Good Wine - Good Buys - Easy to Find
All of Pat's Picks / 01.03.2017

The descriptors include the words “presence and persistence”. Are they talking about a  wine? Or Tom Brady? In this case, Wine Spectator is indeed talking about 2015 Intrinsic Cabernet. “The texture is rustic with a savory and inviting finish.” How’s that for flowery wine talk? I can’t wax that poetic but I can tell you that in the around-$20-cabernet-category, there’s a lot more bad than good. This 100% Washington cabernet is an exception. Personally, I wish it had just a touch more character but overall, it’s a good wine, a nice value and...

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All of Pat's Picks, Featured / 01.03.2017

There’s more than one way to skin a cat. (Skin a cat? Hey, I don’t make up these old sayings. I just repeat them.) And there’s more than one way to make red wine. The folks down at Willamette Valley Vineyard south of Salem used the non-traditional “whole cluster” method when they crafted this 2015 pinot noir.   Usually, Oregon pinot is tart and earthy. This one is just the opposite. It’s semi-sweet and fruity, due in part to the whole cluster process. Think strawberry and cherry. If you normally...

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All of Pat's Picks, Featured / 01.03.2017

What is it about the word “zinfandel” that compels zin producers to come up with wacky play-on-word names for their wines?  “Seven Deadly Zins”. “Artezin”. “Brazin”. “Zinful”. Then there’s “Menage a Trois”. I’m not gonna touch that. Thankfully, the Seghesio family, producers of zinfandel in Sonoma County for over 100 years, don’t force it. They called theirs, “Seghesio Sonoma County Zinfandel”. Perfect. And the wine is just as straightforward as the name. The 2014 Seghesio is a solid representation with the rich pepper and spice flavors that zinfandel is known for. What it doesn’t have is...

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