Joel Lara

8.5

Light/medium bodied, low tannin, high acidity, and elevated alcohol level. Nice strawberry, rose, orange zest, and mineral flavors. Unfortunately the alcohol flavor is really strong towards the back of the palate and on the finish, making the wine out of balance. I’ve had past vintages that made for tasty, chillable reds. They also had 13% ABV. The 14.5 ABV is too much. Also, based on the write-up this was probably bottled recently, so maybe it needs some time in the bottle to come together? — 2 days ago

Joel Lara

9.1

This arneis opens up with some nice citrus and mineral scents on the nose. The flavors erupt on the palate with lemon, grapefruit, almond, and hints of orange rind coming through with a strong mineral backbone. The lively acidity combined with a med/full body produce a grippy, crunchy mouthfeel. The finish is long and has vivid notes of citrus and salty minerality along with slight floral hints that linger on the palate. So tasty, and really easy to finish the bottle on your own if you’re not watching out. Great summer wine. — 19 days ago

Joel Lara

9.1

This is a lovely prosecco that I can actually enjoy on its own rather than in an amaro spritz or mimosa. Effusive nose with nice citrus and floral aromas. Lemon bar, florals, and hints of almond praline on the palate, and the bubbles provide a creamy mouthfeel. Good finish with lingering floral notes. — 25 days ago

Joel Lara

9.7

Upon opening this was fairly reticent, with subdued flavors and a thinness on the palate. After a short 45 min-1 hour in the decanter it opened up nicely, with dark cherries, roasted red plums, earthy tar notes, aged balsamic, and menthol on the nose. The palate mirrors the nose, with additional layers of anise, cloves, orange rind, and hints of dried violets emerging over time. A silky smooth mouthfeel gives way to a slight dryness from the tannins. The finish is long, with a lovely mix of smoky meat, mushrooms, leather, and saline minerality lingering on the palate. Med/full bodied with med+ acidity. As expected, paired wonderfully with ribeye and roasted wild mushrooms. — a month ago

Joel Lara

9.5

Dust, tar, dark cherry, white pepper, and anise on the nose. The same flavors come through on the palate with balsamic and fresh mushrooms emerging as well. Smooth and lush on the palate, and the tannins and acidity are beautifully balanced. Persistent finish but a little drying on the palate. Overall a pleasure to drink. I bet this will be great after a few years when those tertiary flavors are more developed. — 10 days ago

Joel Lara

9.4

Upon opening, this seemed a bit disjointed, with muted fruit flavors and strong herbal notes. Decanting didn’t seem to help much, but day 2 it finally opened up nicely, with nice complexity and intensity on the palate. Cherry, raspberry, cassis, bay leaf, dried Italian herbs, anise, cloves, vanilla, cedar, earth, and balsamic notes all come through. Really tasty, but maybe a bit too intense. I can see this improving with a few more years of aging so the flavors coalesce and soften a bit more. — 24 days ago

Joel Lara

9.2

This is a classic method rose Lambrusco aged 42 months on the lees. Vivid notes of raspberry, pomegranate, and grapefruit on the palate with hints of toasted almond. There seems to be a little bit of spice as well. The finish is nice with floral notes popping through. Vibrant acidity. Paired well with garlic and mint scallops with herb risotto. — a month ago

Joel Lara

9.2

This is a medium/full bodied barbera with a velvety mouthfeel and nice acidity. Dark cherry, blueberries, cloves, and anise all come through beautifully on the palate. Finish is persistent with spice lingering on the palate. Paired well with herb-roasted chicken and a side of roasted potatoes with dill and feta. — 16 days ago

Joel Lara

8.9

A tasty, light/medium bodied rose sparkler with medium acidity and smooth mouthfeel. Mostly strawberry and cherry with subtle almond flavor. Not the most complex wine, but still a solid sparkler that’s pretty versatile when pairing with food. — 18 days ago

Joel Lara

9.3

Joel had this 25 days ago

with Tegan