Freddy R. Troya

9.5

Truly artisan, made in small batches from the Angeleno Wine Co. This is a quite different Albariño sourced in collaboration with Bokisch Vineyards. The V.22 was the only vintage they made as it ended up being a little bit of a warmer year in California. Grapes for this wine were harvested on August 2022 at 20.9 brix, destemmed and macerated for 20 hours overnight, then pressed it off.
It fermented in tank and then racked half of it into stainless steel barrels and half in regular neutral Hungarian oak barrels. Fermentation took off from the indigenous yeasts on the fruit and in the winery. The wine in stainless steel was not allowed to go through MLF, while the wine in oak barrels was allowed to go through MLF naturally. After 7 months, it was blended the two wines together, filtered it, then bottled.

All this processes resulted a compelling multi-layered and extremely complex Albariño never tasted before, the array of citrusy from lemon peel, ripe mandarine, to some hints of fermented pineapple on both nose and palate, takes you to a joyful savory roller-coaster, it has the prefect balance of oak and acidity, perfectly balance on the mid-and-back-end of the palate. Mouthfeel is exotic and sharp but not tarty, a very harmonious combination of acidity and dry, clean and crispy finish. If you are lucky to find it, get it as it will not disappoint. Cheers! — 25 days ago

Jim McCusker

9.4

Fantastic new sour from Jolly Pumpkin (new for me, anyway). This is a collaboration between JP and Baston Brewery, it’s a blend of JP’s La Roja and Baston’s Nectar Des Dieux Triple. Super complex with layers of molasses, brown sugar, chocolate, but also the acidity of La Roja. One of the most interesting JPs I’ve had in a while. — 3 years ago

with Vanessa

Anne Richardson

8.9

A fun semi sweet table wine. Goes down easily. Even the bottle is fun - red!
A note: it is produced in Palisade, CO not in CA as listed on the front page. — 5 years ago

Jenks

9.2

I have several vintages of this and haven't really drank any of them because they're all mostly massive wines that need time in the cellar to chill the F out, but I opened this a few Sundays ago and I guess I missed that this vintage came in under 14%. Freaking delicious. This is going to be excellent down the road. — a year ago

Tree Kilpatrick

9.0

63% Temp, 17% Petite Verdot, 10% Graciano, 9% Tannat. Dark color. Almost black in low light. Aromas of smoke, cherry cobbler and licorice root. Maybe slight petrichor. Flavors are nice. Dense and fruit driven. Cherry pits and licorice chews (the Dutch salty, fruit flavored kind). Hint of herbal backbone (sage and basil meet mint and marjoram). For its fairly low price (think this was $12.99) this is a great CA wine. Restrained but big. Fruity but balanced. Fun but elegant. And it’s from just up da road! Nice work neighbors. — 3 years ago

Ron from VA

9.2

Note: this is for the NO SULFITE ADDED “Vino dal Bosco” build using fruit from Baer Ridge Vyd in Rockingham Co. — deep, mouthfillingly dense, yet LOW tannin Purity Bomb. Spectacular with pizza or chili… Pure heavy-extraction bliss from a HUGE VINTAGE. STEWED cherries and Colombian coffee. 20$ at Wegmans in Cville. Spectacular artisan build :) — 4 years ago

Melissa Simpler

9.2

Enjoyed this wine at Blind Dog in Park City. Outstanding Pinot Noir. Fruity and smooth. Only 32 barrels made so may not be easy to find, but if you find it, buy it! — 5 years ago

Keimu

9.1

Best Prosecco I’ve had in the U.S. so far!
Not bitter. Was really happy with it. From Wegmans - $13 - inaugural Fork in the Road. This should be a go-to!! — a year ago

Jeremiah Diaz

9.3

Medium purple in color; black cherries, plums, and graphite on the nose; high acidity; medium tannins; tastes like blackberry jam, crushed gravel, and licorice with a long finish. Nellie says it's ok with food. — 2 years ago

with Nellie

Paul T HB

9.5

From the winery: "This single vineyard wine, located next to our winery block on Roennfeldt Road, was planted by Dave Powell in 1994 with cuttings off old RunRig vineyards - some of the oldest genetic material in Australia. The Barossa's first co-fermented Shiraz/Viognier, Descendant has been joined by many more in the last couple of years - a testament to its success. Shiraz is crushed straight on top of Viognier, which has been lightly pressed for RunRig. The blend of fruit is then co-fermented and later the wine is matured for 18 months in barrels that had been previously used for RunRig. The deep red clay soils in this vineyard produce fruit which is very savory, textured and rich, a satin-like texture and a glorious perfume. Of all the Torbreck releases this is one that really needs patience. Its immediate charm can be enjoyed upon release with a few hours breathing, but after the first 6 months, the rest should be locked away for at least 5 years." — 4 years ago