Château Musar Musar Jeune Rosé 2013
Perhaps little bit past its best as we would say in the WSET, I would have liked to have tried Château Musar’s Jeune Rosé 2013 on release (which left me wondering why, exactly, I’d held on to the bottle for so long). Aromatics were very subdued on opening, but after some time pie cherry and, […]
San Alejandro Las Rocas Garnacha Calatayud 2014
Nice value in this Calatayud Garnacha—loaded with plums, savory red cherries, and violets couched in earth. The 2014 San Alejandro Las Rocas Garnacha is a food wine through and through, with a shock of acidity that ricochet’s through it’s red and black fruited core. If there is any oak here, it’s not evident. Tart red […]
Emiliana Natura Rosé 2016
Heavily laden in musk melon, Queen Anne’s cherries and white peach, the most alluring thing about the Emiliana Natura Rosé 2016—there is a perception of sweetness on entry but that sensation quickly fades to peach pit and pink grapefruit skin that hits the sides of the tongue, leaving a pleasant bitterness that just goes on […]
Jean-Charles Boisset Haute Couture French Bubbles Rosé NV
If you’ve met Jean-Charles Boisset, you will instantly understand his wines. On the day that I met him, filming an interview for WineVine.tv, he was resplendent in a long, black crushed velvet coat and shirt with ruffles underneath. The ultimate showman and ringmaster, his wines are consistent in their theme of boisterousness and hedonism. Indeed, […]
2013 Brancaia Maremma Toscana Ilatraia
A Cab-dominant blend that flirts with opulence, reigned in by its Tuscan provenance—and that is a good thing, a food-friendly thing. The 2013 Brancaia Illatraia quietly unspools with notes of plums and ripe blackberries steeped in thyme. Burning embers, dust, and juniper berries add layered complexity. On the palate, it’s round and plush, with mouth-coating […]
Brancaia Tre 2014
A stylish Super Tuscan that is as modern as its label, Brancaia’s 2014 Tre is a blend of 80% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon from all three of the winery’s estate vineyards. It’s softly textured on the nose and palate, a basket of freshly harvested, sun-warmed Italian plums and black cherries infused with […]
Fattoria Moretto Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro Monovitigno 2014
On a quest to find the perfect wine to pair with Pho, I picked up this lively Lambrusco from Kermit Lynch…two years ago. I found it while moving around bottles, happily, though the jury is still out as to the pairing. My beef bone broth is still reducing as I type this. As to the […]
Raveneau Chablis Premier Cru Montée de Tonnerre 2011
Sublime sophistication, Raveneau’s 2011 Chablis Premier Cru Montée de Tonnerre shows its pedigree with complex aromas of roasted pear, earth, hazelnut, iodine, and smoke. The influence of Kimmeridgian soils is evident on the palate, one that is both expansive and neatly tailored, swathed in stone fruit and lemon curd tightly bound by a mineral spine. […]
Domaine d’Ouréa Gigondas 2014
An example of the sort of wine I bring when visiting the boyfriend—as a chef he has a real passion for game meats, so this seemed like a good choice. Brooding plums, black cherries, and grilled meat form the base of the profile. Add to this a dusting of earth and iron ore followed by lighter notes of […]
LaFou Celler Terra Alta El Sender 2015
LaFou’s 2015 El Sender is a young, slightly unruly blend of Garnaxta Negra and Syrah. Aged in concrete, it’s vivid and fresh, emitting a constant stream of pungent black cherries, strawberries and blackberry pie. Dried flowers and anise crown the nose—a plunge into the wine itself reveals purity of fruit, crunchy acidity contrasting soft texture. […]