Aromas of black fruit, blackberry, earth, plums, and a touch of red raspberry on the edges. The nose seems quite dark and the Syrah showed through as the most prominent component to me, even though it only comprises 20% of-read more-
Bright, medium-deep intensity, ruby with some purple. On the nose, dark fruit, bramble, blueberry, black cherry, raspberry jam. All fruits are on their way to being cooked, but not stewed. New oak, baking spice, vanilla, some herbs—but not prominent. Dry,-read more-
A big mouthful of licorice and purple fruits, with some unsweetened chocolate undertones, a real tooth-stainer, with a spicy follow-through. Tannins are solid, almost chewy. The finish falls off rather quickly, but the Quality to Price Ratio (QPR) is very-read more-
A fine rosé is a wonderful thing. Not only does it massage the palate, but it’s also an intellectual exercise, a philosophical study, and a work of art. That’s a lot of gravitas for what’s often dismissed as a lightweight-read more-
A knockout of a red wine from the somewhat obscure Jumilla region of Spain. Made from Monastrell, known in France as Mourvèdre, it is high in alcohol (15%) and presents a heady mix of lush and brawny characteristics. Lovely nose-read more-
For my 40th birthday I took a much-needed get away to Napa. We visited my friend Jeff Miller and his wife Beryl. Jeff lives in Napa and grows and makes wines in the Suisun Valley AVA under several labels: Seven-read more-
Great flavor profile on this wine with lots of black fruit, earth, and spice notes. This is a big wine, but not in an aggressive sense. It still has enough elegance to win most people over—at least everyone at our-read more-
I will confess I am partial to Bonny Doon’s wines, but the 2008 Vin Gris de Cigare is one of the finest rosés I’ve tasted. I keep several bottles well chilled at all times. A blend of grenache, cinsault, roussanne,-read more-