When a cousin told me her only wine memory of her beloved father was his penchant for Chateauneuf, I had the thought to give her a Proustian experience. The vehicle... read more →
Philippe Bordes retired from plumbing and swapped out a drain snake for secateurs as he turned to the vineyards. From 9 hectares in Saint Chinian, with his wife Emma, they... read more →
Spain’s hot Alicante region is not known for its great wine for good reasons. They are far and few between. But La Zafra, making wine since 2016, is bottling sincere... read more →
Donkey & Goat is grown in California and made in Oakland. The 2022s are worth your while, but this one stands out as one of my top picks from Tracey's... read more →
From two separate vineyards, stainless élevage and small amount of whole cluster fermentation. The whole cluster gives the wine life as both syrah and mourvèdre can be quite heavy, but... read more →
Over a pizza dinner, I snuck this to a table full of anti-California wine drinkers. I had to wrestle the bottle away from them to get a sip. Lively, delicate... read more →
Old world alert! Jacqueline André sidesteps the trend towards 100% grenache, embraces concrete and thus manages finesse and elegance, even with 14.5% abv. Cellar the powerful 2010s and 2011s—they’ll be... read more →
Loved this summery wine from Hank, wonderfully refreshing. The pale color comes from 2-3 hours of skin contact and time in the press. As to the flavor? Well it kind... read more →
What’s a little skunk between friends? Just a little bit? Maybe call it oyster shell. No matter what you call it when combined with the stone and the fruit of... read more →
My appreciation of Hank’s wines is no secret and I’ll try to comment on all new releases. This one comes from a head trained old vineyard in a town called... read more →