Insider Picks

Insider Picks from Touring & Tasting, Spring/Summer 2020.

2017 Brecon Estate Adelaida Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Made from the oldest Paso Robles Cabernet vines, this wine offers an exquisite spectrum of flavors and broad mouthfeel. Savor the deep, mysterious hues and dark forest fruit undertones with layered aromatics you can lose yourself in for hours. $74

2017 Empire Estate Dry Riesling

Vintages are a true variable in the Finger Lakes, in the Old World sense. The year 2017 delivered one of the coolest, longest growing seasons in well over a decade, resulting in the best vintage for Riesling since the storied 2008. $20

2017 2Hawk Darow Series Malbec

An elegantly balanced, profoundly textural and sophisticated Malbec from Medford, Oregon, aged in French oak for 20 months, this award-winning wine shows a density of fruit paired to a delicacy of perfume and the kind of structure that will easily allow it to age through 2027. $49

2018 Materra Cunat Family Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc

This refreshing and bright Sauvignon Blanc from the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley is an explosion of fruit fragrances such as passionfruit, guava and pear, with Florida citrus aromas of orange blossom and jasmine also apparent on the nose. $25

2009 Dunham Cellars Founders Blend

This Columbia Valley wine sourced from the Lewis Estate Vineyard was created to commemorate Dunham Cellars’ late founders as the winery enters its 25th anniversary year in 2020. The blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah is truly as special as the men it honors. $95

2016 Heringer Estates Barbera

This delightful medium-bodied Italian red has been aged for 24 months in French and American oak. The aromas and flavors of leather, tobacco, black cherry, currant and fig make this double gold award-winning wine an excellent choice. $31

2015 Lions Peak Lionnesse

A classic Bordeaux blend of 40 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 40 percent Merlot and 20 percent Cabernet Franc from one of the oldest boutique vineyards in the Paso Robles AVA, this bottle has a long, lingering smooth finish that will continue to develop for many years. $65

2017 DANCIN Vineyards ‘Onore’ Rogue Valley Barbera

Fragrant notes of blackberry, raspberry and black currant weave between scents of cedar and vanilla in this enticing red. This wine, with its young tannins and lofty fruit, is quite approachable and will also soften and evolve with additional aging. $39

Mawby Blanc Sparkling Brut

Lively on the palate with a light, clean finish, this multi-vintage bubbly blend is produced from Chardonnay and Riesling grapes from Michigan’s Leelanau Peninsula appellation. $25

2016 Epiphany Revelation

A classic Rhône blend of 56 percent Grenache and 44 percent Syrah sourced 100 percent from Rodney’s Vineyard on the Fess Parker Home Ranch in Los Olivos, California, Revelation offers a balanced complement of red fruit flavors and spice. $49

2013 Boudreaux Cellars Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Loaded with elegance and power, this full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon shows skillful precision and balance on the palate. With just 300 cases bottled from fruit from two prestigious Washington state vineyards (Loess Vineyard in Walla Walla Valley and Champoux Vineyard in Horse Heaven Hills), get this special wine while you can. $125

2016 McGrail Vineyards James Vincent Cabernet Sauvignon

Named for James Vincent McGrail, McGrail Vineyards’ late founder, this esteemed wine has opulent dark red fruit on the front and soft, lingering tannins on the finish. It’s elegant and balanced, but still a bold, classic California Cabernet big enough to pair with a juicy steak. $79

Insider Picks from Touring & Tasting, Spring/Summer 2020.

2016 Robert Mondavi Winery I Block Fumé Blanc

The treasured I Block Fumé Blanc is created from a site in Napa Valley’s Oakville AVA that is believed to be the oldest Sauvignon Blanc vineyard in North America. This limited-quantity, high-demand wine is vibrantly fresh and velvety smooth, with flavors that linger luxuriously on the palate. $90

2013 Mumm Napa DVX Rosé

This prestigious tête de cuvée, honoring Mumm Napa’s founding winemaker Guy Devaux, is crafted of equal parts Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from fewer than a dozen of their best Napa Valley vineyard lots. It’s an exceptionally elegant sparkling wine that’s perfect for celebrations. $80

2015 Peju Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

Expressive and powerful, this Cabernet Sauvignon is a paradigm of Rutherford Cabs, with lush aromas of vanilla and black cherry, accompanied by earthly notes of thyme, leather and cigar box, and exquisite flavors of cassis, cherry and toffee. $144

2015 Monticello Vineyards CORLEY Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

This rich, full and complex Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon has been Monticello’s flagship wine since its first bottling in 1982. Luscious, powerful and richly textured, this wine shows nice consistency and balance throughout the entire experience. This full-bodied Cab is ready to drink but also a bottle that will age gracefully for 20 or more years. $90

2016 Calmére Estate Winery Reserve Pinot Noir

This Napa Valley Pinot Noir is highlighted by notes of leather, caramel and ripe blackberry on the nose. Flavors of baking spice, boysenberry and toasted caramel mingle with silky tannins and a smooth finish for an elegant and expressive wine. $65

2016 Robert Hall Cabernet Sauvignon

The intense dark ruby red color of this Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon is reflective of this full-bodied, flavorful wine. Black currant and hints of cedar, spice and cocoa aromas combine with the rich flavors of ripe fruit, dark chocolate and anise. $20

2015 St. Supéry Cabernet Sauvignon Dollarhide Vineyard

With rich, opulent aromas of ripe black plum, currant, blackberry, anise, espresso and toasted oak, as well as a subtle thread of crème brûlée and flavors of cassis, plum, espresso, mocha and molasses, this highly rated, structured wine has a medium-bodied palate and excellent fine-grained tannins. $100

2016 Vina Robles Petite Sirah

This full-bodied Paso Robles wine opens with aromas of ripe boysenberry and cola, followed by flavors of dark berries and creamy tannins with a long, rich finish. A delicious, creamy wine, it has incredible richness but a soft texture that’s perfect with grilled meats. $46

2017 Arcturos Semi-Dry Riesling

Ripe flavors of white peach and pear are backed by crisp acidity and a hint of sweetness in this Riesling from Black Star Farms in Suttons Bay, Michigan. The harmonious result is a wine to please both diners who are seeking the perfect food pairing and casual sippers. $14

2014 Tara Bella Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

At first sight, garnet color greets you. The first scent is the aromas of vanilla and black cherry with luscious oak barrel accents. With the first sip comes the rich velvety texture, and tannins entice you to move forward through the layers of dark currants, spice and berries and an excellent long finish. $80

2017 Rusack Santa Catalina Island Vineyards Chardonnay

Santa Catalina Island’s El Rancho Escondido was founded by Alison Wrigley Rusack’s family in 1930 as a working Arabian horse ranch. This 95 point-rated bottle represents Alison and Geoff Rusack’s longstanding dream to plant a small vineyard on the site of their first date, overlooking the ocean where horses once grazed. $60

2016 Moshin Vineyards Pinot Noir, Estate

A true Russian River Valley classic, this double gold award-winning Pinot Noir is a bottle that harmoniously expresses everything there is to love about the famed Sonoma County appellation, packing aromatic layers of soft floral, red currant, black cherry, baking spices and hints of fresh tea leaf and cola. $59

2014 Sparkling Pointe Seduction

Winner of the Best in Class & National Champion Award at the 2019 Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships, this estate-grown, 100 percent Chardonnay sparkling wine is produced exclusively in the traditional Méthode Champenoise in the North Fork of Long Island, New York. It’s an authentic expression of the land and the winemaker’s finesse. $68

Originally published in the spring/summer 2020 issue of Touring & Tasting. Click here to read this story and more! TT-SP20.digital