie.

Verdict
A textbook Jacquère that delivers purity and freshness. Proof that alpine terroir wines can punch far above their weight in elegance and drinkability.

Personal Highlight
Enjoyed this bottle in Lausanne, Switzerland, where French alpine wines often sit side-by-side with Swiss Chasselas. A reminder of how borders blur when it comes to great alpine whites. Cheers! — 6 months ago

Brandon Chew

9.3

dried berries, hint of mushroom, alpine freshness. Wait 30 min and woohoo — a year ago

Michael Dierberg

9.5

This one had signs of seepage on it so I opened it planning on throwing it out. What an amazing wine and so fresh! Maybe another bottle seeped on to this one? — 16 days ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.5

Absolutely phenomenal. Black raspberry, black cherry, white tea, flowers, some red currant. Stellar aromas. Unique. The palate is teeming with energy. Juicy, and slathering minerals. Velvety tannins but also substantial. This needs to flesh out but the underlying everything is brilliant. After 19 hours open the nose is softer and more expressive. Really a lipstick like intensity and just evolved so much overnight. Loads of Alpine spices. Palate is so round now but still has that energy and that barely there sweetness. Juicy and clean. Wonderful. 9.4 to 9.5. — a month ago

Adriana Fabbro

9.0

Revisiting an old friend. From one of Europe’s highest vineyards. Pure, clean citrus fruit hits you right away like a freshly melted alpine stream in spring. As the bottle warms up, unexpected tropical notes emerge - coconut and pineapple (aka nuances of piña colada). — 6 months ago

Ed Chin

9.2

The deep cherry component was so overwhelming you barely noticed the tertiary notes. — 9 months ago

"Odedi"

9.2

#AgedWineTuesday

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish/ brick rim.

Complex on the nose, and medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate and soft.

Showing cherries, plums, currants, light oak, tobacco leaf, herbs, black pepper, chocolates, light vegetables, Indian spices, licorice and black tea.

Long finish with soft tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a delicious 13 year old Pinot Noir from Santa Cruz Mountains in California. Drinking beautifully now, elegant and fruit forward. Nicely balanced and soft. Complex with a nice mouthfeel.

This Single Vineyard Pinot Noir, from the great 2013 vintage, is drinking at its peak now, and will continue to drink nicely in the next few years.

A good sipping wine that will pair nicely with food too. Loved the low alcohol level too.

12.8% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$80. — a month ago

Tom Elliot

Founder Northwest Wines

9.2

This RIESLING wine was in a case that experienced a cellar flood, so, a mystery vintage of Alpine Riesling from their estate vineyard in the mid-Willamette Valley, but I’m certain it’s between the late 1980s and very early 1990s due to when acquired. At this time, it has just a trace of the sweetness it must have started out with. Coconut, marzipan, and caramel, with a fine acid backbone and long complex finish. — 6 months ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of an hour. The 2013 “Etichetta Bianca” pours a garnet color with a translucent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with fascinating notes of ripe and desiccated fruits: black cherry, pomegranate, red flowers, roasted beef, cedar chest, alpine herbs and rocky earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and savory. Ferrando’s Carema (both white and black labels) are never short on personality and always such a joy to share with others. Drink now through 2043.  — 7 months ago