Hello and welcome to my weekly dig through the pile of wine samples that show up asking to be tasted. I’m pleased to bring you the latest installment of Vinography Unboxed, where I highlight some of the better bottles that have crossed my doorstep recently.

This past week included a wide range of wines, so let’s get started with a classic expression of the Mosel Valley, Dr. Loosen’s Urziger Wurtzgarten Grosses Gewachs Alte Reben Riesling. German wine names can be somewhat overwhelming for the uninitiated, so let’s break this one down a little. The easy bit is Riesling, of course. Then we move to Urziger Wurtzgarten, which is the name of the vineyard. Actually the vineyard’s name is Wurtzgarten (“spice garden”) and it is near the town of Urzig, so the spice garden of Urzig. Alte Reben means old vines, and in this case, these are very old indeed. This parcel of vines is named Urglück, and they are 120 years old, planted on their own roots in the red volcanic sandstone that sets this vineyard apart from the generally slate-dominated landscape of the Mosel valley.

Volcanic sandstone can sound a bit of an oxymoron to the geologically inclined. Sandstone is a sedimentary rock, and not igneous (or volcanic). But when small particles of volcanic material accumulate and are then later compressed by layers of stone above them, they can become what is known as volcanic sandstone. Finally, there’s the designation of Grosses Gewachs, which means “Great Growth” and according to German wine law, to receive that designation, a wine must be made from a Grand Cru site (which the Germans call a Grosse Lage) and it must be made in a dry style with no more than 9 grams per liter of residual sugar. If you’re interested in what really great Riesling tastes like, I suggest you track down a bottle of this stuff.

This week I received a set of wines from a young winemaker named Jonathan Walton, whose day job includes assistant winemaker at Two Shepherds. Jonathan has recently started his own label, Glassmaker Wine Co., and since I like the Two Shepherds wines a lot, I was excited to try his wines. He describes his skin-contact Sauvignon Blanc as “tangerine laser beams,” which made me laugh, but is a fairly apt description. It’s a fun, orange interpretation of the grape. His Chardonnay from Cienega Valley has a nice hint of resin to it, and his glou-glou style light red wine from Lodi has a nice mix of berry and earth flavors with a good grip. If you enjoy low-intervention wines, you might want to check out Glassmaker.

I also recently received a set of wines from organic and biodynamic micro-negociant Arnaud Boué in Burgundy. This week I’m recommending his Coteaux Bourgignon white, a blend of Pinot Blanc and Aligoté, their Nuits-Saint-Georges, and their Côte-de-Nuits Villages wine. Unfortunately, these wines seem hard to find online in the US, in terms of buying a bottle.

Speaking of Pinot Noir, I received the latest bottling from Kendric Vineyards in Marin County, which is nervy and bright, and, like most of Stewart’s wines, quite fairly priced, especially in the world of cool-climate Pinot Noir.

I always enjoy winemaker Bibi Graetz‘s interpretation of Sangiovese, especially in recent years, as the wines have become (to my memory at least) brighter, more lithe, and more restrained. The Colore bottling is a blend of three vineyards, including the Graetz holding of Lamole, which is a very old vineyard trained in the albarello style (also known as head-trained or bush-vines) at 620 meters of altitude. Graetz, a self-taught artist-turned-winemaker thinks of Colore as the highest expression of his estate.

It’s wrong to suggest that wars ever have a silver lining at all, so horrific are they. But one of the things that the war in Ukraine has produced is a much higher visibility for the country’s wine industry, which has suffered greatly along with the rest of the country. I’m happy to be able to share my thoughts on Shabo Winery’s Cabernet Sauvignon, which is a classic expression of the variety. Shabo has been making wine since 2003, and farms 1200 hectares (2965 acres) of vines in the Odessa region of Ukraine.

Notes on all these below.

Tasting Notes

2020 Dr. Loosen “Urziger Wurzgarten GG Alte Reben” Riesling, Mosel, Germany
Pale gold in the glass, this wine smells of mandarin orange oil and orange peel. In the mouth, gorgeous mandarin oranges, verbena, wet chalkboard, and honeysuckle have a crystalline clarity and a faint aromatic sweetness. Fantastically bright, clean, and delicious. Phenomenal acidity. Score: around 9.5. Cost: $50. click to buy.

2022 Glassmaker Skin Contact Sauvignon Blanc, Mendocino County, California
A cloudy, hazy dark gold in the glass, this wine smells of candied citrus and papaya. In the mouth, papaya and guava flavors mix with tangerine oil and citrus juice, as bright acidity makes the mouth water and a faint chalky texture coats the mouth. Interesting. Spends 7 days fermenting on the skins then six months in old oak barrels. 11% alcohol. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $20.

2020 Arnaud Boué “Iconoclaste – Cuvee Arthur” Coteaux Bourguignons, Burgundy, France
Pale gold in the glass, this wine smells of lemon pith and grapefruit pith. In the mouth, lemon and grapefruit flavors are bright and zippy, with a hint of dried herbs that lingers in the finish. Pithy and just a touch sour, with excellent acidity. A blend of 66% Pinot Blanc and 34% Aligoté aged for 18 months in oak. 13.5% alcohol. Certified organic. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $??

2022 Glassmaker “Bobcat” Chardonnay, Cienega Valley, Central Coast, California
Pale gold in the glass, this wine smells of lemon oil and lemon zest mixed with a resinous note. In the mouth, lemon zest and lemon pith flavors have a light herbal and flinty touch to them, and very good acidity. 13.1% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $??

2022 Glassmaker “Delta Breeze” Red Blend, Lodi, California
A hazy light ruby in color, this wine smells of berries and citrus peel. In the mouth, crunchy, chalky flavors of strawberry and redcurrant mix with dried herbs and flowers. A tangy, sourish, citrus peel note lingers in the finish. Excellent acidity. Refreshing and fun. A blend of 32% Grenache, 29% Prieto (mission), 29% Mourvedre, and 10% Mencia. 11.6% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $??

2022 Kendric Vineyards Pinot Noir, Petaluma Gap, Marin, California
Light garnet in the glass, this wine smells of raspberry and cranberry fruit. In the mouth, raspberry and cranberry fruit mixes with notes of sweet oak and dried herbs. Very good acidity, and a nice silky texture. Faint grippy tannins linger in the finish with notes of wood. 13.3% alcohol. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $39. click to buy.

2021 Arnaud Boué Nuits-Saint-Georges, Burgundy, France
Light to medium garnet in color, this wine smells of raspberry and earth. In the mouth, raspberry and dried herb flavors are wrapped in a muscular sheath of tannins that squeezes the palate. Notes of dried herbs and redcurrant linger in the finish with a hint of citrus peel and a faint salty meatiness. Excellent acidity. Ages for 12 months in oak. 12.5% alcohol. Certified organic. 598 bottles made. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $43.

2021 Arnaud Boué Côte de Nuits-Villages, Burgundy, France
Light to medium garnet in the glass, this wine smells of cranberry, raspberry, and cut green herbs. In the mouth, raspberry fruit is wrapped in a skein of fine-grained tannins that stiffen as the wine moves across the palate. Bright acidity leaves redcurrant and raspberry leaf notes in the finish. Ages for 12 months in oak. Certified organic. 12.5% alcohol. 1196 bottles made. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $??

2021 Bibi Graetz “Colore” Sangiovese, Tuscany, Italy
Medium garnet in the glass, this wine smells of dark cherry, cedar, and chocolate. In the mouth, juicy cherry and citrus peel have a lovely bright acidity and a hint of cedar. Long and lovely, with great freshness. Contains 10% Caniolo and 10% Colorino. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $200. click to buy.

2014 Shabo Winery “Iukuridze Family Wine Heritage” Cabernet Sauvignon, Ukraine
Medium garnet in the glass, this wine smells of cherry and green herbs and a touch of oak and truffle. In the mouth, fresh and bright cherry and tobacco flavors mix with green herbs wrapped in lightly fleecy tannins. Excellent acidity and lovely typicity. Aged 14 months in French oak. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $??