Wine Reviews: Springtime Selections

It’s finally, officially, spring. And finally starting to feel like it, too – with a cold and wet March transitioning into vibrant flowers and warmer temps. I’m excited for all the springtime traditions to come – picnics with friends, birdwatching during migration, foraging for spring mushrooms. I wish you all the best in your springtime holidays and traditions.

Recently, I’ve received some wines that would fit really well into my springtime meals and gatherings. I’m always on the lookout for those wines that combine quality, value, and speak to their place and tradition, and this week’s choices include a few that hit that spot.

California is well represented here with a collection of springy, spritely wines. I can’t wait to visit again soon and hopefully catch a bunch of wildflower views in meadows and vineyards. Classic bubbles from Scharffenberger, along with a mix of delightful Chardonnays – there’s a lot to like. I’ve included a few fresh Pinots to round things out, as those juicy, red-fruited wines are always welcome at my table. And some Italian wines from Friuli’s Attems have a lot of quality and value to offer.

These wines were received as trade samples and tasted sighted.

2021 Attems Pinot Grigio Ramato – Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Friuli DOC
SRP: $20
Pale copper color. The nose is a spritely jaunt of white peaches and lemons, white cherries, lots of flowers, with cool briny, white pepper, and celery seed tones. The palate is racy and taut with nice textural depth and flavors of white cherries, orange peel, and juicy pear. Such a crunchy, spicy, fun wine with lots of floral nuances, honey, and herbal tones to parse through. Has a cool herbal, chalky, salty vibe that lingers long onto the finish. An “accessible” style of Ramato that would be a great introduction for a newbie or a by-the-glass list addition. Also a really solid value. (90 points)

2021 Attems Sauvignon Blanc – Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Venezia Giulia IGT
SRP: $15
A light yellow with hint of pale copper. Super peachy on the nose with zesty lemons, limes, a green apples, with dandelion and chalky, flinty vibes. The palate is bright and crisp but sports a pleasant creaminess as well. Green apples and limes mix nicely with talc and flinty, mineral tones. Nuances of basil and white pepper accent the wine well. Brisk and salad-friendly, but it shows a lot of complexity. A “real”-tasting Sauv Blanc at this price point, which isn’t easy to find. (89 points)

N.V. Scharffenberger Brut Rose Excellence – USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County
SRP: $29
Deep salmon color. The nose sports a bright, chalky, floral appeal with raspberries and white cherries, with some biscuits, strawberry rhubarb pie, sea salt – a lot of cool things going on. The palate is racy with fine bubbles and a lush mouthfeel. Strawberries, tart red apples, wild raspberries, the fruit is mixed with biscuits, saltine crackers, honeysuckle, mint. Love the creaminess but this maintains crunchy, fresh vibes throughout. This classic California sparkler is still going strong, and is demonstrating some serious value. 55% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir, aged two years on the lees. (90 points)

2021 Girasole Vineyards Pinot Blanc – USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County
SRP: $15
Light yellow color. Such a bright aromatic display, a fruit salad of lemon, papaya, and pineapple, topped with dandelion, honeysuckle, and white pepper. A creamy texture supports the palate, matched with brisk acidity, and flavors of limes and pineapples. A fun, juicy appeal but it has a lot of complexity and depth, with notes of basil, honeysuckle, white pepper, all sorts of spring meadow vibes going on here. Juicy but racy, well-balanced Pinot Blanc – I could see this being a BTG list hit at a bistro. Value alert! (89 points)

2020 Landmark Chardonnay Overlook – USA, California, Sonoma County
SRP: $27
Ripe yellow color. A rich nose of yellow apples and pears, with honey, fresh biscuits, whipped butter, but the wine stays fresh and inviting. The palate shows a creamy base with flavors of juicy white peaches and yellow apples, with moderate acidity. Notes of honey, almond, cinnamon, and graham cracker add a warm complexity, but the wine finishes lively with a floral touch. Fun, juicy Chard at a good price. (88 points)

2021 Balverne Chardonnay Estate Grown Forever Wild – USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
SRP: $35
Medium yellow. The nose has a lot to offer, with yellow apples, quince, lemons, and a mix of honey and graham cracker, with some chalk dust and sea salt. The palate shows lovely texture and vibrant acidity over a bed of yellow apples, key lime pie, pears, with a fresh and vibrant appeal. Richer notes of hazelnut and almond cake mix with bright elements of honeysuckle, chalk dust, sea salt. Deep but balanced and fresh Russian River Chard. (90 points)

2021 Three Sticks Chardonnay Durell Vineyard – USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
SRP: $70
Light yellow color. A brisk and salty appeal on the nose, with limes, green pears, with honeysuckle, almond skin, and a lot of white and yellow flowers. Racy acidity frames the palate well, keeping and airy and lively feel, but there’s beautifully deep texture, and refined balance. Juicy yellow pears and apples, drizzled with limes, mixed with hints of basil, peanut shell, chalk dusty, saline. There’s so much clarity and focus in here, and it will age wonderfully. A great example of Durrell Chardonnay. Fermented and aged in concrete eggs, stainless steel and oak. (93 points)

2019 Landmark Pinot Noir Overlook – USA, California, Sonoma County
SRP: $27
Vibrant cherry color. Aromas of fresh red plums, tart cherries, cranberry relish, backed up with dried rose petals, rhubarb, white pepper – really fun. The palate sports a tart, crunchy, vibrant appeal with juicy red cherries, pomegranate, and strawberries – the fruit has this chilled, freshness throughout. Notes of violets, rhubarb, anise, and white pepper add complexity, and more of those savory tones come out with air. A lot of finesse and complexity for a Sonoma Pinot at this price point. (90 points)

2021 Three Sticks Pinot Noir Monarch – USA, California, Sonoma County
SRP: $75
Deep ruby color. Gorgeous aromas of black cherries, gushing strawberry and red plums, ripe yet fresh, the fruit on the nose makes the mouth water. Elements of cola, rhubarb, spicy herbal tea, and warm clay add complexity. Suave tannins and refined acidity meet blissfully on the palate. Chewy but fresh with delicious fruit (cranberry relish, chilled cherries, strawberry jam), which is met with a complex host of earth, spiced tea, chestnut, black tea, oregano. There’s a stony, clay earthy, mineral-encrusted atmosphere here, and a silky, floral finish. Great now but this will be even better in five years. Beautiful. A blend of estate fruit aged 10 months in 40% new French oak. (93+ points)

This post first appeared on the daily wine blog Terroirist.

C.L. Butaud's Texas Wines

Today we’re taking a trip down the wine road less traveled  (at least by me) – Texas. I’m not going to make any broad generalizations about Texas, as it so huge and diverse and the tropes fall flat. I lived there for a year as a teenager, before I knew about wine, and have made somewhat frequent trips since. But I’ve yet to tour the Texas High Plains wine country and other areas, or dig deeply into producers across the state who have been laying the groundwork for decades now.

As an outsider, I’ve enjoyed a few of the Texas wines I’ve managed to find. But a proper trip is in order for me to get a better handle on things -- long drives, visiting with winemakers, walking through vineyards, and perhaps adding on some rock climbing or hunting. This is all making me nostalgic for Texas, and the wines from C.L. Butaud were a great reminder to keep up with wines from the Lone Star State.

Houston native Randy Hester kicked off his first Texas vintage in 2014, after working in the wine industry for years, including at Cakebread and with a host of renowned winemakers. They take a low sulfite approach, use some whole clusters in their fermentation, and produce wines with a unique spice and appeal. While these wines are very distinct, I was reminded of Arizona wines (with which I have much more experience) in the sense that, when tasting them I get this earthy nuance that makes me want to visit the land itself. To get my feet in the dirt and hands on the rocks.

This was my first time with this producer, and it won’t be my last. These wines were received as trade samples and tasted sighted.

2021 C.L. Butaud Pa Pa Frenchy Red - USA, Texas, Texas High Plains
SRP: $18
Vibrant ruby color. The nose is so alive, spicy, and inviting, with deep cherries, sweet raspberries, red plums, along with violets, cloves, mesquite, pepper, some leathery spice. On the palate, there’s a chewy feel with smooth tannins and surprisingly fresh acidity. The juicy strawberry and red plum fruit is fresh and crisp, backed with notes of rhubarb, cola, white pepper, leather, some smoked meats. There’s a lot in here to parse through, but it maintains such a fun, fresh, crushable appeal. Highly recommended if you like this style. A blend of West Texas Grenache with 20% Mourvedre and 20% Tempranillo, aged for 10 months in old French oak and stainless steel. Winemaker Randy Hester’s homage to his great-grandfather, it’s a fitting tribute and a delightful wine. (88 points)

2020 C.L. Butaud Tempranillo - USA, Texas, Texas High Plains
SRP: $54
Deep ruby color. The nose shows a deep mix of roasted plums and figs, warm clay, creosote, some sage, pepper – a lot of those higher elevation desert vibes are so evident in these aromas. The palate sports a chewy feel with smooth tannins and medium acidity, along with jammy red and black cherries and plums. Notes of toffee, cola, dark chocolate, spiced black tea and anise add complexity. Juicy and deep, give it air and pair with some barbecue, and this will work wonders. All Tempranillo, aged in new and used French oak and stainless steel. (89 points)

2021 C.L. Butaud Blanc de Noir - USA, Texas
SRP: $48
The palates copper color imaginable. The aromas pop with tons of flowers and dandelion, along with crunchy white cherries and red apple peel, and there are also these cool tobacco, mint, and sliced cucumber elements. The palate sports crunchy acidity on a medium-bodied, steely frame. Flavors of white cherries and tart green apple mix well with notes of white pepper, basil, and dandelion flowers. This is a ton of fun and has a lot of versatile pairing potential. A 50/50 blend of Grenache Noir and Mourvedre, whole cluster pressed and aged on the lees in stainless steel for five months. (90 points)

2021 C.L. Butaud Mourvèdre - USA, Texas, Texas High Plains
SRP: $30
Dark ruby color. The nose is spicy and jammy with a cool mix of raspberry, cranberry relish, with notes of bay leaf, pepper, warm clay, leather – lots going on. The palate shows a mix of chewy tannins and tangy acidity, with generous red plum, cherry and raspberry fruit. I love the vibrant rose tones, the white pepper, with notes of chewing tobacco and anise. This is really fun, crunchy, and spicy, but shows a depth of feel and a savory complexity that is really nice. From two vineyard sites, this includes 30% whole cluster, aged in stainless steel and used French oak. Mourdvedre fans should check this out if they can! (90 points) 

This post first appeared on the daily wine blog Terroirist.

Arizona's awesome wilderness and wine

I recently returned from an amazing Arizona trip, and I already can’t wait to go back. I’ve been travelling to Arizona for 12 years now, and I feel like I’m just scratching the surface.

My favorite thing to do in Arizona is explore the Sonoran Desert mountains – specifically Tonto National Forest and the Superstition Mountains. This trip included some new-to-me summits, plenty of route-finding, some exposed downclimbs on rock of questionable quality, getting caught in a brief hail storm, and finding a rattlesnake and tarantula. (All three of us agreed we’d like to stay far away from each other.)

I also had a blast birdwatching – Arizona in the wintertime is an amazing place to scope birds. I managed to spot about 25 species, and three new ones (life-birds).

In addition to the natural beauty and wildlife, while visiting Arizona I always pick up some local vino to share with family after an outdoor adventure. I’ve written a lot about Arizona wine country, which is expansive, diverse, and full of impressive producers. From Jerome to Page Springs to Cochise County in the south, there is a ton to explore. I didn’t make it out to visit any winemakers on this trip, but I did snag up a few wines from producers I respect.

Here's a few notes of some fun AZ wines, that offer a good introduction to the wines of this state.

2020 Arizona Stronghold Vineyard Chardonnay “Dala” Stronghold Vineyard - USA, Arizona, Cochise County
Impressively bright and fresh. Shows nice chunks of pineapple and white peach, with some nougat and floral tones. Straightforward, simple, but more "real" tasting than most any Cali chard at this price point. (87 points)

2020 Page Springs Cellars “Mule's Mistake” - USA, Arizona, Cochise County
So fun. Loving the tart fruit, dusty light feel, bright acidity. Spicy, floral, peppery, with cola and earth tones. Enjoyable mineral vibes, too. Always a fun and reliable Arizona kitchen sink blend. This was a fun one to crush with burgers after a day climbing in the Sonoran desert mountains. (89 points)

2020 Carlson Creek Sangiovese - USA, Arizona, Cochise County
Spicy and red-fruited on the nose, cherries, black pepper, some paprika and tar. The palate is crunchy and tangy, a zesty and spicy appeal pervades this wine. Raspberry and cherry fruit, tossed with clay, black tea, tar, dried roses. This is a lot of fun, and a solid barbecue or grilled pizza wine. (88 points)

2019 Arizona Stronghold Vineyard “Nachise” (USA, Arizona, Cochise County)
A deep and juicy Arizona blend. The nose is packed with black cherries and blueberries, along with tar, pepper and roasted red peppers. The palate is ripe and juicy with fleshy tannins and moderate acidity. Jammy raspberries and black cherry fruit, mixed with cool red pepper flakes, creosote and black pepper. Fun but complex. A blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre. (89 points)

2012 Caduceus Cellars “Anubis” - USA, New Mexico
I was thinking this might be tired and baked, but it showed a lot better than I thought. The nose has plenty of fruit still going (cranberry relish, tart cherries) with a lot of pepperoni, graphite, leather, smoky charcoal. The palate has this crunchy appeal with smooth tannins and tangy red plum and cherry fruit. Flavors of spiced tea, black pepper, menthol, paprika. The wine has this deep, earthy, graphite feel, with lots of mesquite and savory spice tones on the finish. Really good! 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc, 20% Petit Sirah, aged 18 months in French oak. An Arizona producer using New Mexico fruit. (90 points)