Wine Reviews Archives - The Grape Pursuit

Heart & Hands Pinot Noir 2018 Review – Fruit Forward

October 13, 2020

One winery we missed out on visiting when we explored the Finger Lakes was Heart & Hands. We had heard about wines from this vineyard for a while and were pretty bummed we couldn't make the stop happen.

Thankfully, while exploring a wine store in Ithaca we found a bottle of the Heart & Hands Pinot Noir 2018 and picked it up without hesitation to give them a try. While we would say this was a fairly representative Pinot Noir as far as the varietal is concerned, it was quite surprising that it came from the Finger Lakes!

Bloomer Creek Chardonnay & Gruner Veltliner 2016 Review

October 7, 2020

When we visited the Finger Lakes for a weekend getaway in late 2020, one winery, Bloomer Creek, was not open for tastings (only bottle sales). We placed an order at this one all the same at the request of a friend who wanted some bottles and decided to pick up a few for us to try at home thanks to their great reviews and that one of our favorite local wine shops carries them as well.

It very much was a case of “if it is good for them, it is good for us”.

The first bottle we opened was their naturally fermented, skin contact, unfiltered Chardonnay and Gruner Veltliner blend- a more unusual grape combination than we're used to but one that we have to admit, we really enjoyed.

Sardo Vermentino di Sardegna 2018 Review – Lemon and Bitter Pith

October 6, 2020October 6, 2020

Our first Vermentino comes from the island of Sardinia- Tenuta Soletta Sardo Vermentino di Sardegna 2018. This one offered a fairly straightforward flavor profile of lemon and slightly bitter notes and paired quite well with a tilapia filet!

Maloof Wines Riesling 2019 Review – Acidic and Tropical

September 22, 2020September 22, 2020

We always love getting interesting wines in wine clubs, and the Maloof Wines Riesling from Oregon was one such wine if only because we're not quite sure if we've ever had a Riesling from the Pacific Northwest.

We popped the bottle, took one sniff, and realized this one was interesting.

Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne NV Review – Lime and Wild Nose

September 10, 2020

Nicolas Feuillatte's Reserve Exclusive Champagne is an alluring bottle with a wonderful aroma, a slight funkiness, and strong flavors of lime and tropical notes on the palate.

Consider us pleased.

Antonio Mazzella Biancolella 2018 – Apple Becoming More

September 10, 2020

Biancolella was a new grape for us when starting this project, and we first sampled it with the bottle of Antonio Mazzella Biancolella 2018.

This one comes from the small island of Ischia just off the coast of Italy and brings a modest acidity with an array of subtle fruit flavors.

Fattoria di Bagnolo Capro Rosso 2016 Review – A Wine to Age

September 2, 2020September 2, 2020

Although the term Super Tuscan is more or less a marketing word used to describe high-quality wines outside of the traditional Italian designation classification when we hear the name used our ears perk up all the same if only because, on the whole, we've had some pretty stellar Super Tuscans when traveling around the region.

Fattoria di Bagnolo's Capro Rosso was one such Super Tuscan, and after visiting the vineyard on a trip to Tuscany in 2019, I was more than happy to pick up some bottles. In this review, we popped open a bottle of the 2016 vintage to see what the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend was like four years in.

Bodegas del Palacio Albarino de Fefinanes 2018 Review – Lemon and Saline

August 26, 2020August 26, 2020

It took us a while to try our first Albarino, and it only took a few sips of the Bodegas del Palacio Albarino de Fefinanes 2018 to understand what we were missing. A strong citrus kick and a finish of salinity has us wanting to try more of this varietal very, very soon.

Vins Contes Poivre et Sel 2019 Review – Berries and Caramel

August 26, 2020

The Vins Contes Poivre et Sel hails from the Loire Valley of France and features a grape varietal that was completely new to us when we received the bottle- Pineau d'Aunis (90%, rounded out with Gamay). This one ended up being fairly low tannins, low ABV, and offered a nice berry blend flavor overall.

Bedrock Wine Co Zinfandel 2018 Review – Needs Some Years

August 20, 2020

Sometimes we open a bottle and find it is simply a bit too young and could use a few more years in the cellar. Bedrock Wine Co's 2018 Zinfandel was much like this, as when we enjoyed it at two years old, we found ourselves wishing we would've saved it for a few years down the road.