Review: Wines of Outlot, 2017 Releases

By Christopher Null | October 8, 2017 |

Outlot is a new brand from Accolade Wines, best known for Geyser Peak and novelty brands like XYZin. A trio of initial releases, sourced from the Sonoma area, are now hitting the market. We tried them all. Thoughts follow.

2015 Outlot Chardonnay Sonoma County – Whoa, someone turned up the “oak” dial and forgot to shut it off. This is powerful with raw oak barrel notes, so intense that they push straight through the wood and into (very) brown butter, coconut, and nutty nougat. The finish is straight up licking a tree. If you dislike Chardonnay, well, you’ll hate this one. C / $20

2016 Outlot Sauvignon Blanc Sonoma County – A straightforward lemon and grapefruit bomb, with some ammonia touches evident throughout. Refreshing, with a subtle creaminess evident, particularly as the wine warms up. The finish is a touch green, but otherwise perfectly up to code for the style. B+ / $17

2014 Outlot Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley – Straightforward cab, a bit gummy at first, but it settles into a groove of gentle drinkability, heavy with fruit but touched just so with balsamic which gives it a bit of a sour edge. The overall impact is akin to your typical “house wine” structure, priced perhaps to move. B / $24