Category: Red Wine

The Dark Jewel of Umbria: Thoughts on Montefalco Sagrantino
On the narrow “boot” of Italy, at least the part that protrudes into the Mediterranean, there exists one and only

Ridge Vineyards: An American Wine Icon at 60
In 1968, a young Paul Draper was just beginning his career as a winemaker. After a brief stint making some

Red and Fresh: Tasting the 2020 Gimblett Gravels Vintage Selection
Gravel is a word used in conjunction with some of wine’s most hallowed ground. The gravelly clays of Bordeaux’s Left

Discover the Rustic Charms of Pineau d’Aunis
One of the trends in the wine world that I’ve been happiest to see in recent years is the surge

As Phelps Enters a New Era, A Look Back at Insignia
The wine world (OK, California) is abuzz over the acquisition of Joseph Phelps Vineyards by luxury goods conglomerate LVMH. While

Red Mountain Aristocracy: The Wines of Col Solare
By now, it is something of a well-trodden path in the world of wine. A long-standing European wine family begins

Stony South: Tasting the 2019 Gimblett Gravels Vintage Selection
In a country filled with utterly spectacular wine regions, the Gimblett Gravels district of Hawke’s Bay can’t compete for the

Tasting Natural Beauty: The Wines of Rippon
When I was first learning the little bit of Japanese that I speak, I was interested in adjectives. Maybe it’s

Poised for Greatness: Tasting The Evolution of Anderson Valley
Given all the fuss that has been made about Pinot Noir in the post-Sideways era, you would think that Mendocino’s

The Soul of Refinement: Recent & Upcoming Releases from Corison Winery, Napa
There most definitely was a time, not so long ago, when you couldn’t begin an article about one of Napa’s

Three Men, One Shovel: The Single-Vineyard Cabernets of La Pelle
Earlier this year, I wrote up an extensive report on many of the new (to me) producers of Napa Valley

Striving for Perfection and Finding Truth: Tasting 20 Years of Vérité
The year was 1995. Jess Jackson and his wife Barbara Banke were riding high on the wave of success that

Vinography Unboxed: Week of 1/3/21
Hello, and welcome to my periodic dig through the samples pile. I’m pleased to bring you the latest installment of

America’s Other Cabernet: The Wines of Red Mountain, WA
Admittedly, it sounds like the set-up for a joke: what do two nuclear engineers to for a good time outside

The Progress of Consistency: A TOR Wines Retrospective
There’s lucky and then there’s damned lucky. Tor Kenward has basically had his dream job since the age of 29.

Napa History in Three Acres and Three Vintages
Some people have beautifully manicured front lawns. Some people have barely manageable jungles. And some are lucky enough to have

The Best Brunellos: Tasting the 2015 Vintage on Tour
Anyone who doesn’t fall even just a little bit in love with Tuscany the first time they visit should probably

Napa’s Royal Cabernets: The Wines of Oakville
While often considered a single “place” when it comes to wine, Napa is hardly a monolithic growing region. Each of