Château La Grande Métairie 2014 Entre-Deux-Mers: Youthful, fresh and exuberant, this 56% Sauvignon Blanc, 35% Sauvignon Gris and 9% Muscadelle blend is the epitomy of bang-for-the-buck, true-blue Entre-Deux-Mers. Its producer is neither trying to make it a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc nor is it “oaking-it-up” to try to make a flashier, less characteristic wine for the appellation.
Read MoreThe 2009 vintage was a killer year in Bordeaux, appealing particularly to those palates that love blockbuster wine styles. Declared the vintage of the (still-very-new) century before the grapes were even off the vine, the prices rocketed into the stratosphere. Yet, relative bargains from well-known appellations can be found. Here are two I recently came across.
Read MoreIt’s rather interesting to have a partner at home that takes on the challenge to rate wines, seemingly for the sake of figuring out where his palate stand versus mine….
Read MoreChâteau Tanesse 2012 Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux: Nuanced, if hardly subtle, the wine smells of blackberries, loganberries, blueberries, briar patch and smoked beef. This wine is one of many that proves that the various “Côtes” appellations of Bordeaux make for excellent drinking while sparing the wallet.
Read MoreChâteau de Portets 2011 Graves: This deep, scarlet-colored wine is a sultry one. Its bouquet is smoky and briary and has a sexy, rawhide intrigue.
Read MoreThis particular vintage is especially true to its “Cuvée Tardive” name. It is riper and darker in fruit flavors than I would expect for most Beaujolais, and especially for Fleurie.
Read MoreComptoir Cuisine sits on Bordeaux’s grand, central square across from its ornate and brightly-lit opera house. Classically Bordelais, its wine list is a compendium of the region’s well-known names with vintages mostly extending back across the last decade. Diners need not worry about picking a lemon from this smartly-curated list.
Read MoreThe unassuming and ultimate wine guru host Aldo Sohm just opened a wine bar with chef Eric Ripert. The duo has long worked their Midtown magic at Le Bernardin, which connects to the wine bar by underground passage. In this chic yet comfy space permeated by 60’s, 70’s and 80’s tunes, you can feast on wine selections geared to the geek, yet not foreign to the main-streamer.
Read MoreI approached a table at a professional tasting to sample a smattering of Rhônes. From across the table, an old pal insisted I start with something else: Jura wines.
Read MoreChablis trumps the Côte d’Or in 2012 whites. While Chablis also experienced hail, it came in April before the berries set. This reduced the crop size from the very start - earlier-harvesting areas lost anywhere between 5 to 10% to up to 30% in the Grand and Premier Crus.
Read MoreThe wines of these terroirs represent some of Burgundy’s best values, and Burgundy is in sore need of values. The occasional gem that will age to benefit is a both a steal and a prize.
Read MoreVintage 2005 was among the best Bordelais vintages in the last 20 years. This wine epitomizes its force. Nine years on, it isn’t showing a hint of development. It’s belligerently youthful.
Read MoreBordeaux was incredibly calm during this year's en primeur campaign. Winemakers and châteaux owners seemed more doting and a few almost seemed to be pleading for the thinned crowds of visitors to give the vintage a chance.
Read MoreThis is a charming vintage that is ready to enjoy immediately. Given the unusually cool vintage, the wines are lower in alcohol. They are not, however, lacking in ripeness. Reds and whites are equally compelling, and most wines will be best earlier rather than later.
Read MoreBeginning a wintery Friday morning with Château d’Yquem certainly brightens the day, whether it’s the wines or the exclusivity of such an opportunity that does the cheering up. This despite the fact I am one of those rare folks who don’t particularly love Sauternes.
Read MoreValue and splurge coexist in this deep collection, so peruse if you have the time. The Ryland Inn presumably inherited the cellar of the restaurant formerly inhabiting its space, accounting for its nice smattering of back vintages, including from regions other than you usually expect – namely Burgundy and Bordeaux.
Read MoreThis blend of Grenache, Syrah and Carignan offers a rich and welcoming nose of briar patch fruits entirely absent of oak influence. The tannins caress softly and the acidity lurks subtly. The voluptous and youthful loveliness of the very pure fruit make for easy sipping.
Read MoreGenerous in youthful fruit and near lavish in minerality. Blackberries, cassis and sage mesh with asphalt and animale.
Read MoreChassagne-Montrachet Pinot Noir tends to be lean as the soils are quite high in limestone, and this trait was emphasized by the vintage’s cool weather.
Read MoreBonneau du Martray is the only domaine in Burgundy today that makes exclusively Grand Cru wine. Its vineyards sit on the very hill that produced wines loved by Charles the Great. That hill is called Corton
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