Altocedro 2012 Malbec Reserva
A bold, full-bodied wine with lots of complexity. Aromas of smoky oak, vanilla, cola, black cherry, and spice. The palate pushes into mocha and cinnamon territory with a draping of dark …
Twelftree Wines 2011 Grenache/Mataro
This is a side project for Michael Twelftree, Australia’s Two Hands Winery owner, and a fantastic find in the PLCB system. The wine is sourced from two old vineyards in Barossa: …
Cune 2009 Rioja Gran Reserva
The wines of C.V.N.E. (or Cune) will always have a warm place in my heart. They are classical Rioja, and their Gran Reserva stands the test of time. If you have …
Coppo 2010 “Camp du Rouss” Barbera d’Asti
From the Piedmonte region of Italy. The guy who owns this vineyard is ginger, where the name “Camp du Rouss” comes from. In Piedmontese, “camp” means vineyard, and “du rouss” means red …
Maculan 2011 “Palazzotto” Cabernet Sauvignon
If Napa Cab is your cup of tea, this isn’t your cup of tea. This is Cabernet Sauvignon for Pinot Noir lovers. 2011 is especially delightful, thanks to a warmer than …
Ego Bodegas 2011 “Fuerza” Jumilla
Saying a Jumilla wine is tannic and muscular is like saying Donald Trump is brash: it is taken for granted. It’s what else is in the bottle that counts. The Fuerza …
Italians Caught Faking French Champagne
A few years ago, Italian police uncovered a counterfeit Champagne scheme. A raid found thousands of bottles of Prosecco labeled as Moët & Chandon Champagne. Italian financial police were not looking for …
Is Beer Going to Beat Out Wine?
As beer soars in popularity, could wine’s superiority be coming to an end? In the world of beverages, wine has always been seen as the epitome of taste, class, and sophistication, …
Weed is making the beer industry paranoid
The beer industry is keeping close tabs on the growth of legalized marijuana in the US. For a good reason, the cannabis industry is gunning to displace alcohol as a safer …
Total Wine’s Top Wino is in Congress
In 2015, Maryland’s 8th Congressional District race had a new candidate, David Trone, co-founder of Total Wine & More, started his ascent into politics. It took him another four years, but …
What are Tannins?
What are Tannins?Defining tannins can be tricky even for seasoned wine enthusiasts. According to the dictionary, tannin is a yellowish or brownish bitter-tasting organic substance found in various plant tissues, commonly …
Balma Venitia ‘Dom Venitia’ 2012 Beaume de Venise Rouge
A pretty bottle of village-level Rhone wine. A touch reductive on the nose at first, but quickly tosses out a potpourri of scent. Unoaked, as Grenache-dominated wines often are, this is pure fruit on the …
Redi 2009 Orbaio Toscano
A beautiful balance of classic Tuscan Sangiovese and muscular Cabernet. Cocoa-dusted spice and lush dark fruit on the palate meld into tart cherry and mineral. Elements of anise and toast emerge …
Domaine Forca Real 2013 Cotes du Roussillon Villages
Split between two countries –France and Spain– Catalan winemakers share a skill in making powerful wines from scraggly old vines grown on craggy hills of shale. This unoaked bottling is mostly Grenache, with some Mourvedre …
Feudi di San Gregorio 2011 Primitivo di Manduria
Vibrant and exceptionally juicy, this Primitivo offers up simple pleasures with an elaborate flourish. The black pepper and pressed wildflowers open into tobacco smoke and ozone. Flavors drift from blackberry and currant to licorice: …
Bersano 2010 Barolo Nirvasco
Sauvage notes of roses and resin lightened by strawberry and mint. The deeply steeped tannins cut into a concentration of tobacco and fennel. Managing that wonderful dance of Nebbiolo: intense and powerful, …