Made from fruit yielded by vines averaging 65 years of age, this is packed with power and built for the cellar. The blend...
Rhône Valley Dynamo: Jean-Luc Colombo
I know that I’m supposed to maintain journalistic objectivity about everything in the world of wine, but quite frankly,...
Jean-Luc Colombo, Cornas (Rhône Valley, France) 2011
Cornas “La Louvee” 2011: Somewhat to my surprise, this gorgeous wine from 2001 showed an even riper fruit...
Jean-Luc Colombo, Côte-Rôtie (Rhône Valley, France) 2011
I’ve tasted many of Colombo’s wines in most vintages for more than a decade, and I adore Côte-Rôtie...
Jean-Luc Colombo, Cornas (Rhône Valley, France) 2009
I vastly prefer the 2010 vintage in the Southern Rhône to 2009, but in the North, these two thoroughbred years really run...
Jean-Luc Colombo, Saint-Joseph (Rhône Valley, France) 2012
The 2012 vintage in both the northern and southern Rhône produced quite ripe, soft-textured wines. In the north,...
Paul Jaboulet Aîné, Cornas (Rhône Valley, France) 2012
Sourced from several parcels that are clustered close to one another near the top of the Cornas appellation, this is just...
Paul Jaboulet Aîné, Saint-Joseph (Rhône Valley, France) 2012
This shows lovely, open, ripe fruit aromas with an interesting spice accent. The fruit is also quite accessible on the...
Paul Jaboulet Aîné, Crozes-Hermitage (Rhône Valley, France) 2012
The vineyard behind this wine is the original Jaboulet plot, and with a surface area of more than 120 acres, is probably the...
Bishop’s Peak, San Luis Obispo County (California) Pinot Noir 2013
I’ve had consistently good luck with the Bishop’s Peak wines that I’ve tasted during the past few years, but...
Hacienda Araucano, Colchagua Valley (Chile) Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
I almost hesitate to shower praise on relatively inexpensive Cabernet from Chile for fear of deepening the widespread assumption...
Ramsay, North Coast (California) Petite Sirah 2013
Asking for a Petite Sirah that is restrained and subtle would be barking up the wrong tree. Nevertheless, it is...