($15): Alberto Longo is a name to remember. Anyone who can make such a bright and lively white wine in Puglia, home to big reds, is a producer to know. This Falanghina is floral and fresh with laser-like precision in the finish. … Read more
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Alberto Longo, Puglia IGT (Italy) Negroamaro “Capoposto” 2013
($20, T. Edward Wines): To use a highly technical word to describe this wine, yummy! It’s both refined and exotic with black cherry-like notes balanced by earthy ones so it’s not just fruity. It has good weight and density without being heavy. … Read more
Alberto Longo, Cacc’e Mmitte di Lucera (Puglia, Italy) 2013
($19): 
One of the advantages of an impossible to pronounce DOC, such as Cacc’e Mmitte di Lucera (very roughly, ca-tch-y mint-y di lu-chair-a) is that the wines are underpriced for what they deliver because consumers are afraid — or can’t — order them. … Read more
Carmignano: The Original Super Tuscan
No doubt the producers in Carmignano, the smallest DOCG of Tuscany and located just northwest of Florence, bristle when they hear praise lavished on the so-called “Super Tuscan” wines…and are envious of the prices they command. Although the term Super Tuscan became popular about 35 years ago as a way to describe wines that were made either from Bordeaux grape varieties, such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc (or a mix of those grapes with Sangiovese, the traditional grape of Tuscany), the concept has been around a lot longer–a whole lot longer.… Read more
Jackson Estate, Santa Maria Valley (Central Coast, California) Chardonnay 2014
($28): This ripe (14.5%-stated abv) and toasty Chardonnay delivers plump melon-y flavors on a soft-ish background, even finishing a touch sweet. It’s fine as a stand alone — “I’ll have a glass of Chardonnay” — or to accompany spiced Asian fare. … Read more
Jordan Vineyard and Winery, Russian River Valley (Sonoma County, California) Chardonnay 2014
($32): With California Chardonnays and white Burgundies commanding high prices, it’s a delight to find an excellent one at a reasonable price. Jordan makes two wines, a Cabernet Sauvignon and this Chardonnay. Both are consistently excellent. In a word — Okay, two words — Jordan’s 2014 Chardonnay is bright and rich. … Read more
Grgich Hills Estate, Napa Valley (California) Chardonnay “Paris Tasting Commemorative” 2013
($93): 
Miljenko “Mike” Grgich, as much as anyone, is responsible for the world taking California wines seriously. In 1976, while he was winemaker at Chateau Montelena, he made a Chardonnay that astonished the world by beating out a bevy of white Burgundies for first place at a comparative tasting in Paris. … Read more
Fattoria Ambra, Carmignano (Tuscany, Italy) “Santa Cristina in Pilli” 2013
($20): Santa Cristina in Pilli is one of two single-vineyard (“crus”) Carmignano. (Ambra also produces two Carmignano Riservas from two other single vineyards.) This is another prime example of how Carmignano is underpriced. It’s a seamless combination conveying fruitiness and savory notes. … Read more
Capezzana, Carmignano (Tuscany, Italy) 2013
($30): This stunning wine has the structure — firm without be hard or aggressive — you’d expect for an excellent young wine. With a “not just fruit” quality, it delivers a gorgeous combination of cherry-like fruit, herbal notes and earthy flavors. … Read more
Villa Artimino, Carmignano (Tuscany, Italy) 2012
($20): If you need another example of how Carmignano over delivers, look no further than this one from Villa Artimino. Very fragrant, it has a touch more concentration without being overdone or sacrificing any elegance. It, too, has an engaging texture and a welcome firmness balanced by plenty of energy. … Read more
Piaggia, Carmignano (Tuscany, Italy) “Il Sasso” 2013
($26, Worldwide Cellars): 
Piaggia’s Il Sasso another wine that over delivers and demonstrates the value of Carmignano. A blend of Sangiovese (70%), Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc (20%) and Merlot, it is a sophisticated wine, delivering a bit of everything — black fruit, earthy and savory notes — and not too much of anything. … Read more
Capezzana, Barco Reale di Carmignano (Tuscany, Italy) 2014
($14, Mionetti): This immediately accessible mid-weight wine combines fruit and earth with just the right amount of structure. It has extraordinary complexity for the price. Buy it by the case for this summer’s grilling season.
90 Michael Apstein May 3, 2016… Read more
Villa Cerna, Chianti Classico (Tuscany, Italy) 2013
($25): C
ecchi, though one of Tuscany’s great producers, flies under the radar. A family firm run currently by brothers Andrea and Cesare Cecchi, they produce a range of wines from estates in Tuscany and Umbria. This one, a traditionally framed Chianti Classico made from a blend of Sangiovese and Colorino, exhibits the near magical combination of bright red cherry-like fruit and savory herbal qualities. … Read more
J. J. Vincent, Pouilly-Fuissé (Burgundy, France) “Marie Antoinette” 2014
($26, Frederick Wildman and Sons, Ltd.): 
If J. J. Vincent’s name is on a label, you can buy the wine with confidence knowing that you’ll enjoy it. Vincent, based in Pouilly-Fuissé, owns several vineyards in that appellation and makes distinctive wines from each of them, highlighting the diversity of the terroir there. … Read more
Domaine Parent, Pommard Premier Cru (Burgundy, France) Les Epenots 2014
($140, Frederick Wildman and Sons, Ltd.): Domaine Parent, a top producer based in Pommard, has made a great array of wines in 2014. While many 2014 reds are forward and charming, Parent’s Les Epenots has structure and balance that will reward years of cellaring. … Read more
Domaine Lignier-Michelot, Morey St. Denis Premier Cru (Burgundy, France) Les Faconnières 2014
($105, Frederick Wildman and Sons, Ltd.): I often wonder who is spending $100+ for a bottle of wine. I will not presume to judge whether this bottle, or any bottle, is worth that amount. What I will say is that Domaine Lignier-Michelot’s Morey St.… Read more
Domaine Humbert Frères, Fixin (Burgundy, France) Vieilles Vignes 2014
($50, Frederick Wildman and Sons, Ltd.): It’s a sad commentary of wine pricing when a bottle of Burgundy from Fixin, one of the least prestigious villages in the Côtes de Nuits, costs fifty bucks. But that’s life, and compared to many of the Pinot Noir coming out of California, it’s still a reasonable price for a wine made from that grape–especially this one. … Read more
Gruet, American (United States) Blanc de Blancs NV
($19): You can imagine the curled lips and other facial expressions on my guests when I told them I was ordering a sparkling wine from a New Mexico producer, which was on the list at a very French restaurant (Le Coq Rico, run by Antoine Westermann, who formerly was the chef/owner at a Michelin 3-star in Alsace). … Read more
Joseph Drouhin, Meursault (Burgundy, France) 2014
($60, Dreyfus, Ashby & Co.): Here is another shining example of the grandeur of the 2014 vintage for white Burgundy. Drouhin, one of the region’s finest producers, has fashioned a village wine that could pass for premier cru. It has a touch of the spice and complexity I associate with Meursault Genevrières. … Read more
Drouhin Domaine Vaudon, Chablis Grand Cru (Burgundy, France) Vaudésir 2014
($75, Dreyfus, Ashby & Co.): 
Domaine Vaudon is the name Drouhin uses for their Chablis. They want to emphasize, justifiably, that they own substantial vineyards there because of the foresight of the patriarch, Robert Drouhin, who purchased vineyards there almost 50 year ago. … Read more
Domaine Christian Moreau, Chablis Grand Cru (Burgundy, France) Vaudésir 2014
($65, Frederick Wildman and Sons, Ltd.): 
It’s worth repeating: 2014 is a great vintage for white Burgundies, without doubt the best since 2010 and in the same league as those wines. In short, don’t miss them, including this modestly priced — for Grand Cru Burgundy — Chablis Vaudésir. … Read more
Pommier, Chablis (Burgundy, France) 2014
($25, Polaner Selections): 
The 2014 vintage for white Burgundy, from Chablis in the north to the Mâconnais in the south, is exceptional. This village Chablis, from a small but top-notch producer, is just one example of the great values the vintage will provide. … Read more
Chianti Rùfina: Wines Worth Knowing
It’s well worth unraveling the confusion that often prevents consumers from embracing Chianti Rùfina, for the wines from this area are a joy to drink. Some people mistake this subregion of the greater Chianti area for Ruffino, a prominent producer of Chianti and Chianti Classico (Ruffino makes no Chianti Rùfina, though). … Read more
Pacific Rim Winery, Yakima Valley (Washington) Riesling Solstice Vineyard 2014
($23): Pacific Rim Winery, based in Washington’s Columbia Valley, specializes in Riesling and other aromatic white varietals. This one, from a small (2.5-acre) vineyard with 40+ year-old vines, is stunning. Crisp and clean, it has a delicacy and laciness that belies its depth of flavor. … Read more
Carpenè Malvolti, Prosecco Superior Conegliano Valdobbiadene (Veneto, Italy) Extra Dry NV
($16, Angelini Wine, Ltd): The Italians — and I love them — can be their own worst enemies. Take Prosecco, for example. This easy to pronounce, charming wine has taken the world by storm and has practically become a generic term for any sparkling wine. … Read more
Castello Banfi, Rosso di Montalcino (Tuscany, Italy) “Poggio alle Mura” 2013
($32): Rosso di Montalcino can be an excellent introduction to the glories of Brunello di Montalcino, one of Italy’s iconic wines. Similar to Brunello, Rosso must be made entirely from Sangiovese. This one, from Castello Banfi, a leading Brunello producer whose dedicated work in the 1980s helped catapult Brunello onto the world’s wine stage, is truly a “baby Brunello.” … Read more
Palari, Faro DOC (Sicily, Italy) 2009
($100, Cru Artisan): I can see the rolling eyes. A hundred bucks for an unknown wine from, where? Sicily? Yes. I can’t pretend to know how people should spend their money on wine. But what I can tell you is that this is a special wine, delivering the ethereal Burgundian combination of flavor without weight. … Read more
Olivier Leflaive, Rully Premier Cru (Burgundy, France) Les Cloux 2014
($30, Frederick Wildman and Sons, Ltd.): The white Burgundies from the 2014 vintage are stunning — the best since the grand 2010 vintage. Here’s just another example. The white wines from Rully in the Côte Chalonnaise can be very appealing because they convey an underlying stoniness. … Read more
Domaine Faiveley, Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru (Burgundy, France) 2014
($300, Frederick Wildman and Sons, Ltd.): 
Under Erwan Faiveley’s leadership, Maison Faiveley has been transformed from a good négociant to an exceptional domaine that — like so many domaines today — also has a négociant business. This Corton-Charlemagne, from the super 2014 vintage, comes from their just over 1.5 acres in Corton Charlemagne vineyards. … Read more
Olivier Leflaive, Bourgogne Blanc (Burgundy, France) “Les Sétilles” 2014
($23, Frederick Wildman and Sons, Ltd.): Need more evidence that the 2014 white Burgundies are terrific? Here, at the bottom of the Burgundy prestige ladder — Bourgogne Blanc — is a great bargain. Wines labeled Bourgogne Blanc can come from grapes — always Chardonnay — grown anywhere in Burgundy, from Chablis in the north to the Mâconnais in the south. … Read more
Domaine Parent, Pommard (Burgundy, France) “La Croix Blanche” 2014
($71, Jeanne Marie des Champs Selection): There could be a more reliable producer of Pommard than Domaine Parent, but I doubt it. If you want to experience the wines of this famed Burgundian village, Parent is the place to start. Their 2014s are stunning — a term reserved more for the whites of that vintage than for the reds. … Read more
Domaine Bart, Marsannay (Burgundy, France) “Grandes Vignes” 2013
($30, Jeanne Maris de Champs Selection): Marsannay, an obscure appellation among the rarified sites in Côte de Nuits, is home to incredible values for Burgundy. I know “incredible value for Burgundy” is an oxymoron, which is why consumers should remember the name Marsannay, a tiny village, which is practically a suburb of Dijon. … Read more
Emiliana, Casablanca Valley (Chile) Signos de Origen “La Vinilla” 2014
($30): Emiliana is Chile’s leading producer employing organic and biodynamic methods. The wine is so appealing, it’s worth unraveling the label. Signos de Origen is one of Emiliana’s lines of wines that highlight the origin of the grapes — in this case from a sector of the Casablanca Valley known as La Vinilla. … Read more
Malbec That Makes You Think
Subtlety and Malbec are two words rarely used in the same sentence. Malbec, at least from Argentina, usually produces a big, ripe, jammy monotonic red wine with little structure or finesse. But then, along came Count Patrick d’Aulan and his team at Alta Vista in Argentina and, later, at Altamana in Chile. … Read more
J Vineyards, Russian River Valley (Sonoma County, California) Cuvee 20 NV
($35): 
Ever since J Vineyards produced its first sparkling wine, it was clear that it was serious about the category. Extremely impressive, this cuvée is as distinctive as the label — J Vineyards’ stylish yellow J. The overall impression is that you are drinking a creamy green apple-like custard. … Read more
Hanzell Vineyards, Sonoma Valley (Sonoma County) Pinot Noir 2012
($100): 
Hanzell, one of the pioneers in California with Pinot Noir, sometimes gets lost among the hoopla of the bolder wines made from that grape. Hanzell’s Pinot Noir is a study in how a delicate wine can convey extraordinary excitement. Savory elements are a wonderful counterpoint to the elegant fruitiness and by contrast, actually accentuate it. … Read more
Allegrini, Veronese IGT (Italy) Palazzo della Torre 2011
($18): Allegrini, a leading Veneto producer, has adapted Amarone-like vinification to this wine, a blend of mostly Corvina and Rondinella, the grapes commonly used for Valpolicella. A small proportion of grapes are dried and added to the fresh wine the following fall, which starts another fermentation, which adds extra oomph to the wine. … Read more
Tenuta di Salviano, Lago di Corbara DOV (Umbria, Italy) Turlo 2012
($14): What a bargain! This blend of Sangiovese (50%), Cabernet Sauvignon (30%), and Merlot has a charming rusticity amplified by uplifting Italian acidity. The blend works since the Cabernet adds herbal qualities without dominating. The wine’s impressive density–without being heavy–makes it a perfect choice for hearty pasta dishes this winter.… Read more
Tenuta San Guido, Toscana IGT (Tuscany, Italy) Guidalberto 2013
($45): Tenuta San Guido, the producer of Sassicaia, first introduced Guidalberto in 2000. Mistakenly thought by many to be a “second” wine of Sassicaia because all of the grapes come from Tenuta San Guido’s vineyards, it most certainly is not. The blend of grapes is entirely different. … Read more
Castello di Volpaia, Chianti Classico DOCG (Tuscany, Italy) Riserva 2012
($28): Castello di Volpaia consistently makes wonderful Chianti Classico. This Riserva combines a good density of black cherry-like fruit and a lovely herbal earthy component. A beefy wine, they’ve imbued it with power without sacrificing finesse or a graceful signature. Despite its intensity, it’s still clearly identifiable as Chianti Classico because of the great Tuscan acidity and savory notes. … Read more
Tenute Silvio Nadri, Brunello di Montalcino (Tuscany, Italy) 2010
($54): 
Tenute Silvio Nardi has vineyards in the northwest and southeast section of the Brunello di Montalcino zone. In addition to their two outstanding single-vineyard wines, Poggio Doria and Manachiara, that they produce from those respective zones, they blend grapes to this fine, easy-to-recommend Brunello. … Read more
Masseria San Magno, Castel del Monte (Puglia, Italy) Nero di Troia 2011
($27): 
Puglia’s Nero di Troia grape is a hidden gem. Another ancient export from Greece, Nero di Troia (Black from Troy) delivers a winsome combination of fruit and earth when handled correctly, as in this case. Masseria San Magno’s has an enticing, gamey nuance and a vivacity that balances its black-fruit footprint. … Read more
Clau de Nell, Anjou (Loire Valley, France) Cabernet Franc 2013
($47): 
Anne-Claude Leflaive, the late famed Burgundy producer, and Christian Jacques, her husband, acquired Clau de Nell in 2008. Similar to Domaine Leflaive in Burgundy, the vineyards at Clau de Nell are farmed biodynamically. People can — and do — argue whether biodynamic philosophy is hocus pocus or whether it is responsible for superior wines. … Read more
Domaine de Suremain, Mercurey (Burgundy, France) 2013
($28): 
It gets more and more difficult to find affordable Burgundy. One needs to venture outside of the major villages of the Côte d’Or, or as in this case, to Mercury, a village in the Côte Chalonnaise. Here the fruity side of Pinot Noir takes on a lovely stony austerity — a complete contrast to New World wine made from the variety. … Read more
2013 Bordeaux: Like Wagner’s Music, It’s Not as Bad as It Sounds
In November 2013, Alan Sichel, chairman of Bordeaux’s guild of wine merchants, told Bloomberg Business, “No one will be excited by the 2013 vintage [in Bordeaux].” That comment turned out to be high praise compared to how others in the trade described the vintage–“a catastrophe”–at the time.… Read more
Craggy Range, Martinborough (New Zealand) Sauvignon Blanc Te Muna Road Vineyard 2014
($20, Kobrand Wine And Spirits): Craggy Range remains one of New Zealand’s top producers, producing a consistently stellar range of wines, including this Sauvignon Blanc. The winery has always focused on single vineyard bottlings. It produces two Sauvignon Blanc, this one and one from Avery vineyard in Marlborough on the country’s South Island. … Read more
Nobilo, Marlborough (New Zealand) Sauvignon Blanc “Icon” 2014
($18): New Zealand continues to be the go-to country for outstanding Sauvignon Blanc at reasonable prices, such as this one from Nobilo. Nobilo’s 2014 Icon provides pungency without screaming. It’s deep with hints of tropical fruit flavors and long with acidity that electrifies without overwhelming, which means it’s balanced. … Read more
COS, DOC Sicilia (Italy) “Pithos” 2013
($34): COS, one of the top producers in Sicily, works magic with Nero d’Avola and Frappato, two of the island’s indigenous red grapes. Their Pithos, a equal blend of the two grapes, is a firm, but not hard, wine that delivers lovely combination of dark cherry notes and savory earthy ones. … Read more
COS, Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico (Sicily, Italy) “Delle Fontane” 2010
($60): 
COS (the name comes from the initials of the three founders’ last names: Giambattista Cilia, Giusto Occhipinti and Cirino Strano) is one of Sicily’s best and most innovative producers. Cerasuolo di Vittoria, a red wine made from Frappato and Nero d’Avola, two grapes unique to Sicily, is that island’s only wine awarded DOCG status, Italy’s highest ranking, by the Italian government. … Read more
Gardet, Champagne (France) Blanc de Noirs Brut Premier Cru NV
($45): 
Those who prefer powerful Champagnes should search for Gardet’s Blanc de Noirs. Made from a blend of red grapes — Pinot Noir (60%) and Pinot Meunier — grown in the premier cru village of Hautvillers, this is a powerhouse coupled with uncommon elegance. … Read more