December 12, 2018
I like the ripe, soft cherry smells and flavors and plush/creamy texture of this village-level wine from the Chalonnaise. The very warm, ripe 2015 vintage trumps the limestone soils and usual “feminine” style of Rully. That, and the nod to new-world winemaking practiced by Vincent Dureuil. Warm spices, candied orange zest and caramel peek through from mid-palate to end of the 20 second finish. This is a solid, sexy, drink-me-tonight Red Burgundy. More Information Rully appellation, Cote Chalonnaise, lies a mile from the Cote d’Or. Vincent Dureuil Janthial is here, growing grapes and making out-of-sight white and red Burgundies. Certified […]
December 11, 2018
Bright, energetic Red Burgundy from a vineyard directly above Nuits-Saint-Georges, on the plateau that designates Hautes-Cotes de Nuits. Feminine style: wild red cherries, cranberry, plums, talc, bay leaf, fresh red roses. Light bodied, intensity (a requirement of good Burgundy), perky acidity, fine tannins. I wish it was a little bit longer on the finish (clocked in at 10 seconds, not bad). There is no doubt you are drinking Burgundy, and a good one at that, with the Gavignet Hautes Cotes de Nuits Huguettes. More Information This is one of the hundreds of quality, well-priced wines (French & Italian) imported by […]
November 29, 2018
I really like this wine for its combination of Gamay-bright berry fruit, rustic character, light body, intensity of flavor and great price. Gamay, while not associated with Touraine (mid-Loire Valley, France) is definitely a “player” in the area, and rightly so. The cool climate, chalk/limestone soils and rich wine history make it a natural. Jean-Francois Merieau makes an honest, delicious, nervy style. Get raspberries, dried red cherries, tarragon, black tea and cola. A natural food wine. That said, I shared a bottle with my wife watching a film, sans food, and we were very happy. Opens up quickly. Jean-Francois Merieau […]
October 19, 2018
Notice straightaway the bright, fresh raspberry and strawberry flavors of Grenache in the Clos des Centenaires 2015. Peppercorns, dry French herbs and plenty of fine, gum-coating tannins give the wine its definitive Rhone character. Medium acidity and really good intensity make me think of fatty pork, duck and bacon as ideal food partners. No oak flavor to speak of. I recommend this all day & all night at $22. More Information 80 year old Grenache from the southern-most part of Costieres de Nimes and Rhone Valley. 100% Grenache. 1/3rd whole cluster ferment. Luc Baudet and importer Jack Edwards created this […]
October 19, 2018
I really like the delineation of flavors and richness of the Besson Givry Petit Pretans 2016. From a 30+ year old, Premier Cru vineyard in the Cote Chalonnaise, south of the Cote d’Or, in clay/limestone soil. Sports a deep, dark red, faint liqueur and plum sauce smell and flavor plus tarragon, truffle and black tea. This has plenty of structure and, more importantly, more stuffing than most Givry, especially from an ethereal vintage like 2016. Really nice now, but best drinking won’t start until 2022 I estimate. Here are all my Red Burgundy reviews (Red, White & Sparkling)
October 18, 2018
Wild red berry fruits, healthy acidity, meaty and spicy describe the Louis Cheze Cote Rotie Bellisima. Generous smells and flavors both in fruit and earth-driven flavors of iron, truffle and meat locker. Medium-high acidity, easy-going tannins. The theme here is intensity rather than sheer power. Drink now through 2025. To see all the Rhone Valley wines I’ve reviewed, GO HERE.
October 18, 2018
This is a rich, brooding Saint Joseph that delivers equal parts bold fruit and spicy olive & earthy qualities. Particularly ripe for Cheze, which is indicative of the 2015 vintage. Blueberries, blackberries, dry aged & raw leg of lamb, black olive tapenade and smoky vanilla smells and flavors permeate your sensations. Medium low acid and relatively low tannins. This will age nicely well into the next decade, but not sure it will improve. Drink up with joy, and with some grilled red meat if you’re into that sort of thing. Louis Cheze Saint Joseph Anges comes from 50+ year old […]
October 18, 2018
Fresh, bright strawberries and raspberries with a dusting of peppery spice and herbs de Provence is your first impression of Mas de Flauzieres Gigondas Four Danuga. It makes sense, as it is the winery’s “early drinking” wine: gentle tannins, neutral oak aged, transparency. The blend is 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre. Along with the red berries, pepper and herbs, with air also get deep red plums, sweet grapefruit and anise. It’s polished and super-pretty…nothing like the rustic style Gigondas is known for. Tasty now with best drinking I’d say 2020-2026. To see all the Rhone Valley wines I’ve reviewed, GO […]
October 17, 2018
70% Grenache, 30% Syrah. A throw-it-back Rhone red with character. Smell and taste dark raspberries, black pepper, sweet red plums, strawberries, black licorice, thyme and rosemary. No oak influence to speak of, medium acidity, soft tannins. This has very good concentration, as you would expect from an $18 Cotes du Rhone, to be honest. Have this with Monday night meatloaf, red sauces and firepit cooking. Operation Dragoon is made by Northern Rhone winegrower Pierre Gaillard for the California wine market. To see all the Rhone Valley wines I’ve reviewed, GO HERE.
October 17, 2018
An outstanding Northern Rhone Valley, France Syrah from the the northern portion of the 30 mile long appellation along the Rhone River. The Vincent Cluzel Saint Joseph 2016 offers up blueberry and dark wild cherry smells and flavors as it dances with classic sensations of smoky black olive, soy sauce, black pepper and bacon. Both pretty & uplifting and dense & chewy, this shows the quality and value you can get from high quality Saint Joseph. I just bought a six pack for myself (no lie). Drink now through 2025. Vincent Cluzel’s family owns and farms vineyards in Condrieu and […]
August 28, 2018
The Domaine des Coteaux des Travers Côtes du Rhône Char à Vin is 50% Grenache, 30% Carignan, 10% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah. Certified biodynamic winery. Opaque ruby color, nose of cooked fresh raspberries and cracked black peppercorns. It’s wild berry fruits first in the mouth with tasty, peppery spice and dried herbs de Provence swirling about. Soft tannins, medium acidity, juicy, quite bold and fresh. This is a very tasty Southern Rhone Valley red that, for $15 or less, is an easy choice for friendly dinners or when you’re all by your lonesome. More Information From the importer: “A char is a military […]
August 20, 2018
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I want a solid, straightforward, red wine with character for around ten bucks. Well, I tried the Boudinaud Syrah Grenache from the south of France recently, and BINGO this does it for me. The property borders the Southern Rhone Valley, so I call it a Rhone Red. Great fruit: ripe summer blueberries, blackberries and dark strawberries. Then a little black licorice, black pepper and cinnamon. It’s straightforward with medium acidity, no barrel flavors and soft tannins. And it TASTES like it’s from the Southern Rhone Valley. I’d happily have a case of this […]
July 25, 2018
A “friendly” young Gevrey Chambertin. From nose to the end of its 25 second finish get dark ripe cherries (griottes!), more ripe berries, plums and pomegranate, ripe tannins, a little cocoa and dry aged beef. Very accessible for such a young one. You could drink this tonight without guilt. More Information Owner/winemaker Arnaud Mortet is the winemaker and co-owner (with family) of Domaine Denis Mortet. These wines are made side by side, by Arnaud, with the Denis Mortet wines. This Gevrey is the first I’ve had of the Arnaud Mortet wines. I look forward to having more, and future vintages! […]
July 25, 2018
This is a blend of 75% Grenache, 25% Mourvedre. It has a deep, ripe core of sun-ripened blue and blackberries with a supporting cast of black currants, cola, leg of lamb (gamy), black pepper and mint. I like the power, and with a one hour decant I’d be happy to drink it tonight. But I think the best move is to cellar this short term. 2022-2030 drink zone sounds about right to me. For power, complexity and price (especially price), the Jerome Gradassi Chateauneuf du Pape takes me back ten years, when this was my favorite appellation. But with escalating […]
July 25, 2018
Domaine Santa Duc Quatre Terres is a blend of 70% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre and 5% combined of Cinsault, Carignane and Clairette. Grapes grow in four distinct plots owned and farmed by Santa Duc. (See below for more on this.) The wine marries ripe wild strawberries and plums with new leather, veal stock and black pepper character. It’s a straightforward red that delivers the goods for those looking for a good, honest Cotes du Rhone. More Information Santa Duc calls this Cotes du Rhone “Les Quatre Terres” because the fruit comes from four estate vineyards, one each in the […]
April 22, 2018
90% Mourvedre, 10% Grenache from Pibarnon’s Estate vineyard looking down on The Mediterranean. Deep, dark fruits go hand in hand with dark chocolate, smoked game and meat locker. Very structured and built to last – as good as it is now, I suspect this will shed its primary fruit and add layers of complexity in the future. 2025-2030 best drinking time, I’m guessing. Pibarnon is one of the great producers of Bandol, and this 2014 shows off their stellar reputation. 30-50 year old vines. Cement tank ferment, aged in large French oak barrels, small % new.
April 22, 2018
Pretty, bright red raspberries and wild cherries laced with red and pink roses, pink peppercorns and coriander. Ample, friendly, bright berry and dark citrus flavors, dances on the tongue, fine tannins along the gums. Overall this is super-friendly Beaujolais with character and good guts. For around $20, this is just about perfect for what it is. Chenas: one of the Beaujolais Crus but not often seen in the U.S. Durdilly farms a small plot of 60 year old Gamay vines in granite, schist and clay. Tank and neutral huge barrel aged.
April 22, 2018
Deep, rich Burgundy-red color. Smell and taste kirsch & framboise, fresh violets, warm buttered toast, pomegranate juice. Texturally, this is powerful, offering structure, fine tannins, delicious fruit and underpinnings of soil and Burgundy spice. This is a winner. Can’t wait to try some of his 1er Cru Red Burgs. More Information Rully appellation, Cote Chalonnaise, lies a mile from the Cote d’Or. Vincent Dureuil Janthial is here, growing grapes and making out-of-sight white and red Burgundies. The 2015 “En Guesnes,” a village-level vineyard, is my introduction to this winery and winemaker who has not yet reached 40 years of age. […]
April 22, 2018
A deep red, wild cherry nose with freshly-turned earth, allspice berries and black tea moves to a strong red berry/cherry flavor with savory spice and soil support. Good structure, fine and firm tannins, bright/bold fruit and a definitive character of Burgundy make this a screaming-good value in this category. Buy this while you can and enjoy it as your weekend-at-home Red Burg over the next 5 years. Gavignet is a winery/winemaker in Nuits Saint Georges making a handful of Premier Cru and Villages level NSGs. This Hautes Cotes de Nuits comes from a vineyard overlooking the village. Mature vines (20 […]
April 22, 2018
Perfumed, energetic aromas of blueberries, wild strawberries, new leather, lavender, black pepper and black olive (real Northern Rhone Syrah classic smells). The taste leads with the fruit with the spice and soil coming in strong from behind. I really like the balance of ripe, friendly fruit and Northern Rhone Syrah pronounced spice. Fleshy, structured and rather surprisingly ready to drink now (for a 2016). Christelle Betton started running the family property in 2003 (3rd generation), and then launched the winery. Very small producer – 15 acres under vine. There’s a pleasing marriage of old and new world style winemaking […]
April 22, 2018
A juicy red cherry and plum nose with a smidge of fresh red rose and talc. The taste is all reds with thumbs-up acidity for Bourgogne and a veil of tannins on the gums at the end. 2016 is a good Red Burgundy vintage overall, especially for “lowly” Bourgogne Rouge. Ripe, but not too much so. I’ve had a lot of classic, honest Burgundies from Agnes Paquet, including a delicious Crèmant. Located in the Cote de Beaune, so I’m assuming the fruit for this Bourgogne comes from here. That’s not too terribly important – what is important is the quality […]
March 28, 2018
Dark yet bright red cherries and berries, dried violets and red rose petals, pomegranate, sandalwood, dry-aged beef and wheat toast smells and flavors play nicely together in this classic, delicious Red Burgundy. I like its ripeness without suggestions of over-ripe (a possibility for 2015 Red Burgs). Showing intensity, tension, a fine grip of acid & tannins and generosity of flavor. This is a wonderful value and a great buy for Burgundy fans. The Maranges appellation, the southern tip of Burgundy’s Cote d’Or, is a great source for value-driven Red Burgundies. I find the really good ones, like this, have […]
March 28, 2018
Deep ruby, brilliant color prepares you for the rich, juicy and (relatively) powerful wine that is to come. Smell and taste ripe, dark red cherries and blueberries, violets, white pepper and black tea. A whisper of rocky-earth gives notice on the 20 second finish, along with more fruit. Medium acidity and tannins. Structured and, while so tasty now, is built to last. “Nice bigness” my notes say. This is an outstanding wine from a excellent vintage for Beaujolais. And a very fair price to boot! Domaine Les Gryphees own and farm hillside, 20-50 year old Gamay vines growing in granite, […]
March 14, 2018
100% Cabernet Franc growing in chalk and limestone. Organic farming (certified organic as of 2016). This is the real deal in Loire Valley Cabernet Franc. Smell and taste red currants, pomegranate, ruby red grapefruit, white pepper, blueberry, sage and Oolong tea. Has a healthy core of flavor to support the natural high acidity and firm, fine tannins. The newer appellation Saumur Puy Notre Dame, when grown well, made well and in a very good vintage (check check & check) offers fantastic value. From Importer Skurnik Wines: “Domaine de l’Enchanoir work a remarkable site of largely ancient limestone. 150 meters altitude, […]