Looking back: Why these 7 wines stand out

‘Tis the time to reflect on the year quickly disappearing in the rear-view mirror. What was noteworthy and worth celebrating?

Looking back at a year of blog posts, seven wines stand out as the most memorable of those I tasted in 2022. Why, you ask? As I pondered the answer to that question, some trends and common themes emerged. You’ll see for yourself in just a moment.

Here are my 2022 favorites, starting with the most recent and working back. Please note that while of these wines were provided, opinions are my own.

2019 Tessier Winery Camino Alto Cabernet Franc, El Dorado
100% Cabernet Franc

Kristie Tacey was a published research scientist before she caught the winemaking bug and started Healdsburg, CA-based Tessier Winery in 2009. She went into the business “punk-rock style,” she notes, that is, without owning any property. Grapes for her 2019 Cab Franc were sourced from a high-elevation, organically farmed vineyard in the Sierra Foothills. The vineyard is notable for its volcanic red clay soils. Fermented 33% whole cluster and via use of native yeasts, the wine is aged in neutral French oak for 16 months. Kristie keeps the lees (spent yeast cells) in the barrel to create additional complexity.

• My tasting notes: Pours a translucent, purplish-red color. Raspberry and violets dominate the nose along with something herby and a touch of fennel. Tingly, medium+ acidity attacks the palate first, followed by raspberry, so much cranberry and an herb blend of thyme and tarragon. Woodsy but not oaky. Finishes long with vanilla and black pepper at the end. Alcohol: 12.2%. Price: $32.
• Why I chose this wine: Kristie lets the fruit do the talking and does it ever! Her Cab Franc strikes all the notes I crave in this variety – the raspberry, the violets, the herby blend. Kristie prefers grapes that have been picked early to retain their natural acidity and flavor. Maybe that’s why this wine reminds me of cool-climate Cab Franc. Love to see a young female winemaker striking out on her own.

2020 The Supernatural Sauvignon Blanc, Hawke’s Bay
100% Sauvignon Blanc

Supernatural Wine Co. produces white and skin-fermented white wines from grapes growing on a north-facing hillside estate in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand. Supernatural Wine Co. became certified organic in March 2015 and started practicing biodynamic farming in 2015. The Collinge family dry farms their land. Indigenous yeast is gathered from the vineyard for fermentation, and nothing is added to the wines except for a little sulphur before bottling. Soils are lime-rich clay with volcanic influence.

• My tasting notes: Brilliant gold color. Aromatic, grassy nose hinting of wildflowers and rosemary. Palate is soft yet tangy with honeysuckle and ripe grapefruit notes. Medium+ acidity. Medium+ finish. Alcohol: 12.5%. Price: $21.99.
• Why I chose this wine: Ordinarily, I shy away from New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc because of its signature “cat pee” aroma. But this one’s grassy nose and soft-yet-tangy palate feel like summertime in a glass. I also appreciate the producer’s sustainable farming approach, focus on the fruit, and minimal intervention. Can’t beat a screw cap, and the label is fun, too!

2016 Eight Bells David’s Block, Red Willow Vineyard, Yakima Valley
67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 10% Malbec, 7% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot

Eight Bells is a nautically themed, Seattle winery that focuses on just two highly acclaimed Washington state vineyards – Red Willow and Boushey. Red Willow is located at the western end of the Yakima Valley. This wine gets its name from a vineyard block that is named for David Lake, a pioneering Washington state winemaker. Lake and Red Willow’s Mike Sauer partnered on innovative grape-growing approaches to add complexity to finished wines.

• My tasting notes: Deep ruby in color with a purplish rim. Fruity aromas of blackberry, black cherry and black currant, with hints of lavender, rosemary and red licorice. Mouthcoating but not grippy. Tangy, thirst-quenching, medium+ acidity, and flavors of ripe, slightly jammy dark berries. Smooth, long finish. Alcohol: 14.4%. Price: $42.
• Why I chose this wine: Love this urban winery’s down-home, neighborhood bar kind of vibe and use of reusable, recyclable glass stoppers. Oh, and then there’s the wine. Red Willow is a special place. The spouse and I had the privilege of spending a few hours at Red Willow, touring and tasting with Mike and his son Jonathan. You can read about our visit here.

2011 Etienne Brana “Ohitza,” Irouléguy  
Blend of Tannat, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon

The Branas started as wine and spirits negociants in the Pays Basque in the closing days of the 19^th century. In 1974, Etienne Brana built a distillery for local fruits such as pears, plums and raspberries. In 1984, Etienne became one of the first farmers in Irouléguy to replant wine grapes lost to the phylloxera epidemic. Sadly, he died in 1992 before completion of a new winery. His wife, Adrienne, and two children, Martine and Jean, took over the business. Jean Brana gave up the family’s organic farming certification because the copper treatment was producing toxicity in his soils. He also abandoned most of the biodynamic remedies he was using, moving to a biodiversity that encouraged natural flora and fauna to flourish naturally. Since then, insects and birds have returned to the vineyard along with 110 plant species. The family’s accomplishments are recognized not only in the Pays Basque, but internationally.

• My tasting notes: Ruby with a brick red hue. Lots of lovely tertiary, cooking spice flavors. Cherry and cloves are both strong on an earthy nose. The palate is a blend of cherry, cloves and allspice with medium acidity and a hint of vanilla at the end of a medium+ finish. Smooth tannins. Alcohol: 13.5%. Price: $26.
• Why I chose this wine: Yes, I generally promote the use of organic and biodynamic farming over pesticides and chemical methods. But I admire the courage of Jean Brana to abandon an approach that wasn’t working and embrace biodiversity by encouraging plants to grow naturally. This wine has aged gracefully and is drinking at its peak right now. Lastly, I’m drawn to stories of small, family wine businesses.

2016 Vinos del Marqués Musica del Marqués Tempranillo, Mexico
90% Tempranillo, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Grenache

Founded in 2013, Vinos del Marqués is located in El Marqués, Querétaro, at almost 6,000 feet above sea level. Winemaker Mauricio Rodríguez is considered a rising star in his country’s wine industry. He serves as a consultant to several other Mexican wineries. Vinos del Marqués is his “baby.” Only 2,000 cases of wine are produced annually. This Tempranillo is aged six months in first and second-use French and American oak.

• My tasting notes:  Ruby red in color. Bright red cherry and a hint of tobacco on the nose. Cherry, tobacco and leather on the palate with high acidity and mouth-coating tannin. Medium+ finish. Alcohol: 13.2%. Price: $22-25.
• Why I chose this wine: Yet another pleasant surprise! Who knew Mexican wine could be this good? Who even knew Mexican wine existed? My textbooks gave this country’s fledging wine industry only a passing glance.

2020 Pistachio Lane Grüner Veltliner, San Francisco Bay
100% Grüner Veltliner

Established in 1996, Darcie Kent Vineyards is owned and operated by Darcie Kent, her husband and two daughters. With Hungarian-born winemaker Julian Halasz, she handcrafts small-lot, single-vineyard wines from sustainably farmed, family-owned vineyards. Her original art adorns each of her wine labels. Kent follows in the winemaking and artistic footsteps of her great grandfather, who owned a winery in St. Joseph, Missouri, before falling on hard times following the repeal of Prohibition. Grapes for this wine grow in vineyards nestled between pistachio and hazelnut orchards and olive trees.

• My tasting notes: Smells like summertime with aromas of peach, citrus, white flowers and a hint of grass. Palate has a rounded mouthfeel and medium body; it’s citrusy but not tart. Medium acidity. Light minerality and a touch of honey on a medium+ finish. Alcohol: 13.2%. Price: $35.
• Why I chose this wine: Livermore Valley is one of California’s oldest wine regions, but it loses ink to Napa and Sonoma. Thanks to the Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association, I was able to taste wines from six of the 50 producers (including Darcie Kent Vineyards) that call this region home. This off-dry Grüner grabbed my attention because it’s so delicious with spicy, Thai-inspired foods.

2018 Brown Estate Zinfandel, Napa Valley
100% Zinfandel

Brown Estate is the first and only Black-owned winery in Napa, and Zin is the variety that put them on the map. They also produce wines from Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Petite Sirah. You can read about their Chardonnay in my February 2021 post and also find out how this family persevered despite setbacks. In the early days, the first generation of Browns sold their highly regarded Zin and other vinifera grapes to area wineries. Now, thanks to the second generation, the family produces its own wine. Their flagship Napa Valley Zin originally consisted entirely of their own fruit. With the 2018 vintage, veteran winemaker David Brown added grapes from the Howell Mountain and Calistoga AVAs to the blend. The wine is aged 10 months in 30% new oak, 50/50 French/American.

• My tasting notes: Garnet with purplish tones. Aromatic nose of raspberry, cherry, rose petal and a whiff of smoke. On the palate, medium+ to high acidity hits immediately, along with tingly sensations along the tongue. After that, I get a raspberry, cherry and spicy combo that reminds me of red hots candy. I read that Zin can have a “five-spice powder” profile. Didn’t know what that meant until I looked it up. The four core ingredients of this powder are cinnamon, fennel, star anise and cloves – the last one is dealer’s choice. Yes, that’s it! The Zin finished strong with notes of mocha, tobacco and a hint of vanilla. Complex, but not jammy. Alcohol: 14.5%. Price: $44.99.
• Why I chose this wine: Apparently, I love surprises because until I tasted this wine, I would have told you that Zinfandel was not a fave. Now I’m a fan – at least of Brown Zin. Also love the story of perseverance and sense of strong family solidarity that shines in everything they do. They rock!