It is time for another edition of “Random Samples”–I occasionally get samples from marketing agencies and/or producers. These can often be grouped together into some sort of overarching theme: Muret-Gaston is French for Old Friends (not really, but it should be), The Rise of Australian Wine Beyond Shiraz, Some Wines from Victoria, If It Doesn’t Sparkle, It Doesn’t Matter.
Other times, I get just a bottle or two that do not have any apparent connection or link. Instead of holding on to those bottles until the “right” combination comes along, I decided to link all these “random” bottles together, making their own category (and, being the math geek that I am, “random sample” has a bit of a double entendre).
2024 Donnafugata SurSur, Sicilia, Italy: Retail $21. Very Responsible Bottle (498g; 17.5oz). 100% Grillo. This is what I wrote for the 2018 version:
“Ok, full disclosure: I love Donnafugata. Everyone I have ever met there is among the nicest people on the planet. Sicily, where they are located, has to be one of the greatest places on earth, and their wines are simply fantastic. Except for this one. It tastes like dirty socks.
Just kidding. It is also fantastic. It’s almost demoralizing, as I struggle to go through my daily routine knowing that out there, on the picturesque Italian island, there is a group of extremely nice people continually producing some of my favorite wines in the world without even, seemingly, the slightest hiccup.
Yeah. It would be disgusting if they were not all so nice.
Grillo is the quintessential Western Sicilian grape and this is a fantastic rendition: fruity, racy, tart, decisive. Ah, Donnafugata, you vixen, you never cease to show that it just might be possible to find paradise here on this earth.”
All of that remains true and so much more. Donnafugata? Yeah. I am a huge fan. Excellent. 92 Points.
2024 Cattleya Chardonnay Alma de Cattleya, Sonoma County, CA: Retail $30. Very Responsible Bottle (492g; 17.3oz). I have been reviewing the Alma de Cattleya wines for a while now, and they are always some of my favorite wines of the year. That “tradition” continues with this tasty Chardonnay. Brilliant straw in the glass, with plenty of ripe Fuji apple, a tropical vein (guava), hints of beeswax, and even a touch of buttered popcorn. The palate is rich, even really rich, and layered with plenty of juicy fruit, a lovely tartness, and a finish that lasts longer than tribal council. This has been on my list of must visits for a while now and it remains near the top. Excellent. 92 Points.
2023 Cattleya Cabernet Sauvignon Alma de Cattleya, Napa Valley, CA: Retail $60. Responsible Bottle (475g; 16.7oz). Under DIAM5. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Sixty bucks for a Napa Cab? Giddy-up! This is now the third vintage of this wine that I have sampled, and the second consecutive. Rather dark in color, but still with a predominant crimson, the nose exhibits plenty of blue and black fruit, with blueberry, blackberry, and plum at the fore. There is also a touch of spice, a subtle herbal note (sweet basil), and plenty of verve. Yowza. The palate is ripe, but also tart, with the two battling for supremacy from the get-go. Behind the tête-à-tête, there is some lovely spice as well as a bit of earth, and plenty of intrigue. Of the three vintages I have tried? This is clearly the winner. And a Napa Cab for sixty bucks? Yeah, I am in. The DIAM stopper used suggests that this should be consumed in the short-term (within five years), but I would contend that this will remain solid, if not stellar, for another decade. Outstanding. 93 Points.
2024 Girasole Vineyards Chardonnay, Mendocino County, CA: Retail $18. Very Responsible Bottle (415g; 14.6oz). Under screwcap. Brilliant yellow-straw color in the glass with aromas of Golden Delicious apple, jalapeño, a tropical note (guava? banana?), and a mineral/salty note. The palate is fruity, even quite fruity, with a nice flinty, mineral aspect on the mid-palate, with a weighty mouthfeel (8 months in neutral oak), and a solid tanginess that persists from the first moment through the finish. I could probably count on one hand the number of times I have been up to Mendocino (OK, maybe two hands), but I will need to make that winding drive up from Sonoma again soon to visit Barra and Girasole. Excellent. 90 Points.
2024 Girasole Vineyards Pinot Noir, Mendocino County, CA: Retail $20. Very Responsible Bottle (411g; 14.4oz). Under screwcap. As I said in another note, I have been reviewing Girasole wines for some time now, and I am honestly amazed at the quality-to-price ratio of the wines across the board. Most wine folk have come to a consensus (of sorts?) that quality Pinot starts at around $30/bottle (although I imagine that has gone up in our seemingly constant inflationary world). So how does Girasole (Barra) do it? Well, this Pinot will never be mistaken for a 1er Cru Burgundy, but I imagine the folks at Barra would be the first to scoff at any comparison to the “birthplace” of Burgundy. Instead, I imagine that they would espouse the notion that good wine should be available at a reasonable price. And that is what we have here. Translucent, but still dark with some cherry notes, yes, but also some darker fruit (blackberry, plum), and a slight hint of earth on the nose. The palate is rich, surprisingly rich even (given the price point), with tons of fruit that is dark, even verging on brooding. There is also the requisite acidity that one associates with the variety and an above-average finish. Yeah. Not a Gevrey-Chambertain, but it is good, and I can still afford my house payment. Excellent. 90 Points.
the drunken cyclist 