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-
Very fruit-forward with mixed black and red fruit, mulberry and sweet cherry, with leathery tannins and a little black pepper. It is smooth, slightly sweet, a little young, and one-dimensional. There are no changes from attack to mid-palate and the-read more-
This is just absurdly good for the price. Blackberry, mulberry, and black cherry all float above a cloud of cigar smoke and tar. There is also a tremendous mineral streak of molten rock. Tannins are taught but smooth. Drink with-read more-
When I went to a dinner featuring D.O. Madrid wines about two years ago, the wines were a mix: from overly fruity to international style to more sophisticated; some were old-fashioned and some seemed young and carelessly made. But I-read more-
Just recently had the '06 Doyenne Syrah and thought it was great. In comparison to the AIX, this one is just a touch more drinkable, mostly because of the increased acidity. Again, a big Syrah from Doyenne, with broad mouthfeel-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-
The Palate Press Wine of the Week, May 30-June 6, is:
This under $30 Syrah was probably not intended to sleep in the cellar until 2010, but it awakened with surprising maturity and complexity. A wine described as "lavishly oaked" two or three years ago is now balanced, aromatic, and flat-out-read more-