Cantina Riff Progetto Lageder 2016 Pinot Grigio: Light and lively, this refined and flavorful Pinot Grigio smells of Key Lime lime zest and tastes of cracked white peppercorns and white grapefruit.
Read MoreProsecco recently has seen a tidal wave of change at every quality level. The popularity of the DOC wines has driven global markets for sparkling wines in recent years, making even Champagne sweat.
Read MoreSince I last tasted Troon wines, in Southern Oregon in July 2013, the winemaker and winemaking approach have changed. They were pleasant before, so I was curious to see what I would fine in the wines post-makeover. I'm happy to report that this Southern Oregon pioneer continues to push boundaries in the right direction.
Read MoreGalil Mountain Winery 2016 Rosé Upper Galilee Galil Mountain: This is an utterly quixotic blend of varieties in the best way. It is delicious and made in a very giving style. It is a crazy combination of 77% Sangiovese, 12% Pinot Noir, 6% Barbera and 5% Grenache.
Read MoreAlois Lageder 2015 Pinot Gris Porer: Defying the flavor profile of so many Pinot Grigios, this Alto Adige-derived, Porer single vineyard delivers concentrated flavors of yellow apple skin, golden raisins, freshly-baked baguette and cracked white pepper.
Read MoreLaurel Glen 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma Mountain Estate: Built entirely of Cabernet Sauvignon from 50-year-old vines, this wine stopped me in my tracks. It is the epitome of North Coast California elegance.
Read MoreLaurel Glen 2016 Rosella Rosé Sonoma Mountain: The story goes that a single stip of old vines dating back to the 1880s gives the flavor backbone of this wine. Can it really be "just" a row or two or three? "Just" a patch of vineyard? Whatever it is precisely, I love this wine.
Read MoreHailing from a corner of Lazio that overlaps Umbria – almost smack in the center of Italy, this family-run estate makes wines primarily from international grape varieties. Whereas most Italian wines made from “outsider” grapes tend to be rich and boisterous, these are all incredibly graceful.
I am so jazzed to see so many full-throttle, high-quality wines arriving to the US shores from South Africa these days. At last! I used to drink most of this country’s ambitious to high quality wines almost soley in the UK. Here are some of my latest tastings of SA wines in New York City. I loved every one of these bottles.
Read MoreCVNE 2011 Rioja Reserva Viña Real: I tasted one ounce of this wine each day for three days before I wrote a note on that third day. I would decant it at breakfast and leave it until dinner - with zero trepidation.
Read MoreThese two Malbecs supersede their different-ends-of-the-scale price points. Importantly, they offer an interesting contrast of Malbec possibilities. The US is high quality-oriented. Not all of Argentina’s export markets are so picky.
Read MoreFabulously pure, this wine is replete with fragrances and flavors of field strawberry-water and watermelon essence. That is to say that it is rather delicate. Elegant and discreet, however, are not suggestions of weakness.
Read MoreI recently learned that Limoux was the second most-imported-to-the-USA French, traditional method sparkler after Champagne. Who knew?
Read MoreRoero Arneis can be all up-front aroma with no follow-through on the palate. This one is distinctively different. That isn’t only because Vietti was the first to bottle this long-lost variety as a varietal wine all the way back in 1967. (Yep, old vines help give depth of flavor.)
Read MoreAs Pinot Noir from Burgundy becomes ever more expensive, I’ve been keen to learn more about some of the region’s more budget friendly Pinot Noirs. That search led to me the Yonne, Burgundy’s northernmost département
Read MoreBordeaux En Primeur 2016 was my first, verging-on-excellence En Primeur campaign. The top end turned out wines that were easy to be choosy about. So much the better when you’re forking over big digits two years before you receive the wines. The vintage also allowed for plenty of charming wines that will be pleasant to drink as well as ones that are overly ambitious. Regardless the appellation, it was exciting to see who teased out just a bit more of everything in their expressions of the vintage through their terroir.
Read MoreIt is the time of year I start thinking of summer-y wines: wines for lighter cuisine and wines for sipping in the sunshine. Albariño from Rías Baixas tackles both jobs with gusto. Here are two I’ve tasted recently from the freshest vintage on the market.
Read MoreI don’t drink a lot of Alsace wines, yet when I do, I remind myself to drink them more often. The same scenario repeated itself over the last week, as I tasted these three wines. So many wines, so little time. This time around, I’m thoroughly motivated to buy here, especially the Pinots, which offer fantastic value.
Read MoreThe wine world is abuzz with talk of dry Furmint. I even read last week that 2017 has been dubbed the “Year of Furmint.”
Read MorePeter Zemmer 2015 Pinot Nero Rolhütt: This bright, ruby red wine has a floral nose festooned with exotic spices. This crisp, cooler climate style of Pinot Nero (Noir) is best showcased at a table laid-out with lighter fare and offers brilliant value at just under a Jackson.
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