
Arlanza is a tiny wine producing region in Spain that is one of the freshest regions that has been labeled DO status. This lush region produces quality wines, although it is small in size. In 2007, the region was given the upgrade, although wine is said to have been produced in the region ever since the 7th century. It is said that the first recorded evidence of winemaking in the region is in the 12th century by monks who bought the vineyards in the region. In the late part of the 1800s, disease ravaged the vines, and the grapes had to be replanted. Soon after, the vines flourished. The region’s name comes from the Arlanza River, which snakes through this Spanish region.
The climate is hot and dry in the summer and is cold during the winter, and gives wines here their signature flavor. The Arlanza region sits in Burgos, Castile, Leon, and Palencia regions of Spain and there are currently 11 wineries in the region. Several varieties are planted in the region and the region has a yield limit for these varieties—giving roughly 10,000 kg for white wine grape types and around 7,000 for red wine grape types. Since the region is small, the lowest number of vines that can be planted is 2,000 vines.
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Pahlmeyer Jayson Red Napa Valley is made from 51% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Malbec, 7% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc.
Voluptuousness meets vibrance in this classic Bordeaux-inspired blend. Ripe Merlot-dominant aromas of juicy macerated raspberry unfurl with hints of pencil lead, clove, cedar, and fresh sage. The compact fruit core, flanked by fine, polished tannin, surges open on a full, silky palate, giving way to complex underpinnings of earth and spice. A beam of bright acidity keeps the fruit fresh and focused through a soft, lingering finish of dusty plum and cocoa.
It’s best to serve this rich, layered wine at a temperature between 60°F and 65°F. Open and opulent in its youth, this wine is ready to match with a range of flavorful summer dishes such as Carolina-style pulled pork, bánh mì sandwiches, or bacon cheddar burgers.
Review:
This is a very polished wine in 2022, well-built with neatly knit tannins that form a solid foundation for the dark currant and blackberry fruit that floods the mid-palate. Good depth of concentration and driving energy create a sense of tension and vibrancy. Indeed not a shy wine, yet more approachable, with tannins almost melting away on the finish—very characteristic of the warm vintage. Grape sources include William Hill and Broken Rock in Napa, Stagecoach, Waters, and Round Pond in Rutherford, along with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon from the iconic Monte Rosso Vineyard in Sonoma. Grapes are sorted by hand, fermented in stainless steel with a small percentage in oak tanks, and then aged for 15 months in 80% new French oak. (JC)
-Decanter 94 Points
Reynvaan Foothills Reserve Estate Syrah 2021 is made from 100% Syrah.
Reynvaan Family Vineyards was founded in 2004 by Mike and Gale Reynvaan in Washington’s Walla Walla Valley, with son Matt Reynvaan as winemaker, and has become one of the most sought-after names in the state for its Rhône-inspired, estate-grown reds. The Foothills Reserve is a barrel selection from the family’s high-elevation Foothills in the Sun Vineyard, planted in 2008 on loess soils over deep basalt in the foothills of the Blue Mountains.
Walla Walla Valley Syrah is prized for two very different terroirs: the basalt-cobblestone Rocks District, known for savory, meaty, olive-and-mineral character, and the wind-swept loess hillsides that lend structure, freshness and lift. The Foothills site sits among the latter, giving a Syrah of both power and energy.
Review:
A total masterclass, the 2021 ‘Foothills Reserve’ is a barrel selection wine that comes from the Reynvaan’s high elevation estate Foothills In The Sun Vineyard. The site is set on Loess soils with deep basalt deposits and I have been writing about the potential of this site for more than a decade. Today, wines from this high-elevation location are every bit as good as those from their Rocks District vineyard. Hoisin sauce, beef drippings, menthol, and shades of wild blackberry all combine on the nose. The palate is utterly seamless with serious tension, weight and mouth-watering acidity. It offers La Landonne levels of flavor complexity, yielding blood orange zest notes alongside red cherry candy, cigar ash, wet stone and pipe tobacco that all brilliantly meld together on the palate. Showing seriously good flavor and aromatic range, enjoy this simply stunning Syrah now and over the next ten plus years to come. Drink 2023-2037.
Owen Bargreen, 99 points
Review:
-Jeb Dunnuck 98 Points
-Wine Enthusiast 97 Points
-Eric Guido (Vinous) 96 Points
-James Suckling 95 Points