In 2009 the Cauquenes region of Chile suffered a terrible earthquake, and therein lies a tale of temblors and terroir. The earthquake wrought significant destruction there, and the winery did not go untouched. Barrels were thrown everywhere. Winemaker Baptiste Cuvelier-read more-
Having received a floor model of the Aromaster wine aromas kit from the manufacturer, I played with it a bit at first, and now I’m enjoying delving into it more intensely. The Aromaster kit is a collection of 80 little-read more-
Green pepper, rather than black, on the nose with hints of thyme in the background. Some blackberry notes but no great fruit and mildly herbaceous. Still, certainly a serviceable quaff in an everyday Italian. A good wine for spaghetti or-read more-
If you think all California syrah is huge and unambiguously fruit-forward, this 2009 Wylie from Edmunds St. John will force you to reassess the variety’s profile in that state. It does offer a juicy, mouth-watering character, and a pleasantly fresh-read more-
Clear, bright, soft golden color. Medium intensity aromatics of pear, apricot, crème brûlée, and stone. Dry on the palate, with medium acidity, medium alcohol, and flavors of pear, apple, citrus, lemon water. A little alcohol is noticeable as the wine-read more-
A Napa biggie, a cousin of the pricier Quintessa. Nose of blackberry, eucalyptus, and earth. Rich feel on palate seemingly coming from myriad directions: dark currants, cocoa/chocolate, even some hints of pumpkin pie spice blend. The fruit, however, is a-read more-
Two Central Coast vintners walked through a pristine-looking vineyard last fall—it had no cover crop, a usual sign of organic or biodynamic farming—explaining why they use herbicides. "We need to do it to keep our business sustainable," one said. The-read more-
Vinified in stainless steel (70%) and neutral oak (30%). Clear, bright, medium golden yellow color. Clean nose with medium intensity aromatics of peach, orange, sweet floral, and cream. Dry on the palate with medium acidity, medium-full body, and flavors of-read more-