Let me get straight to the point. The 2019 vintage for Brunello di Montalcino is fabulous! I make this assessment after tasting 35-plus examples of the recently bottled and released wines in New York City in November. There wasn’t a loser in the bunch. … Read more
Category Archives: WRO Articles
The Amazing 2022 Burgundies
Let me cut directly to the chase, or rather, the bottom line: Buy as much of the 2022 Burgundies—both red and white—as your budget allows. I give this advice after having been astonished by the results of my annual tasting trip to Burgundy in November. … Read more
Remembering Mike Grgich: The Man Who Put California Wines on the Map
The wine world lost a giant last month. Miljenko “Mike” Grgich, the man who thrust California wine onto the world’s stage, died at age 100 at his home in Calistoga in the Napa Valley.
Grgich, more than anyone, is responsible for California’s reputation as a place that could make great wine when his 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay took first place at a wine competition that pitted France’s best white Burgundies against upstarts from California. … Read more
Terroir is Alive and Well on Mount Etna
One of things I adore about wine is how it expresses Mother Nature. The same grape grown in adjacent vineyards and turned into wine by the same winemaking team can taste very different. Winemakers attribute the differences to the composition of the soil (limestone, clay, or sand) exposure to the sun (do the grapes benefit from the gentler warming of the morning sun or the more intense afternoon sun?),
… Read more Object Lesson in Excellence: E. Guigal’s Côte-Rôtie “Château d’Ampuis” 2019
The Guigal family, the elder Marcel and his wife Bernadette, and their son Philippe and his wife Eve, have always focused on site specificity in the great Northern Rhône appellation of Côte-Rôtie. It started in 1966 when they bottled wine separately from La Mouline, a 2.5-acre vineyard planted with both Syrah and Viognier, in an amphitheater on the Côte Blonde slope of the appellation. … Read more
Three Takes on Second Wines
No one wants to be second. Nobody strives to come in second. Second place is just not built-in to our DNA. For example, my daughter, a NCAA Gold Medal winner coxswain during college, referred to a Silver Medal winner—2nd place—as “the first loser.” … Read more
Oregon: The Latest French Invasion
The French have always played an important role in the American wine industry. Burgundy-born Paul Masson started making wine in California in the late 19th century, followed by Georges de la Tour, founder of Beaulieu Vineyards, in 1900. The second wave started in 1973 when Moët et Chandon established Domaine Chandon in Napa Valley. … Read more
The Wines of Laudun: Under the Radar Now, but Not for Long
The French wine authorities, Institut National de l’Origine et de la Qualité (INAO), are notoriously rigid and immoveable. However, they are poised to change the pecking order in the Rhône, putting the wines from Laudun on a level, administratively, at least, with Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas. … Read more
A Greek White Instead of Rosé
Memorial Day means summer, which, of course to some people means rosé. But for me it means light to mid-weight white wines with energy, verve, and most of all, character. There are lots of French whites that fit that category, from zippy Muscadet to flinty village Chablis, to simple Bourgogne Blanc, to racy Sancerre. … Read more
Tenuta di Capezzana’s Ghiaie della Furba
In 1979, Ugo Conti Bonacossi, owner of Tenuta di Capezzana, the leading estate in Carmignano, created a unique Super Tuscan wine, Ghiaie della Furba (literally, pebbles along the Furba stream). It should come as no surprise that a grower in Carmignano should make a Super Tuscan because, after all, Carmignano, not Bolgheri, was the birthplace of the concept. … Read more
Don’t Miss Maison Latour’s 2020 Burgundies
Founded in 1797 and still family owned and operated, Maison Louis Latour is one of Burgundy’s top producers. In addition to their own 120 acres of vineyards (over half of which are Grand Cru, making them the largest owner of Grand Cru vineyards in Burgundy) they are one of Burgundy’s best négociants as well. … Read more
Burgundy Buying Blueprint for the 99-Percenters
Even a brief glance at on-line ads from wine retailers shows that Côte d’Or Burgundy has become prohibitively expensive for everyone except the so called “one-percenters” at the very peak of the wealth pyramid. And I’ve seen even some of them balk at the prices. … Read more
Maison Louis Latour Made Outstanding 2020s
The 2020 vintage in Burgundy, currently on the market, is the third hot—temperature wise—vintage in a row. It’s also a “hot” vintage judging from some critics’ reviews and retailers’ enthusiasm. Hot vintages are tricky, especially in Burgundy. The good news about growing seasons with hot, sun-drenched days is that the wines have ripe flavors and lack green, unripe ones and the accompanying palate-searing acidity. … Read more
Beaujolais Nouveau Day: May it Rest in Peace
On the third Thursday of November the streets here in Beaune are getting ready to accommodate the crowds that will descend on this charming village to take part in the activities leading up to the annual Hospices de Beaune wine auction, which always occurs the following Sunday.
… Read more Changes in Chianti: A Boon or TMI?
ou’d think that a region like Chianti, with world-famous name recognition, would just adopt the motto, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Not so. Changes today abound in the area, specifically the sub-regions of Chianti Classico and Chianti Rùfina, that might well lift the wines to new quality levels.
… Read more Red Wines of Provence and Notable Rosés
Rosé naturally comes to mind when thinking of the wines from Provence. But I’m here to tell you that at least one appellation in the region, Les Baux de Provence, makes terrific reds. They also make excellent rosés. Yes, you read that correctly. … Read more
Wines from Spain’s Ravishing Rueda are Perfect for Summer
The hot and muggy days of summer call for zippy refreshing wines. While many people reach for rosés at this time of the year, I find most of them to be innocuous, lacking character. Instead, I suggest trying Spanish whites from Rueda. … Read more
Aligoté: Burgundy’s Other White Grape
White Burgundy is made from Chardonnay, right? Well, mostly. There’s another white grape in Bourgogne, Aligoté, that makes zippy, energetic wines perfect for summertime, and ones that are — I might add — are mostly affordable. Not an afterthought, Bourgogne Aligoté is treated with respect by top end producers, such as Coche-Dury, whose $300+ per bottle rendition is definitely not in the “affordable wine” category. … Read more
A Bullseye for Bichot
The house of Albert Bichot made an outstanding line-up of both red and white Burgundies in 2020, no mean feat since the growing conditions made success with both colors difficult because of the heat. Many critics, myself included, have raved about the overall success of the 2020 vintage for white Burgundies. … Read more
Don’t Overlook Village Burgundies
I’m just back from a week in Burgundy where I attended a spectacular week-long series of tastings, Les Grands Jours de Bourgogne, which turned out to be one of my best tasting experiences ever. Held biannually, visitors move from Chablis in the north to Mercurey in the Côte Chalonnaise, tasting wines from a group of villages each day. … Read more
Bells Up: A Tiny New Oregon Estate
With only a 600-case annual total production, Bells Up is tiny, but their wines tell me their imprint will be huge. Bells Up is a musical term, and since I know little about music, I will quote from their website: “‘Bells Up’ refers to a dramatic moment in classical music where the composer instructs French horn players to lift the bells of the 
instruments up and project sound with maximum intensity. … Read more
The 2017 Brunellos: Like Wagner’s Music-Not as Bad as It Sounds
In the two years of this pandemic, I’ve been reluctant to attend public tastings. I’ve been to exactly two. A group of maskless people—spitting—seems like a very high-risk activity. The two tastings, assessing the 2016 and 2017 vintages of Brunello di Montalcino, indicate of the importance I attach to the wines of that tiny Tuscan town.
… Read more An Early Look at the Excellent 2020 Vintage in Burgundy
The 2020 Burgundies, both reds and whites, are, in short, excellent, making it the the best vintage from that area since 2015. It’s been over a decade—2010—since a vintage has excelled in both colors. Offers for these 2020s as futures are just starting to appear. … Read more
Profile: Mazzei Castello di Fonterutoli, Toscana IGT “Siepi” 2019
Siepi, a single vineyard blend of roughly equal amounts of Sangiovese and Merlot, is a true Super Tuscan wine. The vineyard, believed to be one of the oldest in Italy, dates from the 15th century if not earlier, its existence having been noted in a document from 1435. … Read more
2016 Brunello di Montalcino: Don’t Miss Them
The great success of the 2016 vintage throughout Tuscany suggested that the just-released 2016 Brunello would be memorable. Is it ever! To my mind, it is, by far, the best vintage since 2010. I certainly prefer the 2016s in general to the more powerful and overdone Brunello from the much-hyped 2015 vintage. … Read more
2019 Burgundies: A Mixed Bag
While consistency is rarely a word used when describing Burgundies, the 2019 Burgundies present the consumer with an even greater-than-usual stylistic variation. The usual suspects explain the diversity of the wines: Frost, poor flowering, and heat. Frost, which affected areas almost capriciously—some vineyards lost 40 percent of their grapes, while adjacent ones were spared—reduced the crop in many appellations. … Read more
The 2019 Cru Beaujolais Releases
The world loves Beaujolais. And for good reason. The various red wines of the Beaujolais region provide something for everyone, from simple “everyday” pizza wine to far more serious and structured ones from the crus, the top ten named villages. Sometimes the wines from the crus do not even carry the word Beaujolais on the label. … Read more
Single Vineyard versus Multi-Vineyard Blends
Dr. Laura Catena, the managing director of Bodegas Catena Zapata, Argentina’s most famous winery, quips that her father, Nicolás Catena, must have known about fighting climate change before anyone else. In 1992, his neighbors considered him foolish when he started planting vines at high-altitude. … Read more
Castellare di Castellina (IGT Toscana) “I Sodi di S. Niccolò” 2017 (Imported by Winebow, $85) 97 Points
The 2017 vintage represents the 40th anniversary of I Sodi di S. Niccolò, a truly iconic Italian wine. It was likely the first Super Tuscans from Chianti Classico area using autochthonous grapes. It showed—and continues to show—the extraordinary heights the wines from the Chianti Classico region can reach. … Read more
Rosé-Nothing but Rosé
Readers may find it odd that I, who am generally unenthusiastic about rosé, should be writing about that category. And enthusiastically at that. However surprising that may be (even to me), I stumbled across a category of rosé, Bardolino Chiaretto DOC, that is stunning. … Read more
Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato: An Overlooked Gem in Piedmont
Granted, Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato is not the first wine people think of when they think of Piedmont. Well, Agricola Ferraris shows us why it’s time to broaden our horizons.
First, let’s untangle the nomenclature. Ruché (spelled Ruchè in Italian and pronounced roo-kay) is an aromatic red grape with excellent levels of malic acid that accounts for the wines’ freshness and vivacity. … Read more
Costières de Nîmes: Overlooked Southern Rhône Gem
Even those who know little about wine recognize the name Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Wine enthusiasts can name other important appellations in France’s southern Rhône Valley, such as Gigondas, maybe even Vacqueryas. Really savvy consumers know that Vinsorbres, Rasteau and Cairanne, previously included under the Côtes du Rhône-Villages umbrella, have achieved their own appellations, and that Sablet and Seguret are two of the 21 named villages that remain under that umbrella. … Read more
Look to Collio for White Wines for Summer
Regardless of what you’re eating this summer, a white wine from Collio will fit the bill. This small region with fewer than 4,000 acres makes a broad range of white white wines extending from lively and fresh examples to ones substantial enough to stand up to a steak. … Read more
Look to Collio for White Wines for Summer
Regardless of what you’re eating this summer, a white wine from Collio will fit the bill. This small region with fewer than 4,000 acres makes a broad range of white white wines extending from lively and fresh examples to ones substantial enough to stand up to a steak. … Read more
Etna Erupts
One of the great things about Italian wines is that so many notable ones, both white and red, fly under the radar. Everyone’s familiar with the great wines of Tuscany, Chianti Classico and Brunello, to name just two, and from Piedmont, home to Barolo and Barbaresco, but these wines often command triple digit prices, commensurate with their reputations.
… Read more Terroir is Alive and Well in Barolo
With three wines, all made from Nebbiolo grape, the Marchesi di Barolo, a top producer in Piedmont, shows the importance of terroir. The French, especially the Burgundians, have long insisted that the idea of terroir—where the grapes grow—is fundamental to the character of the wine. … Read more
2016 Brunello di Montalcino: Don’t Miss Them
The great success of the 2016 vintage throughout Tuscany suggested that the just-released 2016 Brunello would be memorable. Is it ever! To my mind, it is, by far, the best vintage since 2010. I certainly prefer the 2016s in general to the more powerful and overdone Brunello from the much-hyped 2015 vintage. … Read more
The Joys of Exploring Italian Wines
One of the many things I adore about Italian wine is its seemingly limitless depth. You can always uncover a wine area or category unbeknownst to you, even if it’s been known to the Italians themselves for decades. Take, for example, Albana Romagna. … Read more
New Bordeaux Varieties
If this keeps up, the French will need to stop complaining about bureaucratic delays. In just two years, the Institut National de l’Origine et de la Qualité (INAO), the regulatory body for French wines, has approved six new grape varieties that can be planted in Bordeaux and included in the blend of the wines. … Read more
A Guiltless Way to Enjoy Sauternes
I love Sauternes, but rarely drink that sweet wine. One reason is that the classic combination of foie gras and Sauternes hardly ever comes up these days. But the major reason is that a little goes a long way. One glass as dessert is divine. … Read more
Changes and Consistency at Merry Edwards
Changes abound at Merry Edwards Winery, one of California’s leading Pinot Noir producers. In 2019, Louis Roederer, the Champagne house, purchased the winery, adding it to their already impressive group of California properties. With the 2018 vintage, Heidi von der Mehden took over from Merry Edwards herself as winemaker after working with her since 2015. … Read more
Gifts for Wine Lovers…or for Those Who Want to be Wine Lovers
At this time of the year, people can be understandably fearful of giving wine to their wine-loving or worse, wine-geek, friends. So, here are some fail-safe suggestions, both vinous and educational. Plus, an essential but inexpensive gift item that would be a perfect as a stocking stuffer.… Read more
Castello di Fonterutoli, Leading the Way
With the release of a trio of 2017 Gran Selezione wines, Castello di Fonterutoli is leading the way, showing the importance of terroir—site specificity—in Chianti Classico. Chianti Classico producers have long proclaimed that there are major differences among the wines produced in the region’s nine subzones. … Read more
In Praise of Regional and Village Burgundy…or, Where to Find Value
Simple economics explains why the wine from Burgundy, or Bourgogne, as the French would now like us to call it, has become expensive. Really expensive. French wine regulations limit what can be planted where (a.k.a. the supply) and demand has increased as new markets around the world, such as China, Japan, and Russia, to name just three, discover Burgundy’s allure. … Read more
A Rogue in Oregon
One definition of rogue is “something out of the ordinary.” It is fitting, then, that the Naumes Family Winery is located in Oregon’s Rogue Valley, because they certainly do something out of the ordinary. Ordinary, in terms of Oregon wine, is pretty clear: superb Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and notable Pinot Gris. … Read more
Pouilly-Fuissé Vineyards Finally Get Premier Cru Status
The Nazis were responsible for the lack of Premier Cru vineyards in Pouilly-Fuissé. As Frédéric Burrier, the head of the Pouilly-Fuissé growers’ organization, explains: In the 1940s, in Occupied France, the Germans could requisition village wines, but had to pay for ones, at least theoretically, from a higher classification.
Site Trumps Everything
Tasting a line-up of the 2016 Gary Farrell Pinot Noirs shows why Theresa Heredia, the winemaker for wines, is adamant about the importance of site. Same grape variety, same vintage, same winemaking, so how else to explain the wonderful difference between the Pinot Noir she made from grapes grown in the Fort Ross Vineyard in the Fort Ross—Seaview AVA and the one made from those in the Toboni Vineyard, located in the Russian River Valley?
… Read more A Winery in…L.A.?
California red wine selling for $150+ a bottle is not a rarity anymore. But who’s heard of a Los Angeles winery selling one for that price? For that matter, who’s heard of Los Angeles wineries at all? If you haven’t, you’re not alone. … Read more
Bichot is Back
If I needed any convincing—and I did not—that Bichot, the venerable Beaune-based Burgundy négoçiant, is back, it was after tasting a line-up of their 2018s. That vintage was precarious for winegrowers because the weather provided the potential for both fabulous wines or over-ripe ones with high alcohol levels depending on harvest date, location of the vineyards, and viticulture practices.
… Read more Focusing on Terroir, Following Burgundy’s Lead
If terroir—that French concept that where the grapes grow determines the character of the wine—is so important, why haven’t American consumers embraced it? Maybe wine appellations, which should define terroir, are just not all that important. That could be, but I doubt it.… Read more