Best Wines I Tasted in August 2021

September 7, 2021 0 By Alan Evans

In August 2021, I tasted and rated a total of 28 wines and found some real gems. This month I have 7 great wines share with y’all. None of them earned a 5 star rating this month, but 3 of them were right on the edge, rating them 4.5 stars on Vivino. My favorites this month featured a greater diversity than previous months. I have 4 white wines, 1 white/red blend, a sparkling red and 1 “normal” red wine. Every wine is a different varietal and is from a different growing region, with wines from Santa Barbara, Napa Valley and Edna Valley in California; along with wines from France, Spain, Luxembourg and Italy.

1. Viñedos y Bodegas Pablo 2019 “Menguante” Garnacha from Cariñena, Spain – This is an amazing value Grenache from Spain. We had it by the glass at Milk and Honey, a tapas restaurant here in Santa Barbara. It was delicious on its own, with powerful fruit flavors and a long smooth finish. Better yet, it paired wonderfully with all our dishes once the food arrived too. You can find this wine in retail locations for around $10 per bottle, which I think is a steal for such a delicious and versatile wine.

My Vivino notes: 4.5 stars – Great value Spanish Grenache. Relatively sweet with huge fruit notes on the nose and palate. Lots of cherry and sweet oak flavors. Nice to sip on and went very well with a variety of tapas.

2. Clendenen Family Vineyards 2015 Rancho La Cuna Syrah – Viognier Blend from Santa Maria Valley, CA, USA – This wine is a crazy delicious blend of 90% Syrah and 10% Viognier, resulting in a bright wine melded with darker flavor notes. I found it super interesting with a really unique blend of flavors, yet super well balanced and perfect for pairing with foods given its higher acid feel. This wine is from the amazing wine maker behind Au Bon Climat, Jim Clendenen, and is a label dedicated to smaller lot and more unique and longer aged wine styles/blends, compared to his bigger and more well known ABC labeled wines. These Clendenen wines are definitely worth trying as they are unique and most important, super tasty. One of the best parts of this wine, and the Clendenen branded wines in general, is their amazing value proposition. This Syrah/Viognier blend sells for $35 from the winery, which is a superb value.

My Vivino notes: 4.5 Stars – A high quality Pinot at a reasonable price point. Smells of ripe strawberry, bay leaf and burnt sugar. The taste is very fruit forward with notes of sweet cherry, green apple and a hint of forest floor. The finish turns a bit more tart red fruit and light oak flavors. Medium plus acid and medium light tannins. Would pair well with sweeter dishes or meats cookI loved tasting this wine. Well balanced with some provocative flavors. Huge nose, with bright red fruit, mint and vanilla. Not the typical smells of a Syrah but intriguing. First impression was its sweet with notes of plum, strawberry, baking spices and vanilla. High acid with light tannins. Would pair well with a smoky, fatty meat dish like pulled pork or bacon mac n’ cheese.

3. Château de Minière N.V. Bulles de Minière Rouge from Loire Valley, France – This was a surprising delight which I found at Satellite wine bar in Santa Barbara. It is a sparkling Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley. Lots of dark fruit flavors with some earthy notes as well. It was a delight to sip on during a cooler evening and it paired amazingly with a dark chocolate chip cookie! A great value at around $20-$25 for such a rare and delicious sparkling wine.

My Vivino notes: 4 Stars – Totally unique and delicious sparkling cab franc from Loire Valley at a very reasonable price point. Black currant, black cherry and cranberry on the nose. High acid and light tannins. Dark fruit with plum, black pepper, black cherry and orange peel. Tiny bit of oak on the finish. A dark bold sparkling wine.

4. Hendry Winery 2016 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay from Napa Valley, CA, USA – I loved this wine from the first time I tasted it during a very memorable winery tour at the Hendry Winery with the winemaker back in 2019. Tasting it again 2 years later, this is still one of my favorite chardonnays. I think Hendry is a super under-rated winery in Napa. They make high quality estate grown wines at a great price point. This chardonnay has aged perfectly, with nicely balanced fruit and oak characteristics and delicious flavors. It is about $35, so it is a great value for a premium quality wine. Also if you make your way to Napa, the winery tour is top notch, they really get into the science of our taste buds and how the chemical reactions between the wine and your body lead to great wine-food pairings. The wine tour at Hendry is entertaining, educational and best of all, features delicious wines.

My Vivino notes: 4.5 Stars – Delicious full bodied Chardonnay at a great price point. On the nose I got some butter, vanilla, lemon and pear flavors. The wine is medium acid with a lot of mouthfeel, a density even with the balanced fruit and oak notes. Flavors of lemon, vanilla, cream, pear and butterscotch come through in this complex wine. Ok to sip on its own, but it really shines pairing with food!

5. Filipponi Ranch 2018 Paragon Vineyard Albariño from Edna Valley, CA, USA – I have not tried many Albarino wines, but this is one of my favorites. I first tried it in 2019 at the winery just off the 101 highway outside of San Luis Obispo. At that time the wine was super fresh and intense. I loved it then when it tasted hyper fruity and so much of apricot. Trying it again with 3 years of age on the wine, I found it to have held up amazingly, still projecting tons of dry stone fruit flavors, but with a more rounded and creamy flavor that developed over time. I think this bottle cost just over $20 when I bought it, so if you can find this wine I would recommend grabbing a couple bottles, drink one now as an appetizer wine to get an idea of that intense fruit and then hold some for a few years to see it develop into a something slightly different, but arguably a bit more refined and tasty.

My Vivino notes: 4 Stars – A very well made wine that is delicious on its own or great with light food. A Great smelling wine with dry notes of peach, pear and apricot. Dry with medium plus acid. Lots of honey flavor with some creamy apricot and stone fruit notes as well. This wine has aged well and is at its prime now!

6. Quintarelli Giuseppe 2019 Veneto Bianco Secco from Veneto, Italy – This was a delicious gift from a good friend. The wine is spectacularly complex and yet so crisp and clean tasting. I really enjoyed just sipping on this wine while we cooked, but was delighted at how well it paired with our food, as the complexity and acidity of the wine was a boon to our meal. It is not a cheap wine at $40, but the asking price is totally reasonable given its high quality production and amazing flavor profile.

My Vivino notes: 4 Stars – A delicious wine to sip on or with food! Light smell with notes of citrus. Stone fruit and citrus fruits come through. Along with minerality, slight bit of honey and grass before a creamy lemon peel finish. Medium plus acid. So much complexity for a crisp clean wine.

7. L&R Kox 2018 Remich Primerberg Privilege Riesling from Moselle, Luxembourg – This riesling is a steal for $20, having all the typical flavor and mouthfeel that you would expect from a high end dry riesling, but at an entry level price. If you don’t know what a delicious dry riesling should taste like, this is it. This is a high acid wine that is just begging to be drank with some Chinese food, fish, or a lemon-chicken dish. It is rare to find wines from Luxembourg that are imported to the US, so this wine was a real treat. I thought the age on the wine was perfect, and I will keep my eye out to try more L&R wines if I can find them!

My Vivino notes: 4 Stars – A good value and very typical Riesling with lots of mouthfeel and texture. Smells a bit of yeast, with lemon, and honey suckle. High acid with an earthy lemon-lime flavor with lots of honey and minerality that sits on the middle of your tongue.

A note to put “BEST” into context: I am judging all the wines I drink based on their quality to value ratio, which is aligned with how I rate wines on Vivino.

Each wine I score is based on a 5 star scoring system, and I take into account the wine’s quality, uniqueness and deliciousness compared to other similar wines within a similar price range.

Only wines for which I have scored 4 stars or greater, and I deem worthy of sharing with others are included in my monthly favorites.

You can find all of my other monthly favorites here.

Cheers!

– Alan Evans