Wine Reviews
Tasting Notes from the Philly Wine Festival. To keep up to date, make sure to register for our wine newsletter. It’s free. All current wine ratings can be found on our …
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Montes 2005 “Alpha” Chardonnay, Casablanca Valley
Modern style Chardonnay with plenty of flair and depth. Vanilla-poached pears & toasted almonds on the palate, a little jolt of freshness on the finish, and a lingering sensation of smoke. Quite worthwhile to serve as an aperitif.
Benini 2006 “Sassotondo” Maremma
The Tuscan Maremma is becoming the place to go for lighter, softer reds, contrasting earthy Chianti Classico and brooding Brunellos. In the airy hills of Grosseto province, Sangiovese is known as …
Ascevi 2005 “Ronco die Sassi”Sauvignon, Blanc Collio
French varietals have a long history in Italy, most notably in Friuli. Commitment to producing monovarietal white wines has put a uniquely Italian stamp on those grapes and reflects the cross-cultural …
J.J. Christoffel 2006 Erben Erdener Trepchen Riesling Spatlese, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
From the other J.J. in the Mosel (Prum may have more caché, but this one’s prices are better!), this screw-topped stunner has all the guts to go another couple of decades. …
Domaine du Cayron 2007 Gigondas
The price tag (over $30) may seem like a lot to pay for a Southern Rhone bottling that’s not Chateauneuf-du-Pape (although those tend to be far more these days…), but this …
Ravenwood 2002 Monte Rosso Vineyard Zinfandel, Sonoma Valley
A definite must-buy for Zin drinkers. Dense and full-bodied, the wine uncorks with an explosion of deep black fruit and freshly roasted coffee beans. Rich but soft tannins carve out a …
RedHeads Studio 2005 “Barrel Monkeys” Shiraz
I don’t like to parrot other reviewers but in this one, it can’t be helped: this is a blackberry overdrive machine. Toss in some licorice for fuel, and this velvet monkey …
J.M. Bouley 2004 “Clos De Chene” Volnay 1er Cru
A beautiful Burgundy which is just starting to develop and will continue to do so for another decade. Lush and tannic for a Volnay, a filigree of freshly cut roses and …
Tenuta Uccillino 2004 Burson Riserva, Emilia-Romagna
The wines of the Emilia-Romagna have always been pushed to the background by the gastronomic delights of Bologna, Parma, and Modena. Understandable when you factor in that for decades, the region’s …
Monastero Suore Cistercensi 2007 “Coenobium”, Lazio
You have to be a certain age to remember when cloyingly sweet Riesling with a “Blue Nun” label was all the rage, or, more to the point, what was available to …
Bodegas Borsao 2007 Garnacha “Tres Picos”
One of our favorite bottlings year after year, and 2007 is no exception. Ripe berry fruit and typical Garnacha spice dominate, all of it wrapped up in a mouth-coating texture with …
Chateau Camplong 2002 “C de Camplong” Corbières
The modern Corbières style marries the freshness of Beaujolais with the fierceness of a Languedoc red. This is a strong example of the technique of using whole-berry fermentation in a Mediterranean …
St. Clair 2006 Pinot Noir
Well-crafted Pinot Noir that doesn’t break the bank? That doesn’t just taste like a cherry tart with some desultory mushrooms thrown in for faux-authenticity? That spans the seasons and is a …
Bacio Divino 2006 Pazzo, Napa
I was surprised when I saw this on the wine shelves. Ialways have a bottle of two in my cellar, and I always pay around$30 a bottle… gladly. A Sangiovese that …
Torres 2005 Nerola, Barcelona
I could use a few years of age, as this is drinking extremely backward right now. However, within an hour, this wine opens up to reveal a balloon of rich fruit …
