Wine Review: 2008 Pesquera Crianza When it comes to iconic Ribera del Duero producers, there is Vega Sicilia—arguably the greatest producer in all of Spain—and then there is Pesquera, Vega’s triple-oaked 100% Tempranillo little sister that, despite her inherent beauty, has never been as great and will never be as great as her legendary older …
2001 La Rioja Alta “Viña Ardanza” Reserva Especial Rioja When I taste a great wine, I’m generally inclined to detail how individual and unique that particular wine is. And although I believe this wine is exceptional, it is not a ‘one-of-a-kind’ but instead a flawless representation of its kind. Don’t get me wrong; I think …
The first time I recall hearing about Krug Champagne was in my junior year of high school when Jay-Z announced that he would boycott Louis Roederer’s Cristal as a result of the supposedly racist remarks made by Louis Roederer’s managing director Frederic Rouzaud—as published in The Economist earlier that year. What was said, or who …
Over the past few months I’ve become ever more aware of the extent of oaking regimens in the Cote de Ore. And to put this gently. I can’t fricken believe it. As it turns out, it’s not uncommon for Burgundian wine makers to use 100% new oak on …
This shameless golden nectar might be just about as close to Sauternes production that the state of Connecticut might ever come—and I’m not saying that with regret but with state pride. I’ve tasted a couple of the Sharpe Hill wines including ‘The Ballet of Angels’—the best selling wine produced in Connecticut—and although I don’t recall …
In a 1998 horizontal tasting of Châteauneuf-du-Pape an innocent bystander once asked me, “what’s the point? Why not enjoy the wines individually on several different occasions and experience several times the pleasure?” I must admit, for a moment I was stumped. If our tasting group had instead tasted the eight Châteauneuf-du-Papes on …
I started buying mixed cases of wine when I turned 21 years old. As a result, I sometimes have the pleasure of pulling bottles out of my cellar that I’ve since forgotten about. The Moulin-a-Vent Hospices 2006 from Collin-Bourisset is one of those bottles. I remember purchasing it my Junior year of college from one …
I guess it was Australia that really started the grape rush—the wine marketing phenomenon that had different New World nations grabbing up previously unloved grape varietals and calling them their own. After seeing the success of Shiraz—South America jumped on the bandwagon. First it was Malbec in Argentina. Then it was Carmenere in Chile. And …
I suppose my ongoing love affair with the Widow Clicquot initiated itself in my senior year of high school when liaison with older acquaintances gained me a more reliable access to wine. I had more money then. Without a car, a multitude of lady friends, or a fake ID, I found …
A few weeks ago I was called a wine snob. I can’t remember the exact venue or circumstance—whether it was a restaurant, a bar, or at a party somewhere—but the accusation has resonated with me ever since. And trust me. The damage is done. At first it didn’t mean much to …