Contino 2016 Rioja Reserva
If you’ve read my reviews of previous vintages (here and here), then you know the deep respect I have for this storied winery. This is the last bottling of Contino by …
Wine Regions
Belhara 2019 Estate Malbec Mendoza
Belhara is a small estate in the Uco Valley district of Mendoza that has been producing very polished wines over the past few years. This bottling is an excellent example of …
Le Vigne Winery 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles
Le Vigne is just north of the city of Paso Robles, below the western hills. They have a half dozen varietals planted on their small property, including Tannat and Sangiovese, it’s …
Domaine Vincent Carême 2019 “Spring” Vouvray
A small winery in the Loire Valley, headed by Vincent Careme, teaches Organic Winemaking at the local university. This wine is a perfect infusion of racy citrus with steely intensity. A …
Herencia Altes 2016 Garnacha Peluda, Terra Alta
Peluda is a crazy variant of Grenache. The translation is “Hairy Grenache” and that is quite apt: the leaves are a bit hairy on the underside, which is kinda gross when …
Lua Cheia em Vinhas Velhas 2019 Douro
The rough translation of this brand is “Full Moon over Old Vines,” which is pretty apt for their wines. They aren’t a winery but a project of entrepreneur Manuel Dias and …
Chateau Courac 2018 Cotes du Rhone Villages Laudun
For frugal lovers of Chateauneuf du Pape, the town of Laudun has become a gold mine. It’s a tiny Rhone village that was recently upgraded in status; it’s biting at the …
CVNE 2019 “Bela” Ribera del Duero
This bottling is a brand new project from CVNE, the legendary Rioja winery. Bela is a single vineyard in the town of Villalba de Duero. While CVNE is known for classical …
Wine Tasting Classes for Fall
France vs South America Part of the ongoing series of wine tastings devised by the brilliant Alana Zerbe. Take two great wine countries, toss them into a battle royale, and see …
Fritz Allendorf 2016 Spätburgunder, Assmannshäuser
Some names don’t translate well into English, and this quaint town on the Rhine river in Germany is one of them: Assmannshäuser. Of course, your inner fourteen-year-old will giggle, and that’s …
Luis Gurpegui 2014 “Primi” Rioja Reserva
Luis Gurpegui Muga is an old winery with extensive vineyards throughout Rioja. While common to see in Spain and Europe, this isn’t widely distributed in the United States. That is likely …
Carlos Serres 2012 Rioja Gran Reserva
This is not the first time we have reviewed the wines of Carlos Serres, and for a good reason. Their wines offer classic Rioja flavors balanced with modern winemaking finesse. Tucked …
Cave des Onze Communes 2017 Cornalin, Aosta Valley
$14.39 (FWGS) 88 Points (WSoP) Sometimes life calls for a crazy wine from Italy’s smallest wine region, right smack on the Swiss border. Aosta is a mountain region, and this is …
Tercero 2014 “Verbiage” Santa Barbara County
$19.99 (FWGS) 92 Points (WSoP) A classic Rhone-style blend from the Central Coast. This bottling is mostly Roussanne with a small amount of Viognier and Grenache Blanc. Aged in older French …
Bodega Garzon 2019 “Reserva” Tannat, Uruguay
$11.99 (FWGS) 89 Points (WSoP) Uruguay has a vibrant wine-producing culture focused on family farms. Garzon is one of the larger producers but still small by American standards. The French and …
Crocus 2015 “Le Calcifere” Malbec de Cahors
$19.99 (FWGS) 95 Points (WSoP) This is what you get when you take two great winemakers and toss them into the most underrated wine region in France. Paul Hobbs is a …