All of Fabio’s 2013s are worth seeking out. Remember the albillo (some sauvignon-like skunk), the malvar (which would get both my hardcore and geek stamps, with some interesting Band-Aid mint,... read more →
Jancis Robinson’s book Grapes documents chelva as an old Andalucian grape which is often called lairen. Allowed in the Madrid DO, it seems to be a hearty and disease-resistant variety,... read more →
You want to pronounce it correctly for the right props: that’s shomlo (as opposed to Shlomo), and it’s good. No, make that really good. From a high-elevation hill of volcanic... read more →
2013 was a hard year in the Anjou, but it was kind to Christine and Joël Ménard, two of the nicest vignerons in all of the Anjou Noir. All of... read more →
Camille Rivière watched as I tasted Jean-François Coutelou’s wines at my kitchen table. Jeff used to be her wine teacher back when she was being a pain in the ass... read more →
How ’bout this for a note, “Hoo-ha!” If the other cuvée is glou glou, this cuvée is intense, but still easy. However, it’s not just a fruit bomb: along with... read more →
Especially when you see this for $12, buy a pallet of this one. I’m not kidding. These days it’s so hard to get a deal like this; with a good... read more →
Transplanted Burgundian Louis-Antoine has been part of Chile’s CPR and there are now signs of life. This wine is from 70-year-old vines in Truquilemu in Maule and those grapes are... read more →
Georgia’s most well-known red grape shines here at 12.5 alcohol. Keep it open for days, and that blowsy zinfandel likeness calms, like a lovely building in the middle of some... read more →
At the end of a long tasting this was just the refresher I needed. It’s red, dense fizz, full of diesel and herbal tannin. Lots of tannin. Not for the... read more →