Review: Sokol Blosser 2018 Pinot Noir Dundee Hills and 2020 Rose
Two new wines from our friends at Oregon’s Sokol Blosser. 2018 Sokol Blosser Estate Pinot Noir Dundee Hills – This is a rich and immersive pinot noir, sultry with its initial notes of black cherry, tea leaf, and a gentle hint of cloves, but invariably perky with acidity and plenty of spicy, almost peppery character…
Beer, Wine, and Sunshine in California’s Tri-Valley Region, 2021
I can offer no good excuse for never having visited the Tri-Valley region in northern California. The area, which includes the towns of Danville, Livermore, Pleasanton, and Dublin, is a whopping 45 minute drive from San Francisco. There’s even BART train service, at least nearby. The region serves primarily as a bedroom community for people…
Review: Blue Note Bourbon 9 Years Old
Memphis, Tennessee is world renowned for its own distinct brand of the blues. And Blue Note Bourbon, a distillery based in Memphis, made its debut with its 9 year old small batch in 2018 with a mission statement to capture that Memphis vibe in a bottle. In their own words: “Like the blues, the bourbon…
Review: 1800 The Ultimate Margarita – Original, Peach, and Watermelon
1800 Tequila markets The Ultimate Margarita, its brand of pre-made, ready-to serve margaritas, as “the #1 premium margarita.” This may be the case, but that perhaps says more about the general quality of bottled/canned margaritas than anything else. Made with “premium tequila, triple sec liqueur, natural flavors and certified colors” and available in six flavors…
Review: Davidson Reserve Tennessee Whiskey and Bourbon
Mike recently covered Pennington Distilling’s Pickers Vodka, and now we’re going back to the well for another spirit from the Nashville-based operation: Two (almost) grain-to-glass whiskeys. Pennington’s Davidson Reserve line now includes five whiskeys in total (plus various special editions); the two we review today are some of the most traditional in the mix. Davidson…
Review: 2015 Tenuta l’Impostino Montecucco Rosso DOC
“Impostino” is a curious Tuscan wine, a blend of 80% sangiovese, plus merlot, syrah, and petit verdot rounding out the rest. Rather on the sweet side, the wine is ripe with cherry and plum notes, plus hints of milk chocolate and mint that punch up the dessert-like qualities of the wine. Boldly rounded but fairly…
Review: Sonoma-Cutrer 2019 Chardonnay and 2020 Rose of Pinot Noir
Sonoma-Cutrer’s summer-friendly collection has arrived, including a fun chardonnay and a lovely rose. Let’s taste them. 2019 Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay Sonoma Coast – A classic and classy chardonnay, the gentle lemon and quince notes here are well tempered by vanilla, coconut cream, and brown butter notes — with a healthy sprinkle of baking spice informing the…
The 10 Best Whiskey Subscription Clubs for Every Type of Drinker
Not sure what whiskey to buy, whether a gift or for yourself? Consider a whiskey subscription club, which takes some of the hassle out of the equation for you and sends you samples on the regular in exchange for a recurring fee. The catch? Instead of picking a whiskey, now you have to pick the…
