April’s tasting featured the southern Rhone appellations of Gigondas and Vacqueyras, both a source of powerful wines that generally sell for less than their more expensive neighbors in Chateauneuf du Pape. Dominated by the Grenache grape, these usually also contain significant portions of Syrah and Mourvedre for complexity and structure. It was noteworthy […]
Gigondas and Vacqueyras Read More »
The Loire Valley in France is composed of many appellations, both large and small, so instead of focusing on one (good luck finding six bottles of Savennières at your local shop), we tasted a variety of white wines from across the region. Wines were tasted geographically, starting from the mouth of the Loire in
Loire Valley Sampler, The Whites Read More »
Having much more to offer than the last time we tasted these (back in September 2005), this group presented their potential as attractive, value-oriented whites. The night’s winner was also the best value (only $13!), with both clean/vibrant notes to go with more complex flavors. No taster gave it less than 3 points, and was
White Bordeaux Bash #2 Read More »
While most think of Côtes du Rhône as a vast appellation producing plenty of relatively inexpensive, everyday wines, we found much to like with this tasting of 2009 reds. Our top wines were certainly more robust and interesting than everyday wines, confirming that in the best years, from the best producers, Côtes du Rhône reds
2009 Côtes du Rhône Read More »
The last time we tasted rosé was in September 2009, so the time was ripe for a revisit. This time, however, we compared only those from France for a more even playing field. The results were very close for the top two bottles, and to the credit of our taster’s palates, we correctly (and blindly) determined
French Rosé Battle Read More »
The Grenache Skirmish #2 was a repeat of the December 2005 tasting, featuring only bottles of Grenache from Australia. The top two wines this time were the most expensive of the night, but not so expensive that they would be out of reach of mere mortals. They shared a dark profile, with solid structure that kept
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This was our second tasting of the greatest of all southern Rhone appellations; the last time being in February 2006. Most remarkable about this tasting was that it was the first time we were presented with three bottles from the same producer, but from three different vintages. Half of all the entries came from
Châteauneuf Shootout #2 Read More »
This tasting was a revisit of the June 2004 comparison of the wines of Chablis. We must be getting a whole lot better at this, because this time, our notes were much more expressive and detailed. Or, the wines themselves exhibited that much more personality (or a little of both). Chablis is the home
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Part of the southern Burgundy region, Mâconnais whites are almost exclusively made from Chardonnay, but usually have less lofty prices than of those made in the Côte d’Or to the north. Appellations in the Mâconnais range from simple Mâcon-Villages to Saint-Véran, and the more well-known Pouilly-Fuissé. Although two bottles received no points, tasters
Coming from specific villages or vineyard areas, Cru Beaujolais have little in common with vapid, watery Beaujolais Nouveau that most people are familiar with. There are ten different Crus, and while all Beaujolais are made with the Gamay grape, each area has specific characteristics. There was unanimous agreement that this tasting was one of
Cru Beaujolais Battle Read More »