If you ever need a new nose for your 1983 Mercedes 230E, Chtaura in the Bekaa Valley is the place to go. It’s full of workshops keeping Lebanon’s extraordinary range of 1970s and ‘80s European and American cars on the road. Yet, while this area looks like the last place you'd expect to
This is a red wine you can chill for a bit, to enjoy during the summer. Even though it's from the famed Bordeaux region, don't hesitate to put it in the fridge for a half-hour or so before drinking -- as if it just came out of a wine cellar.
This 2016 from Bertani is focused and lively. Just-pressed Amarone grapes enhance the flavors of Valpolicella Ripasso wines with their rich, ripe, concentrated fruit. Clear notes of red and dark red fruit appear in the aromas and on the palate, and the fruit intensifies as the wine opens. Softened tannins
Chocolate-covered cherries and a light herbal touch roil up from the nose. Cherries dominate on the palate, with dark chocolate and raspberries joining on the mid-palate. Tannins are dusty, acids well-balanced. Drink with a great burger. Recommended. 89 points. DBH WHO: Rodney Strong WHAT: Merlot WHEN: 2014 DESIGNATION: Reserve WHERE:
Aromas of black currant, blackberries, cedar and tobacco leaf flow from the glass. Red fruit makes an appearance on the palate, raspberries adding to black plumbs and black currant. It is elegant and smooth, with hints of clove and spices. Drink with Kansas City Strip and bleu cheese mash. Highly
Blackberry, blueberry, and a bit of cherry rise up from the glass. Blueberry and cherry, fresh and candied, lead on the palate. More depth, with bramble and leather, come out on the mid-palate. Tannins and mouth-feel are round and opulent. Drink with duck. Recommended. 88 points. DBH WHO: Rodney Strong
Fun, fruity, opulent, and gently priced, this will make a mid-week meal feel like a weekend on the town. Rich, meaty and fruity aromas waft up from the glass, the crisp end of a prime rib, a touch of smoke, and cherry sauce. Boysenberry leads on the palate, settling into