Steve Elder

Hedges Family Estate Red 2011, Red Mountain, Yakima Valley

Medium ruby, just starting to fade. Ripe nose with penetrating cedar and spice. Very nice entry, with the fruit still quite ripe and lots of complexity. A bit hot, however on the finish and final oak notes a bit heavy for my palette. Not a finesse wine, and as such not much to my taste. Purchased on its first Vintages appearance for quite a bit less than the $40 of the second release.

Lan Gran Reserva 2012, Doca Rioja

Tenuta Sette Ponti Crognolo 2019, Igt Toscana

Thirty Bench Small Lot Riesling Wood Post Vineyard 2019, VQA Beamsville Bench

Emiliana Coyam 2019, Los Robles Estate, Colchagua Valley

J.L. Chave Crozes Hermitage Rouge Silène 2013

Delta Pinot Noir 2017, Marlborough, South Island

Juicy, vibrant PN here, with loads of ripe berries on the nose but with good balance of flavours from the mineral notes underneath. Mid-weight with enough acid crunch to keep it aligned and in character. Pretty solid stuff at the price.

Cálem Colheita Single Vintage Tawny Port 1998, Doc Douro, Btld. 2011

Sept 2012: A bit disappointed with this. Not as complex and layerd as I'd hoped.

Messias Colheita Port 2005, Doc, Portugal

Quintay Winemaker's Experience Blend 2015, Do Maipo Valley

Deep opaque purple. Fruit and wild flowers on the nose with a hint of pepper (the Syrah?) and eucalyptus (the C-S??). Full and rich and extracted but carries the 14.5% alcohol well. Certainly seems Malbec dominated, but I also detect the Carménère in the green flavours on the finish (perfectly correct). Intriguing and enjoyable. Will certainly hold some time yet