Papapietro Perry Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley 2022—elegance, smooth drinkability, delicious ripe red fruit rather than heft and extravagant complexity. Very nice pour from quality vineyards in Russian River Valley. open.substack.com/pub/gusclemens…

Mount Veeder Winery Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2021—concentrated dark fruit flavors, fine grained, silky tannins, appropriate acidity, excellent balance, elegance. Example of why Mount Veeder fruit is reverenced. Oak particularly well done. open.substack.com/pub/gusclemens…

Brassfield Estate Winery Sauvignon Blanc, High Serenity Ranch, High Valley AVA 2023—clean, pure, crisp quality Lake Country sauv blanc. Vivid, delicious fruit framed by excellent acidity. Subtly and complexity from six months on the lees. open.substack.com/pub/gusclemens…

Villa Chven Aleksandrouli Red Wine, Georgia 2022—lush, supple, delicious, mild tannins pure expression of aleksandrouli grape from part of the world where winemaking began. Good depth, smooth, refined texture. Comparable to Willamette pinot noir. open.substack.com/pub/gusclemens…

Controversial wine review terms—Three commonly used terms in wine reviews that cause controversy—OK, more than three, but today we are going to focus on “round,” “minerality,” and “masculine-feminine.” I will present my take on and use of the terms. open.substack.com/pub/gusclemens…

LangeTwins Family Winery and Vineyards Thirty Eight Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Jahant AVA, Lodi 2020—concentrated fruit, fine tannins, fresh acidity, significant but not overdone oak. Made by German-American family that has farmed in Lodi since 1870s. open.substack.com/pub/gusclemens…

Ernesto Catena Vineyards Ánimal Natural Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendoza 2023—balances lean structure, rustic and gamey notes, palate weight, and concentrated dark fruits. Rich, delicious, good value from scion of Argentine wine’s over-achievers. open.substack.com/pub/gusclemens…

Stewart Cellars Tartan Napa Valley Red Wine 2021—depth, complexity from outstanding vintage. Dark fruits dominate rich, full initial attack through finish. Stewart aims to consistently offer wine that exceeds expectations, this effort succeeds. open.substack.com/pub/gusclemens…

Rex Hill Vineyards Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2022—delivers usual pinot noir flavors, raspberry and cherry, then pitches in cranberry and tartness that bodes well for food pairing and adds unexpected drama. open.substack.com/pub/gusclemens…

Umani Ronchi Casal di Serra Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore DOC 2022—big aromatics, vivid fruitiness, saline-minerality, excellent texture. Balanced, delicious, checks all white wine boxes. Sea-salty finish particularly entertaining. open.substack.com/pub/gusclemens…

Ironstone Vineyards Obsession Symphony 2023—off-dry celebration of the symphony grape developed by UC-Davis in 1948. Very aromatic with brisk acidity to balance is slight sweetness. Light and refreshing. Fun sipper. open.substack.com/pub/gusclemens…

Sealionne Wines Kilig Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge AVA 2022—lovely, restrained, elegant, sophisticated effort from top vineyard in Ribbon Ridge AVA. Oregon pinot royalty. Excellent fruit, light-medium body, restrained alcohol all work to make this a delight. open.substack.com/pub/gusclemens…

Portlandia Pinot Noir Oregon 2022—Admirable nuance, refinement for value pinot, another example of how well Oregon—and Portlandia—does PN. It is lighter, more delicate than the standard California pinot noir—certainly for CA efforts at this price point open.substack.com/pub/gusclemens…

Symington Quinta do Vesuvio Pombal do Vesuvio, Douro 2022—sleek, black-fruit-delicious effort from the dominant maker in the Douro Valley. Delivers complexity and depth at reasonable price point—a signature of Portuguese wine. open.substack.com/pub/gusclemens…

Domaine Lumineux Pinot Noir Cuvée, Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon 2021—delicious, delightful, smooth, tasty Willamette Valley pinot noir showcases red fruit and accessibility. open.substack.com/pub/gusclemens…

Corvée Metodo Classico Brut Trento DOC NV—combines versatility, elegance, showcases high quality, high elevation sparkling wine at a fraction of the price of Champagne. Rich, persistent flavors; impressive balance; creamy mouthfeel with bright acidity. open.substack.com/pub/gusclemens…

Tannins explained 10-8-2025—Tannins are natural and essential to wine. They also are wine’s most misunderstood element. Even wine scientists admit they do not fully understand tannins. One expert called tannins a “chemical train wreck.” Let’s explore. open.substack.com/pub/gusclemens…

Yatir Darom by Yatir Cabernet Sauvignon, Judea 2023—rich, polished, fruit-forward effort with concentrated flavors, rich mouthfeel, amiable tannins and acidity. Over-delivers for the price. Made in southern Israel near the Negev Desert. open.substack.com/pub/gusclemens…

Southern Right Sauvignon Blanc, Cape Coast, South Africa 2024—zesty, bright, balanced, smooth, touch of salinity, touch of honey and greengage plum in a sophisticated blend of Old World complexity and reserve and New World texture and body. open.substack.com/pub/gusclemens…

McGrail Vineyards Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Livermore Valley 2020—richness, black fruit, full body, polished, long supple finish, powerhouse from testy 2020 vintage. Good structure, complexity, dark fruit parade. Well priced for wine of this caliber. open.substack.com/pub/gusclemens…