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Anarchist Wine Co The Skeptic 2018 Review – Nice With Age

When we visited California to check out Napa and Sonoma wineries, one of the more interesting spots we stopped at was Anarchist Wine Co.

As its name suggests, this winery is doing some rather unique things with popular California grapes as well as unique blends of lesser-grown varietals for the region.

The Skeptic is one such bottle which is an orange, skin-fermented wine of Pinot Blanc, Gewurztraminer, and Viognier. Unusual for the region to begin with, with the extra depth and complexity that an orange wine provides.

We had picked up a bottle of the 2018 vintage when visiting the winery and promptly forgot about it until it was five years old, when it tasted absolutely beautiful.

Note: The makeup of The Skeptic has seemed to change in recent bottlings. At the time of this review, the 2022 vintage was 100% Gewurztraminer. As such, future bottles may have different characteristics than what is included in this review.

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Chateau La Rose Du Temple Pomerol 2015 Review – Intense Flavor

Although I generally found my WSET Diploma D3 tasting exam to be, in a word, brutal, there were some silver linings to be found. In particular, the 12 wine lineup included some fantastic examples of wines found all over the world.

One such bottle we were fortunate enough to taste blind was an aged Pomerol- a Merlot heavy red blend from the right bank of Bordeaux known for making some of the finest wines in the world.

Not only was that the first Pomerol I had ever tried, it was also exceptional. So much so that the day after the wines were announced, I stopped at a wine store, purchased a bottle of Chateau La Rose du Temple Pomerol, and brought it home to enjoy- hoping it'd be anywhere as delightful as the bottle I enjoyed on my exam.

It absolutely was.

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Domaine Weinbach Clos des Capucins Pinot Gris 2019 – A Gem

As far as grape varietals are concerned, I have to admit that Pinot Gris / Pinot Grigio is not one I typically seek out. This relatively mild grape has a reputation for being somewhat simple as far as character is concerned.

I had always known that Alsace was said to produce the most intense and robust Pinot Gris, and when I stumbled upon a bottle of Domaine Weinbach's Clos des Capucins Pinot Gris, I knew I had to pick it up to try.

Arguably my favorite winery in Alsace that has only ever had wines of the highest quality? I can get behind that and didn't look back.

As it turns out, Domaine Weinbach's Pinot Gris is just as spectacular as all of their other bottles, and is helping change my mind on this oft-overlooked grape.

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Domaine Wachau Weissenkirchen Gruner Veltliner Smaragd 2021 Review

When it comes to a good Gruner Veltliner, there are some things we are always on the lookout for. Strong minerality, waxy phenolics, and stone fruit moving into tropical flavors are a hallmark.

When a Gruner is lacking in these, we often find ourselves disappointed. But when it shines, oh what a wine it is.

Domaine Wachau's Weissenkirchen Gruner Veltliner Smaragd was undoubtedly in the latter category, and this wine was simply a delight that we would drink again and again.

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Bollinger Special Cuvee Champagne Review – Simply Perfect

We always love trying Champagne house's premium production lines as they are always worth savoring and talking about. Bollinger's Special Cuvee NV Champagne is no different.

What makes Bollinger's Special Cuvee unique is that this wine is not a vintage Champagne. It has all the characteristics of being an intense, vintage bottle of bubbly but is instead made up of reserve wines that have been aging anywhere from five to 15 years made with grapes from grand and premier cru sites from all over Champagne.

So what you end up is an incredibly intense, powerful wine that can be enjoyed again, and again, and again- assuming you can find a bottle for sale, at least.

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Quinta do Portal 10 Year White Port Review – Honey and More

When you think of port, odds are good your mind goes to that high-alcohol, intensely sweet, red wine from the Douro Valley.

But the Douro Valley makes more than fortified red wine, and also makes some stellar white ports with the same age indications you would expect from a tawny port (10, 20, 30, and 40 year).

During our visit to the Douro Valley, we were fortunate enough to try several white ports from producers and one, Quinta do Portal, had a truly exceptional 10 year white that we had to bring home with us. After a few years in our cellar, we opened it up to celebrate a birthday!

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Quinta do Tedo Grande Reserva Savedra 2017 Review

The Douro Valley in Portugal is known for creating sweet, fortified wines loved the world over. But in recent decades, producers are also using the native grapes of Portugal into creating some intense, full bodied wines.

Quinta do Tedo is one such winery that makes still wines from their grapes, and the Reserva bottle from the Savedra plot is a field blend of roughly two dozen native grapes thrown into one compelling mix.

If you like full-bodied red wines, this one is for you.

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A & G Fantino Cascina Dardi Barolo Riserva DOCG 2015 Review

Who doesn't love a good Barolo? Intensely aromatic, powerful flavors, and pairs perfectly with some of the richest dishes on the planet.

We realized it had been years since we had opened a Barolo, so we decided to crack open an A&G Fantino Cascina Dardi Barolo Riserva DOCG from our cellar and see how it was developing despite being a rather young wine at approximately eight years old.

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Ca dei Frati Brolettino Lugana 2020 Review – Impressive Find

If you are into lesser-known grapes the way we are, odds are good Turbiana may be new to you. This is because the grape, grown on the shores of Lake Garda in northern Italy, was only recognized as a unique mutation a few years ago and in the past was considered to be Verdicchio.

But Ca dei Frati Brolettino Lugana was unlike any Verdicchio we've ever had, and this Turbiana was one of those bottles we still talk about well after the bottle has been enjoyed to its very last drop.

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Masciarelli Villa Gemma Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva 2015 Review

We have a fondness for Montepulciano d'Abruzzo for often being an intense and well-balanced Italian red wine.

So when we received a sample bottle of Masciarelli's Villa Gemma Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva, we were rather excited to try it out. Intense flavors, a bit of age, and a lovely complexity is all we need to be happy with this one!

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