Mini-reviews 150: Nielson, Donnata, Old Soul, Scheurebe

Reviews of wines that don’t need their own post, but are worth noting for one reason or another. Look for it on the fourth Friday of each month. This month, three wines to take your chances with, plus one of the geekiest bottles in blog history.

• Nielson Chardonnay 2019 ($15, sample, 14.1%): California white answers the question of whether liquid oak is a thing. Yes, it is.

• Alessandro di Camporeale Donnata 2019 ($17, sample, 13.5%): Generic Italian red that could be made from any grape or from any region — some cherry fruit, some acidity, and soft tannins. Call it one more focus group wine to be sold to Americans. Imported by Panebianco

• Old Soul Pinot Noir 2018 ($18, sample, 14%): Hot and syrupy Lodi pinot noir, for people who prefer that style.

• Müller-Catoir Scheurebe 2018 ($15, sample, 12.5%): German white is about as wine geeky as it gets. Scheurebe is a cross between riesling and an obscure German grape, so it’s funky on the nose and almost medicinal — very green herb-y, with a minimum of apple fruit. Imported by Skurnik Winess

Photo: “Boyfriend and girlfriend drinking wine closeup. Pink colors for Valentine day” by shixart1985 is licensed under CC BY 2.0