Barone Ricasoli 2010 “Brolio” Chianti Classico
The Castello di Brolio (the castle of Brolio) has been in the Ricasoli family since the 12th Century. Two of the family’s top wines (they produce 11) are labeled as Brolio. The top …
Fine Wine and Good Spirits
Juve Y Camps 2007 Milesime Gran Reserva Brut Cava
The family behind this bottle has been growing grapes in Catalonia, Spain, for over two centuries. Since 1921, they have been producing the Spanish sparkling wine known as Cava. Like many wineries in …
Michele Satta 2005 Cavaliere (Super Tuscan)
A voluptuous Sangiovese with a slight salinity that veers to black olive but pulls back into a beautiful layered expression of chocolate. A glass-staining beauty with plump blackberry and kirsch notes …
Passitivo 2010 Primitivo, Puglia
Judging wines isn’t a linear job. It’s not really about grading all wines as a spectrum of quality. We don’t judge a Red Zinfandel from Russian River next to a bottle …
Chateau Ramage La Batisse 2005 Haut Medoc (Bordeaux)
A finely honed bottle with eucalyptus and wet stone aromas that edge into black fruit and crème de cassis. Full-bodied and velvety, the palate offers fresh red fruit, black tea, and a bracing minerality …
Pillar Box 2008 Red
For a wine so damn cheap, a lot of rock star winemakers have been attached to this project. For the geeks, that means Aussie powerhouses Kim Jackson and Chris Ringland, for starters. For the rest …
Hubert Veneau 2011 Pouilly Fume
The way to not sell to an American is by telling him that a bottle of wine is served to politicians. We especially (and by “We” I mean us in general) …
Kumeu River Estate 2006 Chardonnay, New Zealand
The aromas and flavors of chalk, lemongrass, and honeysuckle scream out White Burgundy. Chablis, even. Pretty notes of exotic fruit round out the profile. A lovely wine that shows character and …
Cantine dei Colli Ripani 2004 “Ninfa Ripana” Passerina
Verdicchio has been the shining star of white wine from the Marche since Fazzi-Battaglia hit the market with its fish-shaped bottle over thirty years ago. Lesser-known whites were pushed even farther …
Enzo Mecella 2006 “Pagliano” Verdicchio di Matelica
Verdicchio is the sole white varietal of note in a region whose lush, well-crafted red wines are slowly garnering adherents. Of the two DOC zones producing Verdicchio, Castelli di Jesi hard …
Bodegas del Rosario 2006 3000 Anos, Bullas
From Murcia, the native home of the Monastrell grape, comes this beautiful beasty. More muscle and punch than a roomful of angry kickboxers. The nose of tobacco and fresh sweat keeps …
Neil Ellis 2009 Chardonnay, South Africa
Tasting Notes A reviving style of Chardonnay. Exotic spices and fruit lead the charge into a flashbang of crisp acidity trailing a contrail of wood smoke. Ginger, kiwi, and peach …
Caliboro Estate 2006 “Erasmo” Red
A lighter style red coming from Chile, with a distinctive old-world character. Tobacco leaf and wet clay mingle with raspberry notes. The finish opens up, and darker fruit take hold, along with …
Antiche Vigneti di Cantalupo 2005 “Primagenia” Piemonte
The Colline Novarese DOC is located in the smaller cluster of designated zones in northern Piemonte, including Gattinara and Ghemme, two familiar names for devotees of Nebbiolo. The regulations for both …
Bodegas Dios Ares 2008 Crianza Rioja
One the nose, cardamon, and lavender play with a nub of burnt vanilla, following a sweet hit of black fruit. The palate is exactly what a Crianza should be: balanced but exuberant. There are …
Emidio Pepe 2001 “Torano Nuovo” Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
Now and then, I come across a bottle that can only be described as an Al Pacino wine – you know, an experience that moves you to say “..hooo ahhh”, like …