($20): The Loire Valley produces a lot of sparkling wines under Crémant de la Loire appellation. Often overlooked are sparkling ones from other Loire appellations, such as this one from Saumur, an appellation that predates that of Crémant de la Loire and mandates that the grape come a smaller area just around the town of Saumur. … Read more
Category Archives: Reviews
De Chanceny, Crémant de la Loire (Loire Valley, France) Brut Nature 2015
($20): Crémant de la Loire is a category of sparkling wines that consumers should embrace. Many of these traditionally made (secondary fermentation in the bottle as with Champagne) bubblies provide great enjoyment at an affordable price. Take De Chanceny’s Brut Nature, for example. … Read more
Château de Villeneuve, Saumur-Champigny (Loire Valley, France) Cabernet Franc 2020
($20): The Loire Valley’s Saumur-Champigny appellation is a treasure trove for mid-weight Cabernet Franc-based red wines. Cabernet Franc, a grape that doesn’t tolerate drought well, is perfectly suited to the sponge-like water retaining capacity of the tuffeau stone (local name for chalk, which is omnipresent in this appellation that surrounds the picturesque town of Saumur) and explains why that grape accounts for well over 90 percent of the plantings in the appellation. … Read more
Gosset, Champagne (France) Excellence Brut NV
($48): Claiming to be “the oldest wine house in Champagne (Aÿ 1584),” Gosset makes a stylish line-up of wines. Their creamy and refined “Excellence,” their entry-level, non-vintage offering, delivers great enjoyment for the price. A good spine of acidity balances its pleasing roundness. … Read more
Château Rollan de By, Médoc (Bordeaux, France) 2015
($48): Château Rollan de By is a perpetual overachiever, and one of the several properties that now comprise Jean Guyon led Domaine Rollan de By and includes Château Greysac. The French wine authorities have awarded it Cru Bourgeois status, a category that sits just below the more prestigious Cru Classé. … Read more
Trapiche, Mendoza (Argentina) Malbec “Oak Cask” 2021
($10): Malbec, originally from Bordeaux and Cahors in southwest France, has become Argentina’s signature red grape. This bargain-priced one packs plenty of punch and hints of vanilla — the oak cask designation speaking. Its suave texture and intensity make it a fine choice for a summertime BBQ party. … Read more
Wölffer Estate, Long Isand (New York) Malbec 2019
($32): Wölffer Estate, though best known for their Rosés (they list seven on their website) make a bevy of other top-notch wines, including this Malbec. I am not a Malbec enthusiastic because all too often the wines are heavy, monotonic reds. … Read more
Palmer Vineyards, North Fork of Long Island (New York) Albariño 2021
($33): The Massoud family, who own Paumanok Vineyards on Long Island’s North Fork, recently acquired neighboring Palmer Vineyards, which means that the very talented Kareem Massoud made this wine. Albariño, best known for Spain’s wonderfully fresh and lively wines from Rías Baixas region, has been planted on Long Island since at least 2007 when Miguel Martin, former general manager and winemaker at Palmer who had lived in Spain, planted it. … Read more
Channing Daughters, North Fork of Long Island (New York) Cabernet Franc 2019
($30): New York is the country’s third leading state (behind California and Washington) in terms of wine production. The North Fork of Long Island is one of the state’s leading regions. Cabernet Franc does especially well there. Thankfully, over the last decade winemakers have transformed the character of their Cabernet Franc from a Cabernet Sauvignon-styled powerhouse to a lighter, Loire-style version. … Read more
Maison Louis Latour, Mâcon-Lugny (Burgundy, France) “Les Genièvres” 2020
($18, Louis Latour, USA): I’ve been buying and drinking this Mâcon-Lugny from Latour regularly since the 1979 vintage. It never disappoints and surprisingly, for a rather down-market appellation, actually develops beautifully with several years of bottle age. With the price of Côte d’Or white Burgundy through the roof, wines, such as this one, from the Mâconnais are the way to go for Burgundy lovers. … Read more
Domaine Eleni et Edouard Vocoret, Chablis (Burgundy, France) “Les Pargues” 2019
($43): This is another stunning example of Eleni and Edouard Vocoret’s talents. Like their Chablis Le Bas de Chapelot, their Les Pargues hits above its weight class, though with a slightly different profile. Flinty and stony, there’s a saline-like character in the finish. … Read more
Domaine Eleni et Edouard Vocoret, Chablis (Burgundy, France) “Le Bas de Chapelot” 2019
($43): Eleni and Edouard Vocoret are new kids on the Chablis block. Chablis-lovers would be wise to remember their names. Their domaine, not even a decade old, is spread over about a dozen acres in Chablis. Traditionally, producers in Chablis have not focused on its lieux-dits (named sites) that are under the village umbrella compared to say, Meursault, for example. … Read more
Maison Louis Latour, Volnay 1er Cru (Burgundy, France) En Chevret 2019
($100, Louis Latour, USA): Louis Latour, one of Burgundy’s leading négociants, hit a home run with their 2019 reds. From the array I’ve tasted, you could almost pick with your eyes closed and get a terrific wine. This Volnay 1er is especially attractive because of its seductive perfume, silky texture, and refinement. … Read more
Domaine Louis Latour, Corton Grand Cru (Burgundy, France) “Corton Grancey” 2019
($190, Louis Latour, USA): Louis Latour is King of the Hill of Corton because of the quality of the wines that emanate from their extensive holdings there. Corton Grancey, a blend from five distinct Grand Cru climats of Corton — Bressandes, Perrières, Clos du Roi, Grèves, and Chaumes — is their top red wine from the Côte de Beaune. … Read more
10,000 Hours, Red Mountain (Washington) Red Blend 2019
($35): It is fascinating to taste this Red Blend and its Cabernet Sauvignon brother side-by-side. They carry the same fine and up-scale Red Mountain appellation, and the same winemaking philosophy, presumably, but the result is refreshingly different. The bold power and fine texture are similar, but the focus is different. … Read more
10,000 Hours, Red Mountain (Washington) Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
($35): This big and bold Cabernet Sauvignon-heavy (84%) Bordeaux blend displays suave tannins and a luxurious texture, which makes it fine for current consumption. It is clearly fruity, yet balancing savory, olive-like, flavors emerge. There is even a trace of bitterness in the finish. … Read more
Reddy Vineyards, Texas High Plains (Texas) “The Circle” Field Blend 2017
($35): Though founded in 1997, Reddy Vineyards’ first wine under their label in was a 2015. Before then, Reddy sold grapes to other producers, who made medal-winning wines using those grapes. The story really started in 1971 when Vijay Reddy, a farmer from south India, immigrated to the U.S. … Read more
Caballus Cellars, Willamette Valley (Oregon) Pinot Noir 2016
($129): Caballus, a cooperative effort of Veronique Drouhin and Isabell Dutartre, two horse lovers, mothers, and winemakers, is a stunning wine that shows the heights Oregon Pinot Noir can achieve. Caballus starts with wonderful aromatics and them combines bright but subtle red fruit flavors with minerals. … Read more
Anselmet, Vallée d’Aoste DOC (Italy) Petite Arvine 2020
($40): Petite Arvine, commonly known just as Arvine, is native and almost exclusive to the Valais in Switzerland, but there are a few acres of it planted in the Aosta Valley. This one has a Viognier-like character, fruity and floral, yet not sweet. … Read more
Anselmet, Vallée d’Aoste DOC (Italy) Chardonnay “Mains et Coeur” 2019
($64): The team at Anselmet clearly thinks this is an important wine — heavy bottle, heavy wax seal that makes uncorking difficult. But this Chardonnay is worth the effort. It is a remarkably well-balanced of delicate fruitiness and minerality. There is an uplifting saline-like savoriness in the finish. … Read more
Cecchi, Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG (Tuscany, Italy) “Riserva di Famiglia” 2015
($32, Terlato Wines International): Cecchi’s Chianti Classico Riserva, unsurprisingly, is bigger and more powerful than their 2019 regular (annata) bottling. Weighing in at 14 percent stated alcohol, it has more power, yet retains elegance. The wood is still showing at this stage, but from my experience with their wines, it will become better integrated after another year or so in the bottle. … Read more
Cecchi, Chianti Classico DOCG (Tuscany, Italy) “Storia di Famiglia” 2019
($27, Terlato Wines International): This Chianti Classico shows why Cecchi is one of Tuscany’s top producers. Based in Castellina in Chianti, the heart of Chianti Classico region, Cecchi has fashioned a lovely, mid-weight wine that combines savory elements — earthy notes — with cherry-scented flavors. … Read more
Donnachiara, Taurasi Riserva DOCG (Campania, Italy) 2017
($50): Taurasi remains an underappreciated DOCG. Those unfamiliar with the wines from the volcanic soil in this part of Campania need to discover them. Donnachiara’s is a good place to start. Made entirely from the Aglianico grape, it has a tarry power that belies its modest, 13.5 percent stated, alcohol. … Read more
Bollinger, Champagne (France) “La Grande Année” 2014
($139, Vintus): Bollinger’s 2014 is an outstanding wine, filled with paradoxes. Which, of course, is one reason it’s so wonderful. Its power and simultaneous restraint is perplexing. Tightly wound at this stage, its power is still apparent, like a tiger ready to leap. … Read more
San Felice, Chianti Classico DOCG Gran Selezione (Tuscany, Italy) “Poggio Rosso” 2016
($70, Vision Wine and Spirits): Gran Selezione is a relatively new, not even a decade old, category of Chianti Classico. It sits at the pinnacle of the region’s quality pyramid, which now has the three levels: annata or regular bottling, Riserva, and finally Gran Selezione. … Read more
Campogiovanni, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG (Tuscany, Italy) 2016
($63, Vision Wine and Spirits): San Felice, a top Chianti Classico producer, also owns the Campogiovanni estate in Montalcino. They produced a stunning Brunello in 2016. The San Felice’s wines always express power, but they manage to modulate it so that the terroir is not overwhelmed. … Read more
Zorutti, Collio DOP (Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy) Pinot Grigio 2020
($15): Italy produces roughly 40 percent of all Pinot Grigio even though that grape is not native variety to that country, according to Daniele Cernilli, one of the world’s experts on Italian wines. As it has become an extremely popular wine in the U.S.,… Read more
Cobue, Lugana DOC (Lombardy, Italy) “Monte Lupo” 2020
($12): Lugana, a DOC on the southern shore of Lake Garda in Northern Italy, is a name to remember for white wines. The primary grape is Turbiana, also known as Trebbiano di Lugana. Locals prefer Turbiana, the historical name, to dissociate it from the mostly down-market family of varieties and grape strains associated with the Trebbiano name. … Read more
Antico Monastero, Moscato d’Asti DOCG (Piedmont, Italy) 2021
($15): This wine is bottled summertime. Spritz balances the healthy amount of residual sugar so it’s not cloying, just refreshing. And all of 5.5 percent stated alcohol means you can drink it all afternoon by the pool this summer. Or use it as a zippy and sweet aperitivo. … Read more
Marchesi di Barolo, Langhe Nebbiolo (Piedmont, Italy) “Sbirolo” 2020
($26, Frederick Wildman and Sons Ltd.): The name of this wine, Sbirolo, which means someone with an extroverted personality in the local dialect, describes the wine perfectly. A more succinct translation is “rascal.” This Sbirolo is expressive and in-your-face in a very nice way. … Read more
Mauro Veglio, Barolo (Piedmont, Italy) 2018
($45): This family-owned firm makes a range of Barolo from four of the important vineyards or cru in the DOCG and this one, made from grapes grown in La Morra and Monforte d’Alba where they also have vineyards. It’s a masterful blend that shows the value of the tradition of blending from throughout the Barolo DOCG versus the more recent trend towards single vineyard bottling. … Read more
Marchesi di Barolo, Barolo (Piedmont, Italy) “Barolo del Comune di Barolo” 2016
($63, Frederick Wildman and Sons Ltd.): The combination of an outstanding vintage (2016) and an outstanding producer (Marchesi di Barolo) equals an outstanding wine. The wine is a blend from their vineyards within in the municipality of Barolo, one of the 11 villages that comprise the DOCG and the one from which the DOCG takes its name. … Read more
La Casaccia, Barbera del Monferrato DOC (Piedmont, Italy) “Giuanin” 2019
($25): La Casaccia, a family-run winery with 20 acres of vines, has always been ahead of the curve. They started farming organically two decades ago, well before it became popular. For those unfamiliar with Barbera, and even for those who know that grape well, this is a beautiful example. … Read more
Marchesi di Barolo, Barbera d’Asti (Piedmont, Italy) “Peiragal” 2018
($27, Frederick Wildman and Sons Ltd.): In 1980, Ernesto, the patriarch of the family, either foolishly or prophetically planted Barbera in the Paiagallo vineyard, one of Barolo’s top vineyards for Nebbiolo. Valentina, his daughter, recounted that her father replaced the more valuable Nebbiolo vines with Barbera, even though he realized it was not in his economic interest. … Read more
Davis Bynum, Russian River Valley (Sonoma County, California) Sauvignon Blanc Virginia’s Block, Jane’s Vineyard 2020
($25): This mid-weight Sauvignon Blanc delivers plenty of concentration along with balancing energy. Its 14.5 percent stated alcohol announces itself with a touch of heat in the finish, but the overall effect is not one of heaviness, just intensity. It is a Sauvignon Blanc with power, which makes it a fine choice with tomato-based seafood dishes.… Read more
Dry Creek Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley (Sonoma County, California) Sauvignon Blanc “Fumé Blanc” 2020
($20): Dry Creek Vineyard has always excelled with Sauvignon Blanc. And the 2020 is no exception. A trio of Sauvignon species, Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Musqué, and Sauvignon Gris, comprise the blend of this winsome wine. Dry Creek names it Fume Blanc to remind the consumer it’s a Loire style of Sauvignon Blanc — zippy and mineraly — in contrast to those coming from Bordeaux. … Read more
Dry Creek Vineyard, Clarksburg (California) Dry Chenin Blanc 2020
($16): If there is a California Chenin Blanc that’s more enjoyable than Dry Creek Vineyard’s, I would like someone to tell me. Crisp and clean, it conveys a delicate fruitiness. Light and airy — only 12 percent stated alcohol — its verve and floral fruitiness are in perfect harmony. … Read more
Roger Goulart, Cava Gran Reserva (Penedès, Spain) Brut 2012
($20, Arano LLC): The Cava category, Spain’s unique sparkling wine, has several levels. One level below the pinnacle is Gran Reserva, a wine that must see at least 30 months of aging on the lees. Goulart doubles that and then adds another 12 months for good measure. … Read more
Bodegas Valdesil, Valdeorras (Galicia, Spain) Godello “Montenovo” 2020
($16, Polaner Selections): Valdesil, a winery synonymous with top-notch Godello, makes a lovely array of wines from that under-appreciated grape. This fresh and clean one is their “entry-level” wine. And what an entry it is! It’s a splendid introduction to Valdesil’s talents and the beauty of the wines made from this grape. … Read more
Château d’Épiré, Savennières (Loire Valley, France) 2018
($26, Kermit Lynch Wine Merchants): Chenin Blanc makes a wide range of wine, from this bone-dry version to fruity ones and lusciously sweet examples. Although regulations for Savennières, a small 350-acre appellation on the north side of the Loire River just southwest of Angers, allow for sweet wines, in reality the vast majority of wines from the appellation are dry. … Read more
Lucien Le Moine, Bourgogne Blanc (Burgundy, France) 2019
($62, vintus): Like Lucien Le Moine’s Bourgogne Rouge, the white punches far above its weight class. It delivers better concentration and depth than you would reasonably expect from this lowly appellation, especially since it weighs in at a modest 13 percent stated-alcohol. … Read more
Lucien Le Moine, Santenay 1er Cru (Burgundy, France) Clos Rousseau 2019
($100, Vintus): The wines from Santenay, an often-overlooked village of the Côte de Beaune, often display a touch of rusticity, charming in good hands, less charming in others. Clos Rousseau sits at the southern end of Santenay on the border with Maranges. … Read more
Lucien Le Moine, Bourgogne Rouge (Burgundy, France) 2019
($62, Vintus): Lucien Le Moine, a tiny “boutique” négociant, bottles only about 100 barrels of premier and grand cru red and white Burgundies annually (about 2,500 12-bottle cases). They are of uniformly high-quality, in short supply, and expensive. He also produces a Bourgogne Rouge and Bourgogne Blanc that are more readily available and punch far above their weight class. … Read more
Jacques Lurton, Entre Deux Mers (Bordeaux, France) Sauvignon Blanc “Diane” 2020
($14): If there is anyone who can made wine from Sauvignon Blanc, it’s Jacques Lurton, from the family that owns many properties through Bordeaux that produce a consistently stunning array of wines, both red and white. This lean and crisp Sauvignon Blanc conveys an appealing herbaceous aspect. … Read more
RGNY, North Fork of Long Island (New York) Viognier 2020
($27): RGNY stands for Rivero González New York. The family started in the wine business in 1998 in Parras Coahuila Mexico. Two decades later they acquired the Martha Clara Winery on the North Fork of Long Island. They have made a brilliant 2020 Viognier, a difficult grape to turn into an elegant wine because it needs to be fairly ripe to exhibit its charms. … Read more
Paumanok Vineyards, North Fork of Long Island (New York) Chenin Blanc 2020
($26): Paumanok Vineyards excels with Chenin Blanc. It’s always a delight. The 2020 is no exception. Crisp with a delicate fruitiness, it conveys the barest hint of sweetness. Its vibrant and balancing acidity, along with a modest 11 percent-stated alcohol, makes it an exciting wine to pair with sushi, spicy Asian fare, BBQ, or just sipping it as an aperitif. … Read more
Lieb Cellars, North Fork of Long Island (New York) Pinot Blanc 2020
($20): Engaging hints of white flowers are immediately apparent and predict a lovely wine. That prediction is correct. This Pinot Blanc is charming, crisp and clean. It may be lightweight in alcohol — 11.9 percent stated — but not in flavor or satisfaction. … Read more
Channing Daughters, Long Isand (New York) “Rosso Fresco” 2019
($23): Channing Daughters has always been an oddball on Long Island. Firstly, the deceased Walter Channing founded the winery on Long Island’s South Fork, as opposed to the North Fork where 90 percent of Long Island’s wineries are located. Secondly, he planted oddball grapes — at least for Long Island — including Dorfelder and Lagrein, to name just two. … Read more
Moulin de Chauvigné, Coteaux du Layon (Loire Valley, France) 2018
($19, Deprez Wines): Looking for a wine with a cheese course? Look no further. Producers in the Coteaux de Layon, a small appellation in the Loire, transform the Chenin Blanc grape into lush sweet wines, such as this one. Dark straw yellow, the wine delivers a honeyed richness first in its aromas and then on the palate. … Read more
Gambal-Work, Sta. Rita Hills (Central Coast, California) Chardonnay Bentrock Vineyard 2018
($45): It should come as no surprise that Gambal-Work’s Chardonnay should be outstanding, considering the beauty of Alex Gambal’s white Burgundies. This tightly wound one from the Bentrock vineyard displays a chalky minerality reminiscent of a top Chassagne-Montrachet. Youthful and reticent, it needs time in the glass to express itself. … Read more