Ripe but not sweet, concentrated but not hot, with full fruit flavor enhanced by secondary aromas and flavors reminiscent...
Carol Shelton, Rockpile (Sonoma County, California) Petite Sirah 2008
A classic Petite, with vivid blueberry-scented fruit and a firm, well-defined tannic structure, this wine impresses most...
BenMarco, Mendoza (Argentina) Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
A very impressive, substantial red wine, marked by rich dark fruit flavors enhanced by echoes of savory spice, dark...
Tradition Isn’t What It’s Cracked Up to Be
The ongoing battle between advocates of wines made with international grape varieties in an international style (read...
Boekenhoutskloof, Western Cape (South Africa) 2009
An intense, muscular wine, this blend of primarily Syrah and Grenache tastes deep and dark, with, yes, a dark chocolate...
Lake Sonoma Winery, Dry Creek Valley (Sonoma County, California) Zinfandel 2008
A real surprise, this fairly modestly-priced Dry Creek Valley Zin has been made very much in what used to be called the...
Two New World Classics
It’s been a full generation since wines from the New World first emerged to challenge the supremacy of the classic...
A Bittersweet Moment
The upcoming publication of a new book by Gerald Asher (A Vineyard in My Glass, University of California Press) strikes me as a...
Farnese, Montelpulciano d’Abruzzo (Abruzzo, Italy) 2010
What a value! Juicy and mouth-filling, this young, unoaked red is full of plum and cherry fruit flavors with echoes...
Cuvée du Vatican, Côtes du Rhône Villages (Rhône Valley, France) 2009
It’s been a long time since I have enjoyed a more satisfying red Côtes du Rhône Villages. The wine...
Demystifying Wine?
Wine is complicated. It’s complicated to buy, to store, to open, even to appreciate and understand. ...
La Posta, Mendoza (Argentina) Malbec 2009
A somewhat rustic Malbec, with fairly firm tannins and more black than red fruit flavors, this will be a fine barbecue...