Sicilian Wine Reviews
A recent trip to Persephone’s island allowed tasting dozens of wines made from indigenous varietals, all of which captured Sicily’s sun-drenched, arid landscape and gave evidence of the cultural and ecological …
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Mesa 2006 “Buio”, Carignano di Sulcis, Sardinia
Those Sardinian wines that don’t compromise cultural fidelity have a feral, not-for-everyone quality that evokes their rocky and wind-swept terroir—a sense of mystery, intrigue, the unknown – which is a translation …
Shannon 2007 Wrangler Red, Lake County
Wet earth and menthol on the nose follow through onto the palate, where they jump into a vat of maraschino cherries. Inexpensive ($15), full-bodied, and soft tannins, this is a good …
Bodegas Norton 2004 Privada, Mendoza
Sticking your nose into a glass of the ’04 Privada is like sticking your face into the best brunch buffet ever. Bacon, toast with cinnamon, roasted nuts, fig newtons, chocolate-covered espresso …
Chateau Bouscaut 2005 Pessac Léognan
Extraordinary value for a Grand Cru Classé des Graves. Exceptionally full-bodied, this wine has the tannic structure and acidity to cellar for at least a decade. After being decanted for six …
La Spinetta 2003 “Bionzo” Barbera d’Asti Superiore, Piemonte
This is one of Piedmont’s larger and more successful producers, whose wines are unfiltered, unfined, and in most cases created using biodynamic methods. The “Bionzo” Barbera debuted in 1998, and only …
Corte Agnello 2004 Corvina, Veronese IGT
You’ve probably had Corvina, the Veneto’s “little crow,” somewhere along the way, even though you may not have realized it. A light, easy-drinking Bardolino? Corvina and Rondinella. Valpolicella in all its …
Bellum 2006 El Providencia, Yecla
Cigar smoke, cedar, and a beastly whiff are the aromatic introduction to this roundly tannic and full-bodied wine. Flavors veer to boysenberry-meets-IHOP and then back to a more classy kirsch. Not …
Louis Latour 2007 “Duet” White, Languedoc
I do have a bit of a man-crush on Mr. Latour, ever since he visited the Wine School (yeah, you missed that because you didn’t sign up for our wine club …
A Wine Cellar Fit for a Queen
Props to the British government: its wine cellar reportedly holds bottles valued more than $1.3M from the likes of Chateaux Lafite, Margaux, and Mouton Rothschild. The wines are apparently at the …
Sicilian Red Wines
Last October, we ran a wine tasting class focused on Sicily. The gist of which is that the island at the crossroads of the Mediterranean is undergoing an exciting transformation in its …
Pieve del Vescovo “Lucciaio” IGT, Umbria
Those of you who have consistently read reviews of Italian wines on this site are aware of a bias toward traditional wines that do not cater to notions of standardization. That …
Surprising Wines from the Land Down Under
Last night, I taught our once-a-year Top 10 Regions wine class on the wines of Australia, and, just as was the case with the Napa Valley class a month or so …
What the Nose Knows – A Book Review
If I were to describe a wine as boasting a nose with hints of geosmin (damp earth), phenyl ethyl alcohol (rosy scent), some methylthiobutryate (feces), and a lingering waft of androstenone …
Bordeaux, or no?
“The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you’ve got it made.” – Groucho Marx In the article Wine Scams: A Counterfeiter Confesses, wine writer …
Lagar de Pintos Albarino, 2005
Not that they needed it, but the recent infusion of Mediterranean-themed “small plate” menus on the local dining scene has opened palates to the quality and value of Spanish wines. However, …