Rolf Binder 2006 “Hovah ” Viognier
A Viognier of this caliber in this price range is very rare. I strongly suggest picking up a bottle, especially if you have never experienced a viognier. Classic notes of peaches …
Wine Reviews
Georges Duboeuf 2005 Regnie
Violets, minerals, and fresh purple fruit mark the nose here, and the palate is a fascinating (and consistent) combination of fruit, minerals, and wet stones. There’s great acid here and a …
Pondering Barolo
There are wines. And there are Wines. Barolo is of the latter, not for its renown, prestige, or even its price. No, Barolo is a Wine that presents more questions than …
Studert Prum Riesling 2008 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabbinett Riesling, Mosel
A fire-etched riesling from one of the great Mosel vineyards. Lovely, but it could use a year or so more in the bottle to even out.
Quinta do Castelinho 1999 Vintage Port
Beautiful ruby color with hints of blue and purple at the edges. Aromas of raisins, toffee, herbs, and earth leads to a gorgeous palate of raisins, red berries, and something almost …
Buehler 2005 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa
This hearkens back to the halcyon days when my friend Jonathan Newman was the Chairman of the PLCB. I still remember all those great deals on top-shelf Napa Cabernet. Although the …
Studert-Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr 2005 Riesling Kabinett, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
Anyone who’s been to a Wine School class knows that we’re big on that whole petrol-y thing that good riesling has. And this bottle possesses it in spades, and then some: …
Bleasdale 2005 “Franks Potts” Red
This 89% Cab blend from the Land Down Under is rich and big and lush but still hangs together far better than you’d expect of a mid-price Aussie Cabernet blend.
Verget 2006 Chablis Montée de Tonnerre 1er Cru
One of our favorite Chablis producers. One of our favorite 1er crus. One of our favorite vintages in recent memory. Yeah, we’ll take a bottle of that.
Domaine de la Janasse 2006 Cotes du Rhone Blanc
The nose is rich with mushrooms and spice, though there’s a certain dried apricot perfume there from the viognier, too. You can definitely smell the oak here, lavished on this wine, …
Allan Scott 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough
Bright, unobtrusive fruit, a light-framed body, and supremely easy drinkability.
Verget 2005 Pouilly Fuissé
Verget’s wines can sometimes be unjustifiable in the price department, especially this time of year. But this Pouilly Fuissé, from a classic vintage, is beyond easy to love. Not cheap, but …
Chateau Clerc Milon 2005, Pauillac
With all the hoopla (or hoopla, if you’re feeling saucy) over the 2005 Bordeaux, prices haven’t been anywhere near the firmament since the big boys started publishing their barrel-sample notes. But …
E. Guigal 2008 Cotes du Rhone Rosé
For many of us, Southern France springs to mind when thoughts turn to rosé. And Guigal, one of the most reliable producers in the Rhone Valley, comes through with flying tri-colors …
Chateau Carbonnieux 2005 Blanc, Graves
If you’ve never had white Bordeaux before, this is a great place to start, which is to say, pretty impressive, indeed.
Niepoort 2006 “Twisted”
From one of the legends of Portuguese winemaking, this affordably priced ’06 blend of Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional, and other local grape varieties have it all…except the typically higher …