Robert Brittan is best known as the winemaker responsible for Stags’ Leap Winery’s Petit Sirahs. Those inky monsters redefined the grape as a luxury Napa …
Read moreBrittan Vineyards 2014 “Basalt Block” Pinot Noir, McMinnville
Out of nowhere, a 90-plus rated wine shows up on the wine shelves at the local wine & spirits store. As a wine critic, I …
Read moreInfinito 2014 “Winemaker’s Selection” Malbec, Mendoza
The American love of Chardonnay started in the 1960s with Chassagne-Montrachet: the elegant and beautiful white wines from that Chardonnay sweet spot in Burgundy, France. When …
Read moreChateau St. Jean 2014 Reserve Chardonnay, Sonoma County
The first time I heard of an Oregon winery making a wine with Washington State fruit, it sounded a little odd. Why would an Oregon …
Read moreNorth by Northwest 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley
I’ve never really cared much about an artist’s life. If their work inspires me, I don’t need to be weighted down with their ideas …
Read moreMatetic 2014 Corralillo Syrah, San Antonio Valley, Chile
Mark’s new tasting room just opened in Napa –just down from the Oxbow Public Market– a scant three months before I reviewed his wines. …
Cambria has always been that tiny corner of the Kendall-Jackson empire that didn’t have that smell of overstuffed marketing. It was family home of Jess …
Read moreCambria 2014 “Benchbreak” Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley
File under: down the rabbit hole we go. Jonathan Newman, the former Chairman of the PLCB is selling wine to Tim Holden, the current …
Read moreA Wrinkle in Wine: The Former Chairman Returns. Sort of.
This is a landmark bottle of Napa wines. One of those historic wines that fly under the radar these days. Let’s let the old guard …
Yeah, so Ant is the guy’s name. Short for Anthony. Yeah, that’s a thing. He’s one of those up-from-nothing and built a small wine empire …
Read moreAnt Moore 2016 “Signature Series” Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough
I was going to include this in my recent Barolo & Beyond class, but at the last minute I swapped it out for the Oreste …
The uber-popular style of Malbec –oozing with milk chocolate softness– is just a single iteration of this grape’s possibilities. This bottle will elevate your expectations. …
Gloria Ferrer is best known for their sparkling wines. However, their Chardonnay is well worth a look. A cool climate chardonnay that has little in …
A stellar bottle of Napa red. All you merlot haters should pick up a bottle, just to see how wrong you can be. If Tom Hardy …