($17, Cava Spiliadis): 
Moschofilero, a grape indigenous to the Mantinia region of the Peloponnesus, produces a floral wine, reminiscent of Muscat, though far less fragrant. Its perfumed nature might make you think it’s sweet. Anything but. This one, from Tselepos, a top producer, is firm, with bracing acidity.… Read more
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Tselepos, Peloponnese (Greece) Amalia Brut NV
($29, Cava Spiliadis): 
Sparkling wine from the Peloponnese has no legal appellation, but that has not stopped producers from making good ones. Tselepos, uses the Moschofilero grape and the traditional method of a secondary fermentation in the bottle (as in Champagne) to produce this delightful one. … Read more
From Canada’s Quench Magazine: Champagne—A Wine for All Seasons
From Canada’s Quench Magazine: Bordeaux Seconds
Matanzas Creek Winery, Sonoma County (California) Chardonnay “Journey” 2016
($65): 
Big bottle. Big price tag. Big wine. Despite the all-around size, it is wonderfully balanced and nuanced, combining richness and verve. Matanzas Creek, which has been an iconic source in Sonoma County since 1977, notes on its website that they’ve built its reputation on Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot, which is true. … Read more
Rodney Strong Vineyards, Chalk Hill (Sonoma County, California) Chardonnay 2016
($22): 
This is a remarkable Chardonnay. It’s rare to find a balanced Chardonnay at this price. Frequently, they’re too fruity or too oaky. This one strikes balance. It’s fruity, but not overdone, with a touch of creamy toasty oak, which, again, is not overdone. … Read more
Mandrarossa, Sicilia DOC (Sicily, Italy) Grillo “Costadune” 2018
($12, Palm Bay International): 
This wine from, Mandrarossa, the upscale label of an excellent Sicilian cooperative, Settesoli, could qualify for the best white wine value of the year. Wine co-ops get little respect, which is a shame. The outdated vision of a co-op is that all the grapes go into one pot and out comes one innocuous wine. … Read more
Mandrarossa, Sicilia IGT (Sicily, Italy) “Timperrosse” 2018
($20, Palm Bay International): 
Full disclosure: Petit Verdot as a monovarietal ranks among my least favorite wines. Which makes this wine all the more impressive. I was struck by its elegance and balance and then amazed when I discovered it was made entirely from Petit Verdot. … Read more
Château Feuillet, Valle d’Aosta (Aosta, Italy) Petite Arvine 2017
($30, Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant): 
Jan Novak, the wine director at Il Capriccio, a wonderful Italian restaurant in Waltham, just west of Boston, suggested this wine, which was unknown to me. Since she has probably forgotten more about Italian wine than I know, I agreed immediately. … Read more
Les Vignerons du Sieur D’Arques, Crémant de Limoux (France) “Toques et Clochers” Brut 2014
($19, Wine Wine Situation): 
Limoux claims to be home to the first sparkling wines, a claim that Champagne, of course, disputes. But there is no doubt that the town of Limoux near the Pyrenees has long produced a sparkling wine, called Blanquette de Limoux (Blanquette is the local name for the Mauzac grape and means white in the local dialect). … Read more
Passopisciaro, Terre Siciliane IGT (Sicily, Italy) Chardonnay “Passobianco” 2017
($37): 
Andrea Franchetti, who also owns Tenuta Trinoro, an estate in Tuscany’s Val D’Orcia, started a winery in Sicily about 20 years ago. In a bold move, he planted 10 acres of Chardonnay at high elevations (2,500 to 3,000 feet above sea level) in powdery lava soil, figuring that the elevation and soil would impart a distinctive character to this grape. … Read more
Cerulli Spinozzi, Colline Teramane DOCG (Abruzzo, Italy) “Torre Migliori” 2013
($18, Romano Brands): 
One of the great things about wines from Italy is how many distinctive ones, like this one, fly under the radar. Abruzzo does not have the name recognition of Tuscany nor does the DOCG of Colline Teramane ring any bells, which explains why this wine’s price doesn’t come close to recognizing its quality.… Read more
Holiday Gifts for Wine Lovers
The obvious choice for gifts for your wine loving friends this holiday season is a bottle—or two—of wine. Sadly, too many are intimidated to give wine to a so-called wine expert. We’ve all heard the excuses: I don’t know anything about wine; I don’t want to embarrass myself by giving an ordinary wine; I don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on a prestigious one. … Read more
Nicolas-Jay, Willamette Valley (Oregon) Pinot Noir 2017
($65): 
Nicolas-Jay, a French-American collaboration that started in 2012, is producing superb Pinot Noir in Oregon. On the American side is music entrepreneur, Jay Boberg. Bringing the Burgundian perspective to the venture is super star Jean-Nicolas Méo, who currently heads the famed Méo-Camuzet estate in Vosne Romanée. … Read more
Tongue Dancer, Russian River Valley (Sonoma County, California) Chardonnay Bacigalupi Vineyard 2017
($50): 
Similar to Tongue Dancer’s 2017 Pinot Noir, their Chardonnay packs plenty of flavor. Thankfully, despite its weight and intensity, the winemaking team maintained balance with invigorating acidity that keeps the wine fresh and lively. It is lush with hints of tropical fruit-like flavors. … Read more
Tongue Dancer, Sonoma Coast (Sonoma County, California) Pinot Noir Putnam Vineyard “Pinot de Ville” 2017
($65): 
The over-weight bottle prejudiced against this wine, but that assessment disappeared with the first sip. Yes, it’s a big Pinot Noir, with savory exuberance intertwined with deep fruit flavors. Still, it does not fall into the Pinot Syrah — overdone category. … Read more
Steele, Lake County (North Coast, California) Cabernet Franc 2017
($20): 
Jed Steele has been a luminary in the California wine industry. He started his career 50 years ago in 1968 at Stoney Hill winery in Napa. His eponymous winery in Lake County marks its 25th anniversary with the 2017 vintage. … Read more
Passopisciaro, Terre Siciliane IGT (Sicily, Italy) Chardonnay “Passobianco” 2017
($37): Andrea Franchetti, who also owns Tenuta Trinoro, an estate in Tuscany’s Val D’Orcia, started a winery in Sicily about 20 years ago. In a bold move, he planted 10 acres of Chardonnay at high elevations (2,500 to 3,000 feet above sea level) in powdery lava soil, figuring that the elevation and soil would impart a distinctive character to this grape. … Read more
Cerulli Spinozzi, Colline Teramane DOCG (Abruzzo, Italy) “Torre Migliori” 2013
($18, Romano Brands): One of the great things about wines from Italy is how many distinctive ones, like this one, fly under the radar. Abruzzo does not have the name recognition of Tuscany nor does the DOCG of Colline Teramane ring any bells, which explains why this wine’s price doesn’t come close to recognizing its quality.… Read more
Domaine Louis Latour, Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru (Burgundy, France) En Caradeux 2017
($45, Louis Latour, USA): 
Maison Louis Latour, on of Burgundy’s top producers, made a spectacular array of white wines in 2017. This Premier Cru from Pernand-Vergelesses is just one example. Latour owns a portion of the vineyard, En Caradeux, which sits in an ideal position in the middle of the slope, facing east, which means it’s a Domaine or Estate wine. … Read more
Mixed Vintage News from Burgundy
BEAUNE, Burgundy, November 19, 2019: First the good news. The 2018 vintage produced large quantities of high-quality wines, both red and white. It’s unusual to see good yields of high-quality wines in Burgundy, but that’s what happened in 2018. Unlike the 2015 vintage, which I characterized as a “point and shot” vintage for the reds because the quality was so consistently 
high that you practically couldn’t miss picking a fine wine, there is considerable variability among the 2018s that I’ve tasted. … Read more
Tenuta Cavalier Pepe, Greco di Tufo DOCG (Campania, Italy) “Grancare” 2016
($36, Romano Brands): 
Greco di Tufo is one of Italy’s great white wines. This one has slightly nutty nuances and the hint of lava-like mineral notes you’d expect from its location near Mount Vesuvius. Bright and enlivening acidity tingles the palate. … Read more
Illuminati, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC (Italy) “Riparosso” 2017
($13, Montcalm Wine Importers): 
Illuminati does it again with their Riparosso. They habitually produce a wine that delivers far more than the price suggests. It’s a bright and lively mid-weight wine that combines fruit and savory notes. A lovely firmness and a hint of bitterness in the finish, not to mention the price, makes it perfect for a simple mid-week pasta and meat sauce, or pizza.… Read more
Cerulli Spinozzi, Colli Aprutini IGT (Abruzzo, Italy) Pecorino “Cortalto” 2016
($15, Romano Brands): 
Pecorino is, of course, a cheese. But it turns out to also be a grape and a wine. An attractive bite is what the cheese and the wine have in common. Cerulli Spinozzi, one of the top producers in Abruzzo, a region due east of Rome on the Adriatic, has consistently made a winsome Pecorino. … Read more
Giusti, Pinot Grigio dell Venezie DOC (Veneto, Italy) “Longheri” 2017
($18, Romano Brands): 
A sea of mediocre — at best — Pinot Grigio on retailers’ shelves creates an enormous hurdle for the consumer. The grape and wine have become a brand by itself. You see it at events or at bars when people order “a glass of Pinot Grigio” without reference to the producer. … Read more
Vinacola Cherchi, Vermentino di Sardegna DOC (Sardinia, Italy) “Tuvaoes” 2017
($32, Romano Brands): 
Vermentino is a grape that needs to see the sea, according to winemakers. The leading areas are Sardinia, the coast of Tuscany, and Liguria. This mid-weight one from Sardinia has a substantial mineral component buttressed by vibrant and lengthy acidity that amplifies its charms. … Read more
Giusti, Pinot Grigio dell Venezie DOC (Veneto, Italy) “Longheri” 2017
($18, Romano Brands): A sea of mediocre — at best — Pinot Grigio on retailers’ shelves creates an enormous hurdle for the consumer. The grape and wine have become a brand by itself. You see it at events or at bars when people order “a glass of Pinot Grigio” without reference to the producer. … Read more
Grattamacco, Bolgheri DOC (Tuscany, Italy) Vermentino 2017
($52, Winebow): 
I know, 50 bucks for a Vermentino? But this is no regular Vermentino. It’s a captivating, stop-you-in-your-tracks kind of wine. Grattamacco, founded in 1977, was the second winery, after Sassicaia, in what’s now the Bolgheri DOC. They planted Vermentino in addition to Cabernet, Merlot and Sangiovese and now claim to have the oldest Vermentino vines in Bolgheri, which probably accounts, at least in part, for the wine’s splendor. … Read more
Vinacola Cherchi, Vermentino di Sardegna DOC (Sardinia, Italy) “Tuvaoes” 2017
($32, Romano Brands): Vermentino is a grape that needs to see the sea, according to winemakers. The leading areas are Sardinia, the coast of Tuscany, and Liguria. This mid-weight one from Sardinia has a substantial mineral component buttressed by vibrant and lengthy acidity that amplifies its charms. … Read more
Tenuta Cavalier Pepe, Greco di Tufo DOCG (Campania, Italy) “Grancare” 2016
($36, Romano Brands): Greco di Tufo is one of Italy’s great white wines. This one has slightly nutty nuances and the hint of lava-like mineral notes you’d expect from its location near Mount Vesuvius. Bright and enlivening acidity tingles the palate. … Read more
Illuminati, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC (Italy) “Riparosso” 2017
($13, Montcalm Wine Importers): Illuminati does it again with their Riparosso. They habitually produce a wine that delivers far more than the price suggests. It’s a bright and lively mid-weight wine that combines fruit and savory notes. A lovely firmness and a hint of bitterness in the finish, not to mention the price, makes it perfect for a simple mid-week pasta and meat sauce, or pizza.… Read more
Tuscany’s Maremma: Italy’s Wild West, in More Ways Than One
Despite being home to Ornellaia, Sassicaia, Grattamacco, and Masseto, some of Italy’s most expensive and sought-after wines, the Maremma remains obscure to most wine lovers. Though none of the above-mentioned wines carry the word Maremma on their labels, geographically their home is in that region. … Read more
Castellare di Castellina, Chianti Classico DOCG (Tuscany, Italy) 2017
($22, Winebow): 
It’s hard to go wrong with any of the wines from Castellare di Castellina, one of the very best Chianti Classico producers. This wine, their normale or annata, is their base Chianti Classico and what high base it represents. … Read more
Villa Pinciana, Maremma Toscana DOC (Tuscany, Italy) “Airali” 2018
($20, Bluest Sky Group Imports): 
Maremma Toscana, a large and relatively new DOC, is located in southwestern Tuscany, roughly halfway between Rome and Florence, extending from the coast to hilly inland areas. The Vermentino grape is king here for white wines. … Read more
Grignano, Chianti Rufina (Tuscany, Italy) 2016
($24, Montcalm Wine Importers): 
Though perhaps not as well-known as Chianti Classico, Chianti Rufina, another of the eight subzones of the great Chianti region, is home to wonderful wines, such as this one. The focus of Grignano’s 2016 Rufina is on a combination of earthy and fruity notes. … Read more
Castellare di Castellina, Chianti Classico DOCG (Trentino, Italy) 2017
($22, Winebow): It’s hard to go wrong with any of the wines from Castellare di Castellina, one of the very best Chianti Classico producers. This wine, their normale or annata, is their base Chianti Classico and what high base it represents. … Read more
Vietti, Barbaresco DOCG (Piedmont, Italy) “Masseria” 2015
($95): 
Vietti, clearly one of Piedmont’s and Italy’s top producers and known for their stunning array of Barolo, makes only one Barbaresco, currently, according to their website. Labeled, “Masseria,” it comes from two vineyards in Neive and Treiso. The 2015, from a riper vintage, is gorgeous and particularly engaging at this point in its life. … Read more
Lunae Bosoni, Colli di Luni DOC (Liguria, Italy) “Niccolo’ V” 2015
($30, Montcalm Wine Importers): 
Lunae Bosoni, the largest producer in Liguria, shows that big can be outstanding. Niccoló V, their flagship red, is named for a Pope who was born nearby the winery. A blend of Sangiovese, Merlot, and Pollera Nera, which their website says is grown nowhere else in Italy. … Read more
Naumes Family Vineyards, Rogue Valley (Oregon) Chardonnay 2016
($30): 
The Rogue Valley in southwestern Oregon does not have the cachet — yet — for wine that the Willamette Valley has. Wines from the Naumes family suggests that will change. The Naumes family has been growing fruit trees in Oregon for over a hundred years and added grapes and wine only in 2013, according to their website, making them a somewhat new player in the Oregon wine industry. … Read more
Naumes Family Vineyards, Rogue Valley (Oregon) Viognier 2017
($30): 
Viognier is a tough grape to transform into wine. It needs to ripen adequately to provide its floral dimension, but a little over ripeness brings with it high alcohol and an unbalanced wine. Despite the stated 14.5-percent alcohol, this one still harnesses delicate floral and peach-like notes both on the nose and the palate. … Read more
Tutunjian, Curicó Valley (Valle Centrale, Chile) Cabernet Sauvignon Single Vineyard, Estate Grown 2015
($17): 
The oversized bottle suggests this will be an oversized wine. But it’s not. Rather, mineral-y, savory flavors balance its ripe fruitiness. A suave texture adds to its appeal. Wonderful acidity keeps it fresh and amplifies its charms. A hint of sweetness appears in the finish. … Read more
Age Matters
Winegrowers around the world speak lovingly of old vines. Though the definition is never official, nor even clear, many bottles still carry the moniker, Vieilles Vignes, Vecchie Viti or Viñas Viejas, depending on whether you’re talking about French, Italian or Spanish wines. … Read more
Naumes Family Vineyards, Rogue Valley (Oregon) Chardonnay 2016
($30): The Rogue Valley in southwestern Oregon does not have the cachet — yet — for wine that the Willamette Valley has. Wines from the Naumes family suggests that will change. The Naumes family has been growing fruit trees in Oregon for over a hundred years and added grapes and wine only in 2013, according to their website, making them a somewhat new player in the Oregon wine industry. … Read more
Naumes Family Vineyards, Rogue Valley (Oregon) Viognier 2017
($30): Viognier is a tough grape to transform into wine. It needs to ripen adequately to provide its floral dimension, but a little over ripeness brings with it high alcohol and an unbalanced wine. Despite the stated 14.5-percent alcohol, this one still harnesses delicate floral and peach-like notes both on the nose and the palate. … Read more
Poggio Trevvalle, Morellino di Scansano DOCG (Maremma, Tuscany, Italy) “Dù Galli” 2017
($20): 
The cutesy label and name (two roosters) represent the two brothers, Bernardo and Umberto Valle, who have crafted this engaging mid-weight red. Morellino di Scansano, which carries DOCG designation, Italy’s highest ranking, is an area in the Maremma in southwestern Tuscany, the primary grape of which is Sangiovese. … Read more
Argiolas, Vermentino di Sardegna DOC (Sardinia, Italy) “Is Argiolas” 2018
($20, Winebow): 
The Vermentino grape produces the best wine when, as the saying goes, its vines “can see the sea,” which is why it is an important grape on the island of Sardinia. Argiolas, a family-run winery dating to 1938, selects its oldest vines for Is Argiolas. … Read more
Fontezoppa, Falerio DOC (Marche, Italy) Pecorino “Citanò” 2018
($20): 
This is a quintessential Pecorino, displaying verve, salinity and pleasant hint of lemon or a grapefruit rind bitterness in the finish. This lively and energetic wine is great for balancing the pepperoncini that finds its way into the linguine and clam sauce.… Read more
Ballabio, Vino Spumante di Qualità (Oltrepo Pavese, Lombardy, Italy) “Farfalla” Noir Collection, Zero Dosage NV
($22): 
Consumers tend to forget that Italy makes a host of sparkling wines in addition to Prosecco. And though I have nothing against Prosecco, many of Italy’s other bubblies, such as this one, provide a lot more interest. This one is positively riveting. … Read more
New and Entirely Different by Michael Apstein for Quench Magazine
Castello di Spessa, Collio DOC (Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy) Friulano 2017
($21): 
Consumers can be excused if they are confused regarding the name of this grape. Formerly it was called Tocai Friulano, but the Hungarians objected that this dry white wine might be confused with their legendary sweet wine, Tokay (Tokaji), so they won a regulatory ruling that forced the Italians to change the name. … Read more