Heras Cordón 2005 Rioja Reserva
Winemaking in Rioja has a contradictory vein: winemakers tend to use classic techniques and grape varietals to make modern wines. Heras Cordon is a relatively new winery in Rioja Alta, being …
Fine Wine and Good Spirits
Dow’s Quinta Senhora da Ribeira 2001 Vintage Port
Here is a wine with a history. This vineyard was purchased by Dow in 1890 and soon became known as one of the top three vineyards in Portugal. By 1954, it …
Tudor 2006 Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley
Dan Tudor is one of the few self-taught vintners of Pinot Noir, and he does it better than most. Without any winemaking experience, he opened his Monterrey winery in 2000. Under …
La Conreria d’Scala Dei 2007 “Les Brugueres” Priorat
Priorat is a rare wine, but a white wine from the region is much rarer still. Sourced from a terraced vineyard at the northernmost point of Priorat, a spot that is …
Firriato Chiaramonte 2010 Nero d’Avola
Firriato is located in the western mountains on the Italian island of Favignana. Culturally and viticultural part of Sicily, it is no surprise that the Sicilian grape Nero d’Avola is widely …
Miraval 2012 Rose de Provence
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt… yes, we’ve all heard that hype. The real story here is that both AC/DC and Shirley Bassey recorded at the nearby Miraval Studios. In fact, the …
Londer Vineyards 2011 Pinot Noir
Three thoroughbred Pinot Noirs were just added to PLCB wine shops. All three are single-vineyard bottlings from Londer Vineyards: the Paraboll, Ferrington, and the Londer Estate vineyards.Londer is a boutique winery …
Trimbach 2009 Muscat Reserve
Alsace is the place where sommeliers and grandmothers meet to share a glass of wine. Everyone else, it seems, doesn’t care. That is too bad because the wines from this German-influenced …
Reserva de la Tierra 2008 Vega Escal
Reserva de la Tierra, a Spanish wine cooperative, has been working with a US importer for several years to craft a bottle of wine for the American market. The result is …
Schug Pinot Noir 2010 Carneros
Schug Winery is a major player in Northern Cali’s cool wine region of Carneros. Nestled at the bottom of Sonoma and Napa, Carneros has always been prime vineyard territory. Now, it’s …
Emina 2005 Atio
Ribero del Duero is one of the top wine regions in Spain. At its heart is what has been dubbed “the golden mile.” Many of the region’s top producers have their …
Barrel 27 2010 High on the Hog White
Tucked between a self-storage park and a recycling plant in a correlated office park in Central California sits this winery. Looks can be deceiving, as this is actually a side project …
Nieto Senetiner 2012 Reserva Torrontes
Nieto Senetiner is an ancient winery by New World standards: it was founded over a century ago in the La Rioja region of Argentina. While their early work is lost to …
Koyle 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Royale, Colchagua Valley
Chilean wine review Colchagua Valley has always been my first choice for Cabernet Sauvignon in Chile. This bottle proves that it’s a good habit to keep up. This is the first …
Tenute Sella & Mosca 2006 Alghero “Tanca Farra”
Sardinian wine reviewA serious wine from one of the most under-recognized wine regions in Italy. The 2006 Tanca Farra is a 50/50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cannonau and aged for three …
Tenuta La Marchesa 2011 “Gold Label” Gavi
Northeastern Italy wine review The wine region of Gavi has had its ups and downs. Quality hit a significant low in the nineteen-nineties with the push toward mass production. We are now …