Do not feel bad for Cabernet Franc. Humbly earning the majority of its notoriety in a supporting Bordeaux role, it lays tucked underneath Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot dominant blends in the land of regal growths. Moving west in search of greater opportunity, Cabernet Franc is planted and bottled all by its lonesome self from Long […]
90 Plus Cellars Tasting Produces Nameless Pleasure
In every blind tasting there is secret hope for fresh discovery and the eradication of closely held biases like perpetually ignored regions, varieties, producers, or vintages. While the blind tasting experience is completely unrelated to luxurious enjoyment of wine with a meal, they serve as uniquely productive platforms for continuing wine education. Recently, I shared […]
Damien Lorieux Tuffeaux Bourgueil: Really $15?
The hunt for great wine is an incessant indulgence. Through one series after another of holy grail-like expeditions, once hidden wines are excavated and brought to new light in never ending streams of prized byproducts via diligent wine reconnaissance. As the years unfurl, the hunt shifts away from low hanging Bordeaux, Rhone Valley, Piedmont, and […]
Blind Tasting 2010 French Wine Values
Six bottles of 2010 southern French red wines told the story. With the low yield, long hang time, high quality vintage examples selling for $17 and under at retail, the story wanted to be good. All of the wines were without flaw, dark purple, full of fruit, round, rich, and without any hard edges to make them […]
Alessio Planeta, Sicily, and Frappato
Alessio Planeta is amiable, direct, and very Sicilian. That’s all immediately apparent. As his story unfolds, he bares an even more adventurous lining. He is one of Planeta Wines‘ family shepherds; opening wineries and tending vineyards like explorers criss-crossing Sicily’s southern slice of the Italian peninsula. Forget the easier approach of vineyard and fruit contracts […]
Valuing Oregon Pinot Noir
I am valuing Willamette Valley Pinot Noir looking back on four whirlwind weeks criss-crossing Georgia, Oregon, California, Alaska, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Ohio. They were particularly glorious summer-ending weeks filled with business achievement and pleasurable discoveries, bulging from new experiences, successes, friends, fishing, dining, craft beers, and wines. Astoundingly though, gazing through my rear view […]
1995 Clos du Mont Olivet: Another Lesson In Aging Wine
This is the last in a series of recent posts on cellar treasures for a while; I promise (fingers crossed behind my back). In 1998 I bought a few bottles of **** 1995 Clos du Mont Olivet Chateauneuf du Pape that stashed itself away, incognito-like, in my cellar’s Rhone Valley section. Having completely forgotten about them, I […]
Summer Value Wines Under $15
Beyond rare exceptions, the wine cellar goes on hold for the summer. Neither collectible nor coveted wines find their places on our Wolfeboro, NH table. Anyone that shares their summer house with steady streams of visitors can probably relate to this fine wine hiatus. Large scale seasonal entertaining inevitably ends with caseloads of empty wine […]
California Wine Lists: Value Desert
Blanket statements can be dangerous and instigative, so let’s begin by saying something nice about California Cabernet; several offer amazing, sexy, and voluptuous drinking. Some are even global ambassadors offering classic varietal profiles and age worthiness such as Ridge Montebello, Dominus, and Dalla Valle, as examples. Still, I drink very, very little of it besides […]
Pairing 2010 Brun Fleurie Beaujolais With Oysters
Opening red wine with oysters stirs cries of insubordination similar to the ones Beijing party leaders might attach to Tiananmen political dissenters. Champagne, Muscadet, Chablis, Sauvignon Blanc, Gruner, Chenin Blanc, Picpoul and a smattering of other crispy acidic white wines make the cleared list while reds take cover in their brackish shadows. Give me oysters bathed in […]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- …
- 10
- Next Page »