($25, Folio Fine Wine Partners): 
Vall Llach, one of Priorat’s top producers, designates fruit from younger vines for their Embruix (bewitched in Catalan dialect). A 50/50 blend of the traditional varieties (Cariñena and Garnacha) with international ones (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah), it delivers a more modern expression of the appellation.… Read more
Category Archives: Reviews
Kumeu River, Auckland (New Zealand) Chardonnay Estate 2011
($34, Wilson Daniels): 
The grapes for this wine come from better-situated vineyards, either theirs or ones they manage. Indeed, they select the best fruit for this Estate bottling with the lesser quality grapes going into their excellent and very well-priced “Village” bottling, which, at $20 a bottle, is one of the best Chardonnays I’ve had at that price. … Read more
Cantina Roccafiore, Todi Grechetto Superiore DOC (Umbria, Italy) “Fiorfiore” 2012
($18, Vignaioli Selection): Grechetto di Todi, also known as Pignoletto, is a distinct variety from Grechetto di Umbria, the grape frequently used in Orvieto. So don’t think this is an Orvieto. Not surprisingly, given the name of the winery and the name of the wine, it is beautifully floral. … Read more
Château du Moulin-À-Vent, Moulin-à-Vent (Beaujolais, Burgundy, France) 2009
($38, Wilson Daniels): Technically from Beaujolais, the wines from Moulin-à-Vent stand apart and have more in common with the rest of Burgundy because of the granitic soil of the appellation. This is a broad shouldered robust Moulin-à-Vent, reflective of the warmth and ideal growing conditions of the vintage. … Read more
Château du Moulin-À-Vent, Moulin-à-Vent (Beaujolais, Burgundy, France) 2010
($38, Wilson Daniels): 
Similar to their 2009, Château du Moulin-À-Vent’s 2010 Moulin-à-Vent reflects the vintage’s cooler growing season. Fresher and more lively than their 2009, the 2010 has an uplifting sour cherry-like finish that begs for another sip. Still with the granitic edge and firm — not hard — tannins expected from top-notch Moulin-à-Vent, it’s more linear and less opulent compared to the 2009. … Read more
Silverado Vineyards, Napa Valley (California) Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Grown 2010
($48): Denser, more herbal and less fruity than their Merlot, this wine is quintessential expression of Napa Valley Cabernet. At this stage the tannins make it a less “friendly” wine — you don’t want a glass of it before dinner — but it’s a fabulous choice for prime rib. … Read more
Silverado Vineyards, Napa Valley (California) Merlot Mt. George Vineyard 2010
($35): This is real Merlot and shows what that grape, when handled properly, can do. Very aromatic, it conveys ripe black cherry-like fruitiness and a pleasant and subtle funkiness that is characteristic of top-notch Merlot. Broad and deep, it carries its ripeness — it weighs in at a 14.9% stated alcohol — effortlessly. … Read more
Jordan Vineyard and Winery, Alexander Valley (Sonoma County, California) Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
($53): 
Jordan continues to excel by sticking to the founders’ philosophy of making refined, not blockbuster, Cabernet Sauvignon. Their 2010 fits that mold beautifully. The bouquet is explosive, but in the mouth it is restrained and refined, seducing you with polish and persistence, not power. … Read more
Boschendal, Elgin (South Africa) Chardonnay 2011
($40, Pacific Highway Wines and Spirits): Elgin, a region about 60 miles south east of Cape Town, is known for its cool climate because of its proximity to the ocean. Chardonnay does well in cool climate because the lower temperatures at night allow the grapes to hold on to their acidity, which translates into freshness in the wine. … Read more
Cantina de Soave, Soave Classico (Veneto, Italy) “Rocca Sveva” 2013
($13): Cantina de Soave, a very good cooperative, makes a wide range of wines. The Rocca Sveva line is one of their upper level ones. This crisp Soave, clean and fresh, has a touch of fruitiness in the finish. Not the watery Soave so common decades ago, it has character. … Read more
Maison Louis Latour, Viré-Clessé (Mâcon, Burgundy, France) 2010
($18, Louis Latour USA): Viré-Clessé, a small, 500-acre appellation created only in 1998, was carved out of the Mâcon-Villages appellation because the wines from Viré and Clessé (along with a couple of other towns) had considerably more potential. Louis Latour, one of Burgundy’s top producers, has realized that potential with their 2010 Viré-Clessé. … Read more
Château Moulin-À-Vent, Pouilly-Fuissé (Burgundy, France) Vieilles Vignes 2012
($42, Wilson Daniels): Though Château Moulin-À-Vent focuses on their red wines, they also have old Chardonnay-planted vineyards in Pouilly-Fuissé. Their Vieilles Vignes bottling conveys the stony character of Pouilly-Fuissé. Tightly wound at this stage, I would give it a few years before pulling the cork even though it’s from the 2012 vintage, one known for lower-acid white wines, because there’s no lack of structure here — the old vines speaking, I’m sure.… Read more
Château Lassègue, St. Emilion Grand Cru (Bordeaux, France) “Lassègue” 2005
($150, Sovereign Wine Imports): 
The 2005 vintage was exceptional in Bordeaux, and, indeed, throughout France. The weather was perfect throughout the growing season. The right amount of sun and the right amount of rain at the right time brought the grapes to perfect maturity. … Read more
Robert Oatley, Yarra Valley (Victoria, Australia) Pinot Noir 2012
($20): The Yarra Valley, just northeast of Melbourne, is a cool region, nicely suited for Pinot Noir, which can lose delicacy if the weather’s too warm. Indeed, this Pinot Noir has a lovely lacey, delicate quality enhanced by uplifting acidity. A subtle savory character comes through the fruitiness, adding complexity. … Read more
Robert Oatley, McLaren Vale (South Australia) Shiraz 2012
($20, Pacific Highway Wines and Spirits): This is the kind of wine that made Australian Shiraz famous. It’s a little meaty, a little spicy, a little fruity and most importantly, not over done, alcoholic or over wrought. I’d even say it’s graceful, word rarely used to describe Australian Shiraz, and when it is, it’s describing a wine that’s far more expensive than this one. … Read more
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Horse Heaven Hills (Columbia Valley, Washington) Cabernet Sauvignon Canoe Ridge Estate 2011
($30): 
This marvelous Cabernet, approachable now, combines elegance with power. Not as concentrated as Chateau Ste. Michelle’s rendition from the Cold Creek Vineyard, this release from Horse Heaven Hills displays more refinement at this stage, while still delivering plenty of oomph. … Read more
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia Valley (Washington) Cabernet Sauvignon Cold Creek Vineyard 2011
($35): This broad shouldered, concentrated Cabernet combines dense ripe fruitiness with more than a whiff of black olives and herbs. With a hint of bitterness in the finish and fine balance, it would be a fitting choice for a charcoal grilled steak. … Read more
Michael Mondavi Family Winery, Napa Valley (California) Cabernet Sauvignon “Animo” 2010
($85): 
The grapes for Animo, (“spirit,” in Italian), come from the family’s vineyard atop Atlas Peak. Michael Mondavi, one of the sons of the late, legendary Robert Mondavi, explains that they chose the name because they felt the wine expressed the spirit of Atlas Peak. … Read more
Grgich Hills Estate, Napa Valley (California) Cabernet Sauvignon 2011
($60): 
This wine shows you can’t rely on vintage charts. The 2011 vintage in Napa was terrible for Cabernet Sauvignon, the valley’s signature grape. Unusually cool wet weather made it a struggle for Cabernet vines to fully ripen their fruit during the growing season. … Read more
Maison Joseph Drouhin, Saint-Véran (Burgundy, France) 2012
($21, Dreyfus, Ashby & Co.): Saint-Véran, a small appellation in the southern Mâconnais, has the potential to produce wines that are a touch more concentrated than those from the broader Mâcon-Villages appellation. The ripeness in this wine comes from both the appellation and the vintage. … Read more
Maison Joseph Drouhin, Pouilly-Fuissé (Burgundy, France) 2013
($30, Dreyfus, Ashby & Co.): 
Pouilly-Fuissé, the best appellation in the Mâconnais region of Burgundy, has such a following in the US that producers can bulk up yields or otherwise cut corners on quality. Drouhin does not. The first sip conveys the refinement that separates this appellation from the rest of the Mâconnais. … Read more
Maison Joseph Drouhin, Mâcon-Villages (Burgundy, France) 2013
($13, Dreyfus, Ashby & Co.): The Mâcon-Villages regional category of Burgundy is my go-to area for well-priced Chardonnay-based wines. Sadly, the overall quality of Mâcon-Villages is highly variable. That’s why it’s important to find ones from top-notch producers, such as Drouhin, a leading Burgundy négociant. … Read more
Château du Moulin-à-Vent, Moulin-à-Vent (Beaujolais, Burgundy) “Couvent des Thorins” 2012
($28, Wilson Daniels): 
Ever since the Parinet family purchased this iconic property in 2009, they have been making marvelous wine. They focus solely on wine from Moulin-à-Vent, one of the top crus of Beaujolais. Moulin-à-Vent is home to well-structured rich wines that often need years of bottle age — these wines are as far away from insipidly fruity Beaujolais-Nouveau as you can get. … Read more
Château du Moulin-à-Vent, Moulin-à-Vent (Beaujolais, Burgundy) Clos des Londres 2009
($100, Wilson Daniels): 
Yes, you read the price correctly — $100 for a bottle of Beaujolais. But to associate this wine with conventional image of Beaujolais — a fruity easy-to-drink wine — would be a terrible mistake. The wines from Moulin-à-Vent, though a village in the Beaujolais region, rightly stand apart from that region and carry their own appellation. … Read more
Robert Oatley, Margaret River (Western Australia) Chardonnay “Signature Series” 2013
($15): 
Those who still think Australian Chardonnays are big and buttery need to try this restrained example from Western Australian, an area at the forefront of producing stylish and balanced wines. With subtle green apple nuances, this linear wine captures your attention its vivacity. … Read more
Ponzi Vineyards, Willamette Valley (Oregon) Pinot Noir Reserve 2011
($60): Dick Ponzi was one of the Oregon wine pioneers when he and his wife established their winery and vineyard in 1970. At the time, scarcely anyone thought Oregon was a place to grow Pinot Noir. Well, he was correct, as Ponzi’s Pinot Noirs have shown over the years. … Read more
Kumeu River, Auckland (New Zealand) Chardonnay Maté’s Vineyard 2011
($52, Wilson Daniels): 
Readers know I am an enthusiastic fan of Kumeu River’s wines. For me, this one, named in honor of the patriarch of the family, is always their best. It holds that position in 2011. It conveys the all-too-often elusive balance of richness and vivacity, with just the right amount of each. … Read more
Sartori, Valpolicella Classico Superiore (Veneto, Italy) 2011
($15, Cru Artisan Wines): Andrea Sartori refers to their Valpolicella Classico as “the disappearing version” because so many producers are abandoning it for a wine made using the ripasso method, a technique that adds power. One taste and you’re glad this bottling hasn’t disappeared.… Read more
Sartori, Rosso Veronese IGT (Veneto, Italy) “Regolo” 2010
($20, Cru Artisan Wines): Though made entirely from Corvina Veronese, the most prized grape of Valpolicella, and grown in the mandated area, Regolo can not be labeled Valpolicella because Sartori uses the ripasso method — combining the wine with the lees of the prior year’s Amarone, adding yeast and starting another fermentation — which is prohibited by DOC regulations.… Read more
Sartori, Amarone della Valpolicella (Veneto, Italy) Corte Brá 2007
($50, Cru Artisan Wines): As good as Sartori’s Valpolicella and IGT Veronese wines are, this wine shows that Amarone deserves the reputation it has and why it has been awarded DOCG status. From grapes grown in the vineyard, Corte Brà, around the winery, this Amarone has great power without sacrificing elegance or complexity.… Read more
I Saltari, Amarone della Valpolicella (Veneto, Italy) 2007
($55, Cru Artisan Wines): This is an easy-to-recommend Amarone from the highly regarded 2007 vintage. It’s appropriately big and concentrated while retaining elegance and balance. The truly appealing character is an invigorating interplay between the sweetness of the fruit and the bitterness from the structure.… Read more
Castello Banfi, Brunello di Montalcino Riserva (Tuscany, Italy) Poggio all’Oro 2007
($140, Cru Artisan Wines): 
When Castello Banfi purchased land and established a winery in Montalcino in the late 1970s, the locals nervously joked that they would ruin Brunello’s reputation by bottling it under screw top — they were (and still are) the USA importer of Riunite.… Read more
Clau de Nell, IGT Vin de Pays du Val de Loire (France) Grolleau 2012
($57, Wilson Daniels): 
The Oxford Companion to Wine notes that Grolleau, a local red grape of the Loire, “produces extremely high yields of relatively thin, acid wine and it is to the benefit of wine drinkers that it is so systematically being replaced with Gamay and, more recently, Cabernet Franc.” … Read more
Clau de Nell, Anjou (Loire Valley, France) “Cuvée Violette” 2012
($57, Wilson Daniels): 
Here is an example of a wine that far exceeds the reputation of its appellation. Though there are well known appellations for red wines in Loire — Bourgueil and Chinon spring to mind — Anjou is not one of them. … Read more
Clau de Nell, Anjou (Loire Valley, France) Cabernet Franc 2012
($57, Wilson Daniels): 
Anne Claude Leflaive, who runs Domaine Leflaive, perhaps the most celebrated producer of white Burgundy, and her husband, Christian Jacques, purchased this domaine in 2008. It’s remarkable to see how a woman who made her reputation making some of the world’s greatest wines from the Chardonnay grape excels with Cabernet Franc. … Read more
Davis Bynum, Russian River Valley (Sonoma County, California) Pinot Noir Jane’s Vineyard 2012
($35): Davis Bynum was a visionary in the Russian River Valley when, in 1973, he was the first to bottle a single vineyard Pinot Noir. Forty years later, the winery is still focused on and making excellent Pinot Noir there. Though pure clean red fruit flavors is the initial message from the 2012 Jane’s Vineyard bottling, lovely herbal nuances appear over time, creating a harmonious wine. … Read more
Edna Valley Vineyard, Central Coast (California) Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
($15): Edna Valley Vineyard has hit the bull’s eye with their 2012 Cabernet. Concentrated without being aggressive or overdone, it conveys both fruit and savory notes. It has the complexity — not just fruit flavors — that makes Cabernet Sauvignon so revered. … Read more
Las Rocas de San Alejandro, Calatayud (Aragon, Spain) Garnacha 2011
($14): Here is another good choice when you need a robust red to go with burgers, skirt steak or even lamb cooked on the grill. A touch of spice in the finish complements the otherwise bright ripe fruit flavors. Suave tannins add support but not astringency. … Read more
Kumeu River, Auckland (New Zealand) Chardonnay Hunting Hill 2011
($45, Wilson Daniels): I admit it — I am an unabashed fan of Kumeu River’s Chardonnays, which I think are the best overall coming out of New Zealand. Surprisingly, they’re in Auckland — the wine region, not the city — one of the country’s smallest wine areas, responsible for a whopping 0.2 percent of the country’s wine production, and most of that is red. … Read more
Villa Maria, Marlborough (New Zealand) Pinot Noir Taylors Pass Vineyard 2010
($42, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates): Villa Maria has managed to capture both the sweet fruitiness and the savory aspect of Pinot Noir in this single vineyard bottling. Paradoxically, even the savory elements have a purity about them. The fine tannins provide needed backbone without being intrusive. … Read more
Attems, Venezia Giulia IGT (Italy) Pinot Grigio “Ramato” 2012
($18, Folio Fine Wine Partners): Despite its copper hue, Attems’ Pinot Grigio is not a rosé. Indeed, it is among the few renditions of Pinot Grigio that have an ever-so-slightly rusty pink color to them because the grape itself is pink skinned. … Read more
Castello Banfi, Rosso di Montalcino (Tuscany, Italy) Poggio alle Mura 2011
($32, Cru Artisan Wines): The best Rosso di Montalcino, such as this one, can truly be considered “baby” Brunello. Though they lack the complexity of Brunello, they are ready to drink sooner, provide a hint of the grandeur of the bigger brother, and are far easier on the wallet.… Read more
Castello Banfi, Brunello di Montalcino (Tuscany, Italy) Poggio alle Mura 2008
($72, Cru Artisan Wines): 
As much as I like Banfi’s Rosso from the Poggio alle Mura vineyard, their Brunello from that vineyard shows why Brunello is one of Italy’s great wine. The 2008 vintage, an excellent one for Brunello, was cooler producing structured racy wines.… Read more
Château Beaulieu, Côteaux d’Aix en Provence (France) 2013
($12, Opici Wines): 
This lacey, light salmon-colored wine could convince any skeptic of the charms of rosé. Dry with a hint of wild strawberries, the 2013 Château Beaulieu has an incredibly refreshing mouth-tingling crisp acidity. With a hint of spice and surprising — for rosé — complexity, it’s a great choice (and a great buy) for the waning days of summer.… Read more
René Bouvier, Marsannay (Burgundy, France) “Le Clos” 2010
($30, Sherbrooke Cellars Selection): 
Marsannay, the northern most appellation of the Côte d’Or and practically a suburb of Dijon, is one of the last outposts of the “golden slope” where the consumer can find authentic Burgundy at reasonable prices. Most Marsannay is red, but 15 percent of the vineyards are planted to Chardonnay, making it one of the rare white wines from the Côtes de Nuits. … Read more
McManis Family Vineyards, River Junction (Central Valley, California) Chardonnay 2013
($10): This Chardonnay is about as good as it gets for the price. McManis Family Vineyards has been — and continues to be — a leader in well made inexpensive wines. River Junction, essentially McManis Family’s personal AVA since they are the only commercial winery there, is located west of Modesto at the junction of the San Joaquin and Stanislaus Rivers and is cooler than the rest of the Central Valley. … Read more
Bonny Doon Vineyard, Central Coast (California) “Vin Gris de Cigare” 2013
($18): Most rosé is an afterthought. Most of it results from a technique called saignée or bleeding, used to enhance red wine (once a tank of red grapes has been macerated briefly and the liquid has taken on a bit of color). … Read more
Villa Maria, Marlborough (New Zealand) Sauvignon Blanc “Private Bin” 2013
($12, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates): A stunning bargain, Villa Maria’s “entry level” Sauvignon Blanc is piercing in an attractive way. From its aromatics to its delightful tartness and cutting edge, it awakes the palate. It’s a straightforward wine that may be too angular for some to drink as an aperitif, but its electricity makes it perfect for sushi, Asian fare, or grilled fish dribbled with olive oil. … Read more
Villa Maria, Marlborough (New Zealand) Chardonnay Taylors Pass Vineyard 2011
($42, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates): Villa Maria’s 2011 Taylors Pass Chardonnay stands with New Zealand’s best examples of wine made from that grape. It has an alluring flinty, almost smoky aroma, followed by substantial weight, but no heaviness. The flavors penetrate the palate while paradoxically floating above it. … Read more
Villa Maria, Marlborough (New Zealand) Pinot Noir Reserve 2008
($45, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates): 
It’s rare to find a Pinot Noir with this complexity and refinement at this price. With five years of age, it has developed beautifully. Leafy, even slightly mushroom-y, flavors are in the foreground pushing the bright fruit flavors of a youthful wine into a supporting role. … Read more