Wine Reviews: Mini Round-Up for February 27, 2023

I taste a bunch-o-wine (technical term for more than most people). So each week, I share some of my wine reviews (mostly from samples) and tasting notes in a “mini-review” format.

They are meant to be quirky, fun, and (mostly) easily-digestible reviews of (mostly) currently available wines (click here for the skinny on how to read them), and are presented links to help you find them, so that you can try them out for yourself. Cheers!

2020 Tenuta Aglaea Hoopoe Sangiovese (Toscana): A fresh, potently structured beauty that shows the pain of its creation. $NA B+
2020 Cottanera Etna Bianco (Sicily): Fine, vibrant, and gorgeously mineral from its overachieving start to its overachieving finish. $24 A-
2021 Cottanera Etna Rosato (Sicily): Refined in its spicy elegance, approachable in its floral splendor. $30 B+
2020 Cottanera ‘Diciassettesalme’ Rosso Etna (Sicily): So very, very young… So very, very serious… So very, very good. $32 A-
2017 Cottanera ‘Zottorinotto’ Riserva Etna (Sicily): Own rooted, old growth, single vineyard… And the stunning complexity & purity in the glass lives up to the promise that it suggests “on paper.” $NA A
2017 Stone Castle ‘Gecaj Estate’ Owners Choice Petit Verdot (Kosovo): Brought to you by the letter ‘B’… for ‘BURLY’! $40 B+
2020 Weingut Meyer-Nakel Spatburgunder Rose Trocken (Ahr): Tangy, cherry-filled, and joy-filled, too. $20 B+
2019 Sosie Wines Spring Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast): A delight, with the right amount of brambly, stemmy action. $49 A-
2021 My Favourite Neighbour MFN Blanc (San Luis Obispo): Fairly developed already in a golden, plushy fashion; Ripe yellow apple, grilled tropical fruit, creme brûlée… you’ve got a full Chardonnay meal here, folks. $50 A-
2020 Balletto Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley): All the wild red fruit, right there & still on the stems. $26 B+