It’s Malbec, yet, it’s not. According to Wine Grapes, it should be called Cot. Very well.
But, what is this variety anyway? Flavor-wise and structure-wise, I often describe it as “the new Merlot” to both trade and consumer folk. Indeed, it turns out that it almost is. Rather, it is a half-sibling of Merlot as they share the same mother, Magdeleine Noire des Charentes.
Read MoreWith 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot, this blend is particularly generous in Cabernet Sauvignon for an Haut-Médoc. The Bordelais eat lots of meat with their husky reds, so I naturally turned in that direction.
Read MoreI love the wines from the mountains that parallel – and hence form – Napa Valley. They bear a saline, earthy, dark-berried quality that fascinates me to no end. I now have been following Mount Vedeer Winery’s wines for at least 12 years, and not yet has one disappointed me, whatever the style of the vintage.
Read MoreMerlot isn’t a grape that particularly moves me, except when it comes from Saint-Émilion. Yes, those wines are blended with Cabernet Franc and sometimes Cabernet Sauvignon, but Merlot almost always predominates in both flavor and structure. From Saint-Émilion comes Merlot in all its svelte, not hefty, glory. That’s a style I can relish.
Read MoreI love both Montepulciano Rosso and Cerasuolo style wines. I’ve said many times that both the variety and the style (and this goes for the Cerasuolo style’s Sicilian cousin, too) remind me of the beaming sunshine of southern Italy. Both the beauty of the places and the juiciness of the wines can only but make you smile.
Read MoreI would think Alsace would be more appreciated in the US considering how the US loves richness stemming from viscosity. Yet whatever the textural appeal, Alsace often has what is for most US imbibers an odd earthy element. Typically, that aromatic deepens as the wines become older. However, these three Grand Crus seem to defy the stereotypes.
Read MoreIt is such a shame that the wine world these days makes a proclamation on a vintage just as it slides out of its fermenter into an aging vessel. (In fact, it’s often done well before.) Dialed-in wine lovers know it’s absurd, but many still dose-up on the fear of buying the wrong vintage. A fine example is Bordeaux’s 2011 vintage, which is still a bit tight and wound-up, yet it is opening up now to offer some excellent, mid-term drinkability.
Read MoreCopain Wines mix European stylistic sensibility with Californian fruit. To add a layer of complexity, these wines are made in Healdsburg, one of Sonoma’s sweetest towns, yet none are made with Sonoma fruit. Alas, it’s hardly the first time something in the wine world has seemed contradictory. What is utterly clear with Copain Wines, however, is that they are supremely delicious.
Read MoreThe world is awaiting the release of Beaujolais Nouveau, but there's cracking good Beaujolais of all sorts and deeper dimensions ready on your retail shelf now. Here are just a few examples, and each is well worth the few extra bucks. Santé!
Read MoreChâteau 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 MoreGarofoli 2012 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Podium: Though three years old, this Verdicchio has an impressively pale straw color. Mostly matured beyond primary fruits, smoky minerality, wet slate, damp wood and fresh mushrooms accent its light grapiness. The lingering finish and tight structure suggest this will keep improving through 2017.
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 MoreEntirely different from this artisan’s heavenly vintage 2002 bottling I tried in Austria in 2012, I was a bit at a loss as to what to do with it, even with a vibrantly acidic seafood dish.
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 MoreDinner’s wine list is immense, so we knew we would find something we’d both love that would suit both dishes equally well. Burgundy beckoned, but it was as glaringly expensive as it usually is.
Read MoreIts suave, creamy mouthfeel is driven by serious flavor density as well as considerable – and well-integrated – residual sugar. Its lower, 9.5% alcohol and lemony acidity keep this Riesling in the mid-weight category. Its structure reminds me of the Nahe king, Dönnhoff. Though imminently glugable, this wine’s complexity deserves a slow and thoughtful sipping pace.
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.
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