Sarah Hwang, whose family owns the iconic Domaine Huet in Vouvray, states emphatically, “Demi-sec is the strength of Vouvray.” Though the literal translation of demi-sec is “half dry,” wines labeled as such will have notable sweetness. What makes the demi-sec, and the even sweeter wines of Vouvray (plus other sweet wines from the Loire, like Coteaux du Layon or Quarts de Chaume) sensational is the riveting and balancing acidity that energizes the palate.… Read more
The Albariño grape is most associated with Galicia’s famous Rías Baixas, and indeed, Despana, New York’s superb Spanish products store/restaurant where I had this wine, mistakenly had it labeled as such. Don’t let the lack of the D.O. deter you. This Albariño, from just outside the appellation boundary, delivers tremendous pleasure at the right price.… Read more
Franciacorta, arguably, Italy’s most high-end sparkling wine area, is nestled on the shores of Lake Iseo in Lombardy. In this compact region the shadow of the Alps shields the vineyards from the harsher northern European climate. Regulations for Satèn (literally, silky, in Italian), which happens to be my favorite type of Franciacorta, require the exclusive use of Chardonnay bottled under a slightly lower pressure.… Read more
Founded in 1976, Iron Horse, still family-owned, remains an icon of California sparkling wine. The Pinot Noir (85%) and Chardonnay that comprise the Wedding Cuvée come exclusively from their vineyards. This masterful blend combines power and richness with a bracing — but not aggressive — spine of acidity that keeps it fresh and lively.… Read more
Though France’s Loire Valley is considered the birthplace and home of Chenin Blanc, South Africa has twice as much planted and indeed, is that country’s signature white wine. Shawn Mathyse, their masterful winemaker, bottles several different ones depending on the source of the grapes.… Read more
Look out Prosecco, Trento DOC and Franciacorta, here’s another winning Italian sparkling wine. The tiny Lessini Durello DOC lies just north of the better-known area of Soave in the pre-Alps. Like Soave, the area has volcanic origins which imbues this engaging sparkling wine with an alluring minerality.… Read more
Louis Latour 1999 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 100
by Michael Apstein
With their almost eleven hectares, Domaine Louis Latour is the largest owner of Corton-Charlemagne, the roughly 73 hectares Grand Cru located on the hill of Corton. (Bonneau du Martray is second with just under 10 hectares).… Read more
This wine shows that Palmento Costanzo, founded by the Costanzo family as recently as 2010, is already a leading producer on Etna. A seamless blend of Carricante (70%) and Catarratto, the 2023 Mofete delivers good depth — you can almost feel and taste the lava—supported by a cutting edginess.… Read more
La Pépière, a consistently good and reliable producer of Muscadet, comes through with another winning example with their 2022 La Pépie. Crisp, clean, saline-tinged acidity makes this well suited to light-bodied summertime drinking with anything from the sea. You can’t beat it at the price.… Read more
Dating from 1727 and claiming to be the oldest winery in Sicily, Barone di Villagrande is no stranger among the island’s wines. Their immediately appealing 2022 Etna Rosso shows why the whole category is becoming so popular. It combines alluring aromatics and a firm but not hard base of lava-like minerality.… Read more
Through three generations of the family, Etienne, his son Marcel, and Marcel’s son Philippe, E. Guigal remains one of the top producers up and down the entire Rhône Valley. In addition to the wines that they make from their own vineyards, which extend from prime plots in Côte Rôtie, Hermitage, and St.… Read more
The white wines of Saumur, with their harmonious combination of minerality and delicate fruitiness, are undiscovered treasures. Here Chenin Blanc is planted on limestone and produces an entirely different style of wine compared to Chenin planted elsewhere. This one from Château de Villeneuve, for example, combines an enticing fine tropical fruitiness with a bracing minerality and enlivening saline-like acidity.… Read more
Caprai, one of the top producers of Montefalco Sagrantino, also produces noteworthy whites, like this mid-weight and lively Grecante. Made entirely from Grechetto, a local white grape, it delivers a delightful hint of almond-like bitterness in the finish, a characteristic that defines wine made from that grape.… Read more
Stylish and Carménère are not often used in the same sentence. But this wine shows that Carménère can, indeed, be a stylish wine. Often the problem is that Carménère exhibits an excess of herbal or grassy notes that come from an excess accumulation of a compound, pyrazines, in the grapes.… Read more
The grapes for this delicious Cabernet Franc come from the Alto Jahuel, a sub-region that comprises about one-fifth of the entire 150,000-acre Maipo Valley. Sebastián Labbé, Santa Rita’s winemaker responsible for their ultra-premium bottlings, including the Floresta line, believes that this sub-region is sufficiently distinctive to deserve its own appellation.… Read more
The Maipo Valley is an ideal place in Chile for Cabernet Sauvignon. Sebastián Labbé, Sant Rita’s winemaker responsible for their ultra-premium bottlings, including the Floresta line, quips, “Why do you think Mouton (Château Mouton Rothschild) choose it for their Almaviva?” Maipo’s rocky, well-drained soil like in the Médoc is ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon.… Read more
Montefalco Rosso is the more ready-to-drink category of the prestigious, powerful, and tannic Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG. Unlike other rosso categories, Montefalco Rosso does not follow the varietal composition of its big brother. Rather, it focuses on Sangiovese (60 to 80%), requiring only 10 to 25% of Sagrantino.… Read more
Viña Santa Rita, one of Chile’s best producers, dates from the late 19th century, making it also one of that country’s oldest producers. Not resting on their laurels, they introduced the Floresta line, which they say represents wines from specific parcels of traditional varieties.… Read more
Weird and wonderful! Weird because it is a field blend of Semillón, Sauvignon Vert, Moscatel, Torontel, and Corinto (also known as Chasselas) planted in the 1940s. Also, weird because it undergoes 10-months of post fermentation skin contact that carries the potential to turn it into unbalanced orange wine.… Read more
Chile’s Maipo Valley is THE place for Bordeaux varieties, which explains why this blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (50%), Cabernet Franc (42%), and Carménère come from there. The gorgeous 2021 is a seamless blend of these varieties, which were vinified separately and then blended.… Read more
Many consumers are put off by Carménère which can be overly herbaceous, even green, if harvested before it is fully ripe. Not a problem in this instance. This robust 100% Carménère reflects the richness of grapes grown in Apalta. For all its size, it weighs in at a mere 13.4% stated alcohol, which keeps this powerhouse from going over the top.… Read more
This stunning Casa Real, made entirely from Cabernet Sauvignon grown in Chile’s prized Maipo Valley, is Viña Santa Rita’s flagship wine. The grapes come from a 50-acre vineyard that they have subdivided into 24 plots so that they can fine tune the harvest and vinification of each section.… Read more
Bolgheri, a DOC on the Tuscan coast, is known for high quality red blends usually from Bordeaux varieties. Chiappini’s artful blend is a bit atypical because it contains Sangiovese and Syrah, two varieties not often seen in this part of Tuscany, along with Cabernet Sauvignon.… Read more
This harmonious Bolgheri Rosso is a typical blend of the Bordeaux grapes for which the DOC is known, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. It conveys mid-weight flavors of dark fruit, earthy notes, and a touch of minerals, all enrobed in graceful tannins and enlivened by uplifting Tuscan acidity.… Read more
Chiappini’s Guado de’Gemoli comes in a heavier bottle compared to their other wines, which means they must think it’s a “more important” one. One taste confirms that—it’s just a better wine. Though it’s the same blend of grapes as their brilliant Felciaino, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, the back label tells you that it’s a selection from their best vineyards and aged in French oak for a longer time.… Read more
Montefalco Rosso is the more ready-to-drink category related to the prestigious, powerful, and tannic Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG. Unlike other “Rosso” categories (e.g., Rosso di Montalcino), Montefalco Rosso does not follow the varietal composition of its big brother. Rather, it focuses on Sangiovese (60 to 80%), requiring only 10 to 25 % of Sagrantino.… Read more
French wine regulators elevated red Beaumes-de-Venise, an attractive village sitting at the feet of the picturesque Dentelles de Montmirail in the Rhône Valley, from a Côtes de Rhône-Villages appellation to a stand-alone cru appellation, like Gigondas or Châteauneuf-du-Pape, in 2005. This gorgeous wine shows why.… Read more
This simple well-priced Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc delivers exactly what you would expect: a delightful and harmonious mixture of grass-tinged herbal qualities and grapefruit-y ones. A lime-like palate cleansing finish makes this a good choice for summertime fare.
88 Michael Apstein – July 2, 2025… Read more
This exceptionally well-priced Sauvignon Blanc has everything that their Koha bottling has but with added depth and length. Overall, it is less overt and more refined without losing any of its exuberant energy. It’s a great choice for summertime fare.
93 Michael Apstein – July 2, 2025… Read more
San Leonardo, an under-the-radar producer of spectacular Bordeaux-blend reds, also makes this fine, racy Sauvignon Blanc. The slightly grassy and piquant nature characteristic of Sauvignon Blanc is apparent, but more as a condiment rather than the main course, imparting a stylish quality to the wine.… Read more
Mosnel, one of the top producers in Franciacorta, seamlessly combines Pinot Nero (also known as Pinot Noir) and Chardonnay with a touch (20%) of Pinot Bianco to produce this splendid Rosé. Though pale in color, it delivers plenty of pleasure with delicate hints of strawberry-like fruitiness coupled with depth, all supported by a fine spine of acidity.… Read more
In 1999, this family estate was certified as biodynamic, making it one of the first in Alsace to achieve that accreditation. Their clean and pure 2023 Pinot Noir focuses on the fruity aspect of the grape, with hints of minerals peeking out.… Read more
Get this. In Montefalco, producers actually use Sangiovese to soften Sagrantino, their signature grape. Remember, white grapes were used to soften the structured Sangiovese in the 19th century in the original Chianti recipe. That tells you pretty much all you need to know about Sagrantino, a grape that’s been described as the most tannic in Italy.… Read more
At 25 years of age, the 1999 Tignanello is a masterpiece.
Antinori’s Tignanello was a revolutionary, ground-breaking, and paradigm-shifting wine when it was released in the 1970s. Although the use of small French oak barrels (barriques), the incorporation of Cabernet in the blend, and the elimination of white grapes is now common in Chianti Classico, those ideas were unheard of at that time.… Read more
It is no secret than Ernst Loosen makes great Riesling. I tasted this, the first German Pinot Noir—I presume he labels it Pinot Noir instead of the German, Spätburgunder, for marketing reasons—of his I have had, side-by-side with a Bourgogne Rouge from his new project in Burgundy.… Read more
Ernst Loosen, the talented and dedicated German Riesling producer, has said he has always been struck how both Riesling and Pinot Noir transmit a sense of place. Well, now he has the chance to see the similarity first-hand because he has started to produce wines in Burgundy.… Read more
By now, everyone knows that the Marlborough region of New Zealand is famous for their Sauvignon Blanc. Well, it turns out, this Pinot Gris shows that the region is not a one-horse show. It offers a subtle and engaging pear-like nuance, good body, and vibrant acidity.… Read more
In 1900, Maurice Delaille purchased the Salvard estate in the Loire valley. Over the ensuing century the family expanded it, so now it encompasses just over 125 acres spread over several appellations. Since their viticulture and winemaking does not always conform to established regulations for a particular appellation, some of their wines, like this one, carry a generic and lowly Vin de France designation.… Read more
Schlittweg is a parcel within Brand, an Alsace vineyard classified as Grand Cru. Despite its location there, Baur’s Pinot Noir is prohibited from carrying Grand Cru on the label. Regulators allowed only vineyards planted to the four “noble” varieties, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Muscat, and Gewürztraminer, to qualify for Grand Cru designation.… Read more
The thick skins of Gaglioppo, replete with tannins, are responsible for the robust character of the reds from the Cirò DOC. Librandi, still family-run, is one of the leaders in the region. This wine, their flagship red, is made entirely from Gaglioppo grown in the Cirò and Cirò Marina communes, the historic heart of the DOC.… Read more
You might think that a white wine from sun-drenched and hot Calabria would be heavy. Not Librandi’s lively and vibrant Cirò Bianco. Made entirely from Greco Bianco, this fragrant beauty is fermented and aged exclusively in stainless steel tanks to capture it bright melon-y aspect.… Read more
This delightful light red is actually masquerading as a rosé. Made entirely from Cirò’s major red grape, Gaglioppo, it captures your attention with marvelous aromatics. The power and intensity characteristic of Gaglioppo appears in the body of this deliciously chewy wine.… Read more
Maison Drouhin, one of Burgundy’s most reliable négociants, shows the house’s talents with their low prestige wines, like this one. Every producer should make a stellar Grand Cru Burgundy, like Bonnes Mares, which often retails above $300 a bottle, but it takes real skill to craft an authentic Bourgogne, which is what Drouhin’s has done with their 2022.… Read more
Pinot Noir from Alsace has always flown under the radar. From my long experience with Hugel’s, I can say theirs are always top-notch when young, like this one, and develop magnificently with bottle age. The mid-weight 2023 delivers red crunchy fruit and a touch of spice, all supported by mild tannins.… Read more
Fabio Costantino explained that his father planted Minnella, a rare indigenous white grape, 50 years ago. They include a small amount of it in their Etna Bianco because, as he puts it, “we have it, so we use it.” He believes that the inclusion of both Catarratto (15%) and Minnella (5%) softens what could otherwise be an overly acidic Carricante in the Etna Bianco.… Read more
Fabio Costantino bristled when he was introduced as a Sicilian producer, remarking succinctly and pointedly, “Etna, not Sicily.” After tasting their wines, it is easy to understand why he called Etna “an island on an island.” The successive layers and flows of lava create enormous diversity of terroir, which has allowed the locals to create 133+ contrada or geographic areas, whose size range wildly.… Read more
Antonelli, located in Montefalco, is an outlier there in one respect—almost a third of their production is white, compared to about ten percent for the area in general. After seeing the quality of this wine, I understand why. Trebbiano Spoletino is not a clone of Trebbiano but has a different and unique DNA.… Read more
Traditionally, Librandi’s region of Cirò was a red wine-heavy area, but as Paolo Librandi explains, in the last 30 years the proportion of whites has doubled and now equals that of reds for them. Their Critone typically contains a small (10%) amount of Sauvignon Blanc, a grape rarely seen in these parts because, as Paolo explains, to farm it correctly, “you must live in vineyard at harvest time.”… Read more
Michele Satta was one of the founders of the Bolgheri DOC, so the estate is no newcomer to the area. That said, Satta’s blend is rare for the region because it includes a bit of Sangiovese, typically about ten percent. Giacomo, Michele’s son who took over running the estate in 2019, believes Sangiovese adds “freshness” to the wines.… Read more
Montagny, a village in the Côte Chalonnaise just south of the famed Côte d’Or that makes only white wine, remains an underappreciated site for white Burgundies. As usual, Domaine du Cellier aux Moines shows the heights an appellation can achieve. Les Combes, produced from young vines planted in 2012 in this south facing vineyards, displays the stoniness you’d expect from Montagny, but with an added touch of excitement.… Read more