Reviews of wines and spirits for the curious drinker.
Justin Vineyards and Winery is located in Paso Robles in California’s Central Coast region. William Randolph Hearst’s famous “castle,” San Simeon, is due west over the Sierra Madre mountains.
Continue reading “Justin Sauvignon Blanc”
The Brooks Winery of Amity, Oregon in the Willamette Valley was founded in 1998 by Portland native Jimi Brooks. The winery’s production is focused on Pinot Noir and Riesling, and includes about 20 selections of each in any given year. Brooks also dabbles in Tempranillo, Muscat, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Melon de Bourgogne (aka Muscadet), Gewurztraminer, and Viognier, all sourced from nearby vineyards.
The 2025 Substance ‘Ri’ Riesling is a new, single-vineyard Washington State wine. Introduced in April 2026, it comes from the Substance brand originally associated with the flamboyant Washington winemaker Charles Smith.
The 2024 Robert Hall Regenerative Organic Cabernet Sauvignon is a particularly interesting Paso Robles release because of both its winemaking and the agricultural experiment behind it. Beginning in 2021, the winery compared 43 acres converted to regenerative organic farming with five acres maintained under conventional sustainable management. The vines were selected to match grape variety, clone, and soil conditions as closely as possible. The reported results included: a 13% improvement in soil water retention; 192% more CO₂ absorbed than the control block; greater microbial activity; and improvements in wine complexity, freshness, and varietal expression.
The 2019 Stag’s Leap Chase Creek Cabernet Sauvignon is an interesting and somewhat unusual offering from one of Napa Valley’s most historically significant wineries. Rather than emphasizing the sheer concentration and power associated with many premium California Cabernets, Chase Creek is intended to express the more delicate, aromatic, and elegant characteristics of the Stags Leap District.
Continue reading “Stag’s Leap Chase Creek Cabernet Sauvignon”
Joyo Ginjo 55 Extra Dry is a premium Japanese sake from Kyoto Prefecture. It is made from a traditional Kyoto sake rice variety called Iwai and produced by a small brewery with a history dating to 1895.
Alambre Moscatel de Setúbal is a fortified dessert wine from Portugal’s Setúbal Peninsula, just south of Lisbon. Produced by José Maria da Fonseca, one of Portugal’s oldest and most important wine houses, it offers an intriguing alternative to Port, Madeira, and sweet Sherry.
This First Principles Cabernet Sauvignon is from the “Fine Wines” collection of the Firstleaf wine club. Although I have tried a number of their Fine Wines, this is my first review (none of them has been particularly memorable). It will probably be my last.
Takaten Shuzo is a historic, family-run Japanese sake brewery founded in 1871 in Okaya, Nagano Prefecture. Its Karakuchi Tsu Saké is a traditional, dry, food-friendly sake that emphasizes the flavor of rice rather than the floral and fruity aromas associated with many premium ginjo sakes.
This Easy Blender Hollandaise Sauce is very versatile. I used it with this ham and cheese soufflé (click for the recipe). Or, try it with my tuna soufflé, my mackerel soufflé, or my salmon soufflé. And, pair it with vegetables (asparagus is the classic), fish and seafood (the lemon acidity helps balance the richness of seafood), chicken and meat (Hollandaise works especially well with relatively lean meats), potatoes and other dishes (a little Hollandaise can turn an ordinary side dish into something special).
Continue reading “Easy Blender Hollandaise Sauce”
Truchard Chardonnay 2024 Tasting Notes and Review
Truchard Vineyards was established in 1974, when native Texans Tony and Jo Ann Truchard purchased a 20-acre parcel of land in Carneros. They transformed what was an abandoned prune orchard into a vineyard, and began selling the fruit to a local winery. Because of the difficult clay soil he had to work with, as well as a dearth of groundwater, Truchard was one of the early adapters of drip irrigation, a practice that was used in Israel for desert farming but not known in California yet. The Truchard Estate Vineyard has since grown to 400 acres, of which 280 are planted.
This Momokawa Diamond saké is a domestic product from SakéOne saké brewery in Forest Grove, Oregon. The company began as a saké importer in 1992, and in 1997 they expanded the operation and began brewing their own saké.
Château Haut-Batailley is a Fifth Growth (Cinquième Cru Classé) from Pauillac, one of Bordeaux’s most prestigious appellations. It is a classic Left Bank Cabernet Sauvignon–dominated wine, known for its combination of blackcurrant fruit, cedar, graphite, firm but polished tannins, and considerable aging potential.
Wisconsin native Thomas J. (Tim) Lawrie had a 26-year career in the U.S. Army, including two tours in Vietnam as a combat officer, and was awarded the Purple Heart. He served as an Army Infantry Airborne soldier before finally retiring with the rank of Colonel. After which, he was almost universally referred to as, “The Colonel,” a somewhat surprising affectation for a Northerner, I think. As with most military personnel, he had assignments throughout the country, including California, where he acquired an interest in wine and wine production. Continue reading “Simon Creek Viognier”
Cascina Baricchi is a small family estate based in Neviglie, just outside the Barbaresco appellation, although its Barbaresco vineyards are within the denomination, principally at Neive and Treiso. Giovanni Simonetta purchased the property in 1979; his son Natale took over and developed the estate, with the first commercial release under Natale coming in 1996. Early in his career he spent several years working with the legendary Bruno Giacosa, which helps explain the traditional orientation of the wines.