Chateau Mont Redon 2007 Cotes du Rhone
Good fresh fruit intermixed with dried fruit flavor, pain grille, and a backbone of tannin. A very good wine for its class and style.
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Castano 2003 Hecula
Year after year, a consistent rocker for the money. Lovely fusion of complex fruit flavors and Provencal lavender that build to a chilling frisson. Finish evolves from dark fruit to a …
Orsolani 2006 “La Rustia” Erbaluce di Caluso
Along the Dora Baltea river in northwestern Piemonte is the town of Caluso, center for the Erbaluce di Caluso DOC. The eponymous grape, named for the goddess Albaluce, takes on a …
Brancott 2008 “Conders Forest” Sauvignon Blanc
The most complex Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand I have tasted professionally.
Asian Pear, Grapefruit, Pineapple, and Guava blend seamlessly on the palate with the complexity threading through the entire experience. Superb.
D’Arenberg “The Last Ditch” Viognier Adelaide Hills
This one finds its center of gravity on the richer end of the viognier spectrum than the Rolf Binder. It’s a barrel-fermented, Creamsicle-rich wine that you don’t want to chill down …
Wine School of Italy?
If you’ve perused our list of upcoming wine classes, you probably noticed that many of our Regional classes are devoted to Italy. And they usually sell out – quickly. Actually, many classes, …
Sommelier Smackdown & WWE
The WWE tried to prevent us from running our Sommelier Smackdown classes (they claimed it violated their trademarks) In turn, I turned it into a media feeding frenzy. It was a …
Wine Reviews
Tasting Notes from the Philly Wine Festival. To keep up to date, make sure to register for our wine newsletter. It’s free. All current wine ratings can be found on our …
Montes 2005 “Alpha” Chardonnay, Casablanca Valley
Modern style Chardonnay with plenty of flair and depth. Vanilla-poached pears & toasted almonds on the palate, a little jolt of freshness on the finish, and a lingering sensation of smoke. Quite worthwhile to serve as an aperitif.
Benini 2006 “Sassotondo” Maremma
The Tuscan Maremma is becoming the place to go for lighter, softer reds, contrasting earthy Chianti Classico and brooding Brunellos. In the airy hills of Grosseto province, Sangiovese is known as …
Ascevi 2005 “Ronco die Sassi”Sauvignon, Blanc Collio
French varietals have a long history in Italy, most notably in Friuli. Commitment to producing monovarietal white wines has put a uniquely Italian stamp on those grapes and reflects the cross-cultural …
Phoodie.com Editor Joins Wine School Team
Back in 2011, the Wine School had moved from Fairmount to our Rittenhouse location. As part of the move, we brought in a new generation of wine instructors. This was the …
J.J. Christoffel 2006 Erben Erdener Trepchen Riesling Spatlese, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
From the other J.J. in the Mosel (Prum may have more caché, but this one’s prices are better!), this screw-topped stunner has all the guts to go another couple of decades. …
Domaine du Cayron 2007 Gigondas
The price tag (over $30) may seem like a lot to pay for a Southern Rhone bottling that’s not Chateauneuf-du-Pape (although those tend to be far more these days…), but this …
Ravenwood 2002 Monte Rosso Vineyard Zinfandel, Sonoma Valley
A definite must-buy for Zin drinkers. Dense and full-bodied, the wine uncorks with an explosion of deep black fruit and freshly roasted coffee beans. Rich but soft tannins carve out a …
RedHeads Studio 2005 “Barrel Monkeys” Shiraz
I don’t like to parrot other reviewers but in this one, it can’t be helped: this is a blackberry overdrive machine. Toss in some licorice for fuel, and this velvet monkey …