Jan
20
Blankiet Estate Paradise Hills Vineyard 2012
My prediction: cult Napa wines, as a general category, will be increasingly irrelevant. However, there will always be a place for the very best of them. According to Rob McMillan’s
Jan
12
Champagne Pierre Gerbais Grains de Celles n/v
Once you leave Canada to a real wine market, there seems an endless font of grower champagne. My latest discovery came courtesy of Le Caviste in Seattle: Pierre Gerbais’s Grains
Jan
4
Pyramid Valley Vineyards Earth Smoke Pinot Noir 2009
Pyramid Valley is one of the more remarkable estates in the new world. Located in the Waikari Valley in southern New Zealand, near Christchurch, Mike and Claudia Weersing spent 15
Dec
23
Two Top Wines for the Holidays
Holidays demand much of us. I like to see them as an opportunity to treat yourself and those who deserve it in between the rest. When those moments do arrive,
Dec
9
Francisco Mulinari L’Aietta Brunello di Montalcino 2012
Sangiovese struggles due to inconsistent producers and over-expansion of plantings, not inherent potential. The best of Sangiovese belong among the world’s greatest wines. But, too many Chiantis and Brunellos destroy
Nov
22
Old and Good: Barolo, Burgundy and … Champagne
Sometimes there are those nights where everything is on point. Accompanied by wonderfully executed food at Cinara, each of the following was in peak form: Bernard Moreau Chassagne-Montrachet 2014 Diebolt-Vallois
Nov
6
The Eyrie Vineyards “Original Vines” Pinot Noir 2014
The foundational Eyrie Vineyards first planted vines in Oregon’s Willamette Valley in 1965, against the advice of professors at UC Davis. It was the vineyard instrumental in convincing Drouhin to
Nov
4
Mount Eden Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
Many hold the incorrect view that California produces similarly good wine year to year due to its interminable sun. This is incorrect. Vintage variation in California is as significant as
Oct
21
1978 Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande … and Other Wine
40 year old wine is always a journey, sometimes into dissapointment, always into variability, and occassionally into greatness. While this 1978 Pichon-Lalande was not at the apex of aged Bordeaux,
Oct
20
Rippon “Mature Vine” Pinot Noir 2013
Fall speaks to me of Bourgogne Rouge and thereabouts. Great Pinot Noir speaks in hues. Fall is a time to slow down and look back. Rippon has been making great