Brilliant. Slightly flinty and reductive, with ever-so-light buttery malo-lactic notes, lemon drop, kaffir lime leaf, sea spray, and apricot notes. Beautifully layered, focused and refreshing, this gorgeous white belongs on the dinner table with lobster, sole meuniere, or skate wing with browned butter. Spectacular. (95 Points)
- Tim Teichgraeber
Winemaker Hugh Chappelle has done a great job of fine-tuning the wines from this well-farmed, Eco-conscious estate in Dry Creek Valley in recent years, and this Zin is a great example. It is bursting with brambly berry fruit, but the oak notes are quite mild, it isn't too sweet, the alcohol is balanced, and it has decent acidity and freshness. This one doesn't claim to be estate bottled, but it's beautifully made and delicious. (92 Points)
- Tim Teichgraeber
Flavor-infused tequilas are still a bit of a rare thing, and that's probably for the best, but this100% blue agave ghost pepper-infused-tequila is not half bad. Tasted straight, the ghost pepper burn is deep, slow, and long. Added to a margarita or mezcal margarita, you might want to kick the tajin rim to the curb, because you're definitely going to get enough spice from the spirit. The heat is definitely less vegetal than jalapeno, it's deep red chile, and way more umami. It makes a very nice margarita, especially when you add a little bit of cranberry juice to soften the heat and skip the salt rim altogether.
Here's a recipe from the company that works pretty well...
Spicy Cranberry Margarita
2 oz Ghost Tequila
4 oz Cranberry Juice
0.75 oz Agave Syrup
0.75 oz Triple Sec
0.75 oz Lime Juice
Garnish with Fresh Rosemary Sprig, Limes, and Fresh Cranberries. Rim with Citrus Sugar
The great California Rhône visionary Bob Lindquist sold this fine brand in 2018 to get back to pivot to Spanish varieties with his new Verdad label. Still, at least so far, Qupé's Central Coast Syrah remains a real benchmark Syrah in California, especially at the bargain price of $20 a bottle, the shimmering blackberry, raspberry, pepper, and dried herb notes are all perfectly in tune and offer a tremendous example of what this Southern French variety is capable in California, particularly in cool parts of the Central Coast. If you haven't tried this wine, you really should. It's an absolute classic. (92 Points)
- Tim Teichgraeber
