VINOGRAPHY: a wine blog
Wine and food adventures in San Francisco and around the world
~ Recently in Wine Reviews Category ~
2006 Peay Vineyards Roussane/Marsanne Blend, Sonoma Coast
As a wine reviewer who gets paid next to nothing for his work, I have the luxury of only reviewing wines that I think are worth writing about. I've got no deadlines, no quotas to fill, and no obligation to anyone. All of which means that it's always a great pleasure to say nice things about a wine or wines that I enjoy. But this is perhaps the most pleasurable kind of review I write. The review of a winery whose wines I can safely say are all spectacularly good -- so good that I will simply buy any wine... continue reading 
- Posted by: Alder on January 28, 2012 4:52 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Older Vintages , White Wine , Wine Reviews
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2008 Alta Maria Vineyards Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley
If I were doing now what I thought I would probably do with my life as a sophomore in college, I would be a photographer living in a tent or an old VW Bus somewhere, splitting my time between rock climbing and taking pictures of stuff that most people wouldn't give a second glance. This wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, but I offer it as proof of how little sense I had of what path my life would take. James Ontiveros, on the other hand, was spending his sophomore year at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo going to classes... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on January 19, 2012 11:17 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Red Wine , Wine Reviews
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2008 Pheasant's Tears Rkatsiteli, Republic of Georgia
We don't know exactly where and when mankind first made wine in any significant quantity, but we believe that it was approximately 8000 years ago -- long before the rise of the Egyptian civilization. We're also fairly sure that these initial efforts to produce large quantities of fermented grape juice took place in the region currently occupied by the Republic of Georgia. These estimates of the time and location of mankind's earliest forays into oenology are based on the carbon dating of grape seeds found in the bottom of ancient clay amphorae, the remarkable progenitors of the world of wine... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on January 8, 2012 10:38 PM
- Filed under: Orange Wines , Undiscovered Wines , Wine Reviews , Wines under $20
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Dutton-Goldfield Winery, Russian River Valley: Some Current Releases
What's hot in the wine world tends to focus the most attention. The newest superstar winemaker. The hot new vineyard. The latest cult wine brand. The stratospheric auction results in Hong Kong. But in so many ways, these bright lights are not at all representative of the real world of wine -- a world in which farmers and winemakers (sometimes the same person) work day after day to produce something that not only fires their passion, but also pays their bills. For every winery that makes news, there are dozens or hundreds that never seem to get much of the... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on December 24, 2011 2:51 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Wine Reviews
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2001 York Creek Vineyards Cabernet Franc, Spring Mountain District, Napa
One of the most gratifying experiences I have as a wine lover and very, very small time wine collector involves pulling a dusty bottle off the shelf from where it has slumbered for years, and popping it open to find an utterly fantastic wine. I don't own a lot of wine, and I have even fewer bottles that I've been deliberately aging long enough for them to be mature, so this experience isn't a regular occurrence for me, but when it happens, it engenders nothing short of joy. I think it was 2003 when I bought a couple of bottles... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on December 15, 2011 6:26 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Older Vintages , Red Wine , Wine Reviews
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Piña Napa Valley: Current Releases
If one were to speculate on the wine market as a savvy investor might in the small-cap stock market, the game would be the same: follow people you know with good track records. In the wine world, we'd also have to include a corollary about betting on great vineyard sites, but leaving aside the raw materials, it's clear that most good wines don't happen by accident. They're made by talented people. Finding talented people in Napa isn't hard at first. There are a lot of them, many of whom have big brand names. When they start working for a winery,... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on December 6, 2011 10:21 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Red Wine , Wine Reviews
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2009 Morgan Winery "Cote du Crows" Rhone Blend, Monterey
It's not a huge leap from veterinary medicine to winemaking, and that leap is made even shorter when you're enrolled at UC Davis which happens to be the top school in the nation for both. Dan Lee initially thought he wanted to work with animals, but a few courses as electives during his vet school tenure were enough to convince him to immediately enroll in the Enology program as soon as he finished his undergraduate degree. While he still loves animals, Dan hasn't looked back, graduating and continuing on to become a winemaker for Jekel and Durney (now Heller Estate),... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on November 24, 2011 12:40 PM
- Filed under: Red Wine , Wine Reviews , Wines under $20
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Tatomer Wines: Current Releases
When you meet some winemakers, who are seemingly making a living at a pursuit borne entirely of passion, it's hard not to look at success in their chosen field as a product of luck. Many of them will encourage this impression, speaking honestly of how lucky they are to be doing what they love, and to have been successful at it. The younger they are, the more likely they are to talk this way. Such surfaces belie the deeper truth of what it takes to really make it as a winemaker -- the incredible amount of work, persistence, and knowledge... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on November 19, 2011 11:37 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Undiscovered Wines , White Wine , Wine Reviews
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2009 Dry Creek Vineyard "Heritage" Zinfandel, Sonoma County
Driving through California's wine country, with its carefully manicured vineyards carpeting huge swaths of the countryside, it's easy to imagine that people have been growing grapes there for centuries. Indeed, in many places in Northern California, the first vineyards sprang up in the middle to late 1800's and a thriving wine industry along with them. But what most people forget, if they ever knew, is that the California wine industry suffered several decades that were the equivalent to Europe's Dark Ages. First, 99.9% of the vineyards were wiped out by the Phylloxera epidemic that swept through around the turn of... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on November 8, 2011 10:25 PM
- Filed under: Red Wine , Wine Reviews , Wines under $20
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2007 Bodega del Fin del Mundo "Special Reserve Blend" Red Wine, Patagonia, Argentina
When I visited Argentina a few years ago, my trip was a mix of vacation and wine investigation, and, like so many great trips, left me feeling like I had done too little of both. In the wine department, I left with two main regrets. The first was the lack of a visit to Salta, which is the first place I'll head in South America next time I get down that way. And while I did get down to Bariloche in Patagonia for a little while to hike and fish, and generally relax, I really wish I had taken a... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on October 27, 2011 10:45 PM
- Filed under: Red Wine , Wine Reviews
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What's Your Best Wine? Tasting the Wine & Spirits Top 100
The difference between a good public wine tasting and a bad one can be quite dramatic. The bad ones are in crappy locations, are poorly organized, offer no food, and only mediocre wines. The good ones are, well, just the opposite -- nicely organized, well catered, and offer great wines. And the best ones? Well, they throw in a jazz quartet, and all you can eat oyster bar, a dessert bar, and wines that sometimes retail for hundreds of dollars, if you can find them at all. This year's Wine & Spirits Top 100 Tasting threw in all that, and... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on October 15, 2011 11:51 PM
- Filed under: Wine Reviews
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2006 Arnot-Roberts "Clary Ranch" Syrah, Sonoma Coast
The reported death of California Syrah has been greatly exaggerated. That's the topic for a rant some other time. But it's a fitting way to open this review of a wine that represents my favorite kind of wine discovery: a situation where someone pours me a glass that I'm not paying that much attention to, I stick my nose in it, take a sip, and then the next thirty seconds of my life are some combination of a sense of whiplash and usually more than a few very positive expletives. I love it when wines literally turn my head, as... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on October 5, 2011 11:19 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Red Wine , Wine Reviews
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2008 Bordeaux: Some Tasting Notes
It's a measure of just exactly how busy I am these days at work that it's taken me approximately eight months to write this post. Way back in January, I happened to be in New York City when the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux came to town to show off the 2008 vintage. I had about an hour and a half to kill before I had to run to the airport and catch a flight home, so I got the chance to taste through some of the wines. It's taken me some time, but I finally managed to transcribe... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on October 1, 2011 10:40 PM
- Filed under: Wine Reviews
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Bastianich Wines, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy: Some Current Releases
Celebrity wines cause most serious wine lovers to cringe. Despite the immediate tendency to dismiss such wines as vanity projects with little substance, a lot of celebrity wines are fairly good, if only because making good wine can sometimes take a lot of money. There's a different sort of celebrity wine starting to emerge on the scene, however. Wines that can be called celebrity wines only because we live in an era of celebrity chefs and restaurant personalities. If we didn't have the food network, and the 21st Century foodie craze sweeping across America, very few people would have any... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on September 24, 2011 10:43 PM
- Filed under: White Wine , Wine Reviews , Wines under $20
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Penché Winery, Napa: Recent Releases
As you might imagine, I get sent a lot of Cabernet from Napa. At first I eagerly anticipated the arrival of every new label that I had never heard of, but over the years, I've become a bit jaded, as so many fail to rise above reasonably competent, over-oaked expressions of the grape. These days it's a lot harder to turn my head with a new Napa Cab, but when they arrived, two dark bottles with simple parallelogram labels did more than turn my head, they rocked me back on my heels. A successful orthodontist, Scott Asbill eventually picked up... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on September 15, 2011 8:11 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Red Wine , Wine Reviews
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1988 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti La Tache Grand Cru, Burgundy
You don't get very far in a journey towards being a wine lover without hearing the words "Romanée-Conti" spoken with some combination of reverence and amazement. And in today's world of Asian fueled wine-auction speculation, even those with casual interest in wine have heard of this famous domaine. Equally referred to as both the best wines in the world and the most expensive, the wines produced by the small Domaine de la Romanée-Conti are inarguably some of the most revered and sought after wines in the world. Their price and scarcity mean that many wine lovers with modest means may... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on September 10, 2011 11:58 PM
- Filed under: Older Vintages , Perfect 10s , Red Wine , Wine Reviews
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Greek Wine: A Compendium of Tasting Notes
Occasionally I still dream of Greece. Warm breezes above the terra cotta roofs of Nafplion, grilled octopus and crisp rosé.... I had better stop before I get depressed. The press trip I took to Greece at the end of June this year was a wonderful introduction to the region, and served to cement a budding notion that Greece was home to a wonderfully unique combination of interesting wines that represent phenomenal values on a global scale. And that's even before Greece dumps the Euro. My trip, as you might remember, was concentrated first on the island of Santorini, where I... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on August 30, 2011 11:20 PM
- Filed under: Wine Reviews , Wines under $20
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The Joy of Pink Pinot: Tasting at the 2011 IPNC
Regular readers will know that I'm a fan of everything pink when it comes to wine. Rosé is one of the most underrated and least appreciated wines by "serious" wine lovers. Food friendly, refreshing, and complex, the best rosés are among the wine world's most versatile and exciting wines. Thankfully, they are not only becoming more accepted, but increasingly popular, especially as the stigma of sickly-sweet White Zinfandel fades from the collective consciousness. One of my favorite features of the IPNC event that I am attending this week in Oregon's Willamette Valley has always been their afternoon rosé of Pinot... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on July 30, 2011 11:14 PM
- Filed under: Pink Wine , Wine Activities , Wine Reviews , Wines under $20
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Domaine Skouras, Greece: Current Releases
"Now with 27 vintages under my belt, there is not one vintage the same. It's like having 27 different kids, all with different personalities. Waiting for a new vintage, you become like you were in the first vintage. You become young. Young of thinking." With someone like George Skouras, a man who has been such a prominent force in the Greek wine industry, it's hard to imagine him as a young twenty-something, crushing his first vintage of wine. Especially because 27 years ago, few would have predicted that there would be a thriving Greek wine industry in 2011. But thanks,... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on July 20, 2011 11:21 PM
- Filed under: Wine Reviews
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Santorini Wines: Reviews and Impressions
As many of you readers know, I spent about 10 days in Greece on a press trip a couple of weeks ago, and I've been busy working through my notes from the trip. The primary place I visited during this trip was the tiny island of Santorini. While the name Santorini is well known as a picturesque resort, most people aren't aware of its status as one of Greece's most famous wine regions. I wrote earlier in the week about the remarkable history and methods of viticulture on the island of Santorini (which if you haven't read, I suggest breezing... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on July 9, 2011 11:55 PM
- Filed under: Wine Reviews
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2008 HALL "Kathryn Hall" Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
The pleasures of childhood call to us as adults. The tug of nostalgia is so great that we so often find ourselves indulging in little things that remind us of our early years, and in some cases we throw ourselves passionately into the pursuit of the things we have lost. Kathryn Hall lost the vineyard that was her childhood playground. Despite having managed the vineyard for nearly a decade, letting it go after her father's death was the right thing to do. But her memories of growing up among the grape vines in Redwood Valley, coupled with her enduring love... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on June 11, 2011 10:49 PM
- Filed under: Red Wine , Wine Reviews
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2008 Ridge Vineyards "Estate" Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mountains
If there's one thing about a winery that is likely to earn my immediate respect it is what you might describe as consistency of vision. Some of my favorite wineries not only make great wine, they have been making great wine in much the same way for decades, according to a deeply held philosophy that pervades everything they do. This sort of conviction, married to excellent winemaking, is not as common in California as you might think, but there are few who could argue against Ridge Vineyards as one of the finest examples of such a fusion of skill and... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on June 4, 2011 10:17 PM
- Filed under: Red Wine , Wine Reviews
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South African Sauvignon Blanc: Some Tasting Notes
I've been trying to remember the first South African wine I tasted, but it's a little fuzzy in my mind. At the time I wasn't keeping notes on wine, so I don't have a scribble in any notebook to look back on for my very first impression. I do remember subsequent opportunities to drink South African wines, and in particular their Sauvignon Blancs. My general impression of these wines were that they were competent, but they didn't grab my attention much more than that. Three years ago, however, I had the opportunity to visit South Africa and taste hundreds of... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on May 24, 2011 6:59 PM
- Filed under: White Wine , Wine Reviews , Wines under $20
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1983 Schloss Schonborn Rudesheimer Bichofsberg Riesling Spatlese, Rheingau, Germany
Wine is the closest we come to alchemy. And ironically, the most magical transmutation that takes place within wine is almost entirely out of our control. Far be it for me to deny winemakers their due for what is surely the magical feat of assisting in the transformation of simple grapes into fluids that evoke things as exotic as mangos, lavender, chocolate, and wood smoke. But at least half of the magic in wine comes from what happens to it when we stop messing with it and leave it to its own devices for a decade or two. Aged Riesling,... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on May 21, 2011 3:48 PM
- Filed under: Older Vintages , Perfect 10s , White Wine , Wine Reviews
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Presqu'ile Winery, Santa Maria Valley: Current Releases
I'm wandering around the grand tasting tent at the World of Pinot Noir conference, focusing, as I often do, on a combination of wines that I know well, and those that I've never heard of. I walk up to a table with an unfamiliar label, get a little something poured into my glass, lift it up to my nose, and WHAM! It's like I've been slapped upside the head and my senses have just kicked into overdrive. All of a sudden I'm hyper-aware and focused on this delicious experience: a wine that grabs me by the lapels, shakes me... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on May 14, 2011 10:37 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Undiscovered Wines , Wine Reviews
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Tasting the Superstar Wines of Napa's Oakville AVA
Napa Valley is famous, or infamous depending on your point of view, for some of the world's best and priciest Cabernet Sauvignon. While it has yet to reach the heights of the few First Growths in Bordeaux in terms of pricing, the Napa Valley has been producing some of the most sought after wines in the Western Hemisphere for several decades. Napa Valley, like so many wine regions, is not actually one place, but many - its various sub-regions offering a wide variety of topographies, microclimates, soil types, and exposures. The AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) that have been created to... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on May 3, 2011 8:56 PM
- Filed under: Red Wine , Wine Reviews
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The Best Central Coast Pinot?: Tasting at the World of Pinot Noir
I don't know about you, but spending a couple of days tasting Pinot Noir while strolling along cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean is definitely my idea of a good time. Back at the beginning of March, I joined several hundred other wine enthusiasts for the World of Pinot Noir, a two day festival celebrating Pinot Noir set in the idyllic seaside tourist town of Shell Beach. Well known for its festive atmosphere and an emphasis (though not an exclusive focus by any means) on showcasing the Pinot Noirs of the Central Coast, WOPN, as it is abbreviated, draws Pinot Noir... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on April 26, 2011 8:33 PM
- Filed under: Red Wine , Wine Reviews
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Turkish Wine: Some Initial Tasting Notes
Exploring new wine regions continues to be one of my greatest thrills as a wine lover and wine writer. And when I say new wine regions, I mean new to me, of course. I wish I were writing these words above the bustling streets of Istanbul or out in the countryside off the Aegean, but sadly my first explorations of Turkish wine had to be as an armchair traveler. Or should I say, by-the-bottle traveler? At the great generosity of a Turkish friend, who happens to be a wine critic for a Turkish newspaper, I got the chance to spend... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on April 24, 2011 11:30 PM
- Filed under: Undiscovered Wines , Wine Reviews
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Low(er) Alcohol California Pinot Noir: Tasting Notes from 'In Pursuit of Balance'
Spring certainly seems to be Pinot Noir season in the Bay Area. Several major Pinot focused events -- the Pinot Noir Shootout, the World of Pinot Noir, the Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival, the Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Passport Event, etc. -- all occur within a span of about three months. To this impressive list, we may be able to add yet one more annual event, judging by the crush of the crowd at the first ever "In Pursuit of Balance" tasting held a couple of weeks ago at RN74 in San Francisco. This was a somewhat unusual Pinot Noir... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on April 5, 2011 11:08 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Red Wine , Wine Reviews
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Montenidoli, San Gimignano, Tuscany: Some Current Releases
About three months ago, I found myself wandering around the halls at the Vino2011 tradeshow in New York. Put on by the Italian Trade Commission, it is the largest Italian wine show outside of Italy, and an opportunity to taste an awful lot of Italian wine in a very short period of time. Sometimes when I go to such events, I have a plan to focus on certain regions, or grape varieties, but sometimes I just wander to see what catches my eye. Which is how one afternoon I ended up in the back corner of a side hall where... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on March 26, 2011 8:39 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Pink Wine , White Wine , Wine Reviews , Wines under $20
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Pinot Noir Everywhere: From the Expected to the Fringes
Yes, I'm on a Pinot Noir kick this week, thanks to my recent attendance at the World of Pinot Noir conference in Shell Beach, California. I haven't had time to write up my notes from the grand tasting of several hundred Pinots that I tasted, but I did want to share some notes from an interesting assortment of wines that I had the opportunity to experience. What places come to mind most easily when you think of growing Pinot Noir? For me the list, in order, goes something like this: Burgundy, California, Oregon, and New Zealand. If I want to... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on March 12, 2011 9:33 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Red Wine , Undiscovered Wines , Wine Reviews
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The Young Turks of Burgundy: Allen Meadows with Domaine Marc Roy and Domaine Jean-Marc Bouley
As I mentioned in a previous post, last weekend I had the pleasure of attending the World of Pinot Noir conference in Shell Beach, California. In addition to the grand tasting of many different wines on the cliffs above the seaside, there were some focused tastings where moderators and panelists worked through some wines in great detail. I attended one entitled The Young Turks of Burgundy, led by Alan Meadows, the wine critic behind Burghound.Com, a newsletter that in the past decade, has become the de-facto critical authority on much of Burgundy, and especially the most famous part known as... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on March 8, 2011 7:17 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Ramblings and Rants , Red Wine , Wine Reviews
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1971 J.J. Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese, Mosel, Germany
As you know, I think wine reviews should be more than just tasting notes and scores. They should be the stories of the people and the places behind the wines. While the people quite often bring the most life to the story of a wine, sometimes the place, even the vineyard itself, can be the most prominent character in the drama. In the case of this wine, the story consists of the inextricable link between a family and a vineyard. By most accounts, the Prum family has owned vineyards in and around the town of Wehlen in Germany's Mosel river... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on March 2, 2011 10:22 PM
- Filed under: Older Vintages , White Wine , Wine Reviews
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The Best Cabernet in Napa: Tasting at Premiere Napa Valley 2011
One of my favorite events each year involves the opportunity to sample some of the best wines that Napa produces in a given vintage. At Premiere Napa Valley, an auction that serves as the world's most expensive "bake sale" to support the efforts of the non-profit Napa Valley Vintners Association, journalists like me get a chance to sneak a taste of hundreds of unique wines that are purchased by the nation's top wine retailers at staggeringly high prices. This year, as every year, 200 member wineries each crafted a unique auction lot of wine that in most cases represents the... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on February 26, 2011 10:38 PM
- Filed under: Wine Activities , Wine Reviews
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The Wines of Alsace in Anderson Valley: Tasting Notes
My first memories of Alsace? A confusing little strip of land that the Germans and the French kept fighting over. Somehow the grade-school history lesson never quite resolved itself, as I had lingering uncertainty for many years about which country this beautiful little wine region had ended up in. But many years later, I got my first taste of the wines of Alsace and I started to pay a lot more attention to this unique wine region in northeast France. Subsequently, I have fallen in love with the region through its wines, and I harbor deep seated fantasies of a... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on February 21, 2011 11:21 PM
- Filed under: White Wine , Wine Activities , Wine Reviews
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California's Best Zinfandel: Notes from the ZAP 2011 Tasting
Ah, Zinfandel. The all-American grape that fuels much passion in the Bay Area. The annual ZAP Zinfandel festival draws crowds bigger than most other wine events, even in the midst of a tough economy. Truth be told, this year continued the slightly mellower note of last year's tasting, with fewer producers and fewer attendees, though no shortage of great juice was to be had. One of the reasons, it seems to me, that the public gets so excited about Zinfandel is that the wine refuses to be taken too seriously. While there are certainly a few cult Zinfandels that are... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on February 19, 2011 9:02 PM
- Filed under: Red Wine , Wine Activities , Wine Reviews
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2009 Patton Valley Vineyards Rosé of Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon
When it comes to wineries I generally know I'm in for something good when I drive down a long dirt road (unsure if I'm headed in the right direction) and finally come upon some vineyards and a couple of small aluminum barns with harvest bins stacked outside. For many small winery operations, the barrel storage, the lab, the office, and the tasting room are all under one corrugated roof. I had the pleasure of winding my way down just such a road on a rainy Autumn day five years ago to arrive at the little operation that is Patton Valley... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on February 8, 2011 10:23 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Pink Wine , Wine Reviews , Wines under $20
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Domaine Jean Chartron, Puligny-Montrachet: 2009 Barrel Samples
One of the most characteristic qualities of the Burgundian wine experience is missing for visitors to the village of Puligny-Montrachet. Because of the shallowness of the water table, none of the winemakers have cellars. So instead of tramping down into an ancient cellar, you're more likely to be taken "around back" to the barrel shed, or some variation thereof. What the village lacks in ancient stone cellars, it makes up for in quality wine, of course. The little village (which today still has less than 1000 inhabitants) takes its name from its Roman designation Puliniacus, where vines were planted at... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on February 2, 2011 10:27 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , White Wine , Wine Reviews
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Seven Hills Winery, Walla Walla, Washington: Current Releases
We're funny, us humans. We like to draw these imaginary lines on the earth and give names to the places on either side, and then we treat those figments of our imaginations like they mean something. The mental model of a map becomes so ingrained in us that when we look at the world around us, its as if we can see those imaginary lines. Grapes, of course, don't care much for maps. They like to grow where they like to grow, just as the soil that makes this so meanders without regard to the political boundaries we draw in... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on January 20, 2011 10:32 PM
- Filed under: Wine Reviews
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2006 Shafer Vineyards "Hillside Select" Cabernet Sauvignon, Stag's Leap District, Napa
Napa Cabernet is getting a pretty bad rap these days from ordinary wine consumers, and from the economy as a whole. In some ways it has fallen from a pinnacle that may never be reached again -- a place where people really didn't blink an eye about paying $200 for a bottle of California wine. While sales are down a little, they are picking up, and even in the darkest hours of the global financial meltdown, top Napa wines continued to sell, even if just barely. At this point while there are probably less people willing to shell out more... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on January 18, 2011 10:28 PM
- Filed under: Red Wine , Wine Reviews
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2009 Dancing Coyote Gewurztraminer, Clarksburg, California
I try to taste widely. I'm always excited when I come across wines from regions that I haven't heard of before, especially when those regions are in my back yard. It's been a few years since I first spotted the region "Clarksburg" on a California wine, but that first experience with a Grenache Blanc from the region made me sit up and pay attention. Since then I've been pleased to gradually see more wines appearing from the region. The Clarksburg AVA (American Viticultural Area) has been called California's "secret appellation" because so few have heard of it, yet its grapes... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on January 12, 2011 9:57 PM
- Filed under: White Wine , Wine Reviews , Wines under $20
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Domaine Seguin-Manuel, Beaune, France: Current Releases
My recent trip to Burgundy was an exploration of the Burgundy of tradition and heritage, as well as the Burgundy of a new generation. While I thrilled to visit sixth generation vignerons working in their family cellars as many generations had before, under the same name, and with the same parcels of grapes, I was also interested in the (somewhat less common) new ventures. Such new ventures are rare, simply because vineyard plots are so difficult to get ahold of, thanks in part to the strict laws of inheritance and the relative scarcity of the vineyards to begin with. While... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on January 6, 2011 10:08 PM
- Filed under: Undiscovered Wines , Wine Reviews
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My Burgundy Nights: Tasting Notes from Les Trois Glorieuses
I've written already about my experiences as a first timer at the Hospices du Beaune in November, the events known as Les Trois Glorieuses and in particular the incredibly orgy of wine drinking that is La Paulee de Meursault. For seven or eight hours (the longest lunch you may ever have) more incredible wine is opened up than any sane human being really knows what to do with. I admit to being completely charmed by the event. I've never attended such a raucous, convivial party of wine lovers, where such great wine flowed so freely. Strangers share their most precious... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on January 2, 2011 4:16 PM
- Filed under: Older Vintages , Wine Reviews
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Chinese Wine Too Good to Be True
I had high hopes for Chinese wine. And I still do, to a certain extent. But I can't say I'm surprised by the latest news that the government is shutting down some wineries and pulling wine from the shelves after finding a whole lot of faked, adulterated, and chemically altered wine on the market. I've heard rumors of such practices from various people in the wine industry, many of whom scratch their heads when they compare the amount of wine on the market with the amount of acreage under cultivation in China. The two don't add up. Add to that... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on December 27, 2010 9:38 PM
- Filed under: Wine News , Wine Reviews
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Dominique Cornin, Chaintré, France: Current Releases
When you wind your way up to the east out of the little village of Fuisse in the Mâconnais region of southern Burgundy, you should take time to look back over your shoulder at the beautiful little church with its plot of vines, and the hillside skating back up behind it to the west. The narrow road will curve around the shoulder of the hill (atop which sits what has long been called the "faerie woods") and if you bear to the left, you will quickly find yourself in the little village of Chaintré, the home of many men bearing... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on December 23, 2010 10:52 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , White Wine , Wine Reviews
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Domaine de la Vougeraie, Premeaux-Prissey, France: Some Current Releases
The village of Premeaux-Prissey is hardly more than a blip on the N74 as you head north towards Nuits-St-George. Blink and you'll miss it, along with the small sign that points you down the church lane to one of Burgundy's more remarkable domaines. Many domaines in Burgundy have existed under the same name for centuries, passed down through generations that have grown up living and farming in the same spot, each new generation working in the family's vineyard, which, on occasion, is right behind the house. Domaine de la Vougeraie is both the same and very different from these traditional... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on December 19, 2010 11:36 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Wine Reviews
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Domaine Buisson-Battault, Meursault, France: Current Releases and Library Wines
Part of the charm of Burgundy has to do with the context of many of the wineries and their cellars. Rather than the grand Chateaux with long driveways between rows of trees and vines (though Burgundy has a few of these) more often than not, you simply round the corner of a narrow street in a small village, walk through a wrought iron gate into a gravel driveway, into a garage with a few steel tanks, and then down a set of stairs attached to a normal looking stone house, into a 16th century vaulted brick cellar (most recently used... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on December 11, 2010 10:49 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Undiscovered Wines , White Wine , Wine Reviews
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2009 Domaine Alain Gras Saint Romain Rouge, Burgundy, France
The vineyards of the Côte de Beaune spill off the limestone cliffs that mark the eastern edge of the region like a blanket that has slipped off the edge of a bed. Most of the vineyards that everyone knows lie puddled on the floor or in the crease between them. But a bit of vineyards still cling to the edges of the escarpments, cooler and higher than the rest of the Côte de Beaune. Perhaps one of the most important of these nooks and crannies in the cliffs above Beaune, and certainly the most picturesque, is the little village of... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on December 7, 2010 10:47 PM
- Filed under: Wine Reviews
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1957 R. Lopez de Heredia Viña Tondonia Blanco, Rioja, Spain
There are few wineries in Spain whose names conjure the heritage and prestige evoked by R. Lopez de Heredia. Don Rafael Lopez de Heredia was born in Santiago, Chile in 1857. At the age of 12 he was sent by his family to Spain to study with the Jesuits, and nearly became a doctor before discovering the world of business, leaving his brother Fernando to realize the family dream of having a doctor for a son. When he was 19 years old, Don Rafael arrived at the railway station in Haro, Spain suffused with the aromas of wine. The railway... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on November 30, 2010 10:08 PM
- Filed under: Older Vintages , Perfect 10s , White Wine , Wine Reviews
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Domaine des Vignes du Maynes, Cruzille, France: Current Releases
I went to Burgundy to dig my feet into the dirt a bit. To get down on my hands and knees and smell the wet leaves, and to stand on the crest of the hills and see the lay of the land. But I also went to Burgundy hoping to spend some time off the beaten path. Sure, I wanted to taste some Corton Charlemagne, and have dinner at Clos Vougeot, but I also wanted to see if I could find my favorite kind of winegrower -- the kind that is more "crusty hermit" than "lab chemist." And so,... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on November 27, 2010 2:07 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Undiscovered Wines , Wine Reviews
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The Wines of Rully on a Wednesday Morning
Press trips like the one I'm on are not exactly the vacations that my friends and many readers imagine them to be. They are a lot of hard work, albeit quite civilized work in very nice places, interspersed by good things to eat and drink. Though I'm exhausted at the end of every day, it does, as they say, beat the hell out of sitting in a cubicle, pushing paper. The pattern of a press visit to a wine region is fairly standard. Once in a region, the day is made up of mostly visits to individual producers, where I... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on November 18, 2010 3:09 PM
- Filed under: Wine Reviews
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Domaine Vessigaud, Pouilly, France: Current Releases
Arguably, one of the key defining features of Burgundy as a wine region must be the huge plateau of limestone on which it sits. Like a solid layer of frosting atop a deeper cake of sedimentary and metamorphic rocks, this limestone starts in the far north in Chablis and continues down into the southernmost parts of Burgundy. There exists a point in Burgundy, however, where this limestone ends, and rather abruptly at that. So sharply and starkly in fact, that you might easily fall to your death from the edge of it. Get too close, even, and the edge might... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on November 15, 2010 2:13 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , White Wine , Wine Reviews
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2007 Three Sticks "Durell Vineyard" Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast
People tend to turn up their noses at the word "pedigree" as it is most often invoked in the context of class, but for both grapevines and the skills of the people who work them, a long history can make a big difference. The tiny Three Sticks winery started in 2002, but unlike many wine labels that spring up overnight with nary a grapevine to their name, Three Sticks emerged as a logical conclusion from the collision of several decades of experience in the wine industry and one of Sonoma County's most well known vineyards. Bill Price made his money... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on November 11, 2010 11:03 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Red Wine , Wine Reviews
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Looking Forward To, and Back On, the Last Decade of Napa Cabernet
There are few types of wine writing I tend to ignore so completely as I do vintage reports. The generally pithy paragraphs that attempt to sum up a vintage in Sonoma, for instance, are about as useful as a few sentences dedicated to an attempt at characterizing the quality of food in Lower Manhattan. No matter what you might say, there are a thousand and one exceptions. This vague uselessness tends to be true even if the vintage report purports to speak at the level of an individual AVA or appellation. There are just too many differences in micro climates... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on November 6, 2010 11:10 PM
- Filed under: Ramblings and Rants , Red Wine , Wine Reviews
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The Best Wines of the Year?: Taste Testing the Wine & Spirits Top 100
The difference between a good public wine tasting and a bad one can be quite dramatic. The bad ones are in crappy locations, are poorly organized, offer no food, and only mediocre wines. The good ones are, well, just the opposite -- nicely organized, well catered, and offer great wines. And the best ones? Well, they throw in a jazz quartet, and all you can eat oyster bar, a dessert bar, and wines that sometimes retail for hundreds of dollars, if you can find them, at all. And that's just what you get at the annual Wine and Spirits Top... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on October 25, 2010 10:23 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Wine Activities , Wine Reviews
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2007 Freestone Vineyards "Ovation" Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast
Most people aren't aware that I grew up, at least partially, in Sonoma County. My parents split up pretty early on, and I moved with my mother to Colorado. But starting at the age of five, I would come out to visit my dad during the summer in the little town of Bodega, and spend my time chasing around the sheep ranch where he still lives. As a kid I knew Sonoma County was wine country. Mostly because whenever my dad's parents would come visit during the summer, we'd all pack into Grandpa's car, and trundle off to Rodney Strong... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on October 21, 2010 10:36 PM
- Filed under: White Wine , Wine Reviews
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2007 Chateau de Beaucastel Chateuneuf-du-Pape Blanc, Rhone Valley, France
My love of deeply complex white wines has been growing for some time. I'm not sure exactly when I learned that there was more to white wine than Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, but ever since then, I have been seeking out white wines, and especially white blends, that lean towards the profound. I'd be hard pressed to pick a clear favorite among the bevy of beauties that fit the aforementioned description, but certainly one of the top contenders would be the white wines of the the southern Rhone Valley, and in particular this wine from Chateau de Beaucastel, Known for... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on October 14, 2010 10:40 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , White Wine , Wine Reviews
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2001 Thierry Allemand "Cuvee Reynard" Cornas, Rhone Valley, France
As much as I love wines from all over the world, and as open and welcoming as I am of the newest upstart winemakers and their wares, when you come right down to it, there are winemakers (and their wines) out there in the world that just have more soul. And there are places, too that have more soul. And soul, when it comes to wine and winemaking, is a very good thing in my book. If I had to make a list of places that have soul, the Northern Rhone appellation of Cornas would be high on the list,... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on October 5, 2010 9:01 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Older Vintages , Red Wine , Wine Reviews
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2007 Hess Collection "Allomi Vineyard" Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa
I can still remember my first wine tasting trip to the Napa Valley. I'm young, so it wasn't that long ago -- probably 1997 or so. Having been born and grown up in Sonoma County, most of my first winery visits as a legal drinker were there. But given my growing love of wine, my girlfriend at the time arranged a trip up to Napa with some friends and I gamely went along for the ride. The first place we stopped was, and remains, one of the cooler wineries in Napa. These days I continue to send those who ask... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on September 28, 2010 10:33 PM
- Filed under: Wine Reviews , Wines under $20
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Dry Creek Vineyard, Healdsburg, CA: Some Current Releases
Driving through California's wine country, with its carefully manicured vineyards carpeting huge swaths of the countryside, it's easy to imagine that people have been growing grapes there for centuries. Indeed, in many places in Northern California, the first vineyards sprang up in the middle to late 1800's and a thriving wine industry along with them. But what most people forget, if they ever knew, is that the California wine industry suffered several decades that were the equivalent to Europe's Dark Ages. First, 99.9% of the vineyards were wiped out by the Phylloxera epidemic that swept through around the turn of... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on September 18, 2010 9:59 PM
- Filed under: Wine Reviews
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The World's Best Sake: Tasting at the Joy of Sake Soiree 2010
One of the public wine tastings I most look forward to every year doesn't serve a single drop of wine. There aren't many opportunities (OK, there are almost none) to taste a large number of high quality sakes anywhere outside of Japan, let alone here in San Francisco. Which is why I make an annual pilgrimage to a yearly event called the Joy of Sake, which is effectively the largest sake tasting outside of Japan. This event highlights the finalists and winners of something called the Annual U.S. Sake Appraisal, which is the largest (and only?) sake competition held outside... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on September 13, 2010 9:45 PM
- Filed under: Sake , Wine Reviews
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2008 Outpost Grenache, Howell Mountain, Napa
To the casual visitor or inexperienced wine lover, Napa may just be a name on a bottle, or a vision of vineyards stretched between Highway 29 and the Silverado Trail. But like many wine regions, Napa is only a word on a map and an official designation for a group of winegrowing regions that, at times, seem to have little in common. The extreme variations of climate, soils, and topography among the various sections of Napa County make the subdivision of the region into separate AVA's (American Viticultural Areas) an inevitability. The variety of terroirs represented by these 14 (going... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on September 9, 2010 9:35 PM
- Filed under: Red Wine , Wine Reviews
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Lake County's Best Wines: Tasting the People's Choice Awards
Those of you who follow this blog closely know that a few weeks ago I played hooky from work and drove over the mountain into Lake County to be a judge for the Lake County People's Choice Wine Awards. Now, wine competitions are definitely not my thing, in general, but this competition was an interesting one because we weren't giving out any of the medals I so despise; because we were just narrowing the field of wines to a few top wines per category that the public then gets to taste blind and judge themselves; and finally because more than... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on September 4, 2010 4:12 PM
- Filed under: Wine Reviews
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2007 Anaba Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast
One of my greatest pleasures remains my "discovery" of small new wineries, and the opportunity to watch them mature over time. Of course, three vintages isn't exactly a lot of time to watch a winery mature, but it's quite exciting to see the third vintage of a winery that seemed to hit it out of the ballpark with their very first release. A couple of years ago some bottles showed up on my doorstep bearing the name Anaba in beautiful looping script. I was immediately intrigued to note that the first releases from this new Sonoma County winery were Rhone... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on September 2, 2010 10:25 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Red Wine , Wine Reviews
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2008 Dr. Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese, Mosel, Germany
There are a few categories of wine that qualify for the designation of "I just don't drink nearly enough of this stuff" in my house, and one of the top candidates is German Riesling. When it's good, it's just so damn good. It goes so well with food, and it makes you happy. What's not to love? Of course, to the uninitiated (and that applied to me about six years ago) it can be an intimidating landscape to navigate. The inscrutable labels, the different levels of sweetness, the unfamiliar quality designations -- they all contribute to an unease for many... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on August 26, 2010 11:06 PM
- Filed under: White Wine , Wine Reviews
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1997 Calera Wine Company "Mills Vineyard" Pinot Noir, Mt. Harlan, CA
Those of you who know me well understand the soft spot I have in my heart for iconoclastic winemakers. The crazier the better, in my book, but at the very least, so steadfastly committed to their idea of what makes for great wine that they're willing to persist in their quest even when everyone else says they are nuts. And that's exactly what most people said when they spotted Josh Jensen driving up and down California in his beat-up Volkswagen stopping here and there to get out of the car and sprinkle hydrochloric acid on the ground -- even those... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on August 23, 2010 10:45 PM
- Filed under: Older Vintages , Red Wine , Wine Reviews
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Henschke Wines, Eden Valley, Australia: Some Current Releases
While many may argue about just which individual wine represents Australia's finest expression of Shiraz, few could argue that when considering top producers of Australian Shiraz, Henschke shouldn't be on the short list. For more than 140 years, across five generations, the Henschke family has been growing grapes and making wine in a little corner of the hills surrounding the Barossa Valley. For the last 30 years, the winery has been run by Stephen Henschke and his wife Prue, with increasing help from their children. The history of the Henschke family is in many ways the history of the Barossa... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on August 15, 2010 10:57 PM
- Filed under: Wine Reviews
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2008 Clos de los Siete Red Wine, Mendoza, Argentina
Fifty miles south of the city of Mendoza the valley of Tunuyan feels less like a valley and more like a vast, kneeling supplicant to the immediate, looming bulk of the Northern Andes mountains. Though the valley floor is massive -- sweeping away from the jagged, snow capped peaks in every possible direction as if it were trying to get out of the way of their falling bulk -- you never get the sense that it is very flat. No matter where you stand, the world seems to be constantly tipping up towards (or down away from, as the case... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on August 7, 2010 4:06 PM
- Filed under: Red Wine , Wine Reviews , Wines under $20
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Tentaka "Silent Stream" Junmai Daiginjo, Tochigi Prefecture
I'll admit it. It's probably been at least six months since I've had sake in my mouth. In part, I think that's because even more than wine, I find sake a contemplative drink, and one that is best sipped serenely over a long evening. I haven't had that many evenings recently, and even though tonight wasn't particularly a special night, I opened a nice bottle to go with the steamed fish that we were eating. There are some clever, even inspiring winery names in the wine world, but for some reason I find the stories behind how sake breweries get... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on August 2, 2010 9:27 PM
- Filed under: Sake , Wine Reviews
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2008 Ridge Vineyards "Three Valleys" Red Blend, Sonoma County
If there's one thing about a winery that is likely to earn my immediate respect it is what you might describe as consistency of vision. Some of my favorite wineries not only make great wine, they have been making great wine in much the same way for decades, according to a deeply held philosophy that pervades everything they do. This sort of conviction, married to excellent winemaking, is not as common in California as you might think, but there are few who could argue against Ridge Vineyards as one of the finest examples of such a fusion of skill and... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on July 24, 2010 10:43 PM
- Filed under: Red Wine , Wine Reviews , Wines under $20
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2008 Bodegas Colomé Estate Malbec, Salta, Argentina
Once upon a time, I went to Argentina looking for the good wine. Frankly I couldn't understand what all the fuss was about when it came to Malbec. Most of the ones I had tasted here in the US were mediocre. Only a select few rose to the level of excellent, and none to the level of amazing. Yet there was a long stream of proclamations from various people (you know, the ones whose opinions "count" when it comes to such things) that Argentinean Malbec was the next greatest thing. Scratching my head, I traipsed off to Argentina looking for... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on July 22, 2010 8:31 PM
- Filed under: Red Wine , Wine Reviews
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Dom Pérignon, Champagne, France: Some Current Releases
Where to begin with Dom Pérignon? It is a brand, a wine, and a historical figure welded into an idea that has transcended itself to become an icon of culture. Pretty much every wine drinker has heard of Dom Pérignon. Ask them and they won't necessarily be able to tell you how. But Dom Pérignon universally means luxury, and it means Champagne. It is truly one of the world's most revered brands. But of course, Dom Pérignon is more than just a brand. Unlike the Nike logo, which will get slapped on everything from T-shirts to flip flops, the signature... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on July 13, 2010 4:26 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Sparkling Wine , Wine Reviews
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The World's Best Burgundy? Tasting La La Paulée de San Francisco 2010
I won't be winning any awards this year for "timely reporting." It's now been more than three months since the event called La Paulée de San Francisco came to town, but I'm finally getting my notes from the grand tasting posted here. For those who aren't familiar with La Paulée, it offers the opportunity to spit out thousands of dollars of wine in the space of a couple of hours. In other words, it's one of world's best Burgundy tastings, where attendees get the chance to sample some wines that are made in such small quantities, and at such high... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on July 7, 2010 11:13 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Wine Activities , Wine Reviews
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Schramsberg Vineyards, Napa: A Few Current Releases
At the risk of oversimplifying things past the point of reasonableness, I'd like to suggest that there are really two kinds of wineries in Napa Valley. Those that have been made great in modern times and those that were great long before Napa Cabernet cost more than even $1.00 a bottle. There are a handful of wineries that must be considered some of the valley's historical treasures, and those that continue to make excellent wine (not all do) are to be treasured even more for it. The famous sign that welcomes the world to Napa Valley hosts a quote by... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on July 4, 2010 10:51 PM
- Filed under: Sparkling Wine , Wine Reviews
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Secret Wines of the Napa Valley
The second of the two seminars I gave at the recent Aspen Food & Wine Classic festival was entitled "Secrets of the Napa Valley." The folks at Food & Wine magazine sort of have me slotted as the California guy, so every year I tend to do at least one Napa or Sonoma focused seminar. This year I wanted to highlight some of the least known wines or producers of Napa in an attempt to get people to broaden their horizons, and showcase some of the diversity that flies a bit under the surface of the sea of Cabernet. The... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on July 2, 2010 9:37 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Wine Reviews
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J.L. Chave, Mauve en Ardeche, France: Current Releases
Some places in this world are simply hallowed ground when it comes to winemaking. Of course every deep-rooted and honest winemaker treats his own land that way, but there are some places on earth that long ago transcended the brief attentions of mortal winemakers and instead exist in a pantheon of the world's greatest vineyard sites. No one knows exactly when the first vines were sunk into the impossibly steep granite hillsides in this particular elbow of the Rhone river valley, but in all likelihood there were grapes growing on the hillside now called Hermitage for more than five centuries... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on June 25, 2010 10:02 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Perfect 10s , Red Wine , White Wine , Wine Reviews
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South African Gems: My Aspen Food & Wine Classic Seminar
As some of you know, I spent last week at the Aspen Food & Wine Classic, where amongst a lot of drinking, socializing, and eating, I also gave two wine seminars. The first of those seminars was entitled South African Gems, and was an opportunity for me to showcase some of my very favorite South African wines for a crowd of about 160 people. Here's what it looked like, courtesy of my little Flip camera placed on the edge of one of the tables. The video offers the full seminar for those with the patience to watch. The wines I... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on June 23, 2010 11:57 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Wine Activities , Wine Reviews
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2004 Cooper Garrod "Lone Oak Vineyard" Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mountains
One of the greatest joys in my life remains the feeling I get when stumbling upon a small winery whose name rings no bells, but who produces excellent wines. I don't know why this is, exactly, but it has replaced the childish joy I used to experience as a young boy when finding a small crystal on a hike, or setting a new personal record for stone skipping on a pond. Little wineries with high quality wines are like buried treasure, I guess, but these days my goal is not to hoard but to share as widely as possible. I... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on June 15, 2010 9:30 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Wine Reviews
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2007 Quinta de Roriz "Prazo de Roriz" Red Blend, Douro, Portugal
I think one of the greatest assets any wine lover can possess is an unflagging curiosity in the form of a desire to taste as many different kinds of wine as possible. Certainly such an orientation to the wine world provides the basis for the best kind of self-education available to anyone who is interested in wine. I consciously nurture my own appetite for wines I have never tried before, and whenever possible try to encourage it in others. These days, when I find someone who is interested in breaking out of a rut of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, or Zinfandel... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on June 7, 2010 11:36 PM
- Filed under: Red Wine , Wine Reviews , Wines under $20
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Sea Smoke Cellars, Santa Barbara: Current Releases
Sometimes as I'm traveling through wine country, I see beautiful pieces of land that aren't planted to grapes and I think to myself, "now why is it that someone hasn't turned that into a vineyard?" I don't pretend to have an eye for what makes good vineyard property, but those who do are constantly saying the same things about choice pieces of land everywhere. Sometimes these pieces of land become famous, or perhaps infamous is a better word, for their frustrating combination of appeal and unavailability. For years, even decades, the wine country of Santa Barbara, and the appellation of... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on June 5, 2010 10:00 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Red Wine , Wine Reviews
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2006 Hughes-Wellman Cabernet Sauvignon, St. Helena
While wines, and great wines in particular, are made with incredible forethought and planning, sometimes wine labels can spring up overnight as the result of an opportune conversation or new friendship. In 2005, a guy named Cameron Hughes met winemaker Sam Spencer. Sam, who has his own label called Spencer Roloson, had just been offered some choice Cabernet Sauvignon fruit, but wasn't interested in adding a Cabernet to his lineup. On a whim he offered to make the wine for Cameron, to bottle under his own label. Now you need to know something about Cameron to understand why the idea... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on June 2, 2010 11:27 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Red Wine , Wine Reviews
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2007 J Vineyards "Barrel 16" Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley
There was a time (think: late Seventies, early Eighties) when a lot of people would have put money on California being the next Champagne. It seems quite improbable now given California's reputation for Cabernet and the relative paucity of sparkling wine producers in the state. Yet there are many California winery names that have become synonymous with sparking wine (Schramsberg, Iron Horse, Korbel, Chandon, and more) and which have been producing sparkling wines for decades, and continue to do so. This is not the story of one of those brands. This is the story of the next generation. In the... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on May 28, 2010 9:53 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Red Wine , Wine Reviews
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Noon Winery, McLaren Vale, Australia: Current Releases
The term garagiste, originally coined as a pejorative referring to the small wineries in Bordeaux's Right Bank who were making more modern style wines from purchased grapes, has been greatly overused to the point of cliché. Nonetheless, I consider it a very, very good sign when I discover the people that actually are making good wines in their garage. That's why on my recent trip to Australia as I trundled up the driveway of Noon Winery in McLaren Vale past old, gnarled vines of Grenache and into the garage that holds the ancient wooden fermenting vats and the basket press... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on May 17, 2010 11:38 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Red Wine , Wine Reviews
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2006 Marc Kreydenweiss "Clos Rebberg" Pinot Gris, Alsace, France
The wines of Alsace are some of the most unique and distinctive in the world. They are also some of my favorites, not only because they are delicious, but also because they are made by some of France's most individualistic and headstrong vintners. Alsace has long been a place apart, both from France and Germany, each of which have laid claim over the valleys and hills that lie west of the Rhine river which currently demarcates the border between the two nations. It's easy to characterize the region as a smooth and quirky blend between the two countries, but such... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on May 15, 2010 10:54 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , White Wine , Wine Reviews
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2007 Monastero Suore Cistercensi "Coenobium Rusticum" Bianco, Lazio, Italy
We owe much of modern viticulture and winemaking traditions to the church in some form or another. Even before the last supper's famous entreaty that gave rise to the concept of Christian transubstantiation, wine has been a sacred fluid that was grown and made by various religious orders who had the land, the time, and the knowledge to make it happen. In the past, most such organizations were the exclusive domain of men, and consequently so were the wines. Even as various religious orders for women have proliferated, it seems that most of those that make wine (or other... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on May 8, 2010 4:02 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Orange Wines , Undiscovered Wines , Wine Reviews
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Jasper Hill Winery, Heathcote, Australia: Current Releases
The best wines in the world all share at least one thing in common, and that is a winemaker who brings a unique combination of both vision and passion to their work. At the age of thirty, winemaker Ron Laughton found himself managing the southern hemisphere's largest cheese factory, and with a total absence of passion for what he was doing. Having grown up on a farm and gotten degrees in chemistry and food science, Laughton worked all over the world for Kraft Foods before being headhunted by an Australian dairy company. His career path seemed as assured as it... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on May 6, 2010 2:02 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Wine Reviews
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2004 St. Hallett Semillon, Barossa Valley, Australia
I'll tell you right off the bat that if you live in the United States, you can't buy this wine. It's currently not imported. Those of you who live in Europe or Asia may be able to get your hands on it, but not much leaves Australia. What is the point, you may ask, of reviewing a wine that most will not be able to buy? Firstly, the wine is delicious, and worthy of a review on its own merits alone. But more importantly, the wine represents a very under-appreciated Australian contribution to the world of wine: old vine Semillon.... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on May 4, 2010 10:47 PM
- Filed under: White Wine , Wine Reviews , Wines under $20
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Torbreck Wines, Barossa Valley, Australia: Current Releases
Whenever I hear the term Chartered Accountant, I can't help but think of Monty Python: Counselor: Well I now have the results here of the interviews and the aptitude tests that you took last week, and from them we've built up a pretty clear picture of the sort of person that you are. And I think I can say, without fear of contradiction, that the ideal job for you is chartered accountancy. Mr. Anchovy: But I've been a chartered accountant for the last twenty years! I want a new job. Something exciting that will let me live. Counselor: Well, do... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on April 28, 2010 11:59 PM
- Filed under: Wine Reviews
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Palmina Winery, Santa Barbara County: Current Releases
You know how some entrepreneurs seem to start businesses in their sleep? They create a company, make it profitable or sell it to someone, and then it seems like a week into their "vacation" they're starting another one, and another. The most successful of these seem to have the Midas touch, with each business more successful than the last, as if they can't help but make tons of money. There's an analogue to this type of personality in the wine world, and it is readily demonstrated by one Steve Clifton. Clifton is best known for his partnership in Brewer-Clifton wines... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on April 17, 2010 10:39 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Wine Reviews
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D'Arenberg Winery, McLaren Vale, Australia: Current Releases
I can't remember when, exactly, I had my first Australian wine, but there's a good chance that it was made by D'Arenberg. Most certainly I first learned to recognize the distinct area of McLaren Vale courtesy of a bottle with a characteristic red slash through the label. I've drunk D'Arenberg wines for years, always appreciating their value for the money, and often recommending them to friends who are looking for crowd-pleasing wines that are relatively easy to find. So when I found myself in McLaren Vale a few weeks ago, I made sure to stop by the winery, have a... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on April 10, 2010 5:15 PM
- Filed under: Wine Reviews , Wines under $20
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Giaconda Winery, Beechworth, Australia: Current Releases
I'm an armchair student of geology. There was a time when I thought I was going to be a mineralogist. But then I discovered photography and filmmaking -- and that was the end of my obsession with rocks. But I still have an appreciation, and an eye, for both small scale and large scale topography, which means that at least I tend to notice the geological features of the world around me. I know my synclines from my anticlines and can spot a terminal moraine, if you get my drift. That's why as I drove out of the Victorian Alps... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on April 4, 2010 10:54 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Wine Reviews
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Tasting some of Australia's "First Families of Wine"
For all of its decidedly New World status when it comes to wine, Australia has some extraordinary winemaking heritage. Some of the very first settlers of Australia brought vine cuttings that they picked up in South Africa, one of the common waypoints on the long journey from Europe. Australian wine was sold commercially starting in the 1820's and a number of wineries still operating today began producing in the 1830's. Some of these wineries have been continuously family owned and operated since that time, and remarkably some of the original vines planted by these families continue to produce wine. While... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on April 3, 2010 10:45 PM
- Filed under: Wine Reviews
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Tasting the Artisans of Barossa Wines
I've just spent a couple of days in Australia's Barossa Valley, with its rolling hills of ancient rock worn down to nubs by the sands of time. I arrived in the first real rain of Autumn, the moisture a welcome relief for most everyone in the drought stricken region, and doubly so for the fact that almost all the fruit had been harvested. I came to the Barossa for two reasons. The first was to see some of the classic producers and lay my hands, or at least my eyes, on some of the oldest and some of the most... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on March 30, 2010 9:25 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Wine Reviews
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Yarra Yering Winery, Yarra Valley, Australia: Current Releases
The greatest wines of the world are undeniably a product of place, embodying the particular constellation of elements that can be captured by the seeking roots and waving leaves of a grapevine. But some very special wines are as much a product of intense passion and vision as they are of a specific terroir. Someone must choose the land, must drive the posts, must plant the vines, and of course, make the wine. These actions can be done with ordinary dedication or with extraordinary insight, and their results vary accordingly. As I journey through my adventure as a wine lover,... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on March 28, 2010 3:48 AM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Wine Reviews
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Castagna Winery, Beechworth, Australia: Current Releases
The little house with a peaked roof pokes up over the crest of the hill, and the vineyards in the back yard spill off to the north and west, like a silk wrap that is slipping off the shoulder. Despite the few acres of vineyards clustered around the newish looking house and barn, with a small patch of garden out back, you wouldn't necessarily know that this was a winery from the dirt lane that connects the small farm with the paved country lane at the bottom of the hill. Indeed, as you open the iron gate at the... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on March 26, 2010 11:54 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Wine Reviews
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Some Initial Tastes from Australia
As many of you know, I'm currently tasting my way around Australia. I spent my first three days visiting the Yarra Valley, Beechworth, Heathcote, and the King Valley in the Victoria region surrounding Melbourne. I'm currently finishing up a couple of days in the McLaren Vale outside of Adelaide, and will soon be on my way to the Barossa to complete my tour of South Australia. The weather has been spectacular, the people I've met, fantastic, and the wines, well, that's more complicated. I've had some ordinary, unremarkable, and downright lousy wines. But I've also had some wines that have... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on March 25, 2010 11:58 AM
- Filed under: Wine Reviews
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Brittan Vineyards, Willamette Valley, OR: Inaugural Releases
Expressed briefly, making a great wine is rather quite simple. You find the right piece of ground; you put the right grapes in; you tend them well and harvest them at the right time; and then you smash them together and nudge the product gently away from its tendency towards vinegar. For some people, the most important step is finding the right piece of ground, and for anyone looking to start a winery, it is certainly the first step. It's really important. If you get it wrong, the rest of the stuff doesn't matter. At least, that's the way that... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on March 17, 2010 11:44 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Red Wine , Undiscovered Wines , Wine Reviews
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Where Malbec Comes From: Tasting the Wines of Cahors
One of my greatest pleasures as a wine lover (OK wine geek) is learning about a wine region by tasting a lot of wines. While I prefer to taste on location, there's just no way I can possibly get to all the different places I'd like to learn about until I become independently wealthy or permanently retired (and wealthy). Which really means there are a lot of wine regions I'll never get the chance to visit. Luckily a lot of smaller wine regions are realizing that one way to improve the market for their wines internationally is the "wine roadshow"... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on March 14, 2010 11:24 PM
- Filed under: Red Wine , Wine Reviews
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Italy's Best Wines: Tasting the Tre Bicchieri 2010
I pride myself on my broad tastes in wine. I like wine from everywhere, and don't believe I have a specific bias towards one region or another. However, each year, that claim is shaken a little as I emerge from what is one of the best wine tasting events held in San Francisco, The Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri tasting. For those unfamiliar with the Gambero Rosso, it is essentially an organization focused on the promotion and evaluation of Italian food and wine. Each year the organization publishes a guide by the same name. The Gambero Rosso is the Italian Wine... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on March 5, 2010 9:27 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Wine Reviews
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2007 TAZ Vineyard Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County
The good $15 Pinot Noir is the unicorn of the California wine industry. A mythic beast, highly sought after, no one is actually sure whether it exists or not. I'm always on the lookout myself, as it's one of the most frequent questions I get asked when people find out I review wines. Consequently, whenever I do come across something that comes close, I feel almost obligated to share the find. It's been some time since I visited the wines made under the brand TAZ, but a couple of bottles arrived recently and went into the tasting lineup and they... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on February 27, 2010 6:55 PM
- Filed under: Red Wine , Wine Reviews , Wines under $20
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Napa's Best Cabernet: Tasting at Premiere Napa Valley 2010
One of my favorite events each year involves the opportunity to sample some of the best wines that Napa produces in a given vintage. At Premiere Napa Valley, an auction that serves as the world's most expensive "bake sale" to support the efforts of the non-profit Napa Valley Vintners Association, journalists like me get a chance to sneak a taste of hundreds of unique wines that are purchased by the nation's top wine retailers at staggeringly high prices. This year, as every year, 200 member wineries each crafted a unique auction lot of wine that in most cases represents the... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on February 23, 2010 10:14 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Wine Activities , Wine Reviews
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2007 MacRostie "Wildcat Mountain Vineyard" Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast
There are two worlds of California Chardonnay drinkers in this country. There are those who continue to order their favorite white wine whenever they go out to dinner, and are collectively responsible for making California Chardonnay the most consumed wine variety in the country each year. And then there are those who consider themselves wine lovers, critics, and geeks, and the consensus in recent years seems to be that there are few California Chardonnays worth paying attention to. Put more bluntly, it's getting easier and easier to find someone who hates California Chardonnay these days. I've read several major wine... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on February 16, 2010 11:01 PM
- Filed under: White Wine , Wine Reviews
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2007 Cornelissen MunJebel 4 Bianco, Etna, Sicily
Many of the world's greatest wines are also the most unlikely. Unlikely because most sane, rational, educated, and professional winemakers wouldn't be caught dead making wine in some of the strange ways and places that yield the truly exciting. It takes a strong vision, or as some might suggest, a special breed of insanity to break all the rules of modern winemaking and winegrowing, but those who break such rules often follow their passions across the border without a moment's thought to the uncharted territory they are exploring. High on the slopes of one of the world's most active volcanoes,... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on February 13, 2010 11:18 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Orange Wines , White Wine , Wine Reviews
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The Best Zinfandels in California: Tasting at ZAP 2010
With a line snaking halfway around the parking lot by 2:00 PM, it might be easy to say that Zinfandel might be one of the more recession proof wines in California. The fact that very good bottles can be had for about $20 certainly means that there's probably a lot more Zinfandel being consumed these days than, say, Meritage blends. Once inside the annual Zinfandel Advocates and Producers Festival it was clear, however, that far fewer wineries were pouring this year than in the past, though the crowd was no less lively (I didn't stay until 5 PM when people... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on February 2, 2010 8:15 PM
- Filed under: Red Wine , Wine Reviews
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Garagiste Winemakers of Chile: Introducing MOVI
If I were Hugh Johnson or Jancis Robinson, I could clear my throat and begin my story with a distinguished pronouncement about how I've watched several wine regions around the globe evolve from their infancy to later stages of maturity. But I lack the perspective of someone who's been a professional observer of the industry for decades. While I may not be able to tell you how, exactly, I do know that wine regions evolve over the course of their history, and that Chile finds itself in a particular stage of evolution that most regions probably encounter after a few... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on January 23, 2010 11:37 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Ramblings and Rants , Undiscovered Wines , Wine Reviews
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Jemrose Wines, Bennett Valley, CA: Current Releases
Some people like to go to flea markets, where they will spend hours wandering around the stalls hoping to stumble on something wonderful. I spend hours wandering through huge public wine tastings in much the same way, and every once in a while I stumble across a winery that I've never heard of nor seen before, whose wines pull the needle off the record and bring me up short in breathless surprise. When I first tasted the wines from Jemrose in just such a fashion, they immediately impressed me, not just because they were so high quality, but also because... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on January 17, 2010 11:50 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Wine Reviews
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2001 Renaissance Winery Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, North Yuba
Every time I review a wine from some little producer whose wines I adore, I experience a pang of regret, because I know that by writing about these wineries and their wines, I only make them more expensive and harder to acquire for myself (and others). I do occasionally get e-mails from ticked off wine lovers bemoaning the fact that I've divulged one of their secret sources for great wine. But that's just an occupational hazard for me, and doesn't outweigh the joy of being able to say things like this: Listen up people. There is some seriously amazing wine... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on January 12, 2010 10:22 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Red Wine , Wine Reviews
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2007 Potel-Aviron Fleurie Vielles Vignes, Beaujolais, France
Should one of your New Years' resolutions be to broaden your wine horizons without breaking your wine budget, one of the places worth exploring would certainly be Beaujolais. Much maligned, or at the very least avoided -- and rightly so -- by many wine lovers whose experience with Beaujolais consists of a glass of banana-scented Nouveau in November, the region actually produces some truly wonderful wines that can be tremendous values. The Beaujolais region has seen a renaissance of winemaking in the past decade, with many serious, small producers trying to make wines that have much more in common with... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on January 5, 2010 10:45 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Red Wine , Wine Reviews , Wines under $20
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Errazuriz Winery, Chile: Current Releases
The Aconcagua valley presents the first time visitor with a surreal vista. From the flattened floodplain of the valley floor, mountains rise steeply on either side but only their rocky peaks are visible. Starting only a short distance down from their spires, and extending all the way to valley below, the mountains are wreathed in a bumpy, dense green outgrowth that makes them look like they've been carpeted with a dark Astroturf on a grand scale. How someone figured out that they could grow avocados on slopes so steep I'd love to know. But once upon a time they did,... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on January 2, 2010 10:15 PM
- Filed under: Red Wine , Wine Reviews , Wines under $20
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Corison Winery, Napa: Current Releases
It's hard to get attention in the world of wine. Many wineries and winemakers struggle their entire careers for recognition, both deservedly and some, not quite. In the days of big marketing budgets and cult wines that are only figuratively on everyone's lips (and literally on the lips of very few), it's easy to overlook wineries that have quietly been doing their thing for decades. I can't tell you how many times I've driven by the understated Corison Winery on Highway 29 without ever going in. The number must literally be in the hundreds. While I've still not actually stopped... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on December 29, 2009 9:28 PM
- Filed under: Boutique Wines , Red Wine , Wine Reviews
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Veramonte Winery, Chile: Current Releases
It's hard to believe that in the early 1990's less than 100 acres of vineyards were planted in Chile's Casablanca valley. In little more than two decades, this region of Chile has surged in growth and popularity, and is currently producing excellent wines that generally represent excellent values on the world market. The region is currently home to more than 10,000 acres of vineyards. Back when the grape acreage was still in the triple digits Agustin Huneeus decided that the Casablanca valley was one of Chile's most promising wine regions, and that he needed to start making wine there. Not... continue reading
- Posted by: Alder on December 25, 2009 11:47 AM
- Filed under: Wine Reviews , Wines under $20
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