Columbia Valley Wine
Why does California get all the love when Columbia Valley wine is fantastic? The pat answer is that California has been growing grapes longer, and it’s a core feature in America’s …
merlot
Spanish Wine Regions
It is no secret that Spain has a lush terroir, bringing us the world’s most exciting cultivars and high-quality wine. As a result, Spain is now known for being one of …
Havens Winery 2014 Merlot, Napa Valley
A stellar bottle of Napa red. All you merlot haters should pick up a bottle to see how wrong you can be. If Tom Hardy were a bottle of wine, he would be …
Falesco 2012 Merlot, Umbria
Riccardo Cotarella has been knocking out stellar Italian (and a few French) Merlot for decades. Very modern in style, this wine pushes the oak to center stage. Sweet vanilla, mocha, and clove …
Carpineto 2012 “Valcolomba” Merlot, Tuscany
This wine starts with dark berries and toasted almonds, with a whiff of diacetyl (that butterscotch smell so popular in chardonnay and so reviled in Heineken). There is a hint of …
Rocca delle Macie 2008 Ser Gioveto
Super Tuscan Wine ReviewI often describe Italian wines like this as a conversation between Italian winemakers and wine drinkers in America. We ask for a taste of the old country, and …
Casa Lapostolle 2010 ”Cuvée Alexandre” Merlot
This is a delicious wine styled to be both plush and pretty. First is the rich ruby color with glass-staining extraction. Then the aromas of red berries and tarragon traced by …
Chateau Moulin de Clotte 2010 Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux
Hmm. Seems like the chateau owner may be in a financial pickle. First, her bottlings from Chateau Ambe Tour Pourret showed up at stark discounts. That was some great Bordeaux for …
Mill Creek 2010 Merlot, Alexander Valley
There is no shame in not knowing Mill Creek Vineyards. It is easy to miss.This is a tiny, family-run operation covering 55 acres in Sonoma County. Its focus is on high-quality …
Chateau Ambe Tour Pourret 2010 Saint Emilion Grand Cru (Bordeaux, France)
A decadent bottle of right bank Bordeaux. This chateau is part of the budding Bordeaux empire of Françoise Lannoye and her husband, Philippe. They purchased their first property, Château Lanbersac, in …
Chateau Leon 2010 “Cuvee Prestige” Cadillac Cotes de Bordeaux
Back in January 2013, I favorably reviewed the Chateau Carignan 2005 “Prima” Cotes de Bordeaux. At the time, I had also tasted their regular un-Prima 2009 bottling. Like most wines I try, …
Petra 2010 “Ebo” Val di Cornia Suvereto
I reviewed the Petra 2008 Ebo a few months ago and came away very impressed. The Ebo is an underdog in the Super Tuscan category but outperforms many wines that are two …
Durigutti 2010 Cabernet Franc Reserva, Mendoza
I am thrilled to see a bottle of Cabernet Franc coming out of Argentina. This grape varietal is grown in limited quantities in South America, and it’s mostly used in blends. …
Piccini 2008 Sasso Al Poggio, Tuscany
This style of Tuscan wine is turning into the most popular with American wine drinkers looking for good value in Italian wines. This is something of an irony: It wasn’t too …
Petra 2008 “Ebo” Val di Cornia Suvereto Rosso
The Tuscan coast has become a hotbed of luxury wines in the past decade. This is the motherland of the so-called Super Tuscans that have captured the American imagination. Petra is …
Chateau Lanbersac 2010 “Vieilles Vignes” Puisseguin Saint Emilion
This is a winery whose bottles never end up on our shores: it’s a tiny outpost in one of the most obscure satellite wine regions of Puisseguin-Saint-Emilion on the right bank …