Two weeks ago I had the chance to wander around the Horizon Beverage Wine Expo, where hundreds of wines were on display. There were many good ones, and several to make special note of. There were also several tables I did not get to as well, but here are the highlights:
2013 Galerie Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc – not grassy, but clean and smooth. A round profile of crisp fruit
with great acid and a clean long finish. This is my favorite style of Sauvignon Blanc and very well done.
2012 Galerie Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – 100% cab, this is big, rich and still tannic. Just about to hit the market, it’s going to be a big winner, with deep fruit flavors and nice oak tones. This is a producer to watch.
2010 Maggie Hawk Anderson Valley Pinot Noir – not lush and fruit forward to the max, this wine is a bit leaner than some coastal Pinots, and it works great. Nice acid balance and crisp fruit, with the traditional cherry, frame a refreshing wine.
2009 Cenyth – a Bordeaux blend, with all five varietals present, this is deep, dark purple red with dark fruits. It 
coats the palate and leads to a long, long finish. This is classy juice.
2012 Chappellet Signature Cabernet Sauvignon – this is classic Cabernet from a great vintage, and brings everything you’d expect from a top flight Napa cab. Intense and long.
2012 Chappellet Napa Chardonnay – really fresh and clean, this does not whack you with oak. It stays fresh throughout the long finish. A very tasty Chardonnay.
2012 J. Lohr Carol’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon – this is big, lush, tannic and long. A high quality cab 
with dark fruit profiles. Really good.
2013 J. Lohr Carol’s Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc – great fruit with some peach and grapefruit. Clean, vibrant and stays that way throughout the finish.
2013 Joseph Phelps Freestone Vineyards Chardonnay – Subtle oak and great fruit flavors. This has body and texture, but stays very fresh throughout.
2013 Willamette Valley Vineyards Whole Cluster Pinot Noir – now this is different, and when it hits the glass it is so light you think it is a pale rose. This undergoes carbonic maceration, like they use in Beaujolais. Even still they have to limit the skin contact dramatically to keep the color that light. The wine has great, fresh fruit and just screams summer on the deck. Delicious and different. A great alternative to the now ubiquitous rose.
2013 Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Gris – we generally don’t rave about Pinot 
Gris, but this is different. They blend in 7% Pinot Blanc, and it gives the wine a lush texture and feel. The fruit still comes shining through and this is really a killer white wine. Another producer to watch.
2010 Heitz Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon – after tasting through a mini vertical of Martha’s Vineyard cabs this is the one the stood out to me. It’s just rich and great.
2006 Burgess Cabernet Sauvignon – yes, you can still buy this – they have about 75 cases left at Burgess. You’ll need to request it from your wine shop though so they’ll ship it to RI. It’s worth it, as this presents incredibly complex notes of toasted coffee, toffee, caramel and lush dark fruits. The color looks like they just bottled it. The finish is incredibly long. Probably about $70 but worth the money. The 2012 was pretty great too, but not this great.
There’s a few that stood out. There were many others worth considering. Casey Flat Ranch was pouring, and we can tell you that 2012 is a pretty crazy good year for their reds. look for them at a retail shop soon. We’ll also do a separate review of their 2012 reds soon. You can still buy their 2010 Estate Red as well , which makes no sense since it is so good for the money, but a little is still out there. We suggest you buy it.
The Burgess 2006 Cab is outrageous. Wish is was a bit cheaper though. The Willamette Valley wines were incredibly different, and in a very good way. Their Pinot Grigio might be the best one I have ever tasted. Wine is always finding a way to surprise us. Maybe we’ll do separate articles on Willamette Valley Vineyards and Burgess is we can get some of their wines. Hopefully we will be doing a more in depth piece on Galerie as well.
A votre sante!
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