Smooth Wine Reviews

I drank these 2 wines and tasted black fruit, cherry, cranberry, red fruit, smoky, smooth. The wines are aged, biodynamic, small production and came from Écluse Wines Tasting Room, Story of Soil Winery Tasting Room.

Wine reviews by: Jessyca Frederick

Improv

2014 Ecluse Wines Improv

A great example both of the winemaking style from Écluse Wines and and the ageability of their wines (and red wines from Paso Robles).

Tasting notes: black fruit, smooth

Duvarita Vineyard Pinot Noir

2019 Story of Soil Duvarita Vineyard Pinot Noir

A complex, red-fruit forward, slightly smoky Pinot Noir that typifies the Sta. Rita Hills appellation and showcases winemaker Jessica Gasca’s love of letting the grapes shine.

Tasting notes: red fruit, smoky, smooth, cherry, cranberry

Notice: I hold no formal wine credentials. I am a wine geek who has consumed 1000+ of bottles from 100+ different wine clubs and 1000s more bottles that didn’t come from those wine clubs. I do not accept payment for wine reviews, and I do not accept payments to influence my opinions. I happily accept free wine (and I buy wine).

Why read my wine reviews: Wine taste is subjective. What I like may not be what you like. I try to leave room for you to form your own opinions, so I don’t provide a score or a rating. I do point out wines that are an incredible value or truly not worth the money. I note flaws, wines that don’t have typicity (because this matters if you are buying wine without having tasted it yourself), when wines are out of balance, and when wines lack appropriate body.

I don’t like wasting money (or anything for that matter). I’m careful about where I spend my money and my mindset as a reviewer is to be careful about where you spend yours. I don’t believe a high price tag equals quality and I know for sure there are wines of very good quality that are also a great value.

Learn more about me or get in touch.