If you’ve been reading my reviews for a while, you may have noticed my propensity to skip wines that carry lots of charred oak...
Salamon Francesco, Veneto (Italy) Pinot Bianco “Nomalas” 2022 ($13, Lirette Selections)
This Pinot Bianco from the Veneto greets the nose with enticing aromas of pear, apple, and delicate white flowers. The palate...
Reustle Prayer Rock Vineyards, Umpqua Valley (Oregon) Syrah, Estate Grown, “Winemaker’s Reserve” 2021 ($45)
I think of this producer as the world’s premier producer of Grüner Veltliner outside of Austria, so I’m glad I had a chance to...
Ruffino, Chianti Classico Gran Selezione (Italy) “Riserva Ducale Oro” 2019 ($38)
As I have noted before, many Chianti Classico producers have begun to up their game after too many ho-hum Gran Selezione...
Maxime Magnon, Corbières (Languedoc-Roussillon, France) “Rozeta” 2022 ($50, Kermit Lynch)
Corbières is a wide ranging appellation in the south of France and there are many styles of wine made here. One of the finest is...
Peterson Winery, Dry Creek Valley (Sonoma County, California) Bradford Mountain Vineyard Carignane 2019 ($36)
An under-sung variety that plays a role in some of the great California filed blends get the spotlight on its own here, and it...
Hecht & Bannier, Languedoc (France) Rosé 2023 ($16, Vineyard Brands)
Whether you buy this rosé from the Languedoc or the higher-end Provence release from Gregory Hecht and François Bannier, you’ll...
Symington, Douro (Portugal) “Altano” 2021 ($13)
As a guy who prefers his fruitiness black and purple, it is sometimes difficult me to cozy up to the sometimes in-your-face red...
Ancient Peaks, Santa Margarita Ranch – Paso Robles (Central Coast, California) “Oyster Ridge” 2020 ($60)
This is a Bordeaux blend made from vines only grown on calcium-rich soils. In 2020, over a dozen blocks were separately...
J Dusi Wines, Paso Robles (Central Coast, California) Paper Street Vineyard “The Narrator” 2016 ($43)
The 2016 Narrator is a Mourvèdre-dominant, so-called "GSM" blend – Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre – but I’ll stick with GSM...
Ronchi di Manzano, Friuli Colli Orientali DOC (Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy) Pinot Grigio 2022 ($20, R&B Wine Imports)
There’s insipid Pinot Grigio and then there’s the real thing, like this one from Ronchi di Manzano, which made the varietal so...
Pico Maccario, Barolo del Comune di Serralunga d’Alba (Piedmont, Italy) 2019 ($48, Winebow)
Although the Pico Maccario estate was only established in 1997, the Maccario family has been growing Nebbiolo grapes for...