Ruffino, Chianti Classico Gran Selezione (Tuscany, Italy) “Riserva Ducale Oro” 2014 ($41): Gran Selezione is a new category of Chianti Classico that is supposed to represent the pinnacle of a producer’s bottling. Whether it does is a matter of debate because some producers’ top wine
from Chianti Classico region is not a Gran Selezione.… Read more
Category Archives: Articles
Affordable Burgundy by Michael Apstein from Canada’s Quench Magazine
Surprising Whites for the Rosé Season
It’s well known that the red wines from the south of France can provide great pleasure, especially for the price. The whites, in contrast, have received far less attention, in part, because they can be a touch heavy. That may be changing, at least judging from my experience earlier this year.
… Read more Terroir in Bordeaux
Part of my enthusiasm for wine, and I’m sure other’s as well, is that the character of the wine is, or at least should be, a reflection of where the grapes were grown. For me, this is a fabulous expression of Nature and an almost magical one at that. … Read more
Guigal: The Birth of a Star in Châteauneuf-du-Pape
It’s rare for a winery to go from nothing to the top in its category quickly. Bordeaux’s premier châteaux, such as Château Lafite-Rothschild, Château Latour, and Château Haut-Brion, to name just three, were founded centuries ago. Similarly, in Burgundy, leading producers such as Maison Louis Jadot, Maison Louis Latour, and Maison Joseph Drouhin, date back to the 19th century. … Read more
Chianti Classico: The Tale of Two Vintages
Consumers are lucky and should be thrilled that there are two stunning vintages, the 2015 and 2016, of Chianti Classico on retailers’ shelves now. Although both vintages are outstanding, the character of the wines is very different. In a word, so to speak, the 2015s are riper and fleshy while the 2016s are racier.
… Read more Brunello di Montalcino 2014: Not as Bad as it Sounds
Despite the sour mood in Montalcino caused by the “difficult” 2014 vintage for Brunello (vintages are never poor, they’re just difficult), it is definitely a vintage that consumers should investigate closely because some producers made very good wine. To be sure, the talk is all gloom and doom regarding the 2014 vintage in Tuscany, including Montalcino. … Read more
A unique way to learn about sake
By Michael Apstein – Globe correspondent | February 25, 2019
When I taught the introductory wine course at The Boston Center for Adult Education, I suggested, as “homework,” for the students that they drink one type of wine exclusively for a month.… Read more
Léoville-Poyferré: Another Super Second?
A vertical tasting of 15 vintages of Château Léoville Poyferré paired with food at the French Embassy in Washington, D.C. earlier this month was proof that this venerable St. Julien property is on the rise. And while Cru Classé Bordeaux is never inexpensive, recent vintages of Léoville Poyferré are well-priced, especially compared to neighboring Château Léoville Las Cases.… Read more
It’s not a Gambal…It Works
The newly established Gambal-Work partnership in the Sta. Rita Hills of California has just released their first wines, a pair of exquisitely exciting Chardonnays–some of the best I’ve had from California. The enterprise draws on Alex Gambal’s 25 years of experience in Burgundy, where he is still making wines under the Alex Gambal label and that of Peter Work, a Dane who has considerable experience with vineyards in the Sta.… Read more
The Mother of All Wine Auctions
All hospitals have a Director. But only one–Les Hospices de Beaune–has a Director of Winemaking. (As a physician, I am especially interested in seeing that organizational chart.) The hospital needs a director of winemaking because it owns vineyards–over 150 acres of them, 85 percent of which are classified as Premier and Grand Cru, making it one of the largest vineyard owners in Burgundy. … Read more
The 2017 Burgundies
Everyone was smiling during my visit to Burgundy last month. The cellars were, after all, chock full of wine after two good-sized vintages. At Maison Louis Jadot, the barrel cellars were filled to the brim. For the first time ever, barrels were stacked three high in a cellar designed for just two tiers.
… Read more Chianti Classico: The Times They are A-Changing
With apologies to Bob Dylan, “The Times They are A-Changing” in Chianti Classico. Three decades ago, producers were embracing the use of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and other so-called “international varieties,” to bolster Sangiovese. But now, with dramatic improvements in the vineyards, growers have shown the heights that Sangiovese can achieve in Chianti Classico. … Read more
Meerlust’s Rubicon: A South African Icon
“He made me an offer I couldn’t refuse,” quipped Hannes Myburgh, the 8th generation of the family that owns Meerlust, in response to a potential conflict with Francis Ford Coppola over names. Coppola and his wife own the legendary Napa Valley Winery, Inglenook, whose flagship red wine is also labeled Rubicon. … Read more
The Conundrum of Assigning Points
Maison Louis Latour’s 2015 Domaine de Valmoissine Pinot Noir (IGP Var, $14) epitomizes the difficulty of assessing wines by assigning a number to them. Do you judge them among their peers or on an absolute scale? And how does value–ratio of enjoyment to price–figure in the final number?… Read more
In the October 2018 Decanter, Michael Apstein examines Don Melchor: 23 vintages from inception to current release
Marchesi Frescobaldi: ‘When you prune, you get to know the plants’
Lamberto Frescobaldi, tieless in a casual sports jacket, has a down-to-earth demeanor and a twinkle in his eye that belies his nobleman status. He is the 30th generation of that famed winemaking family, which in the past traded wine for paintings with Renaissance artists. … Read more
Alternatives to Rosé, Even in Provence
With apologies to Alfred Lord Tennyson, rosé to the left of us, rosé to the right of us, rosé in front of us, and there we were, drinking white wine in the heart of Provence. The sommelier at La Presque’îe, a spectacularly situated restaurant–with food to match–on the outskirts of Cassis overlooking the Mediterranean coast, told me that they sell a lot of rosé, but that, like us, many diners order white wine.… Read more
An Interesting Rarity from Burgundy
Geantet-Pansiot, Bourgogne Rouge, “Pinot Fin,” 2015 ($30 – 45):
Pinot Fin is a clone of Pinot Noir that produces smaller berries and thicker skin, according to the internationally acclaimed wine expert, Jancis Robinson. It’s rarely grown in Burgundy today, because it’s a finicky grape to grown, even more troublesome than Pinot Noir, susceptible to many diseases that result in lower yields–meaning, more expensive wine. … Read more
Will Chinese Wine be as Successful as Chinese Food?
At the end of the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, which was held this year in Beijing, I sat amazed at how extraordinarily efficient and smoothly run this wine competition was: A dedicated sommelier for each panel of judges, perfectly timed pouring, not a drop spilled or a glass broken, a bevy of technical support assistants for the tablets judges used to record their scores, even robots transporting bottled water to be delivered to the judges’ tables. … Read more
Muscadet is Morphing
The cru system–as in Grand or Premier Cru Burgundy or the cru of Beaujolais–has reached Muscadet. The growers there are doing what producers throughout the world are doing: They are defining and identifying specific areas within the broader region that are capable of producing distinctive wines. … Read more
2015 White Burgundies: Marvelous for Current Drinking
Having tasted the 2015 Burgundies now that they have been bottled and are on retailers’ shelves, I can confirm my initial impression of the vintage –sensational for both reds and whites. Importantly, though, the character of the wines is very different depending on the color. … Read more
Decanter May 2018: APSTEIN EXPLAINS WHY IT’S TIME TO LOOK AT SOAVE AGAIN
Soave revival: Producers to know
Northeast Italy’s classic dry white has come on in leaps and bounds in the past few decades. Michael Apstein gets to the heart of this hilly region, highlighting six of his favourite producers and selecting 12 of the best wines to try.… Read more
Bourgogne Magazine January 2018: AN INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL APSTEIN
Awful Weather in Burgundy, But Some Awesome Wines from 2016
Usually it is perfect weather during the growing season that results in exceptional wines. Think 2005, 2009 or 2015 in Burgundy. Those “ideal weather” vintages produced excellent wines almost across the board. In 2016, the capriciousness of Nature was apparent: Hail ravaged some vineyards, destroying the entire crop, but leaving a neighboring vineyard untouched. … Read more
Brunello di Montalcino 2013: The Virtue of Acidity
If there was ever any doubt,–and, of course, there shouldn’t be–that Brunello di Montalcino is one of the world’s great wines, a sad event last month should dispel it. Thieves stole about 1,000 bottles of Brunello, including some prized single-vineyard Riserva, Poggio al Vento, worth about $125,000, from Col d’Orcia, one of the region’s top producers. … Read more
2015 Bordeaux: A Vintage to Buy
The wines from Bordeaux are definitely not the darlings of the breed of new-wave sommeliers whose wine lists are heavy with “natural” wines, orange wines, or selections from obscure areas–which all too often turn out to be obscure for good reason. … Read more
Wines from…Where? Striving for Excellence in Morocco
Readers might reasonably ask why I am writing about wines not available in the U.S. market from one the last places on earth you’d expect to find fine wine–Morocco, a Muslim country where alcohol is forbidden. Why? Because it is a fantastic story about problem solving, a learning curve, and perhaps a little bit of following your heart.… Read more
The Mother of All Wine Auctions
The Napa Valley Wine Auction (officially known as Auction Napa Valley), which started in 1981, bills itself as “the world’s most celebrated charity wine event.” To its credit, it raises a lot of money–roughly $10 million last year. Bidders at Auction Napa Valley and other charity wine auctions pay thousands of dollars to attend high-end dinners and mingle with winemakers, winery owners and other “personalities.” … Read more
Grignolino: A Rare but Exciting Choice for Thanksgiving
I never gave much thought to Grignolino, an obscure grape from Piedmont, until Marchesi Cattaneo Adorno Giustiniani poured one, a 1971, from his winery, Castello di Gabiano, at dinner last month. It was show-stopping. One of the qualities that determines greatness for a wine, at least for me, is its ability to develop over time. … Read more
Nizza: A New Italian DOCG Worth Remembering
The history of the official alphabet of stratification of Italian wines–VdT, IGT, DOC, or DOCG (Vino da Tavola, Indicazione Geografica Tipica, Denominazione di Origine Controllata, and Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita)–does not inspire confidence. When Sassicaia, now an iconic Italian wine, was first released, it barely registered on the official scale, being relegated to a lowly VdT designation. … Read more
The Most Beautiful Wine Region That You’ve Never Heard Of…And They Make Good Wine, Too
Our exceptional bus driver and guide, Matt Wentzell, assured us that he could make it up the steep twisty and bumpy dirt road. I remained unconvinced as the road became more twisted and bumpy. Halfway up, we stopped, carefully disembarked and stepped onto a plateau overlooking the narrow, mountain-lined valley. … Read more
No Rosé, Please…Just Chill the Red
The spray from the tsunami of rosé hitting our shores just soaked me. I know rosé is popular, but the latest evidence of its popularity floored me: An offering of the 2016 Le Rosé de Chevalier. Bordeaux’s Domaine de Chevalier making a rosé?… Read more
The ‘Cru’ of Soave: Another Attempt to Resurrect the Region
Soave, one of Italy’s great white wines, has an image problem, and, as a result, it gets no respect. Although I’m sure that must be frustrating for the producers, it’s a boon for consumers: The wines can be excellent but their prices fail to reflect their quality. … Read more
The New Beaujolais, but Definitely Not Beaujolais Nouveau
A recent tasting of Beaujolais reminded me of tasting wines from the Côte d’Or. Yes, you read that correctly–I am comparing Beaujolais and the Côte d’Or. To be sure, I’m not speaking about just anywhere in Beaujolais, only the crus, the 10 villages in the northern part of the region whose bedrock is either pink granite or a blue-black volcanic stone and whose wines are so distinctive that only the name of the village, without a mention of Beaujolais, appears on the label.… Read more
Canadian Pinot Noir: Who Knew?
When I told friends that I was going to Edmonton to taste and judge Canadian wines, the predictable response was, “Oh, icewine.” Having tasted Canadian wines during trips to Ontario and at a previous edition of the Northern Lands Festival Canadian Wine Competition in Edmonton, I knew that Canada made more than just icewine. … Read more
Lugana: The Perfect Summertime White
With their crispness and cutting acidity, the refreshing wines of Lugana, a small Denominazione Origine Controllata (DOC) on the southern edge of Lake Garda in northern Italy’s Lake District, are perfect for drinking in the summer–or year round for that matter. … Read more
2015 Burgundies: Superb for Both Colors…Don’t Miss Them
After having tasted literally hundreds of barrel samples from négociants and small growers while on my annual pilgrimage to Burgundy in November, followed by a series of important importers’ tastings New York City earlier this year, (again, mostly barrel samples), it’s clear to me that the 2015 Burgundies are stunning.… Read more
The Renaissance at Jessiaume: A Multi-National Collaboration
In parochial Burgundy, where even French citizens from outside the region are viewed with skepticism, an American–and a woman no less–is leading the Anglo-American-French team that is intent on resurrecting Domaine Jessiaume. With the quintessential Burgundian tiles adorning their building, Domaine Jessiaume, which dates from the mid-19th century, is one of Santenay’s iconic properties. … Read more
Bordeaux’s 2014s: An Excellent, Well-Priced Vintage
The press regarding the 2014 vintage in Bordeaux, written in the spring of 2015 after the “en premieur” tastings (a week long series of tastings of “representative” barrel samples in Bordeaux) was lukewarm. The vintage was damned with faint praise (e.g.,… Read more
Merry Edwards Makes Marvelous Pinot Noir
The title of this blog post should come as no surprise to anyone who enjoys Pinot Noir. Although Edwards was the founding winemaker at Matanzas Creek and put their Sauvignon Blanc on the map, her specialty now is Pinot Noir. She added an excellent Sauvignon Blanc to her 
offerings several years ago, and is now off to a flyting start with Chardonnay as well, but superb Pinots remain the calling cards for her eponymous winery.… Read more
Decanter Magazine – Understanding Alcohol Units
Joyce Jones, Birmingham, asks: Is an alcohol unit the same in the UK as it is in the US or Europe, and what is the difference between a unit of wine and a unit of spirits? Am I better off having a shot of vodka, for example, than a glass of wine?
A Champagne Article After the Holidays? What is He Thinking?
To some it will seem odd to read a column about Champagne after New Year’s and the holiday season. (My editor will say it’s because I’ve missed yet another deadline.) After all, the vast bulk of Champagne and sparkling wines are purchased and consumed between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. … Read more
Is It Terroir or National Origin? Burgundy in Oregon
What’s more important in determining wine quality—terroir, or the nationality of the winemaker? Almost everyone agrees on the importance of terroir, the idea (best exemplified in Burgundy) that where the grapes grow is critical in determining the character of a wine. … Read more
A Game-Changing Development in Beaujolais
Everyone knows THE grape in Beaujolais is Gamay. Ok, a little Chardonnay, which finds its way into Beaujolais Blanc or even Bourgogne Blanc, is planted in the region as well. But now, a game-changer could transform and revitalize the region–a major Burgundian producer has started planting and making wine from Pinot Noir in Beaujolais. … Read more
Umbria: Italy’s Forgotten Region (Until Now)
Ask consumers to name their favorite Italian wine regions and you’re sure to hear Tuscany and Piedmont. Italian white wine enthusiasts no doubt would add Friuli and Trentino to the list. And Campania would certainly be on most people’s short list. … Read more
Sicily: Diverse Land, Diverse Wines
The wine culture of Sicily–a little bit of everything–mirrors that island’s unique character. Over the centuries, Sicily has been invaded and colonized by the Greeks, the Arabs, the Spanish, and the French, to name just a few. These diverse cultures have all have left their unique marks on the island–Catholic churches built by Arab workers look like mosques from the outside. … Read more
Wine Fraud: More Common Than You’d Think
The mother of all wine frauds belongs to Rudi Kurniawan, who was convicted in federal court in 2013 and sentenced to 10 years in prison for essentially selling millions of dollars of counterfeit wine. In a separate, but related matter, Kurniawan agreed to pay billionaire wine collector Bill Koch $3 million in damages to settle a lawsuit in which Koch claimed Kurniawan sold him fake wine. … Read more
Robert Mondavi: The Father of California Wine
No one is more responsible for the success of the California wine industry than Robert Mondavi. This year marks the 50th anniversary of 
the winery that bears his name and is an appropriate time to look back on his extraordinary accomplishments.… Read more