El Ganador translates to "the winner", and given its quality-to-price ratio, we consider this Malbec a win!
Rich ruby-purple color. Displays elegant flavors of blackberries, ripe plum and robust spices, with good balance and structure. A delightful & versatile red.
Our Chardonnay is hand picked then gently whole-cluster pressed to avoid bitterness. The juice is fermented in large puncheons and a mix of neutral and new oak barrels. We age in barrel for a full 12 months with some stirring on the lees after malolactic fermentation. This is our classic take on Chardonnay, one of the original varietals we planted in 1974 and grew for over 20 years.
VINEYARD: Elk Cove Vineyards purchased Goodrich Vineyard in 2014. A 69 acre property planted with 21 acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Goodrich sits just outside the town of Yamhill, Oregon in the heart of the Yamhill-Carlton AVA. Goodrich Vineyard was planted in 2007 with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in high-density a format. The property boasts the exact same marine sediment (Willakenzie) soil as our Mount Richmond property and lies just a few miles from our Estate Vineyard in Gaston. This young vineyard has great promise and we were so impressed by the quality of the fruit we decide
WINEMAKING: Our Chardonnay is hand picked then gently whole-cluster pressed to avoid bitterness. The juice is fermented in large puncheons and a mix of neutral and new oak barrels. We age in barrel for a full 12 months with some stirring on the lees after malolactic fermentation. This is our classic take on Chardonnay, one of the original varietals we planted in 1974 and grew for over 20 years. We’re happy to bring this varietal back to the Elk Cove family of wines.
Review:
“The 2019 Chardonnay Goodrich, from vines planted in the early 2000s, offers layered aromas of yellow apple, meringue, hazelnut, toast and honeysuckle. The medium-bodied palate is creamy and expansive, its breadth balanced by gently tangy acidity, and it boasts a long, flavorful finish. This is so pretty!” -Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate (May 2023) 94 Points
Elvio Cogno Cascina Nuova Barolo 2017
Born to satisfy the curiosity of consumers keen to have a more immediate understanding of Barolo, the wine is bright garnet red in color with orange tints. Pleasing and immediate, it offers scents of flowers and light, delicate spices. The mouth is agreeably rounded, juicy and fresh, with just the right balance between pleasantness and elegance. The aftertaste is very harmonious with a mineral, aromatic finish.
Review:
Attractive dried strawberry with cherry and tar on the nose. Full-bodied with powerful tannins that are dusty and intense. Very flavorful and long. Solid as a rock. Needs at least three or four years to soften and come together.
-James Suckling 95 Points
Far Niente Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 92.3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1.7% Petit Sirah, 1% Petite Verdot.
Beautiful aromas of dark plum, red cherry, licorice and warm baking spices open onto a plush and silky palate layered with plum, spiced cherry and cassis. A classic Napa Valley Cabernet, fine-grained tannins and lively acidity support the wine throughout, while the finish is refined and polished.
Review:
Refined and pure aromas of dark cherries, blackcurrants, violets and cedar. The palate is full-bodied with seamlessly integrated tannins and focused acidity, giving notes of Damson plums, graphite, mocha, dried herbs and potpourri. Very well balanced and polished.
-James Suckling 96 Points
Faust Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, complemented with Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc.
Cabernet’s classic aromas and flavors star in the 2022 Faust Napa Valley. Delicate violet notes lift the dark fruit on the nose—black currant and briary blackberry—layered with pungent forest botanicals, leafy tobacco, graphite, and toasted spice. The velvet of fine-textured tannins backs expressive red fruit flavors on a complex palate, both sweet and savory with mocha and minerality, juicy ripe fruit and freshness.
Fefinanes Albarino de Albarino is 100 percent Albarino
Fresh fruit aromas of apricot and peach slices with notes of lemon and green apple. Pretty notes of honey and wet nutmeg, and the mouth is round, clean, and pleasant with baked apple, honey, and lemon.
This is a classic Albariño which is good young, but actually improves over two to three years and remains quite drinkable for up to five years. Owner Juan Gil comments that the wine really starts to come into its own in June/July, and he actually prefers it 18 or more months after it's made. A Fefiñanes "vertical" of three or four vintages can provide some most interesting surprises.
Justin Vineyards & Winery Isosceles Reserve is made from 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot
Dark, ruby/purple core with a medium intensity rim and moderately stained tears. Complex and very aromatic with black cherry, cassis, toasty vanilla, cinnamon, cedar, graphite, oak, dusty leaf notes, star anise and red licorice. Full bodied, with ripe black fruit of cherry, currant and berry with baking spice on entry. The mid-palate features sustained fruit with sweet tobacco, leather, vanilla and licorice, and mouth coating tannins that balance its full fruit character through a very long, fresh and beautifully balanced finish that evolves with a complex mix of fruit, spice and savory elements.
The 2016 ISOSCELES Reserve is a bold, but balanced wine that pairs nicely with rich meat dishes like slow cooked stews and braises, but shines beautifully with a simple grilled ribeye steak.
Review:
Clean lines of blackberry jam, charred toast and crushed slate make for a focused nose in this reserve blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot. It is very dense and thick on the palate, where mocha, caramel, loamy earth and dark berry flavors align into an lusciously rich yet elegantly dry experience.
-Wine Enthusiast 95 Points
EnRoute Winery Les Pommiers Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Aromas of fresh raspberry compote are complemented by notes of baking spice, and fresh rain on a forest floor. Generous-yet-soft strawberry preserve flavors expand on the palate, with elegant, silky tannins. A mouthwatering acidity glides across the finish.