Over the course of a week, I taste a bunch of wine, usually with friends, and almost always with my wife. Here are some of the wines we tasted over the past few weeks. These are wines that were not sent as samples—in most cases, I actually paid for these wines (although a few may have been given as gifts).
2018 Antica Terra Pinot Noir Antikythera, Willamette Valley, Eola-Amity Hills, OR: Retail $350. Ridiculously Heavy Bottle (917g; 32.3oz). A friend brought this over for a dinner party we were having, and while the wine was stellar, I didn’t take a formal note on the wine. So why are we here? This bottle is just flat out stupid. There is no way that Maggie Harrison (winemaker) and the owners of Atica Terra can claim they are concerned about wildfires, global heating, or the environment in general when they bottle their wines in this monstrosity. #DoBetter #WhatAJoke
2022 Chehalem Pinot Blanc, Chehalem Estate Vineyard, Willamette Valley, Chehalem Mountains, Laurelwood District AVA, OR: Retail $35. Very Responsible Bottle (443g; 15.6oz). Under DIAM. It has been a couple of years since I first sampled this wine, and at the time, I said, essentially, that I should be drinking more Pinot Blanc. Well, I didn’t verify, but I am fairly certain that this is the first PB I have opened since I made that comment. Two years ago. The good news? This wine is doing quite well, thank you very much. The fruit may have slipped ever-so-slightly, but this is still a fantastic wine and a wonderful interpretation of the variety. Excellent. 92 Points.
2022 Evesham Wood Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills Cuvée, Willamette Valley, Eola-Amity Hills, OR: Retail $35. Heavy Bottle (618g; 21.37oz). Under cork. About a year and a half after the first bottle, this second sample is pretty rock solid and in lock step with its cousin (brother? sister?). The winery sent this to me to take part in the Seventh Annual World’s Largest Blind Tasting of American Pinot Noir, but it arrived two days too late. Too bad; this is delicious. Medium color with plenty of black fruit: blackberry, black cherry, even some cassis, with an earthy component that really challenges the notion that this is a “New World” Pinot. The palate, however, reintroduces that notion, with an impressive wave of fruit initially. The acidity and some of that earth come to the party on the mid-palate with a healthy dose of verve. At just north of $30? This is a wonderful intro to the Willamette Valley and to the Eola – Amity Hills. Yum. Excellent. 92 Points.
2016 Casa da Passarella Dão “O Fugitivo” Branco em Curtimenta, Dão, Portugal: Retail $45. Heavy Bottle (778g; 27.4oz). “Indigenous white field blend from old vines, including varieties like Uva Cão, Bical, Encruzado, and Terrantez.” I am not a huge fan of orange wines, but this was particularly nice, even more so as it approached room temperature. No formal note, as it was brought over to one of our dinner parties. Not a fan of the stupidly heavy bottle.
2025 Rodney Strong Pinot Noir Rosé, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $25. Very Responsible Bottle (426g; 15.0oz). Screw Cap. I have tried this wine a half a dozen times (or more), and it is rock solid. One of the best domestic rosés every year, and when you factor in the shelf price (I can usually get this for around eleven bucks)? It is easily the best value in rosé anywhere. Outstanding. 93 Points.
NV Lanson Champagne Le Rosé Brut. Champagne, France: Retail $75. Really Heavy Bottle (837g; 29.4oz). 53% Pinot Noir, 32% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Meunier, 7% still Pinot Noir added for color. We bought a ton of these online, leftovers from this year’s (?) Wimbledon tennis tournament, each “dressed” in its own little preppy pink polo shirt. A bit over-the-top, for sure, but at under forty bucks a pop? Yeah, I will play your little game. Medium color for a rosé with oodles of bright red berry fruit, touches of canteloupe, lemon, and watermelon, and that yeasty goodness that I crave. The palate is also defined by its fruit (red berry dominant), immediately followed by a rather intense and poignant tartness that quickly takes over the proceedings. Lovely. Sure, it is not the most complex of rosés from Champagne that I have had recently, but the infusion of red fruit, the tangy acidity, and the subtle but noticeable yeasty component render this kitchy package perfectly delightful. Excellent. 92 Points.
WINE OF THE WEEK: At a time when the wine world is certainly struggling but continues to churn out over-priced cult wines in ridiculously heavy bottles, Rodney Strong continues to remind us (well, me, at least) what wine should be. High quality, reasonably priced, delicious wines that you can afford to have on a weeknight dinner with family and friends. That is why the 2025 Rodney Strong Rosé is this week’s Wine of the Week. Wine should be part of a meal and shared, people. Pretty simple when you think about it for a second or two.
What was your Wine of the Week?
