🍷winston's blinds for certified

24 May, 2026

• White wines
  • 1. Albariño
  • 2. Chardonnay
  • 3. Chenin Blanc
  • 4. Gewurztraminer
  • 5. Pinot Grigio
  • 6. Riesling
  • 7. Sauvignon Blanc
  • 8. Torrontés
• Red wines
  • 1. Cabernet Franc
  • 2. Cabernet Sauvignon
  • 3. Gamay
  • 4. Grenache
  • 5. Malbec
  • 6. Merlot
  • 7. Nebbiolo
  • 8. Pinot Noir
  • 9. Sangiovese
  • 10. Syrah
  • 11. Tempranillo

White wines

1. Albariño

Rías Baixas | No Oak

Here is the quick breakdown of the Albamar Albariño 2025: Technical Specs • Winery & Region: Bodegas Albamar in D.O. Rías Baixas, Spain. • Grapes & Vines: 100% Albariño sourced from vines averaging over 25 years old. • Terroir: Sea-level vineyards planted in sandy, granite, and schist soils. • Alcohol: Typically 12.5% – 13.0% ABV. Vinification Process • Harvesting: Exclusively hand-picked in small crates. • Fermentation: Whole-cluster direct pressing followed by spontaneous fermentation using wild yeasts. • Vessels: Aged on its fine lees for 6 months primarily in stainless steel vats (with a small portion in neutral oak foudres). • Styling Choice: No malolactic fermentation is allowed, ensuring its trademark razor-sharp Atlantic acidity remains intact. • Finishing: Bottled unfined with light filtration and exceptionally low sulfur usage.

• Aroma: Intense and electric bouquet featuring green apple, lime zest, and white peach, backed by crushed seashells and a sharp, saline ocean breeze. • Taste: Razor-sharp and bracing on the palate with zippy citrus fruit and a distinct salty mineral crunch that mirrors its maritime origin. • Texture & Finish: The 6-month lees aging provides a subtle, creamy mid-palate weight to balance the driving acidity, leading into a long, mouthwatering finish.

WZ Note: on typicity - I learned that most estate albarinos block MLF because they go for crisp high natural acidity Albarinos profile. Higher end cuvees might change it up

• i like it, can drink without food for something refreshing
• 👀: straw peachy color
• 👃: clean, med aroma, warm exotic ripe pineapple, white flowers, very floral, has a soap-ey smell, any oak? not getting oak
• 👅: med+ acid, tastes sweet fruit ripe very good acid heading towards lemonade territory, lighter body, lots of minerals on the palate

2. Chardonnay

2a. Chablis -- Village or Premier Cru | No New Oak

Charly Nicolle, Chablis AOC "Per Aspera" 2023 - $40 MSRP

• Vitification: 100% Chardonnay from 16 ha across Chablis, Fleys, Béru, Chichée on Kimmeridgian clay-limestone, vines avg 35 years.
• Vinification: Native-yeast fermentation ~25 days at 16-18°C with 100% malo, 10-12 months sur lie in 25-100 hL stainless steel.
• Source: URL
• Confidence: Medium — producer datasheet is undated/evergreen; no 2023-specific sheet found.

• 👀: yellow, got that "napa butter chardonnay" color lol
• 👃: first thing i smell is bread. a little butter. med intensity bouquet. not high alcohol, med-
• 👅: med+ acid. med body. grapefruit.
• i dont like this :( i thought i did when i last coravin'd it but now

2b. Côte de Beaune -- Village or Premier Cru | New Oak

Dom Cornu-Camus, Pernand Vergelesses AOC Blanc" Les Vignes Blanches" 2024 - $32 MSRP

• Vitification: 100% Chardonnay from two lieux-dits ("Sous les Cloux" and "Les Vignes Blanches", 0.47 ha combined), vines from the 1980s and 2000s.
• Vinification: Hand-harvested, 24-36 hr maceration, vinified in barrique with regular bâtonnage, 12 months in barrel (~25% new oak).
• Source: URL
• Confidence: Medium — importer page (not vintage-specific); standard protocol.
• 👀: straw-yellow
• 👃: med- intensity bouquet, something round about the smell, lemons. smells like a little sweet cream. i think that's the butter / diacetyl from MLF. alcohol = normal? 13.5%?
• 👅: structure = round, grapefruit. lemon. but not super fruit forward. you taste that butter too. great acidity med+.
• i like it! shocker

2c. Mâconnais -- Village or Premier Cru | New Oak

Maison Joseph Burrier, Mâcon-Villages "Mémoire du Terroir" 2023 - $19.99

• Vitification: 100% Chardonnay, Mâconnais clay-limestone (Milly-Lamartine plus selected plots near Fuissé, Vergisson, Solutré).
• Vinification: Gentle pressing, rigorous settling, fermented and aged several months sur lie fine in tank (stainless steel, no oak).
• Source: oenopassion-thierrycharruel.fr URL
• Confidence: Medium — producer/retailer evergreen description; no 2023-specific sheet found.

2d. Napa / Sonoma / Central Coast | No New Oak

dumol wester reach is objectively with oak (20% new)

• straw yellow
• medium aroma . butter
• taste: med+ body there’s weight. med acid. citrus/grapefruit lemon. ripe fruit. can taste the butter. and some dill coconut which is oak

3. Chenin Blanc

Loire → Vouvray -- Demi-Sec / Off-Dry Only

Domaine des Aubuisières (Bernard Fouquet), "Cuvée Gérald" Vouvray Demi-Sec 2023 - $19.99

• Vitification: 100% Chenin Blanc, ~60-year-old vines on clay-siliceous flint (perruches), first côtes of Vouvray.

• Vinification: Stainless-steel fermentation to preserve freshness; demi-sec (off-dry) style.

• Source: weygandtmetzler.com (importer spec) URL

• Confidence: Medium-High — importer confirms grape/soil/vine age/vinification; style per producer.

• i def don't like the smell of this wine but i don't hate it (tastes a bit like diluted honey water)

• 👀: straw

• 👃: good presence of nose even after coravining straight from the fridge. has a chou lemon smell. fruit smells ripe/tropical. flowers yellow? there is smell of honey. i just sampled some honey and realize honey smells diff from the taste (tastes sweet/flora, smell i guess is more like the wine smell you smell, as in it literally doesn't smell like the taste of honey). after coming back to the nose after the wine has warmed up a bit in the room smelling way more flowers now. went back to the nose again and it has that waxy quality like candle wax. but side by side with gewurtzraminer it's night and day (way less floral, way less concentrated, way less big nose)

• 👅: structure = round, off dry noticeable sweetness. even after eating a spoon of honey lol. good acid med+. med alcohol. not smelling any oak.

4. Gewurztraminer

Alsace -- Off-Dry Only

Famille Hugel "Classic" Gewürztraminer Alsace 2023 - $22.99

• Vitification: 100% Gewürztraminer, hand-harvested clay-limestone sites around Riquewihr, vines avg 46 years, yield 49 hL/ha.

• Vinification: Gravity-fed presses (no pumping), brief settle, temp-controlled ferment 18–24°C, racked once, natural winter clarification, light filtration; DIAM closure; 14.24% ABV, RS 13.1 g/L; dry.

• Source: hugel.com URL

• Confidence: High — vintage-specific producer datasheet with full analytics.

• i like it! shocker

• 👀: straw but almost silver (esp compared to chenin blanc i just pulled)

• 👃: wow that big nose. i was asking myself if i'd possible confuse off-dry vouvray with gewurtz given the floral-ness, but smelling them side by side ... wow the gewurtz is totally different. the aroma is way more concentrated - lychee (i guess i'd never confuse chenin with elderflower liquer but gewurtz is closer altho diff flowers)

• 👅: structure = round, off dry. not super tart, not super long finish.

5. Pinot Grigio

Italy → Friuli / Trentino-Alto Adige

Peter Zemmer "La Lot", Pinot Grigio IGT Vigneti delle Dolomiti 2023 - $20 MSRP

• Vitification: 100% Pinot Grigio from Trentino / Alto Adige; specific 2023 parcels not broken out.
• Vinification: Gentle press and natural settling, fermented with selected pure yeasts at 19°C; aging vessel/duration not stated (stainless steel implied).
• Source: URL
• Confidence: Medium — producer PDF is evergreen, not vintage-stamped.

6. Riesling

Germany → Mosel / Rheingau -- Kabinett or Spätlese | Off-Dry Only

Weinhaus Peter Lauer, Riesling Feinherb Mosel "Barrel X" 2025 - $30 MSRP

• Vitification: 100% Riesling from Saar parcels in Ayl, Saarburg, Wawern, Wiltingen; appellation blend, ~half estate fruit / half purchased.
• Vinification: Whole-cluster pneumatic press, spontaneous native-yeast ferment mostly in old Fuder, extended lees; 2024 finished 10.5% ABV, 16 g/L RS.
• Source: URL
• Confidence: Medium — verified specs are for the 2024 vintage; no 2025-specific tech sheet found.

7. Sauvignon Blanc

7a. France-Loire → Sancerre / Pouilly-Fumé

Domaine Delaporte, Sancerre AOC "Chavignol" 2024 - $46 MSRP

• Vitification: 100% Sauvignon Blanc from ~30 plots around Chavignol on limestone soils, avg vine age 35 years.
• Vinification: Hand-harvested, Coquard pneumatic press, fermented in thermo-regulated stainless steel, 6 months sur lie, light fining/filtration.
• Source: URL
• Confidence: Medium — importer PDF dated 2025 (protocol stable year-over-year).

• 👀: straw-yellow
• 👃: low intensity bouquet, minerally first, there is some faint grass. not a ton of alcohol
• 👅: lean, minerals, bitter like grapefruit peel (not juice). lingering bitterness. med+ acid but perceptibly lower than the chardonnay?
• i do not like it. i think the bitter rind flavor really throws me off it feels like i'm drinking medicine

7b. New Zealand → Marlborough

Greywacke "Wild Sauvignon" Marlborough 2023 - $29.99

• Vitification: 100% Sauvignon Blanc, Southern Valleys + central Wairau Plains (Woodbourne, Renwick, Rapaura); greywacke river-stone and clay-loam soils; Scott Henry training.
• Vinification: Lightly pressed, cold-settled, racked to French oak barriques (small % new), spontaneous indigenous-yeast ferment, ~2/3 malolactic, ~6 months sur lie after oak; bottled Sept 2024; 13.5% ABV.
• Source: ndjohn.co.uk (producer notes) URL
• Confidence: High — detailed, vintage-specific producer winemaking notes. <<🚨info coming>>

8. Torrontés

Argentina → Salta / Mendoza

Colomé "Estate" Torrontés Valle Calchaquí Salta 2025 - $12.99

• Vitification: 100% Torrontés, Calchaquí Valley/Salta, 30–60 year old vines at 1,700–2,300m+; organic/biodynamic practices.
• Vinification: Hand-sorted, slow cold fermentation with selected yeasts in stainless steel, ~3 months in steel before bottling, no oak; winemaker Thibaut Delmotte.
• Source: thewinecountry.com (2025) URL
• Confidence: Medium-High — 2025 retail sheet mirrors producer/importer language.

Red wines

1. Cabernet Franc

France-Loire → Chinon / Bourgueil

Domaine Moly, Saumur-Champigny AOC "Les Sybarites" 2023 - $44 MSRP

This is a Saumur rouge (Samur-Champigny specifically = sub-appelation of Saumur AOC)

• Vitification: 100% Cabernet Franc from the domaine's oldest vines.
• Vinification: 100% destemmed, indigenous-yeast fermentation in stainless steel with 8-10 days on skins, 12-15 months in older 400L oak.
• Source: URL
• Confidence: Medium — independent journalist visit quoting the producer; no producer site or US importer tech sheet found.

• 👀: purple/purple-red, extraction in the tears,

• 👃: smells natural (has that fermented funk). med bouquet, med alcohol (not ripe)

• 👅: you can taste the funk. not fruit forward but the fruit that's there is fresh (not under ripe, not over ripe / jammy / cooked. earthy forward like barnyard. fruit is black, like black berries but so much earth/mud. nothing red / blue. lingering aftertaste a little bitter.

• i do not like it. i hate the funk smell and the taste that carries through

2. Cabernet Sauvignon

2a. France-Bordeaux → Haut-Médoc / Graves | New Oak

Greywacke "Wild Sauvignon" Marlborough 2023 - $29.99

2b. US-California → Napa / Sonoma / Paso Robles | New Oak

Chappellet "Signature" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 - $89.95

• Vitification: 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, 7% Malbec, 2% Merlot; dry, rocky Pritchard Hill hillside fruit, Napa Valley.
• Vinification: Native fermentation, generous hang-time, aged in French oak; winemaker Phillip Corallo-Titus.
• Source: chappellet.com (wine notes) URL
• Confidence: High — producer wine notes confirm 2022 blend and élevage.

Maison Noir "In Sheep's Clothing", Washington Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 - $24 MSRP

• Vitification: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Columbia Valley, ~60% Red Mountain AVA / ~40% Wahluke Slope.
• Vinification: 10 months in barrel with 25% new French oak; 2,500 cases produced. Fermentation vessel and yeast type not specified.
• Source: URL
• Confidence: Medium — importer page; key fermentation details not disclosed.

3. Gamay

Burgundy → Beaujolais | Carbonic Maceration, No Oak

Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau 2025 - $16.99

• Vitification: 100% Gamay, Beaujolais-Villages AOC (38 villages, granite soils), fruit from many small growers (plots vinified separately).
• Vinification: Carbonic / semi-carbonic maceration in temperature-controlled stainless steel; vin de primeur released the third Thursday of November.
• Source: winespectator.com URL
• Confidence: Medium-High — method well-documented; no single 2025 producer datasheet found.

Pic forgotten

• 👀: purple. gamays are purple (mind blown realization)
• 👃: med intensity of aroma, dark fruit, i get the carbonic thing i suppose (def fruity) but actually not in a california jam way. and not necessarily "fruit rollup" high tones either. funny that if this is as fruity as french wine gets it's still not fruity compared to CA wines
• 👅: medium body (surprising for my clearly wrong mental picture of beaujolais), med tannin very prominent although technically polished. after taste = very cooked / wine kinda like those box wine you drink
• i like it

Domaine de Colette (Jacky Gauthier), Fleurie AOC 2023 - $26 MSRP

• Vitification: 100% Gamay from ~50-year-old vines on granitic/alluvial soils in Fleurie.
• Vinification: Hand-harvested whole-cluster carbonic maceration (pied de cuve start), pressed, ~6 months in neutral cement tanks.
• Source: URL
• Confidence: Medium — importer page describes cuvée's standard protocol; no dated 2023 tech sheet located.

• 👀: purple, medium+ concentration of color, extraction showing in the tears,
• 👃: low intensity bouquet, fruit high tone strawberry like mega mega ripe farm strawberry fruit rollup, low alcohol
• 👅: medium body, low tannin + super smooth texture, not fruit forward, dark fruits like blackberries but also getting that high tone strawberry when agitating into the back throat, medium acid, high tone fruit on the finish. not getting any oak.
• i do not like it

4. Grenache

France-Rhône → Châteauneuf-du-Pape / Gigondas

Domaine Brun-Avril, Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC 2020 - $70 MSRP

• Vitification: Grenache-dominant (typically ~80%), with Syrah (<10%) and Mourvèdre (~10-15%); exact 2020 split not stated.
• Vinification: Destemmed, fermented in tronconic oak vats below 30°C with 28-day maceration, 18 months aging — Grenache in 600L demi-muids, Syrah in truncated oak vats; ~15% new oak.
• Source: URL
• Confidence: Medium — importer overview, not vintage-specific 2020 sheet.

5. Malbec

Argentina → Mendoza

Catena Alta "Historic Rows" Malbec Mendoza 2022 - $54.99

• Vitification: 100% Malbec (Catena Cuttings), row-selection across Angélica (Lunlunta), La Pirámide (Agrelo), Nicasia (Altamira), Angélica Sur, Adrianna (Gualtallary); 920–1,450m.
• Vinification: Whole berries, each lot vinified separately in small bins/225–500L barrels, wild yeast, 10–22 days maceration, aged up to 18 months in French oak (new and used); winemaker Alejandro Vigil.
• Source: catenazapata.com URL
• Confidence: High — vintage-specific producer page.

6. Merlot

6a. France-Bordeaux → Pomerol / Saint-Émilion

Château Clinet, Pomerol 2016 - $129.99

• Vitification: 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon; Pomerol plateau, Günz gravel over clay/iron subsoil; vines ~40–45 years.
• Vinification: Hand-harvested and sorted, aged 16 months in 70% new + 30% one-year-old French oak (Oxoline system); ~14% ABV; ~4,400 cases.
• Source: bbr.com URL
• Confidence: High — multiple vintage-specific trade/critic sheets agree on blend and élevage. <<🚨info coming>>

Château Duhart-Milon, Pauillac AOC "Moulin de Duhart" 2022 - $88 MSRP

Technically this is a Pauillac (left bank but majority merlot)

• Vitification: 87% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon — the second wine of Duhart-Milon.
• Vinification: Destemmed/crushed, fermented at 25°C in concrete and stainless steel with ~10-day maceration, 12 months in 2-year-old French oak post-MLF.
• Source: URL
• Confidence: High — official importer tech sheet, vintage-specific.

6b. US-California → Napa / Sonoma | New Oak

<<🚨info coming>>

• xxx
• 👀: purpley, not seeing much extraction, tears medium speed
• 👃: room temp. tomato leaf, coco puff cereal, savory quality
• 👅: fruit sweet, ripe fruit, tartish purple blackberries, med fine tannins. struct(med body

7. Nebbiolo

Italy-Piedmont → Barolo / Barbaresco

Cantina del Pino, Barbaresco DOCG "Ovello" 2020 - $80 MSRP

• Vitification: 100% Nebbiolo from Ovello cru (SSW exposure, ~300m, calcareous limestone with sandy veins, ~70-year-old vines).
• Vinification: Skin-fermented at 26°C for 30 days, full malo, 2 years in large neutral oak botti, 18 months in bottle, unfined/unfiltered.
• Source: URL
• Confidence: High — US importer tech sheet PDF (current Ovello protocol, not vintage-stamped).

• love
• 👀: brick when pouring out
• 👃: at room temperature smells hot (alc - this is 14%). secondary first - got that "tar" smell if that's what they call this but it's so beautiful like one of those skinny cigs (and not black pit tar) . upon more smelling you get the perfume high tone ketchupy tomato concentrated dried quality.
• 👅: round, creamy (maybe cuz of the full malo). polished tannins but very present (high). can feel the heat from the alcohol lingering

8. Pinot Noir

8a. France → Côte d'Or -- Village or Premier Cru Only

Domaine Cornu-Camus, CDNV Côte de Nuits-Villages AOC 2023 - $32 MSRP

• Vitification: 100% Pinot Noir from 0.54 ha in Corgoloin, lieu-dit "La Montagne" (vines planted 1980s).
• Vinification: Hand-harvested, 15-day maceration with regular pump-overs/punch-downs, 12 months in barrique with 25% new oak; yeast not specified.
• Source: URL
• Confidence: Medium — importer producer page (not vintage-specific); treat as standard protocol.

• 👀: red (ruby) / a little purple, just a hint of extraction in the legs, low concentration of color, no sediment or gas
• 👃: strawberry initially when not swirling, after swirling, getting earth. low/med intensity bouquet. [post reading notes - whaaa 25% new oak? i don't smell it] feels like i have to sniff so hard
• 👅: med tannin, very smooth tannins, dry on the finish. not much fruit / not fruit forward. not tasting any oak
• i dont like this

Domaine François Lumpp, Givry 1er Cru "La Brûlée" 2023 - $66 MSRP

• Vitification: 100% Pinot Noir.
• Vinification: Destemmed, temperature-controlled fermentation, ~1 year in barrel with 30% new oak; fermentation vessel and yeast type not specified.
• Source: URL
• Confidence: High — US importer page, vintage-specific.

• 👀: red (ruby), low concentration of color, fast moving skinny tears, no extraction
• 👃: medium intensity bouquet, got that immediate "earth" pinot smell, oak? (but maybe it's butter?), low alcohol, great smelling wine maybe cuz definitely that wine
• 👅: i taste the oak/butter, fruit is fresh, low-med tannins, smooth. finish = dry apples
• i like it (not love)

8b. US-California → Napa (Carneros) / Sonoma / Central Coast

Flowers Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2023 - $49.95

• Vitification: 100% Pinot Noir, organically farmed estate Sea View Ridge plus family-owned coastal sites, Sonoma Coast AVA.
• Vinification: Matured ~10 months in 20% new French oak; 14.1% ABV; 34,600 cases.
• Source: huneeuswines.com (tech sheet) URL
• Confidence: High — vintage-specific producer tech sheet plus critic confirmation.

8c. US-Oregon → Willamette Valley

Big Table Farm Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2023 - $49.95

• Vitification: 100% Pinot Noir, blend across all the estate's WV vineyard sites; sustainable farming; winemaker Brian Marcy.
• Vinification: House style — 100% whole-cluster, native yeast, foot-stomped, basket-pressed, full malolactic, modest oak, ~10 months in barrel, bottled unfined and unfiltered.
• Source: bigtablefarm.com URL
• Confidence: Medium-High — consistent producer house-style notes; 2023 cuvée-specific oak ratio not itemized.

9. Sangiovese

Italy-Tuscany → Brunello di Montalcino / Chianti Classico

Riecine, Chianti Classico DOCG 2022 - $34 MSRP

• Vitification: 100% Sangiovese, certified organic (ICEA), from Gaiole in Chianti at 450-500m on limestone/clay, vines 10-30 years.
• Vinification: Hand-harvested, destemmed, ~15 days ambient-yeast ferment in open Nomblot concrete then ~5 days submerged-cap maceration; ~11-12 months across old tonneaux, large untoasted Grenier casks, and concrete; 3 months final concrete, ≥3 months in bottle.
• Source: URL
• Confidence: High — direct producer page describing current-vintage protocol.

• i like it! had this at room temp
• 👀: garnet, low opacity, fast tears minimal extraction
• 👃: medium bouquet, secondary herbal eucalyptus, pretty perfume med+ alc, sour tomato red cherry
• 👅: savory, alcohol med+, sour cherry. tannins med but not rough (fine) suggesting some age

10. Syrah

10a. France-N. Rhône → Côte-Rôtie / Saint-Joseph / Crozes-Hermitage

Domaine Vincent Paris, Cornas AOC "Granit 30" 2023 - $54 MSRP

• Vitification: 100% Syrah from granite slopes (~30% gradient), vines avg ~15 years.
• Vinification: ~1-week cold maceration at ~12°C, indigenous-yeast ferment with pump-overs/punch-downs, ~3 months in tank then ~12 months in used (2-8 yr) oak.
• Source: URL
• Confidence: Low/Medium — importer overview gives only general winemaking; deeper specs synthesized from retailer descriptions echoing producer info, no downloadable tech sheet.

Winston notes

• 👀: purple, very concentrated color, noticeable extraction in the tears, thicker droopier tears
• 👃: alcohol, smells warm (med+ alc), fruit, ripe, there is something high tone perfume like strawberry candy, a bit of barnyard funk when i swirl vigorously. when there was only a little left in the glass, i smelled again and it smelled like puer (toasted fermented black tea & chocolate. almost a little like that tea shop in canada that sold flavored teas). ❗️syrah is very high in rotundone (black pepper) but i didn't smell it at first. will look for it again :O
• 👅: delish, fruit matches smell. ripe, not tart. black cherries. there is something sweet fruit like candy / oak? not sure how to describe. structure? alcohol noticeable, med+ tannins very smooth, finish has a hint of bitter. there is something chocolate about this but milk chocolate. when eating this with the duck it actually doesn't taste as fruit forward and had some spice to it (very great pairing)
• i like it! for a syrah it's not like crazy big / tannic / this would def be drinkable without food.

10b. Australia → S. Australia / W. Australia / Victoria | New Oak

Shiraz

Tahbilk "Estate" Shiraz Nagambie Lakes Victoria 2021 - $17.99

• Vitification: 100% Shiraz, estate Nagambie Lakes (Goulburn Valley), ferric-oxide/sandy-loam soils.
• Vinification: Crushed and destemmed, fermented with cultured yeast (traditional open-vat style), ~18 months in French (5–10% new) and American oak.
• Source: shop.klwines.com URL
• Confidence: Medium — K&L spec + producer house-style; no standalone 2021 datasheet located.

11. Tempranillo

Spain → Rioja -- Reserva or Gran Reserva | American Oak

R. López de Heredia, Rioja DOCa "Viña Cubillo" 2017 - $38 MSRP

Note this is a Crianza but for testing I need reserva / gran reserva =_=

• Vitification: 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 5% Graciano, 5% Mazuelo, from vines avg ~53 years in Rioja Alta.
• Vinification: Hand-harvested, native-yeast ferment in large old oak vats (~7-day alcoholic ferment with pump-overs), 3+ years in used American oak barrels, fined with egg whites.
• Source: URL
• Confidence: Medium — retailer page reflecting producer info; the official lopezdeheredia.com PDF was not directly retrievable.

• meh i don’t love the savory soy sauce smell/flavor kinda ruins it for me
• 👀: garnet, very orange rim, medium intensity extraction can see some in legs
• 👃: soy sauce, savory secondary first, medium intensity aroma
• 👅: med+ body, med acidity. struct(fine tannins med). tastes savory. what fruit? somm says red fruit and cellar tracker shows similar notes. but maybe that’s the thing you have to be able to separate the dark soy quality from the abs(red fruit)? finish = yellow apples

Bodegas Muga "Prado Enea" Gran Reserva Rioja 2016 - $94.99

• Vitification: Tempranillo ~77%, Garnacha ~20%, Mazuelo ~3%, Graciano; Rioja Alta (Villalba de Rioja), calcareous-clay and alluvial soils; last fruit harvested.
• Vinification: Fermented in large oak vats (pied de cuve, no temp control), maceration up to ~20 days; ≥36 months in barrel (French ~80% / American ~20%), egg-white fined, then ≥36 months in bottle; 14.5% ABV.
• Source: bodegasmuga.com (tech sheet) URL
• Confidence: High — producer PDF plus critic confirmation for 2016.

Winston notes

• i like this. tasting 2: i don’t like this, smells corked and just soy. WZ: after an hour in the glass this actually smells and tastes so much better i think all that funk blew off o
• 👀: dark red, very concentrated color, visible extraction in the tears
• 👃: vanilla, reduced dark soy sauce, had some barnyard at first open but disappeared. smells corked?
• 👅: spices, cooked apples, dark fruit (casis? dark plum). structure(round). alcohol lasts a long time but surface area is small in the throat so it doesn't feel as hot in terms of filling my nose hot, but definitely back of throat heat & lasts a while. long finish (stewed apples). tannins are extremely extremely smooth and seem quite low (even tho tempranillo is supposed to be med or med+ tannin). on more sips the tannin is definitely noticeable but the texture is very fine (like micro smooth grain). med acidity (it's there, wine feels balanced because of the acid, but not high acid)

12. Zinfandel

US-California → Napa / Sonoma | New Oak

Turley, California Zinfandel "Old Vines" 2023 - $36 MSRP

• Vitification: 95% Zinfandel and 5% Mataro, Alicante Bouschet, Petite Sirah, Grenache, Cinsault — from 23 vineyards avg 89 years old across 8 CA counties.
• Vinification: Indigenous-yeast ferment, 12 months in barrel (80% French / 20% American oak; ~10% new overall), bottled unfined.
• Source: URL
• Confidence: High — direct producer page.

Winston notes

• 👀: purple, medium intensity color, no color in tears
• 👃: fruity, smokey / spices. quite a nice perfumey nose actually. dried dates. has this cream thing going on. smells sweet. 2nd coravining i dont get smoke or spice
• 👅: fruit / sweet (in an american friendly way), got a bit of vanilla, alcohol forward + lingering alcohol for 10+ seconds, sweet lingering after taste. structure(med body, quite smooth tannins in medium quantity). fruit is dark like black currant? def getting dried chinese jujubes. finish not long. finish flavor is jujubes. med acid.
• i like it! actually quite drinkable by itself if you want something darker, boozy but still sweet (obv it's dry but has strong fruit quality). i think the perceptible sweetness definitely makes it american

misc notes -cru = growth = quality tier. for the quality of the product grown/made on the land

• clos = vineyard plots enclosed with fence/stone wall