R Wines 2007 Shiraz “Luchador,” Barossa
Maybe it’s our love of Distrito’s wrestling-mask motif. Or of everything Jack Black ever commits to celluloid. Whatever it is, this well-priced Shiraz offers everything you’d want in an affordable bottling …
Articles
Writing about wine is the means of communication which lets the producers speak to the consumers, it is like a process where a bottle of wine becomes a story. It tells the facts, it is a source of new ideas, and it conditions the understanding, and thus, it is a great help to the wine lovers in the maze of regions, types, and vintages. Wine writing tells the stories of time that are important to people and critiques while also being the means of disseminating new ideas. It is a tool to shift commerce, it elevates the regions that are less known, and it promotes a more profound comprehension. Whether in the form of articles, reviews, or tales, wine writing is the means that inform the readers about the artisanal aspect of each glass. In a time when the taste is changing and the media is more digital, good writing on wine is still very important, not only for guiding the buying choices of people but also for imparting the real character of wine.
Wishing Tree 2004 Shiraz
When I want to show how good a ten-dollar bottle of Shiraz can be, I often pull out this one. This is the Anti-Yellow Tail. There are actual wine flavors in …
Castello di Verduno Pelaverga 2004 “Basadone”Piemonte
In a region famous for its Nebbiolo-based wines, several varietals don’t get the attention they deserve, and this is one. Pelaverga is an ancient cultivar native to the Langhe, once planted …
Olivares Altos De La Hoya 2005 Monastrell
For the past three vintages, The Altos has been a unique & consistent great value. I am glad to see the trend continues. On the nose, a distinct minerality is coupled …
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 …
Foreau NV Vouvray Brut
Too often, even the most ardent wine lovers forget about Vouvray. This is unfortunate because bottlings like this offered plenty to love: Good fruit, a real sense of structure, and unexpected …
Cantine Cardeto 2002 “Rupestro” IGT, Umbria
Even though Sangiovese is Italy’s most prolific and widely planted grape, it is popularly associated with Tuscany- Chianti, to be specific. In the hills near Orvieto, blended with Canaiolo, Ciliegiolo, and …
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 …
Mollydooker 2007 “Two Left Feet”
Yes, it delivers all the oaky, succulent drama you’d expect. And yes, it’s downright gluggable. But there’s more to it than that in ’06: A sense of structure, an underlying freshness. …
Buil & Giné “Giné Giné” Priorat
We’re still talking about that meal more than a year ago at the biker’s bar in Priorat: Three hours. Platter after platter of grilled, smoky, iron-rich meat. And wine like this, …
St-Urbans-Hof Ockfener Bockstein 2006Riesling Spatlese, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
Follow these steps: 1. Grab a seat on the couch. 2. Open this bottle. 3. try not to glug it all down in one sitting. 4. Accept that #3 is darn …
Ravenswood 2001 Zinfandel, Teldeschi Dry Creek Valley
This is a purplish wine with hints of brown, and the deep colors perhaps serve to prepare you for the rich and almost heady experience that follows. The nose is somewhat …
Enrico Santini 2005 “Poggio Al Moro” Bolgheri
See if this sounds familiar. Someone touts or perhaps even gives you a high-priced Super Tuscan, maybe a bottle with a recognizable name. Or you’re at a big-time tasting, stop at …
Bodegas Laxas 2007 Albariño, Rias Baixas
Sometimes, the best way to fight wintertime weather is to pretend it’s not actually happening. This fragrant, distinctly spring-y white is the perfect way to do so. Whip up some crab …
Montirius 2004 “Terre des Aines” Gigondas
Gigondas tend to drink like rough versions of Chateauneuf du Pape. This one breaks the mold. A delicate structure of tannins underlies a rich framework of ripe blackberries and kirsch. A …
Latour on Latour. The wines of Domaine Louis Latour with Louis-Fabrice Latour
When Louis-Fabrice Latour came to the Wine School and poured his wines. Simonnet Febvre Cremant de Bourgogne Louis Latour 2006 “Duet” Chardonnay-Viognier,Vin de Pays des Coteaux de L’Ardeche Louis Latour 2006 …