Jun
23
Niepoort Batuta 2004
Niepoort is not only my favourite producer of dry wines in the Douro, but they are among my favourite in the world. Their true beauty arises from bottle age. So,
Jun
18
Philippe Valette ‘Et Pourtant…’ Vin de France
Philippe Valette makes my favourite wines of the Macon. His farming practices are the best in the region: firstly, farming is organic and free of all chemical sprays. Philippe also
Jun
9
The New Spain Emerging
My previous article on Priorat explained the context of the Spain most of us have come to know, derived from the globalized influence of a limited number of palates seeking
Jun
1
Priorat: Globalization, Terroir, and The New Wines of Spain
A contradiction lies deep in the heart of wine’s globalization. The standard narrative is that globalization leads to homogenization of wine style and increasing monopolization of distribution. The counter-narrative has
Apr
30
Spotlight on the Maconnais Wines of Jean and Gauthier Thevenet: Domaine Émilian Gillet Viré-Clessé 2012
What I love about the Thevenets is their commitment to the idiosyncrasy of the land and the climate of their unique sites in Quintaine. They elevated the Macon before anyone
Apr
27
Ciabot Berton: Barolo from a La Morra Traditionalist
Ciabot Berton are new entrants into British Columbia’s wine market. A recent tasting provided an opportunity to explore a range of blended and single vineyard Barolos from various recent vintages.
Apr
22
Carlisle Monte Rosso Vineyard Zinfandel 2014
Carlisle makes an impossibly large range of wines from old-vine sites in California. The focus is Zinfandel and mixed blacks, alongside a couple Petite Sirah, Syrah and white wine bottlings.
Apr
21
Spotlight on the Maconnais wines of Jean and Gauthier Thevenet: Domaine de Roally Viré-Clessé 2014
In a region of over 9,000 growers, it is a shame that so few focus on terroir differences. In this lies the greatness of the three Thevent cuvees – they
Apr
17
Spotlight on the Maconnais wines of Jean and Gauthier Thevenet: Domaine de la Bongran Viré-Clessé 2010
The Thevenets are a founding family of modern Macon. Long before Lafon and Leroy purchased vineyards in the region, the Thevenets challenged the co-op, mass-production mentality of the Macon, focusing
Apr
16
Costanti Brunello di Montalcino 2011
Costanti is in the upper ranks of Brunello in my books. The reason is their vintage typicity and deft ability to produce elegant Sangiovese. Most of the recent lauded vintages