Hello and welcome to my weekly dig through the pile of wine samples that show up on my doorstep 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 arrived recently.

This past week included a number of interesting bottles from here and there, starting with a few from Adelaida Vineyards and Winery in Paso Robles, California. Adelaida has a long history in Paso Robles, starting back in the 1970s. They sent along a few nice wines last week, including their Rhône-style white blend, a young Cabernet Franc, and my favorite, an energy-filled, bright Grenache Noir.

Site Wine Co. is a side project of the Adelaida Vineyards winemaker Jeremy Weintraub. This week I’m tasting his Roussanne from Stolpman Vineyards, which has a very classical complexion and richness.

Sometimes you just need a cheap and cheerful New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, and when you do, Wither Hills is ready and waiting for you. It’s not profound, but it is tasty, and predictable. And at $15, it does the trick.

Closer to home, winemaker Shalini Sekhar has been running her Ottavino wine label as a side gig while her day job has her making wine for other brands. She sent through a couple of her recent wines, and I enjoyed both her zippy Grüner Veltliner as well as her unusual and alluring rosé from the obscure Austrian grape St. Laurent.

As a grape variety, Corvina rarely appears on a label, instead being one of the chief components of Amarone and Valpolicella wines. But when handled on its own, and harvested for delicacy and finesse instead of power, it can become very pretty. That’s what Tenuta Sant’Antonio has done with their “Scaia” Rosso of Corvina. It’s wonderfully perfumed and delicate, and a real pleasure to drink.

Sticking with northern Italy for a moment, I can also recommend the Villa Gresti Vigneti della Dolomiti red from San Leonardo. It’s a classic blend of Bordeaux varieties, but with a mountain interpretation, grown within the walls of the San Leonardo monastery in Trentino, Italy. It’s built for long-haul aging, and is at the beginning of its evolution.

Last but not least, I received a recent bottling of Grenache from one of America’s most impressive vineyard sites, the Weathereye Vineyard on top of Red Mountain in Washington’s Yakima Valley. Made by Sleight of Hand Cellars, this is an intense expression of ripe, rocky fruit, made with 100% whole clusters. If you like your Grenache powerful and rich, this wine is for you.

Notes on all these below.

Tasting Notes

2024 Adelaida “Anna’s White” White Blend, Adelaida District, Paso Robles, Central Coast, California
Pale greenish gold in the glass, this wine smells of green apples, pears, white flowers, and a hint of yellow herbs. In the mouth, silky textured flavors of citrus pith, green apple skin, melon, and a hint of white flowers have decent acidity and a faint chalky texture. A faintly bitter citrus pith note lingers in the finish. A blend of 50% Roussanne, 33% Grenache Blanc, 12% Picpoul Blanc, and 5% Muscat Canelli. 14.2% alcohol. Certified organic grapes. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $35. click to buy.

2021 Site Wine Co. “Stolpman Vineyards” Roussanne, Ballard Canyon, Santa Barbara County, California
Light yellow-gold in the glass, this wine smells of bee pollen, yellow herbs, and candied lemon peel with a hint of lemon cucumber. In the mouth, silky flavors of candied lemon peel, yellow herbs, bee pollen, and saffron have a very soft, delicate acidity. I want a bit more zip here, but the rest of the package is compelling. Sweet oak lingers strongly in the finish. 13.6% alcohol. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $50. click to buy.

2024 Wither Hills Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand
Palest straw in color, this wine smells of sweet passionfruit and candied lime. In the mouth, juicy passionfruit, kiwi, and lime flavors mix with green apple and a faint hint of sweetness. Crisp with good acidity and basically what most people want from New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. 13.5% alcohol. Closed with a screwcap. Certified sustainable. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $16. click to buy.

2024 Ottavino “Alfaro Family Vineyard” Grüner Veltliner, Santa Cruz Mountains, California
Light gold in the glass, this wine smells of pear, lemongrass, and yellow herbs. In the mouth, yellow herbs, lemongrass, pear and apple flavors are zippy with excellent acidity. Crisp and lean with a faint chalky texture and a long finish. There’s even a hint of salinity here. Excellent. Whole-cluster pressed and fermented in steel. Aged for 5 months on the lees. 12.8% alcohol. 74 cases made. Score: around 9. Cost: $30. click to buy.

2024 Ottavino “Ricci Vineyard” Rosé of St. Laurent, Los Carneros, Sonoma County, California
Palest peach in color, this wine smells of bubble gum, flowers, and citrus peel. In the mouth, citrus peel, redcurrant, unripe strawberries, and wet pavement flavors have a silky texture but also a nice acidic edge to them. There’s a faint herbal bitterness that lingers in the finish. Whole-cluster pressed, fermented in steel. 12.1% alcohol. 57 cases made. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $32. click to buy.

2022 Tenuta Sant’Antonio “Scaia” Rosso, Veneto, Italy
Light to medium ruby in color, this wine smells of rose petals and other fresh flowers, along with sweet macerated berries. In the mouth, wonderfully delicate floral berry flavors mix with roses and dried herbs, as faint gauzy tannins caress the palate. Excellent acidity, this is a very lovely, light wine offering great perfume. 100% Corvina. 13% alcohol. Closed with a vino-lok glass stopper. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $14. click to buy.

2023 Dutton Goldfield “Dutton Ranch – Snow Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Green Valley, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California
Medium garnet in the glass, this wine smells of cherries and cranberries. In the mouth, bright cherry and cranberry fruit mix with a hint of sweet toasted oak as faint tannins coat the mouth. There’s a nice citrus brightness to the finish, along with a slightly sour cherry tang. Bright and juicy. 14.1% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $80.

2023 Dutton Goldfield “McDougall Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Fort Ross-Seaview, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County, California
Light to medium garnet in color, this wine smells of raspberries, sweet oak, cherries, and cranberries. In the mouth, raspberry and cranberry fruit is shot through with sweet oak and bright, juicy acidity. Hints of citrus peel linger with the sweet wood in the finish. I don’t love how much barrel I’m tasting here, but I suspect in a few years that will improve. Tannins are barely perceptible. 14.1% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $70. click to buy.

2021 San Leonardo “Villa Gresti” Red Blend, Vigneti delle Dolomiti, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy
Medium garnet in the glass with ruby highlights, this wine smells of struck match, earth, plum, and incense. In the mouth, earthy, cedary flavors of cherry and crushed nuts mix with dried herbs and a hint of oak, as powdery tannins coat the mouth. Excellent acidity keeps the wine fresh on the palate through a moderately long finish. A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Carmènere aged for 18 months in French oak. 13% alcohol. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $43. click to buy.

2022 Adelaida “Anna’s Estate Vineyard” Grenache, Adelaida District, Paso Robles, Central Coast, California
Light to medium garnet in the glass, this wine smells of alpine strawberries, flowers, and dried herbs. In the mouth, juicy flavors of salty strawberry, dried herbs, dried flowers, and a hint of sweet woodiness are zippy with excellent acidity. Powdery tannins coat the mouth and stiffen slightly through a long finish. Certified organic grapes. Aged for 18 months in neutral oak. 13.7% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $50. click to buy.

2022 Sleight of Hand Cellars “Higher Ground – WeatherEye Vineyard” Grenache, Red Mountain, Yakima Valley, Washington
Light to medium garnet in color, this wine smells of strawberry jam and dried herbs. In the mouth, fleecy tannins surround a core of jammy strawberry and dried herbs. Earthier notes emerge in the finish as the tannins seem to condense and thicken in the mouth, stiffening as herbal and earthy scents linger. Intense. Fermented with 100% whole clusters and aged in neutral French oak barrels. 14.8% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $125. click to buy.

2023 Adelaida “Viking Estate Vineyard” Cabernet Franc, Adelaida District, Paso Robles, Central Coast, California
Very dark, vivid purple in the glass, this wine smells of sweet oak, black plums, and cherries. In the mouth, sweet oak, plum, and cherry flavors swirl with a polished, sweetish complexion as faintly fleecy tannins coat the mouth. The oak dominates the finish. Decent acidity. I’d give this wine a couple of years to see what it can do in the bottle. It comes across as quite young, and perhaps not yet fully formed. Certified organic grapes. 13.9% alcohol. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $80. click to buy.