Roussillon: The Terroir Lover’s French Riviera
On the very edge of Southern France and bound by an ampitheater of mountains and the sea, Roussillon in some ways is isolated from renown. This is the true South of France.
Behind the V-G-S of Chateau Potelle and a Record-Breaking Cabernet Sauvignon
The last thing I expected to hear at a posh luncheon showcasing the record-breaking Auction Napa Valley Cabernet, the 2016 Fourmeaux, presented by the distinguished Jean-Noel Formeaux of a centuries-old Bordeaux family, was that the VGS of VGS Chateau Potelle, stands for “Very Good S**t”. Seriously.
Comeback Merlot
in the latest April issue of Wine & Spirits Magazine, somms report a “modest uptick” in Merlot, the first since 1997. They cite Dan Davis of Commander’s Palace who said “the merlot comeback is coming. Now they just need to make a movie about it.”
Revelations From the Napa Valley Vintage Tasting: 2013, 2014 and 2015
During Premier Napa Valley, the trade have an opportunity to blind taste through three different vintages of 15 Napa Valley producers’ Cabernet Sauvignon wines. My original interest in attending this tasting in the past was to see if there was discernible vintage character, but now I also seek out brand styles, consistency and quality as they leap out of the glass vintage after vintage, and back-to-back.
Pinot Noir: The Burgundy Wine Lover’s Alsace
As a Bourgogne wines specialist, I was so pleased to discover Alsatian Pinot Noir at a recent dinner hosted by Vins d’Alsace …
Bordeaux 2014: The Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux and an Exceptional Autumn Define a Vintage
The Unions des Grands Crus de Bordeaux tasting in San Francisco last month illustrated the 2014 red vintage beautifully. It was a vintage where one of the best Indian summers in a century truly ‘saved’ the vintage and produced red Bordeaux of power and freshness.
The Wine Lover’s Grape Jelly
The 2016 Napa Harvest is underway. At home, I hand-harvested my own single-vineyard, dry-farmed Zinfandel grapes last week and wanted to make a jelly with a little more distinction and less sugar than most. So I thought like a winemaker. I fermented them.
Napa Harvest 2016: Even Ripening Points to Beautifully Balanced Wines at Mumm
While El Nino generally turned out to be a bust, it seems to have given the vines just the oomph it needed, along with good weather during bloom. This led to more even fruit set and uniform ripening
Standing On The Shoulders of a Giant: Robert Mondavi
Robert Mondavi left a great legacy to the Napa Valley but one of his most enduring gifts may be the core values he drove into his own team of successors, each of whom have also changed the world of wine in their own way
Beyond Big Chardonnay: Rombauer Uncorked
Rombauer Vineyards still makes those rich, full-bodied and buttery Chardonnays that many people love but at a tasting yesterday, I found that they do so much more. If you haven’t visited them lately, it’s time to revisit and discover their wines all over again.
Belle Epoque at Far Niente With New Bella Union Napa Valley Cabernet
Far Niente literally means ‘without a care’ and guests immediately feel that ambiance when visiting the Oakville estate because of its spell-binding …
Napa Harvest 2015 Begins at Mumm With a Light But Beautiful Crop
For Mumm, an early and light crop, but one with low yields and clean, healthy grapes portends a vintage with a divine purity of fruit
Judgment of Grgich
Mike Grgich is renowned for having crafted the Judgment of Paris Chardonnay but what sets apart award-winning wines from truly great wines? The ability to age. I recently attended a vertical of Grgich Chardonnay from the 1970s to today, and this is what I found.
Hall Wines in Napa Valley: Art That Makes You Smile
Whenever I think of HALL Wines, I think happy. One can never drive past the leaping 35-foot Bunny Foo Foo without …
Tasting Notes: The 2012 Vintage Bordeaux of The Unions Des Grands Crus
The annual Unions des Grands Crus Bordeaux tasting in San Francisco is one of my favorite tastings of the year. It is where I can discern the true potential of any vintage including the challenging 2012 season, which saw a cool, wet spring, a dry, sometimes hot summer and wet autumn.