Fates' Lieutenant
Fates' Lieutenant
Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir 2022
Fates' Lieutenant Winery Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir 2022, California
Reddish in color with medium intensity.
Fruity nose of cherries, currants, red candy, light wood, herbs and light spices.
Medium bodied with medium acidity.
Dry on the palate with cherries, strawberries, licorice, light oak, spices, chocolates, light vegetables, coffee, black pepper and light earth.
Medium plus on the finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.
This 4-year-old Pinot Noir is drinking very nicely now. Juicy and fruity. Nicely balanced, soft and engaging. Showing nice complexity with a soft mouthfeel.
This Single Vineyard Pinot Noir is very fresh and young tasting, especially on the nose.
Drinks very much like expected, and true to the Terroir. A good quality wine.
Good right out of the bottle, easy drinking, and good by itself as a sipping wine. A nice sipping wine for the porch or pool.
100% Pinot Noir grapes were aged in neutral oak barrels. 30% whole cluster. Unfiltered and unfined.
13.2% alcohol by volume.
90 points.
$55. — 4 months ago
Domaine des Espiers
Cuvée des Blaches Gigondas Red Rhone Blend 1999
Big feral meaty nose on this. Still tannic all over. The cherries are a little underripe but we can watch them ripen from green till we pick them. The perfume is complex and big but the finish not so much. Would love to have had this about 5 years ago, but I’m curious about how it would be in 5 years. Drank while watching Harvey Keitel in Bad Lieutenant. — 7 years ago
Fates' Lieutenant
Ampelos Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021
Fates' Lieutenant Winery Ampelos Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021, Santa Rita Hills, California
Reddish in color with medium plus intensity.
Fruity nose of red cherries, red currants, earth, light wood, spices, coffee and herbs.
Medium bodied with medium acidity.
Dry on the palate with cherries, raspberries, light wood, tobacco leaf, herbs and light black pepper.
Medium finish with soft tannins and tangy raspberries.
This is a tasty Single Vineyard Pinot Noir from Santa Rita Hills in California. Elegant and nicely balanced. Complex and easy drinking.
I’ve had a few Pinots from this producer, and this one shows much earthier than the others.
Would be nice to revisit it in 3 years and see how it evolves.
Good right out of the bottle, and good by itself or with food. I gave it a light chill, and paired it with beef carpaccio.
13.2% alcohol by volume.
90 points.
$65. — a month ago
E. Guigal
Crozes-Hermitage Syrah 2019
2019 vintage. Easy, Tuesday nite Rhônefest. Dark plum, raspberry, cherry and modeling clay (!!) on the nose with some acidity/astringent notes. Medium/medium-light body and lacking the youthful and overt baby fat of some C-H producers/efforts such as/those of Delas. Pretty mid-palate, Burgundy-styled flair. That plum bouquet note transforms into spicy dark plum and ample tannins on a decently long finish. Would simply love to pair with duck or a thumb thick piece of swordfish. Has some pop and short-term (2-12 years) aging potential and can think of much worse fates than pulling the last bottle of this in a decade and opening. Has enuff stuff to cellar dweller. 3.7.23. — 3 years ago
Fates' Lieutenant
La Rinconada Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021
Fates' Lieutenant Winery La Rinconada Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021, Santa Rita Hills, California
Reddish in color with light intensity.
Fruity nose of red berries with light oak, spices and chocolate notes.
Light to medium in body with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry on the palate with fresh cherries, raspberries, spices, light oak, tobacco leaf and herbs.
Nice finish with soft tannins and tangy raspberries.
This 5-year-old Single Vineyard Pinot Noir from Santa Rita Hills is drinking very nicely now, and will continue to get better in the next 5 to 7 years. Spicy, fruit forward and elegant.
Wine Enthusiasts 90 points.
Showing nice complexity with a soft mouth feel. Nicely balanced and good right out of the bottle.
Good by itself as a sipping wine, and paired nicely with my Charcuterie board.
13.5% alcohol by volume.
91 points.
$70. — 2 months ago
Fates' Lieutenant
Fiddlestix Vineyard Pinot Noir 2023
Fates' Lieutenant Winery Fiddlestix Vineyard Pinot Noir 2023, Santa Maria Valley, California
Light ruby in color with light intensity.
Strong nose of red cherries, wild flowers, currants, barnyard, light tar, vegetables, herbs, earth and milk chocolates.
Medium bodied with medium acidity.
Dry on the palate with cherries, raspberries, red currants, black pepper, herbs, chocolates, spices, green tea and watermelon notes.
Nice length on the finish with soft tannins and tangy pomegranates.
This young Single Vineyard Pinot Noir from Santa Rita Hills in California is starting to drink very nicely now, and will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 7 years.
Nicely balanced and complex. Fruit forward and elegant. Soft and smooth. Tangy and engaging.
This Single Vineyard Pinot Noir is showing such an interesting nose for a Pinot Noir. Reminds me of Northern Rhône Syrah nose, but not as potent.
Easy drinking and good by itself as a sipping wine.
50% whole cluster Pinot Noir grapes were fermented with native yeast. A tiny production of only 720 bottles. Unfiltered and unfined.
13.2% alcohol by volume.
91 points.
$60. — 3 months ago
Little Engine Wines
Naramata Bench Pinot Noir 2017
Wine tasting at Little Engine. The is the silver Pinot Noir that won last year’s Lieutenant General award. I’m critical of BC Pinot but this is on point. Savoury aromas. Dark and red cherry, figs, slight raspberry and cranberry notes followed by wet tea leaves and mild baking spices. — 7 years ago
"Odedi"
Fates' Lieutenant Winery Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay 2024, California
Pale lemon in color with a green hue.
Nose of citrus, apples, spices, light earth and herbs.
Medium plus in body and creamy, with medium acidity.
Dry on the palate with yellow apples, citrus, lemons, light grapefruits, herbs, light oak, spices and light earth.
Medium length on the finish with limes and almonds.
This is a very tasty Chardonnay from Santa Rita Hills in California. Rich and fruit forward. Smooth and elegant.
Good right out of the bottle, and better after 20 minutes of airtime.
This Single Vineyard Chardonnay is nicely balanced with a soft mouthfeel. Tangy, complex and interesting.
Would be nice to revisit it in 3 years and see how it evolves.
Easy drinking and good by itself as a sipping wine.
Chardonnay grapes were aged in used French oak barrels for 11 months.
13% alcohol by volume.
91 points.
$35. — a month ago