The passion and energy of wine
(This article was updated on May 28, 2020 to correct an inaccuracy and add information supplied by Ehlers Estate. Changes are bolded. The author regrets the error.) Bernard Ehlers’ stone mill barn that he built in 1886 for a winery is still in use today on the Ehlers Estate in the St. Helena […]
The creators of Eternally Silenced Pinot Noir crow that the California wine will leave drinkers “speechless” but I say the 2017 vintage has found its voice. Indeed, Eternally Silenced builds on its 2016 inaugural with brighter character traits, including intense aromatics and flavors. Maybe it was the excellent growing season in Napa Valley and surrounding […]
Sales of dry rose` wines continue to climb across the globe, especially in the U.S., where consumers are enamored by the allure of bright, refreshing fruit flavors, dryness, and elegance for summer sipping. Here is my first of two columns on one of my favorite tasting subjects. Today, the focus is on eight international rose` […]
It’s damp and gloomy outside mid-way through one of the coolest, dislodged April in U.S. history. Naturally, COVID-19 and government shelter-at-home orders have a lot to do with it. But people still have eat, drink and live, right? So what’s one to do? Put on my black Federoa, old Chicago-style Elliot Ness raincoat and soft […]
Rich Frank had the money and Hollywood connections to launch his own winery in 1992, but it was no guarantee of success in the big-time Napa Valley market. Fortunately, Frank’s knowledge of and passion for wine, expert business sense, and close-knit family talent were the most valuable assets in the overall equation. The former president […]
When I think of the word “cigar” two things immediately come to mind. First, the world champion American thoroughbred racehorse who dominated the mid-1990s handicap circuit; and second, the sweet, woodsy tobacco smell that comes from smoking a Rocky Patel Vintage Maduro. Now there is a third – the wine Cigar Old Vine Zinfandel. It […]
Chateau Malescasse 2016 (SRP $24) is an exceptional Left Bank value from Haut-Medoc, the result of a classic growing season that yielded Bordeaux’s biggest production output since 2006. While the highly acclaimed vintage pushed up Bordeaux prices an average of 13 percent – some Grand Crus jumped 60% – Chateau Malescasse bucks the trend and […]
Chateau Destieux 2005 Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, Bordeaux – Usually, when I acquire a wine I make a note of it in my CellarTracker account, even if it is a gift. For some unknown reason, a bottle of Chateau Destieux 2005 Saint-Emilion Grand Cru slipped through my meticulous system. I have no idea where this Right […]
If you purchase six or more bottles of any Hess Collection wines, the Napa Valley winery will deliver the package to your door for $1 in shipping costs. That’s a pretty good deal, one of many now being offered by wineries coast-to-coast in their shop-from-home campaigns during the COVID-19 crisis. The Hess Family Estate offers […]
Artesa Winery is small winery in Napa Valley that makes artisanal wines, principally small-batch Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Albarino and Tempranillo. The wines are very good and sometimes hard to obtain, although some have trickled into New Hampshire State Liquor & Wine Outlets. Artesa and its wines were featured in the recent movie “Wine […]
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