Winery - A to Z
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
A to Z is on the money once again with this screwcapped Chardonnay, tight but flavorful with mixed tree fruits and more exotic notes of quince and kiwi. Not as outgoing as the 2006, this will reward chilling and a little bit of breathing time, but it’s a fair value and a good quaff.
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A to Z Chardonnay - 2007
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This mongrel blend has a little bit of everything going into it—Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Sangiovese, Grenache and Cab Franc. Flavors are dark, fruity and mixed in with pepper and olive and smoke. Smoothly done, with no rough edges, and no tricked-up vanilla to imitate new oak barrels.
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A to Z Red Blend - 2007
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
The 2006 Chardonnay is another excellent bottle from this Oregon négociant, offering ripe and luscious fruit flavors of pear, apple, quince and kiwi. As the wine broadens out across the palate, streaks of spice, nutmeg, honey and graham cracker appear. It retains its acidic underpinnings through a generous, creamy finish.
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A to Z Chardonnay - 2006
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This excellent Pinot Gris offers a rich mix of ripe citrus and tropical fruits, acacia flowers, honeysuckle and a hint of buttered toffee. It’s rich and full-bodied without being tiring or flabby, with excellent length and structure. Almost 24,000 cases were produced.
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A to Z Pinot Gris - 2006
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Tart and racy, this sets up the palate for spicy fare with bracing acids and scents of citrus skins. It is the first-ever Riesling for A to Z, a nod perhaps to the growing demand for these wines, especially on the West Coast. Flavors mix citrus, white flowers, strawberries and spice, with a finishing lick of minerality.
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A to Z Riesling - 2006
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Lightly scented with melon, white peach and nectarines, this elegant Pinot Blanc has retained its bright acidity, wrapping it around the fresh, tangy fruit flavors. It is perfectly balanced and just slightly sweet, from fruit more than sugar. A lovely apéritif, it finishes lightly spicy with flavors of fresh cut pear.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
A to Z playfully colors its screwcap to match the plum cherry tone of the wine, a Sangiovese from the Del Rio vineyard in southern Oregon. Stainless-steel fermented and not put through malolactic fermentation, the wine is loaded with watermelon, strawberries, raspberries and cherry candy. A fairly sweet finish suggests cotton candy. Serve this well-chilled, best drunk alone as an apéritif.
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A to Z Rosé - 2006
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
From the Del Rio and Abacela Vineyards, A to Z’s 2004 Night & Day is mostly Merlot, Cabs Franc and Sauvignon, with smaller percentages of Syrah, Dolcetto, Petit Verdot, Nebbiolo and Tempranillo. Unlike many such mutt wines, this has a definite structure, a focused mix of black fruits annotated with pepper, slate, iron, cocoa and pencil shavings. It was 100% barrel-aged with a small percentage of new wood.
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A to Z Red Blend - 2004
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Though fruit-driven, forward and accessible, this surprises with the chewy density of its midpalate, and the depth and texture of the finish. It begins with somewhat sweet with candy flavors of raspberries, red currants and Bing cherries. Then it opens up, adding moist earth, minerals, flint and wisps of chocolaty smoke. Firm acidity and a balanced structure complete this classically proportioned and well-defined wine. An amazing 51,000 cases were made.
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A to Z Pinot Noir - 2006
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This dry Riesling has a steely spine running right through the heart of the wine; you can almost taste the metal. It defines and confines the flavors; the fruit seems like an afterthought. That said, it might just be the perfect wine to try with fresh oysters, firm and lightly lemony with a hint of brine.
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A to Z Riesling - 2008
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