Over the course of a week, I taste a bunch of wine, usually with friends, and almost always with my wife. Here are some of the wines we tasted over the past few weeks. These are wines that were not sent as samples—in most cases, I actually paid for these wines (although a few may have been given as gifts).
2024 Acrobat Pinot Noir, Oregon: Retail $20. Responsible Bottle (461g; 16.2oz). Under screw cap. I didn’t really care for this all that much when I tried it for The Eighth Annual World’s Largest Blind Tasting of American Pinot Noir back in November (87 Points). But nearly a year later and this wine seems to have “pulled itself together” a bit. Sure, it is not the most complex wine I have had this night (low bar), but it is loaded with fruit and has some nice acidity. I try not to pan Meomi all that much (OK, that is a lie), but I would opt for this Acrobat every day (and twice on Sundays) over that overly sweet (and alarmingly popular) abomination. Very Good. 89 Points.
2025 Donnafugata Sicilia SurSur, Sicily, Italy: Retail $21. Very Responsible Bottle (498g; 17.5oz). 100% Grillo. My local H-E-B (I love H-E-B) stocks this wine on the regular, and I have vowed to buy it on the regular as well. And I should. It is really fantastic. Fruity nose of tree fruit and citrus, which translates onto the palate as well, with a healthy dose of tartness. Sicilian Grillo does not seem to get a ton of love, but I think it is completely fantastic: affordable, tasty, great as both an aperitif and a food wine, and affordable. Did I mention that? Excellent. 90 Points.
2024 Château d’Esclans Les Clans, Côtes de Provence, France: Retail $75. 50% Grenache, 45% Rolle, 5% Tibouren; 100% barrel-aged for 10 months. I was in upstate New York on yet another college visit for my younger son (long story), and there was a solid, if not fantastic, wine shop right next to our hotel. I did more than a little perusing, and I landed on this upper-end rosé from the makers of Whispering Angel. Fairly pale, as one would expect from the appellation, with wild strawberry and white acacia on the nose. The palate is instantly different from the Angel (with which I am quite familiar), with more intense fruit, surprising weight, and loads of complexity. Whoa. I paid $45, which by most measures is high for a rosé, but I would argue that this is easily worth it. Outstanding. 95 Points.
2019 Sleight of Hand Chardonnay The Enchantress Old Vine, Yakima Valley, WA: Retail $40. Heavy Bottle (697g; 24.5oz). Under DIAM30. The fact that this was closed with a DIAM30, caused me to pause; that is a serious commitment. I picked up a couple of bottles of this wine on one of my many trips to Walla Walla after visiting the winery. Fantastic nose of subtle lemon curd, touches of vanilla and oak, and a slight mineral aspect. Lovely. The palate is equally enchanting with solid fruit initially, followed by a wave of delicate acidity and a floral aspect right before the rather lengthy finish. This is not a full-blown Cali Chard style of wine (which makes sense given it is from Washington), and that is just fine with me. It does, in my opinion, require a bit of patience and retrospection, however, two qualities that are generally in short supply among American wine consumers (not an insult, just an observation). But boy, if you can just slow down a little and reflect on this wine? You will be handsomely rewarded. Outstanding. 93 Points.
2021 Tercero Cabernet Franc, Santa Barbara County, CA: Retail $40. Very Responsible Bottle (485g; 17.1oz). Under screw cap. A little less enthralled with this wine this go around, if only slightly. Lovely nose with just the right amount of methoxypyrazine compounds but here it is more of a mint or basil than green pepper. Lovely. Rich and engaging on the palate but with a zingy acidity. There should be more Cab Franc like this in my life. The couple of times I tried this wine, I gave it a 92, but tonight, like I said, I see it ever-so-slightly lower, but it is still Excellent. 91 Points.
2014 Wind Gap Wines Syrah, Sonoma Coast, CA: Retail $40. Responsible Bottle (545g; 19.3oz). 100%(?) Syrah. I was standing there, in my cellar, trying to find a red for my wife. Sure, it is really hot Houston today, but she insisted that she wanted a red, and I try to do what I am told. I pulled this with the vague recollection that it was not very good, and when I mentioned that to my wife (big mistake), she flagged me for some passive-aggressive behavior. And while that was really not my conscious motive, who knows what my whacky subconscious was doing? In the end, it was good, even Excellent, which is what I thought the last time I opened a bottle a couple of years ago. the memory is a terrible thing to lose. Wait. What was I saying? The wine is of medium color with some very nice red and black fruit aromas and a nice, but subtle, lilac on the nose. I looked for some of that characteristic “Syrah spice” but I found none on either the nose or the palate. Oh well. There is some nice tartness, though, with an above-average finish. While it is still alive and kicking, I imagine that won’t be for much longer, as some slight stewed notes eventually present themselves as well. Still? Pretty fantastic and a lovely surprise. Now only if I can remember this conversation before I pull the final bottle of this wine from the cellar (hopefully soon). Wait, what was your name again? Excellent. 91 Points.
WINE OF THE WEEK: It has been a while since I have tried one of the top rosés in the world (and this week’s Wine of the Week), 2024 Château d’Esclans Les Clans, but when I saw it on the shelf of the wine shop right next to my hotel, I knew I had to get it. We drink a ton of Whispering Angel, a ton, and I consider it perhaps the best everyday rosé on the market (although Rodney Strong…), but this Les Clans is a clear step above; richer, more complex, and juicier, this is certainly a wine to seek out and try if you can.
What was your Wine of the Week?
