The Wines of This Week's Tasting:
Two Joint Tastings
October 22, 2025
Tasting #1: Pinot Noirs
2023 We can’t print the name Pinot Noir
A glass of this wine in a restaurant was very pleasing. It's a simple, honest Pinot that has no need to shout its grape but represents it in a way that is mercifully free of the candied tutti frutti lipstick-on-a pig “Pinot Noirs” at its low cost. We can’t print the name because it is supposed to be just for restaurants that will sell it by the glass our price per bottle. This is Burger wine for lovers of real Pinot.
Mouth: Clean very pure and intense, fullish layered depth, very nicely balanced; Very Good $16.99; Case, $14.49
2022 Scenic Valley Farms Pinot Noir Estate;
You know the story. Some bowls of porridge were too hot, some too cold, and one just right. Good pinot noir is just right too; it's not too fat and fruity; it's not too lean and sharp; it has just the right balance of fruit, acid, and just a dab of tannin and fills the mouth with fragrant fruit flavors. It's hard to find one that fills that bill at a reasonable price, but Scenic Farms does with this yummy offering.
Organic, too. Aroma: heady and sweet forward, bright intensity, intense, firm, bright light oak; Mouth: juicy forward firm, clean smooth, very pretty, nicely balanced, good length; Very Good Plus $22.99; Case, $19.59
2021 Paper Road Pinot Noir
This impressed us. From the sheltered east coast of New Zealand’s North Island, it has a depth and solidity that evokes the Old World more than the New, with depth and structure you rarely see at its price. You can serve it this year or for the next few.
Color: very dark black; Aroma: very heady very rich, very dense, heady & ripe, fresh, clean, deep, savory with air; Mouth: light clean evocative, strongly structured, gives layering and interest, deep and layered; Very Good - Excellent $24.99; Case, $20.75
2022 Michel Goubard Bourgogne Cote Chalonnaise Mont Avril
Guide Hachette “This plot of 1.5 acres planted with 35-year-old pinot noir has given this purple wine of beautiful depth. It reveals fruity aromas on the nose, especially blackberry and blueberry, extended by a well-structured, powerful, firm, and long mouth. To be allowed to age for a few years.”
We found this pinot approachable. It will drink now with some air to open and last two to four more years. It’s classically Burgundian: solid, satisfying, and balanced.
Color: very dark; Aroma: heady and sweet very, heady and rich intense, light limestone; Mouth: rather rich heady very clean fine acid, rounded and fleshy, long very nice mouth feel, unctuous dark fruit, long; Very Good Plus $29.95; Case, $25.49
2022 Evesham Wood Pinot Noir Eola Amity Cuvee
This is a strong step up from many Willamette bottlings. It is not overstuffed but smooth textured, rich in fruit but with a fine underlying acid line that gives the wine definition. Were it burgundy it would be counted among of those of more finesse. Only its smooth, pliant texture says that it is New World.
Aroma: heady showing a rich layer of full fruit, over precise delineated acidity; Mouth: fine acid rather clean., rich, well balanced, classically styled very good intensity, firm and long, very well structured with excellent aging potential; Very Good - Excellent $35; Case, $29.75
2023 Chavy~Chouet Bourgogne Rouge La Taupe
far better than its class, from a single plot of 70-year-old vines next to the Ch de Pommard, it’s labeled simple Bourgogne Rouge but has some of the structure and depth that you would find in Pommard. With air or age, it could well turn out better than our rating.
Color: light purple red; Aroma: heady and sweet acid, finely delineated, very nicely intense, bright and forward; Mouth: clean very fine acid tannins, bright and, fine not yet fleshed out, very firm and clean, long; Very Good Plus $37; Case, $31.45
Mix any twelve or more at their case prices
Order by phone at 617.367.8605, or reserve here: order@federalwine.com
Tasting 2
A Last-Minute Popup
Gordon Daniels First Release Malts
We are excited to welcome Dan Phillips, partner in the new bottler Gord0n Daniels. He has 30 years in the wine business and founded the Grateful Palate.
famous in the sprits as an owner and director of Springbank Distillery as well as founder, owner and director of Bruichladdich Distillery
They’ve come together to create unique Single Malt Scotch Whisky bottlings to replicate old style Luxury Single Malts enjoyed by our forefathers. Crafted to give the consumer delicious, balanced and flavorsome Scotch to sip and enjoy.
They select premium casks of single malt Scotch, they then age them in Pedro Ximinez Sherry casks for richness and finish them in Champagne barriques for elegance and a subtle effervescence. Dan will present three of their four First releasePremium, classic Speyside Single Malts.
Gordon Daniels Glen Grant 14 yo $149.99
Aromas: White pear, unripe peach, dried orange, bergamot peel, lime zest, fruit cocktail syrup. Dried sugar dusted fig, clean succulent flesh of your lover after a cold plunge bath. Sherry-soaked Xmas fruit cake.
Mouth: Classic, seamless, easy sipping whisky with a hint of spice over long cooked Moroccan meats stewed with prunes and apricots, pink peppercorn with grapefruit pannacotta.
Oh Wow! a crowd pleaser!
Gordon Daniels Linkwood 15 yo $149.99
Aromas: A bright shiny super nova in a jet-black sky, a symphonic blend of flavors and aromas. If Beethoven made whisky this would be the whisky. Ultra ripe peach eau de vie with fresh apricot.
Mouth: Exultant character not even slightly obsequious, confident, lyrical, proudly glyceric and rich, like jackpot slot machine endlessly flowing riches but not coins, rather dried burnt orange peel. Round, expansive, endlessly changing sensation on the tongue, pure no bumps, no noise, no effort.
Gordon Daniels Aberfeldy 8 yo $104.99
Aromas: Toffee, coffee, maple syrup and caramel, brown rice syrup, baked apple with pastry, hint of Chinese five spice, more exotic spices, tarte tatin.
Mouth: Very easy to drink, ahhh, sweet, soft, sensual with a hint of unexpected spice late on in the finish. Madagascar white pepper, long, sweet easy finish.
Whisky for drinking and slurping, a starting the evening whisky
Also available:
Gordon Daniels Benriach 10 yo $104.99
Aromas: Soy sauce, smoke aroma without the smoke, pine needles, old balsamic, umami, beef stock,After Eight chocolate mint, burnt peanut butter, dark chocolate, Vegemite, camphor, rosemary, bay leaf and eucalyptus, menthol steam bath.
Mouth: Full flavor, powerful, exotic, lychee with lemon, sweet, salty, brine.
Long lasting dram for talking, sipping, into the late night.
Limited number of bottles available at the tasting, more coming in the next few weeks
Order by phone at 617.367.8605, or reserve here: order@federalwine.com
Please pass this on to any friends who are wine or scotch enthusiasts!
- Len Rothenberg
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downtown on orders more than $75;
in Greater Boston on orders more than $199
