Hello and welcome to this week’s 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 couple recent releases from Bodega Colomé in Salta, Argentina. Part of the Hess family of wines, Colomé farms some of the highest-elevation vineyards in the world. They sent through their aromatic and fruity estate Torrontes and their dark but juicy estate Malbec. Both are excellent values.

I also received some new releases from one of my favorite Sonoma wineries, Anaba Wines. This boutique producer makes excellent Pinot Noir and Rhône-inspired wines, and they’ve sent me a few of the latter. Their Picpoul, which apparently is one of their club wines, is as fine an example of the grape that I’ve ever had from California—fresh, bright, saline, and delicious. Their Turbine White blend is also quite tasty. For those more interested in reds, both their La Colline GSM bottling and their Bismarck Vineyard Syrah will satisfy.

Isole e Olena has a romantic history in the Chianti region of Italy, as it is formed of two small hamlets, a kilometer apart, originally farmed by sharecroppers. The vineyards between these two hamlets were united in a single wine estate in 1956 by the De Marchi family, who would go on to help pioneer the Super Tuscan category of wines through the creation of their all-sangiovese Cepperello wine, made from a selection of the estate’s best vines. This week I received their top-tier Chardonnay, for which they have also become well known, as well as their Cepperello wine and their Chianti Classico, which proved to be the favorite among the three.

Lastly, I also received two wines from a gem of an estate in Portugal’s Douro region. Quinta do Vesuvio, owned by the Symington Port family, perches on the edge of the river and has been known for top-quality Port wines for nearly two centuries. The estate has also more recently been making dry red wines, and they represent fantastic values. Their Comboio bottling is fermented and aged in stainless steel, offering traditional, bright red and black fruit flavors of the region’s indigenous grapes. Their Pombal bottling, from a single vineyard, sees a bit of oak aging and is perhaps a slightly more ageworthy wine with a similar brightness of fruit. I recommend them both.

Notes on all these wines below.

Tasting Notes

2024 Bodega Colomé “Estate” Torrontés, Valle Calchaquí, Salta, Argentina
Pale gold in the glass, this wine smells of green apple, green melon, and white flowers. In the mouth, bright and juicy flavors of melon, green apple, star fruit, and a hint of dried herbs have a juicy, even tangy bite thanks to excellent acidity. There’s a faint herbal bitterness that lingers in the finish. Grapes grown at 1700m. 13.5% alcohol. Closed with a screwcap. Certified vegan and BA Certified Sustainable. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $13. click to buy.

2024 Anaba Picpoul Blanc, Sonoma Valley, Sonoma, California
Pale gold in the glass, this wine smells of lemon and grapefruit pith, with a hint of white flowers. In the mouth, zingy flavors of lemon pith, pink grapefruit, and kumquat have a faint salinity. Mouthwatering and very delicious. Fermented and aged in stainless steel. 13.4% alcohol. 140 cases made. Score: around 9. Cost: $38.

2024 Anaba “Turbine White” White Blend, Sonoma Valley, Sonoma, California
Light gold in the glass, this wine smells of lemon curd, golden apples, and bee pollen. In the mouth, bright lemon, bee pollen, chamomile, pear and orange peel flavors have a nice snap to them thanks to excellent acidity. A blend of 30% Grenache Blanc, 24% Roussanne, 19% Marsanne, 16% Viognier, and 11% Picpoul Blanc aged in 25% new French oak for 20 months. 13.7% alcohol. 235 cases made. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $42. click to buy.

2022 Isole e Olena “Colleccion Privada” Chardonnay, Tuscany, Italy
Light greenish gold in the glass, this wine smells of lemon curd and lemon zest. In the mouth, lemon curd, lemon zest, and a hint of roasted nuts, mix with a silky texture on the palate. There’s a faint herbal bitterness in the finish, along with notes of citrus peel. Very good acidity. 14% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $105. click to buy.

2023 Granville “Basalt” Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Dark garnet in the glass, this wine smells of raspberry and cherry fruit with a hint of herbs and earth. In the mouth, cherry and dried herbs mix with earth and chopped green herbs that have a faint bitterness. Very good acidity. Lightly grippy tannins. 13.5% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $46. click to buy.

2022 Anaba “La Colline” Proprietary Red, Sonoma County, California
Medium garnet in the glass, this wine smells of boysenberry, cherry, and blackberry. In the mouth, juicy boysenberry and strawberry flavors mix with faint dried herbs and flowers. Excellent acidity keeps things fresh, and a faint, powdery tannic texture adds dimension to the wine. Notes of citrus peel brighten the finish. A blend of 50% Syrah, 25% Grenache, and 15% Mourvèdre fermented with 40% whole cluster and then aged in 50% new French oak for 22 months. 14% alcohol. 100 cases made. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $84.

2022 Anaba “Bismark Vineyard” Syrah, Moon Mountain District, Sonoma, California
Inky, nearly opaque garnet in color, this wine smells of blackberry, iodine, and a hint of struck match. In the mouth, faintly saline flavors of iodine, blackberry, blueberry, and dried herbs are snappy with very good acidity and wrapped in gauzy, fine-grained tannins. There’s a hint of green herbs in the finish. Fermented with 30% whole clusters. Aged for 22 months in 40% new French oak, both puncheons and barrels. 14.1% alcohol. 190 cases made. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $40. click to buy.

2022 Quinta do Vesuvio (Symington Family Estates) “Comboio do Vesuvio” Red Blend, Douro, Portugal
Dark garnet in the glass, this wine smells of black cherry, black tea, dried flowers, and blood oranges. In the mouth, black cherry, blood orange, dried and fresh herbs, and orange peel have a bright juiciness thanks to excellent acidity. There’s a faint gauzy tannic texture here, but mostly bright fruit with a hint of salinity. Very nice. A blend of 45% Touriga Nacional, 25% Touriga Franca, 10% Tinta Roriz, 10% Tinta Barroca and 10% other varieties. Fermented and aged in steel for 14 months before bottling. 13.5% alcohol. Certified B Corporation. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $25. click to buy.

2022 Quinta do Vesuvio (Symington Family Estates) “Pombal do Vesuvio” Red Blend, Douro, Portugal
Dark garnet in color, this wine smells of black cherry and bergamot. In the mouth, juicy flavors of black cherry, sour cherry, dried herbs, and crushed nuts have a faint bitterness to them, as well as a citrus peel and blood orange tang that lingers in the finish with a touch of smokiness. Excellent acidity. A blend of 65% Touriga Nacional, 32.5% Touriga Franca, and 2.5% Tinta Amarela aged for 9 months in French oak. 14% alcohol. Certified B Corporation. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $32. click to buy.

2022 Bodega Colomé “Estate” Malbec, Valle Calchaquí, Salta, Argentina
Dark garnet in color, this wine smells of blueberry, black cherry, and struck match. In the mouth, black cherry, blueberry, and blackberry flavors have a faint salinity to them and a light tannic grip. Notes of struck match and orange peel linger in the finish. Very good acidity. 14.5% alcohol. Certified vegan and BA Certified Sustainable. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $21. click to buy.

2021 Isole e Olena “Cepparello” Red Blend, Tuscany, Italy
Medium to dark garnet in color, this wine smells of sandalwood, cherry, and dried herbs. In the mouth, intense flavors of cherry, herbs, and nutty wood mix with a faintly high-octane character. Faint tannins and excellent acidity, but the alcohol here seems to lift and hollow out the fruit. There’s heat in the finish. 15% alcohol. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $131. click to buy.

2021 Isole e Olena Chianti Classico, Chianti, Tuscany, Italy
Medium garnet in the glass with ruby highlights, this wine smells of cherry, sawdust, and herbs with a hint of brown sugar. In the mouth, cherry, sour cherry, dried herbs, and dried flowers have a lovely citrus peel brightness and excellent acidity. Hints of licorice root and herbs linger in the finish. Faint, gauzy tannins. 14.5% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $36. click to buy.