Meyer-Fonné Crémant d’Alsace Brut Extra NV
A charming blend of 60% Pinot Auxerrois, 20% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Blanc, and 5% Pinot Noir. The Meyer-Fonné Crémant d’Alsace Brut Extra sees only a minimal dosage and sports an autolytic nose of biscuit, apples and lilting white flowers. On the palate, a very fine, delicate mousse is bolstered by moderate acidity and subtle creaminess. […]
Chicken au Champagne with Crémant d’Alsace
While the original recipe for Chicken au Champagne calls for Brut Champagne, this dish is certainly versatile enough to partner with a less pricey option like a Crémant. In this case, I used the Willm Crémant d’Alsace Blanc de Noirs and I particularly enjoyed how relatively easy this meal is to prepare, making it a satisfying weeknight […]
Trinchero Cloud’s Nest Vineyard Malbec Mt. Veeder 2012
Cloud’s Nest Vineyard, as the name implies, lies in the Mt. Veeder sub-appellation of Napa Valley and boasts incredibly steep, gravelly, well-drained soils and cool, easterly exposure. Tasted alongside Trinchero’s Haystack Malbec—it is the perfect illustration of terroir. Here, the wine shows lushness, with abundant structure. Dark notes of ripe plum and blackberry sauce ripple […]
NxNW Riesling The Benches Vineyard 2012
89 Points for this half-bottle offering from NxNW because it’s a good value. Made in an ice wine style, this late harvest Riesling was sur lie aged in stainless steel for three months prior to bottling, and it’s a wine of pure varietal expression. Tons of dried apricot throughout, with a dollop of bananas foster […]
Amarone Braised Beef Short Ribs with Creamy Polenta and Mission Fig Glaze
I couldn’t bring myself to use an entire bottle of Amarone as the cooking wine for the short ribs, instead I substituted a bottle of 2011 Palazzo Delle Torre from Allegrini. Pallazzo Delle Torre is a blend of Corvina Veronese and Rondinella, traditional varieties that go into the making of Amarone, and part of the grapes that […]
Allegrini Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico 2010
The 2010 Allegrini Amarone della Valpolicella Classico is a stunning and seamless blend of Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella and Oseleta that have been air-dried for 3-4 months, or until the grapes lose around 50% of their volume. Voluptuous notes of incense, fresh road tar, figs, blackberry reduction and cedar waft from the glass. The palate echoes […]
Edna Valley Vineyard Central Coast Chardonnay 2014
My non-wine friends love this Chardonnay. Given its modest price, it offers up simple notes of yellow peach and ripe pineapple capped off with a whiff of vanilla. Fleshy on the palate and ultra smooth, it’s endowed with sweet tropical fruit and stone fruit in equal measure along with and a kiss of oak. An […]
St. Innocent Zenith Vineyard Pinot Noir 2012
The 2012 St. Innocent Zenith Vineyard has the sort of paradoxical ying-yang balance that some Pinot seems to tread. It flirts on the edge of masculine character, sporting deep violet glints and near opacity in the glass. Woodsy earthy tones give way to blackberry and black cherry, black tea and tobacco and a modest touch […]
Yves Cuilleron Saint-Joseph L’Amarybelle 2012
I would love to revisit this after its had another decade to develop, the 2012 Yves Cuilleron L’Amarybelle is classic Saint-Joseph with complex layers that unfurl at a leisurely pace, revealing notes of blackberries, balsamic, damp tilth, incense, bay leaf, pink peppercorn, and violets. On entry, the initial impression is one of silkiness—a bit deceiving, […]
Louis M. Martini Gnarly Vine Zinfandel Monte Rosso Vineyard 2012
The Zinfandel vines grown at Monte Rosso Vineyard are a sight to behold, massive and tightly gnarled, they are still productive despite an advanced age of 125 years or more. The wine produced from these grapes is substantial without being heavy, yielding heady notes of damson plum, blackberries, clayey soil and a whiff of allspice. […]