If there is a positive spin to 2020, it’s that we all have leveled-up our eating and drinking skills. Do you remember back in 2019 when everyone was tweeting about Dry January? People were so silly in the before times. This year, we are going to focus on situation-appropriate wines.
Frank Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley This vintage is limited and extraordinary: they only produced about half the usual volume due to the 2017 fires near the winery: dark fruit …
From our Wines of Portugal Wine Class (Online). Join us for more online wine classes!Port RecommendationsQuinta do Crasto Late Bottled Vintage Port $$ For medium-term aging (10 years or less). Youthful …
J Wilkes Chardonnay Santa Maria ValleyThis exemplifies the ever-evolving style of Central Coast Chardonnay. A deft balance of vibrant white fruit with decadent hazelnut creaminess. Apricot, cardamom, sea breeze, and pineapple.Wine …
Hope Estate 2015 “The Ripper” ShirazHailing from Western Australia will give you the drunken power of seven wombats. Eh. Actually, this is a white-pepper-driven beauty with clear notes of cedar and …
Bodegas Gormaz Ribera del Duero CrianzaWith Rioja, the region of Ribero Del Duero produces some of the world’s best tempranillo-based wines. This is a spectacular value for this quality. Full-bodied with dense …
Cuatro Rayas “Nocturna” RuedaClassic verdejo from northwest Spain. Aromas of tulip and guava are enticing, but it’s the crunchy acid and orange-fennel flavors that make this a winner. If you’re thinking …
Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley A classic style of Napa Cabernet. I really love the cardamom, black olive, and eucalyptus notes here. Medium-bodied and restrained, this works very well with grilled …
Ulysses Cabernet Sauvignon Napa ValleyThis may seem like a lot of cash for a bottle of wine (and it is) but consider that it’s from the guy behind both …
Columbia Crest “Walter Clore Private Reserve” Red Columbia ValleyThis is a monster Merlot with a margin of Cabernet Sauvignon in the mix. Smoked chocolate and Dwayne Johnson-level muscularity. The last …
Seven Hills Red, Walla Walla ValleyA Bordeaux-style blend of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and aged for two years in mostly older oak barriques. Cedar and wildflowers frame a classy move into old-world …
Cloudlift Cellars “Halcyon” Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia ValleyThe gritty backbone of tannins with a whiff of burnt sage and cedar. Plump red fruit flavors take a backseat to eucalyptus. There is great …
Another Mystery WineI took a deep dive while trying to figure out who made this wine. I hadn’t heard of Stonehedge before tasting this monolithic Cabernet Sauvignon. The label seems to …
Le Terroir Daronton is a cooperative winery that includes about 200 winegrowers in the Southern Rhone. They don’t make a generic “Cotes du Rhone”; instead, they focus on village-designated wines. These …
HaroThe town of Haro has a long winemaking history, and Bodegas Berceo is its figurative heart. Berceo’s wine cellars were dug under the city streets, repurposing tunnels that dated back to …
Robert BrittanRobert Brittan is best known as the winemaker responsible for Stags’ Leap Winery’s Petite Sirahs. Those inky monsters redefined the grape as a luxury Napa Valley wine. Throughout the nineties, …