Nov
14
Of Proteus and Chardonnay
Chardonnay is somewhat like a faceless man – it takes on character of site and cellar with uncanny ease. There may be no core essence to Chardonnay but it holds
Nov
4
Antoine Arena Patrimonio Rouge “Carco” 2011
Long live the medium bodied red. Whether from California, Bordeaux, Barolo or, Corsica, the medium-bodied red is now king. There is something expressive and drinkable about such wines. The best
Oct
19
Georges Vernay Terrasses de L’Empire Condrieu 2015
This is the second greatest Condrieu in the world, ceding dominance only to Vernay’s Coteaux de Vernon. Whereas most good Viognier is powerful and oily in texture in order to
Oct
1
Two Great Wines of Sancerre: Domaine Vacheron Chambrates 2013 and Pascal Cotat La Grande Cote 2010
How does wine stay interesting? Forever in motion, the immense bio-chemical complexity of wine means you can continue to learn after years of experience. Do not let preconceived notions define
Sep
9
Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 2011
For many the greatest white wine producer in Burgundy and the world, Domaine Leflaive is an icon of biodynamic wine-making and low-impact farming and living. Anne-Claude Leflaive, who sadly died
Aug
25
Vouette & Sorbee ‘Textures’ Champagne
The sad sack wine grape of Champagne is undoubtedly Pinot Blanc. Rarely seeing more than a miniscule percentage in a blend, those wines made from a majority of it are
Aug
23
Domaine Belluard Les Alpes 2014
Wine from the Savoie rarely makes it into the B.C. market. Those that do are generally interesting but not exciting. With Belluard, however, you not only get a very high
Aug
13
Domaine Vacheron Sancerre 2015
In today’s Loire-crazed wine geek set, Sancerre has fallen by the wayside. To be sure, the Sancerre most drinkers encounter is insipid, unbalanced, machine-harvested, chemically grown rubbish. This impression is
Aug
6
Egly-Ouriet Champagne V.P. (2015 disgorgement)
One of the great grower-producers in Champagne, Egly-Ouriet, has no fear of oak. One of his top wines, the Vieillissement Prolonge, sees extended elevage and lees ageing, producing a wine
Jun
30
Domaine de L’Ecu Invictus 2015
Domaine de L’Ecu makes the best Muscadet in France. It has done so since 1972 under the leadership of Guy Bossard. These are iconographic wines that raised the bar for