Wine Reviews

An archive of all wine reviews

Frescobaldi, Toscana IGT (Tuscany, Italy) 2008
Michael Apstein
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March 15, 2011
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 There is no better guarantee of quality than the Frescobaldi name on a bottle.  One of Tuscany’s grand winemaking families, Frescobaldi produces a stunningly...
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Domaine Drouhin Oregon, Willamette Valley (Oregon) Pinot Noir 2008
Michael Apstein
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March 15, 2011
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 Under the masterful leadership of Véronique Drouhin, the wines from the Domaine Drouhin Oregon (a.k.a. DDO) has gotten better and better since their first...
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Poderi Luigi Einaudi, Dogliani (Piedmont, Italy) 2008
Michael Franz
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March 15, 2011
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 This marvelous wine features deep, persistent flavors that seem almost uncanny in their expressiveness in light of the wine’s relatively modest weight.  Dark cherry...
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Luigi Righetti, Valpolicella Classico Superiore (Veneto, Italy) 2008
Paul Lukacs
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March 8, 2011
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 I suspect that Ripasso Valpolicella is a “love it or leave it” sort of wine.  The “ripasso” technique involves adding the pomace of leftover...
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Titus, Napa Valley (California) Cabernet Franc 2008
Paul Lukacs
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March 8, 2011
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 Fashioned much more in a Bordeaux rather than a Loire Valley style, this is a supple yet powerful wine, full of dark fruit flavor...
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Domaine de la Romanée Conti, Échézaux (Burgundy, France) 2008
W. Blake Gray
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March 8, 2011
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 Power without weight is a beautiful thing.  This is a potent wine, with strong initial pomegranate that lingers and some gravelly minerality, along with...
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Torresella, Sicilia IGT (Sicily, Italy) Pinot Noir 2008
Paul Lukacs
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March 8, 2011
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 Pinot Noir from Sicily might not seem to make much sense.  After all, this Mediterranean island is famously hot, while Pinot remains a notoriously...
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Domaine de la Romanée Conti, Romanée-St.-Vivant (Burgundy, France) 2008
W. Blake Gray
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March 8, 2011
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 The RSV’s aroma is so delicate — raspberry, some oak, mushrooms — that its savory attack in the mouth comes as a shock.  The...
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Domaine de la Romanée Conti, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru (Burgundy, France) 2008
W. Blake Gray
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March 8, 2011
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 This is the 5th time in 10 years that DRC has produced this wine, a multi-vineyard blend made from younger vines.  It’s the entry-level...
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Banfi, Chianti Classico (Tuscany, Italy) 2008
Michael Apstein
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March 8, 2011
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 Banfi, the largest landowner in Montalcino and one of that region’s best Brunello producers, owns no vineyards in the nearby Chianti Classico zone.  For...
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Domaine de la Romanée Conti, La Tâche (Burgundy, France) 2008
W. Blake Gray
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March 8, 2011
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 This is a great wine that might last for decades.  It’s elegant and beautiful on the nose: raspberry and violet with a hint of...
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Domaine de la Romanée Conti, Richebourg (Burgundy, France) 2008
W. Blake Gray
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March 8, 2011
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 An extremely savory wine, which starts off with pomegranate and dark cherry but finishes with intense salted licorice and noticeable oak notes.  There’s an...
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