Since I first started getting into wine, I’ve been a big fan of Picpoul de Pinet from France’s Languedoc region. The value from this region is excellent, and the wines combine warm weather tropical depth with oceanic zesty vibes. For shellfish and warm days, the two wines in this report would fit the bill perfectly.
Australia’s Yalumba has been on my radar for many years, as they consistently produce a wide range of quality wines. Their Y Series is a partnership with Re:wild, which helps preserve land and protect biodiversity. It also helps that the wines are inexpensive and delicious.
I also have a delightful amber wine from Oregon’s Troon – who continues to produce interesting wines that push boundaries. I round things out with a quality rosé from Sonoma-Cutrer, a spring-friendly Port, and a complex, age-worthy Rioja.
These wines were received as samples and tasted sighted.
2021 Yalumba Chardonnay The Y Series Unwooded – Australia, South Australia
SRP: $14
Light yellow color. Peachy keen nose with lemon and lime zest, yellow apples, along with honeysuckle, hay and honeycomb – a bright a breezy appeal. The palate is light and bright with crisp acidity and a tropical burst of lemon, kiwi and white peaches. Notes of cucumber slices, lilies, dandelion, lots of wildflowers and some honey. A fun, light style that’d be great with seafood and salads. (87 points)
2021 Yalumba Sauvignon Blanc The Y Series – Australia, South Australia
SRP: $14
Pale yellow color. A mix of zesty and tropical on the nose, with limes, white peach, and notes of celery seed, white pepper, and sweeter honey and floral perfume tones. The palate is racy, fun, and fresh, with a pleasantly creamy texture and flavors of white peach and green apples. Has a chalky, punchy, flinty appeal, with a nice basil and white pepper kick. For the price, this provides a lot of complexity and depth. (88 points)
2020 Domaine Reine Juliette Picpoul de Pinet – France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Picpoul de Pinet
SRP: $16
Rich yellow color. Juicy aromas of yellow pears and apples, with fresh white and yellow flowers, and airy, bright notes of chalk dust and margarita salt. The palate has a great mix of plush texture and racy acidity, and the balance sets the stage nicely for the kiwi, lemons, and limes. Sea salt, talc, flowers, honey, a lot going on here. Deep texture but so fresh – a great example of this style, and a lot of value. (89 points)
2021 Château Font-Mars Picpoul de Pinet – France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Picpoul de Pinet
SRP: $15
Deep yellow color. Enticing nose, the fruit (quince and lime) blend so well with an oceanic infusion of oyster shells, limestone cliffs, sea spray, and chalk. Medium-bodied with zesty acidity, there’s a lovely textural weight that makes it creamy and pleasant throughout. Green and yellow apples mix with plenty of flinty, limestone, chalk dust vibes. Punchy but pristine, a very versatile spring/summer wine. (90 points)
N.V. Mumm Napa Brut Prestige – USA, California, Napa Valley
SRP: $25
Medium yellow color with fine bubbles. The yellow apples and lemon bar aromas mix so well with biscuits, cane sugar, cinnamon crumb cake, and white flowers. Crisp acidity and fine bubbles on a chalky frame with fresh acidity and a pleasant amount of sweetness. Peaches and yellow apples, mixed with lemon curd, and topped in honey, graham cracker, saltines, and white flowers. Fun, crowd-pleasing, reliable stuff that sports solid complexity for the price. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Gris. (88 points)
2021 Troon Vineyard Vermentino Amphora Amber – USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Applegate Valley
SRP: $60
Gorgeous light amber color. Such a spritely nose with scents of red apple and orange peels, honey, all sorts of blossoms, and some candle wax and honeycomb elements. The palate has a chalky, skin-contact tannins with a slightly dusty frame. Flavors of candied orange peel, pear skins, red apple peels, and very interesting elements of corn husk, hay, white tea, clay, and honeycomb. The flavors and textures are in-line, and for a skin-contact amphora wine this isn’t too “out there” – it stays focused, fresh, and event accessible. If you’re interested in these styles, or trying to convert friends or family, this is a great one to try. All whole-cluster fermented Vermentino – this producer is an expert with this grape. (93 points)
2022 Sonoma-Cutrer Pinot Noir Rosé – USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
SRP: $20
Very pale copper color. Vibrantly floral on the nose with orange blossom, dandelion, and nettle, over top of gushing guava, lemon, and white peach. Creamy texture and lip-smacking acidity plan well together with the white peach, guava, and orange peel. A lot of flowers and perfume, with notes of white pepper – plenty of springy, spritely goodness. Shows a pleasant depth of crunchy minerals, white tea, and dried flowers. A delightful Sonoma pink from whole-cluster Pinot, and from a consistent producer – this would be good any time of year. (89 points)
N.V. Graham Porto Six Grapes Reserve – Portugal, Douro, Porto
SRP: $29
Deep purple color. Aromas of rich figs and plum cake, mixed with coffee, toffee, milk chocolate, and dried violets, accented by some pleasant earthy tones. The palate shows suave tannins and a chewy feel, sweet but moderated by the acidity. The flavors of sweet plums, raisin cake, fig paste, even some candied orange peel. Sports a lot of pleasantly sweet coffee and dried flowers, nuanced earth and minerals. Fun and value-driven intro Port, but complex and very well made, per usual from Graham’s. (89 points)
2017 Marqués de Riscal Rioja Baron de Chirel Reserva – Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja
SRP: $96
Deep purple color. A deep and concentrated nose with tart blueberries, red and black currants, gorgeous fruit that is matched with a complex bouquet: smoky earth, paprika, barbecue sauce and roasted coffee, a lot to coax out. Full-bodied on the palate with dusty tannins and zesty acidity, so the balance is great. Tart, deep black cherries and currants, deep but bright fruit with savory notes of black pepper, roasted red pepper, mushroom. And it’s rounded out by graphite, earth, stones and minerals. A beautiful Rioja that will age wonderfully. (93 points)
SRP: $14
Light yellow color. Peachy keen nose with lemon and lime zest, yellow apples, along with honeysuckle, hay and honeycomb – a bright a breezy appeal. The palate is light and bright with crisp acidity and a tropical burst of lemon, kiwi and white peaches. Notes of cucumber slices, lilies, dandelion, lots of wildflowers and some honey. A fun, light style that’d be great with seafood and salads. (87 points)
2021 Yalumba Sauvignon Blanc The Y Series – Australia, South Australia
SRP: $14
Pale yellow color. A mix of zesty and tropical on the nose, with limes, white peach, and notes of celery seed, white pepper, and sweeter honey and floral perfume tones. The palate is racy, fun, and fresh, with a pleasantly creamy texture and flavors of white peach and green apples. Has a chalky, punchy, flinty appeal, with a nice basil and white pepper kick. For the price, this provides a lot of complexity and depth. (88 points)
2020 Domaine Reine Juliette Picpoul de Pinet – France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Picpoul de Pinet
Rich yellow color. Juicy aromas of yellow pears and apples, with fresh white and yellow flowers, and airy, bright notes of chalk dust and margarita salt. The palate has a great mix of plush texture and racy acidity, and the balance sets the stage nicely for the kiwi, lemons, and limes. Sea salt, talc, flowers, honey, a lot going on here. Deep texture but so fresh – a great example of this style, and a lot of value. (89 points)
2021 Château Font-Mars Picpoul de Pinet – France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Picpoul de Pinet
SRP: $15
Deep yellow color. Enticing nose, the fruit (quince and lime) blend so well with an oceanic infusion of oyster shells, limestone cliffs, sea spray, and chalk. Medium-bodied with zesty acidity, there’s a lovely textural weight that makes it creamy and pleasant throughout. Green and yellow apples mix with plenty of flinty, limestone, chalk dust vibes. Punchy but pristine, a very versatile spring/summer wine. (90 points)
N.V. Mumm Napa Brut Prestige – USA, California, Napa Valley
SRP: $25
Medium yellow color with fine bubbles. The yellow apples and lemon bar aromas mix so well with biscuits, cane sugar, cinnamon crumb cake, and white flowers. Crisp acidity and fine bubbles on a chalky frame with fresh acidity and a pleasant amount of sweetness. Peaches and yellow apples, mixed with lemon curd, and topped in honey, graham cracker, saltines, and white flowers. Fun, crowd-pleasing, reliable stuff that sports solid complexity for the price. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Gris. (88 points)
2021 Troon Vineyard Vermentino Amphora Amber – USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Applegate Valley
SRP: $60
Gorgeous light amber color. Such a spritely nose with scents of red apple and orange peels, honey, all sorts of blossoms, and some candle wax and honeycomb elements. The palate has a chalky, skin-contact tannins with a slightly dusty frame. Flavors of candied orange peel, pear skins, red apple peels, and very interesting elements of corn husk, hay, white tea, clay, and honeycomb. The flavors and textures are in-line, and for a skin-contact amphora wine this isn’t too “out there” – it stays focused, fresh, and event accessible. If you’re interested in these styles, or trying to convert friends or family, this is a great one to try. All whole-cluster fermented Vermentino – this producer is an expert with this grape. (93 points)
2022 Sonoma-Cutrer Pinot Noir Rosé – USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
SRP: $20
Very pale copper color. Vibrantly floral on the nose with orange blossom, dandelion, and nettle, over top of gushing guava, lemon, and white peach. Creamy texture and lip-smacking acidity plan well together with the white peach, guava, and orange peel. A lot of flowers and perfume, with notes of white pepper – plenty of springy, spritely goodness. Shows a pleasant depth of crunchy minerals, white tea, and dried flowers. A delightful Sonoma pink from whole-cluster Pinot, and from a consistent producer – this would be good any time of year. (89 points)
N.V. Graham Porto Six Grapes Reserve – Portugal, Douro, Porto
SRP: $29
Deep purple color. Aromas of rich figs and plum cake, mixed with coffee, toffee, milk chocolate, and dried violets, accented by some pleasant earthy tones. The palate shows suave tannins and a chewy feel, sweet but moderated by the acidity. The flavors of sweet plums, raisin cake, fig paste, even some candied orange peel. Sports a lot of pleasantly sweet coffee and dried flowers, nuanced earth and minerals. Fun and value-driven intro Port, but complex and very well made, per usual from Graham’s. (89 points)
2017 Marqués de Riscal Rioja Baron de Chirel Reserva – Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja
SRP: $96
Deep purple color. A deep and concentrated nose with tart blueberries, red and black currants, gorgeous fruit that is matched with a complex bouquet: smoky earth, paprika, barbecue sauce and roasted coffee, a lot to coax out. Full-bodied on the palate with dusty tannins and zesty acidity, so the balance is great. Tart, deep black cherries and currants, deep but bright fruit with savory notes of black pepper, roasted red pepper, mushroom. And it’s rounded out by graphite, earth, stones and minerals. A beautiful Rioja that will age wonderfully. (93 points)
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