108, 2011
Wine Enthusiast Scores: August 2011
In the August 2011 Issue of the Wine Enthusiast several of Grapevine's wines earned excellent scores. Call you local independent retailer to order some of these wines: Amizetta 2007 [...]
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This Pinot noir shows abundant aromatics, immediately woodsy but overwhelmingly fresh with lavender and red plum, sweet caramel and malt. The palate is lush and broad with sweet cherry, cigar box, and the faintest hint of peat smoke. Soft and very subtle tannins give this wine a solid backbone. A great acid profile makes this wine likely to offer boundless enjoyment when consumed in the short term, or if given some time to rest, the distinct potential of becoming something much more profound. Drink now or cellar 5-8 years. - Leads with citrus aromas of tangerine, grapefruit, orange marmalade and lime, but builds with cantaloupe and pear. Flavors of nectarine and candied lemon grace the pleasingly broad palate. The wine finishes with the lightness of cream soda and orange oil. The hallmark of every great Patton Valley rosé is the acidity, and this wine does not disappoint.
- Deep garnet in color, the spice driven nose includes aromas of red cherry, cinnamon, vanilla, and a hint of sweet tobacco leaf. Full flavored with a sweet, juicy, and deep center, surrounded by ripe red raspberry, a touch of gravel, bergamot, and strawberry compote. Nice firm structure. Finish is pure fruit with those briar-earth elements. A compact, complex and complete Pinot noir.
- Deep garnet color. Ethereal cherry blossom and vanilla bean nose. The velvety texture and rich, plump berry brightness on the palate gives this wine a heavenly quality. Full robust flavors wrap the mouth with rounds of perfectly ripened red cherries, raspberries, and a pinch of pepper, punctuated with a nice firm tannin structure. The finish sails on and on! Juicy, red elegance with lots of power and panache. I can’t get enough of this first bottling of Wits’ End.
- Lovely, balanced, richly colored Pinot Noir that is perfectly matched to pleasant mineral and tannin textures. It will delight the drinker today and merit some serious age in the bottle.
- Dark in color, a brooding basket of pomegranate, black cherry and earthiness in the nose. The front palate is spice-driven with potent dark black fruit and delicate grippy tannins. It has zippy acid with pomegranate extract, black cherry and a velvety finish.
- Ruby red. Spiced black cherry nose with a bit of Havana’s finest cigar box and ripe fresh plum. Creamy textured in the mouth with flavors of black cherry and tobacco leaf and a hint of vanilla followed with white pepper, sweet dried plums and a pinch of clover. Chewy tannins that roll around the mouth with a splash of berry fruit leather. A nice long, juicy, cherry finish. This wine says, Dundee Hills in flavor components and texture.
- Spice rack is the theme of the 2012 ROCO Pinots and this Stalker is Spice City. Whiffs of spiced tobacco and a teensy bit of cassis and plum on the nose. Black pepper and tobacco leaf with wild black plum fruit on the front palate. Then, full on briar-patch in the mouth with a bit of raspberry and honey. Succulent plum concentrate balanced by a lively backbone of acid and tannin. The finish is juicy and ends with an earthy complexity of flavors and structure.
- Very dark crimson red color. Imagine late ripened blackberry juice with a pinch of boysenberry and spice in the aromatics. Elegance and power are balanced on a razor’s edge here. Ripe black cherry and boysenberry flavors dance on a bed of gravelly tannins and lively mineral acidity. Remembrances of tilled earth and feral black cherry fruit go on and on. Spice-driven center scattered with ground black pepper, crushed red pepper, cinnamon stick, and a touch of tea. Big beautiful mouth feel. This lady is strutting and shimmering her way across your taste buds. Refined and well adjusted she makes you sigh, “yes.”
- The nose of this wine makes one think of cool tropical breezes with gentle aromatics of passion fruit and Guava. Further investigation reveals the essence of subtle oak, cinnamon and green apples. The mouth texture is “oh so creamy” and almost soft, but has a definite crispness to its edges. We roll this Chardonnay around our palates and hear comments of, “nectarine, lemon, and apricot”. This is a beautifully balanced wine with just the right core of acidity and flavor. Its profile is broad and round with a finish of elegant oak. There’s a romantic quality to the wine with its sexy, brilliant flavors and soft, creamy texture.
- There is a wonderful brightness to the texture and palate of this wine. It is silky smooth with an incredibly long finish. A truly special wine.
- Made from Dijon clone 777, Block 5 is very expressive aromatically in the plum, raspberry, blueberry and violet spectrum. The palate is mouth-coating with impressive length and concentration. Tannins are fine-grained and silky.
- Block 7’s aromatics are classic Shea Wädenswil: blue fruited and floral with warm spice notes. The lush, savory blue fruit continues on the palate with hints of allspice and black currant. Tannins are structured and the wine is beautifully balanced. We find Block 7, in particular, responds well to cellaring.
- This wine is from a 1990 planting of Pommard Clone vines in Shea Vineyard's West Hill area. This wine is all about bright, focused, dark fruit. This Pinot is intense and has a beautiful purity of flavor. Dark garnet color. Nose of black cherries, ripe plums and fragrant spices. Palate of wild berries and fleshy tannins.
- A blend of all the best Shea Vineyard has to offer. This wine has raspberry, dark cherry, plum and rose aromatics. On the palate the wine displays savory notes of clove, cinnamon, black tea and carob. It is luscious and broad, highlighted by fine-grained tannins, well-balanced acidity, and a long, mouth-watering finish.
- Rich, complex aromatics of blackberry, cassis, cocoa and coffee, a concentrated palate of dark juicy fruits and a succulent finish that goes on and on. This is a dark, brooding beauty.
- This West Hill release is made from a blend of Wädenswil, Dijon 777, Dijon 114 and Pommard clone fruit, all sourced from different blocks on Shea Vineyard’s West Hill. The beautiful aromatics draw you in with whiffs of blueberry, red currant and raspberry. The palate surprises with concentration, silky tannins and a great finish.
- An excellent wine for food pairing, our chardonnay is full of stone fruit aromas of ripe peach and nectarine coupled with fresh notes of vanilla. Vibrant acidity frames layers of ripe fruit leading to a concentrated, long finish you’ll keep coming back to.
- This Reserve Pinot Noir comes from a selection of Stoller's best vineyard blocks and barrels in the cellar. It is barrel aged in French oak for 10 months prior to bottling and carefully blended from individual lots to articulate the vintage. Aromas of rose petals and cinnamon stick with caramelized brown sugar pair wonderfully as the palate displays an integrated balance of cherry and golden raspberry, accented with notes of baking spice on its seamless finish.
- Our Dundee Hills Pinot Noir Rosé, sourced entirely of estate fruit, exhibits aromatic, delicate and balanced fruit. It has aromas of guava, watermelon and rose petals. The palate is focused as it unfolds into ripe red fruit flavors with a refreshing, seamless finish. This Pinot Noir Rosé was whole cluster pressed and fermented in stainless steel.
- Crafted exclusively from estate fruit, our Reserve Chardonnay is sourced from some of our oldest plantings. Barrel fermented and aged in French oak, it is a complex, elegant, food-friendly wine. There is Asian pear, quince, baked apple, nutmeg, and citrus on the nose. The palate is tightly wound and vibrant with a bright acid core. Hints of pear, apple and lemon zest carry through to the finish.