All posts by admin

Frédéric Berne, Morgon (Beaujolais, France) Corcelette 2014

($20): I only became acquainted with Frédéric Berne’s Beaujolais during my annual trip to Burgundy last November.  Based on my tasting of his 2014s, I would try anything he makes.  He, like many of the top producers in Beaujolais, is raising the bar in that region by identifying vineyards within the cru (the 10 towns that produce the most distinctive wines) that have unique terroir and are capable of making superior wines. Read more

Stony Hill Vineyard, Napa Valley (California) Chardonnay 2011

($46): Though the current drumbeat in California is for restrained Chardonnay, it was Stony Hill, decades ago, in the 1950s, that basically invented the drum.  They’ve always made restrained, yet flavorful, cutting Chardonnays, the kind you savor.  The 2011, not their recent release, but still available at the retail level, shows how beautifully their wines develop. Read more

Cellars Uinó, Montsant (Catalonia, Spain) Garnacha “Perlat” 2014

($12, Monsieur Touton): Montsant is sometimes referred to as a “little brother” appellation to its more famous and expensive neighbor, Priorat.  There’s nothing little brother about this wine.  Waves of aromas pour from the glass predicting pleasure on the palate.  It’s wonderfully dense, dark and ripe, yet does not go overboard and finishes with a subtle and paradoxical succulent bitterness. Read more

Domaine Louis Latour, Pernand-Vergelesses Premier Cru (Burgundy, France) En Caradeux 2014

($35, Louis Latour USA): This is what everyone is looking for in white Burgundy — an affordable overachiever.  Three elements come together in a “perfect storm” to create this overachiever.  First, there’s the village itself.  Pernand-Vergelesses lies “behind” the hill of Corton (to the west) and is often overlooked since it is hidden as you drive the main road of the Côte d’Or. Read more

Domaine Parent, Corton Blanc (Burgundy, France) 2014

($190, Jeanne-Marie de Champs Selection): White Corton is a rarity, since most producers label it Corton-Charlemagne.  Indeed, Anne Parent, who runs the eponymous domaine with her sister, Catherine, says she legally could label hers as Corton-Charlemagne, but since it comes from the east-facing portion of the hill in the Ladoix-Serrigny commune, she prefers to label it simply…Corton. Read more

Maison Louis Latour, Marsannay (Burgundy, France) 2014

($21, Louis Latour USA): With the prices of Burgundy going through the roof, it’s always a delight to find authentic red Burgundy, especially from the revered Côte de Nuits, that is affordable.  Marsannay, the most northern appellation of the Côte de Nuits, is practically a suburb of Dijon, resulting in a constant battle between vineyards and suburban housing. Read more

Domaine Drouhin Oregon, Eola-Amity Hills (Willamette Valley, Oregon) Pinot Noir Roserock Vineyard 2014

($35): Maison Drouhin, the superb Burgundy-based négociant, was the first French firm to invest in Oregon when they purchased vineyards in the Dundee AVA of the Willamette Valley 20+ years ago.  Over the subsequent two decades, they’ve produced a very impressive array of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from their Dundee vineyards. Read more

Louis Martini, Alexander Valley (Sonoma County, California) Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

($34): Though distinctly different from Martini’s Napa Valley bottling, it is equally appealing, perhaps because it is so different.  This Cabernet is more floral and “pretty,” less mineraly and lacking the black olive note of its neighbor from Napa.  It still manages to combine a mouth-watering savory component to mixture of fruit notes. 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

Presqu’Ile, San Luis Obispo County (Central Coast, California) Pinot Noir Steiner Creek Vineyard 2014

($48):  Presqu’ile buys grapes from the Phelan family who owns the Steiner Creek Vineyard, showing, once again, that consumers should not automatically shun wines that are not “estate.”  This Pinot Noir is a notch–or two–above their very good Santa Maria bottling with more engaging aromatics and greater depth. Read more