Domaine Isabel Ferrando
Bodegas Muga
Reserva Unfiltered Rioja Tempranillo Blend 2017
Founded in 1932 by Isaac Muga Martínez, now run by Manuel, Isabel & Isaac Muga Caño. Deep Ruby, aromas of sweet red and black fruits with pepper spice, unmistakable Muga. 4 grape blend from the Haro district (70% Tempranillo, rest Garnacha, Mazuelo & Graciano), palate shows cherry and currant flavors with espresso, vanilla & toasty oak tones. Soft full tannins, lively acidity on a medium+ finish ending with an earthy mineral character. Nice value! Great vintage! — 5 months ago
Domaine L'Oustal Blanc (Isabel et Claude Fonquerle)
K Vin de France Carignane
We tasted nine Minervois Red Blends (Languedoc region of France), an unknown AOC to our group. This was designated a “vin de table” because as a single-varietal, it did not conform to the Minervois arcane AOC rules. I loved it anyways — 9 months ago
Ferrando Vini
Etichetta Bianca (White Label) Carema Nebbiolo 2017
Herbs, roses, cherry fruit, tons of mineral complexity and a backbone of asphalt and coal. Amazing. — a month ago
Bodegas Muga
Reserva Rioja Tempranillo 2019
Founded in 1932 by Isaac Muga Martínez, now run by Manuel, Isabel & Isaac Muga Caño. Deep Ruby, aromas of sweet red and black fruits with pepper spice, unmistakable Muga. 4 grape blend from the Haro district (70% Tempranillo, rest Garnacha, Mazuelo & Graciano), palate shows cherry and currant flavors with espresso, vanilla & toasty oak tones. Soft full tannins, lively acidity on a medium+ finish ending with an earthy mineral character. Nice value! Great vintage! — 5 months ago
Domaine Isabel Ferrando
Saint Prefert Châteauneuf-du-Pape Grenache Blend 2020
this delivers it all and will tremendously reward those that cellar away a case ~ black cherry & raspberry in the forms of fruit, preserves, candy and liqueur ~ lavender, garrigue, exotic spices ~ simultaneously juicy & dusty ~ DEEELISH — 9 months ago
Cantina dei Produttori Carema
Riserva Carema Nebbiolo 2016
From a lesser known “produttori” in Piemonte. Cantina Produttori Nebbiolo di Carema (what a mouthful) is a tiny cooperative in, you guessed it, Carema.
Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of two days. Fairly consistent throughout but I think I preferred the energy on Day 1. The 2016 Riserva pours a pale garnet with a transparent core; medium+ viscosity and no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of pomegranate, slightly bruised strawberry, toe jam (yeah, well…I’m not wrong), alpine herbs, roses some balsamico and rocky earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannins and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and saline with a silky texture. Until now, my only experience with the Carema DOC has been with Ferrando’s Etichetta Bianca and Etichetta Nera. While this bottle didn’t have the same drama as those wines from Ferrando, this was a very good example of Carema. Drink now and through 2031. — 7 months ago
Steve Rura
Hell yes. Raspberry nose. Red fruit overlayed with crushed dry rose, savory herbs, spicy black pepper, red licorice, assertive tannins and a delicate acidity. Unconventional but absolutely great Chateauneuf du Pape. Give it a lot of air, and drink it slowly over the course of an evening. With cheese ravioli and Miles Davis’s Kind of Blue. Divine. (Also not a blend, but 100% Grenache) — a month ago