City Paper: Class Act
The story was originally published by the Philadelphia City Paper on April 10, 2007. The article is reprinted solely for educational purposes. It is intended to offer insight into the history of wine …
Wine
Cuna de Reyes 2009 Rioja Crianza (Spain)
Aged for a year in French and American oak, this wine is mostly Tempranillo with some Garnacha and Mazuelo. Grapes are sourced from vineyards in Nájera, in the southern edge of Rioja …
Barone Ricasoli 2010 “Brolio” Chianti Classico
The Castello di Brolio (the castle of Brolio) has been in the Ricasoli family since the 12th Century. Two of the family’s top wines (they produce 11) are labeled as Brolio. The top …
Juve Y Camps 2007 Milesime Gran Reserva Brut Cava
The family behind this bottle has been growing grapes in Catalonia, Spain, for over two centuries. Since 1921, they have been producing the Spanish sparkling wine known as Cava. Like many wineries in …
Michele Satta 2005 Cavaliere (Super Tuscan)
A voluptuous Sangiovese with a slight salinity that veers to black olive but pulls back into a beautiful layered expression of chocolate. A glass-staining beauty with plump blackberry and kirsch notes …
Passitivo 2010 Primitivo, Puglia
Judging wines isn’t a linear job. It’s not really about grading all wines as a spectrum of quality. We don’t judge a Red Zinfandel from Russian River next to a bottle …
Pillar Box 2008 Red
For a wine so damn cheap, a lot of rock star winemakers have been attached to this project. For the geeks, that means Aussie powerhouses Kim Jackson and Chris Ringland, for starters. For the rest …
Hubert Veneau 2011 Pouilly Fume
The way to not sell to an American is by telling him that a bottle of wine is served to politicians. We especially (and by “We” I mean us in general) …
Peachy Canyon 2008 Westside Zinfandel, Paso Robles
Paso Robles is a huge AVA, with over a half-million acres of vines. Huge wineries like J. Lohr, Treana, and Meridian dominate the region. However, in the cooler hills on the westside of …
Zuccardi 2008 “Q Series” Tempranillo, Mendoza
It smells like a little coffee house on fire, but without the hipsters. Yes, that’s a good thing. This bottle is all about the oak. Full-bodied, the wine sports a round, …
Kumeu River Estate 2006 Chardonnay, New Zealand
The aromas and flavors of chalk, lemongrass, and honeysuckle scream out White Burgundy. Chablis, even. Pretty notes of exotic fruit round out the profile. A lovely wine that shows character and …
Cantine dei Colli Ripani 2004 “Ninfa Ripana” Passerina
Verdicchio has been the shining star of white wine from the Marche since Fazzi-Battaglia hit the market with its fish-shaped bottle over thirty years ago. Lesser-known whites were pushed even farther …
Enzo Mecella 2006 “Pagliano” Verdicchio di Matelica
Verdicchio is the sole white varietal of note in a region whose lush, well-crafted red wines are slowly garnering adherents. Of the two DOC zones producing Verdicchio, Castelli di Jesi hard …
Bodegas del Rosario 2006 3000 Anos, Bullas
From Murcia, the native home of the Monastrell grape, comes this beautiful beasty. More muscle and punch than a roomful of angry kickboxers. The nose of tobacco and fresh sweat keeps …
Neil Ellis 2009 Chardonnay, South Africa
Tasting Notes A reviving style of Chardonnay. Exotic spices and fruit lead the charge into a flashbang of crisp acidity trailing a contrail of wood smoke. Ginger, kiwi, and peach …
Caliboro Estate 2006 “Erasmo” Red
A lighter style red coming from Chile, with a distinctive old-world character. Tobacco leaf and wet clay mingle with raspberry notes. The finish opens up, and darker fruit take hold, along with …