Badenhorst 2010 Secateurs Red
Adi Badenhorst is showing himself to be an ingenious winemaker and a by-the-bootstraps winery owner. His vineyards in Paardesberg in Swartland, South Africa, are reclaimed from a defunct 1930’s winery. His …
Grenache
Rafael Reverte 2009 Cistum, Navarra
Mr. Reverte comes from a family with eight generations of winemaking experience. His family owns Bodega Reverte in nearby Rioja, where his brother Daniel is the winemaker. Cistum is a solo …
Chateau Gigognan 2009 Vigne du Regent Chateauneuf du Pape
Gigognan is a small producer with a short history; the winery was founded in 1996 by Anne and Jacques Callet in the outskirts of Chateauneuf du Pape. While many well-known wineries are located …
Genium Celler 2007 Priorat
This bottling hails from a tiny cooperative winery located in the just-as-tiny town of Poboleda in Catalonia. Vineyards around the town are planted with Grenache and Cariñena that date back to …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Tenute Sella & Mosca 2006 Alghero “Tanca Farra”
Sardinian wine review A 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 …
Robert Hall Winery 2007 Rhone de Robles
Paso Robles Wine Review One of my favorite trends in Paso Robles is the embrace of these Rhone-style wines. I am especially pleased to see Robert Hall embracing the style. I …
Rutherglen Estates 2008 Burgoyne’s Block
Australian Wine Review Deeply hued with aromas of fresh berries and currants. Secondary scents of caramelized fat and savory herbs are amazing. Rich tannin softens in the glass but keeps …
Domaine De La Bastide Blanche 2009 Bandol
For the sheer force of fruit and a delivery system of nitro-fueled tannin, nothing matches a Bandol. Creme de cassis, mocha, and sandalwood flavors are beautiful and temper the aggressiveness of …
Pierre Amadieu 2009 “Romaine Machotte” Gigondas
Gigondas is one of the most complex wine regions in France, terroir-wise. Some in the valley are remarkably similar to the princely Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Some have the imposing structure of the Hermitage. …
Cellers Baronia del Montsant 2009 Flor de Englora Roure
A review of a top class Grenache blend. Glass staining and inky black, the Flor d’Englora Roure is full bodied and richly flavored. Aromas of toast, campfire, and coriander rise from the glass, with a thread of liquorice. Tobacco and mocha on the palate with a rich deep fruit flavors, plum and dark cherry.
Belguardo 2009 Serrata, Tuscany
Up until twenty years ago, the Tuscan coast was more well know for Etruscan ghosts than wine. What’re a few decades compared to a few millennia? In what is known as …
Gerard Bertrand 2008 Grand Terroir Tautavel
The village Tautavel is lovely and largely unknown to the outside world. It is perched in a high valley that links the French wine regions of Roussillon and Corbières. Before now, …
Gerard Bertrand 2008 Grand Terroir Tautavel
The village Tautavel is lovely and largely unknown to the outside world. It is perched in a high valley that links the French wine regions of Roussillon and Corbières. Before now, …