Burgundy Odds & Ends
France: Burgundy, featured
, Jul 2019
While it is undoubtedly thrilling to taste Burgundy’s most important and coveted wines, these days I get just as much pleasure from discovering wines from lesser appellations and producers that remain a bit under the radar. In other words, wines that the average consumer can still find and acquire without taking out a second mortgage.
Vinous Table: Il Silene, Pescina, Italy
Italy: Center & South, Vinous Table
, Jun 2019
I have wanted to eat at Il Silene for many years but had always been put off by its location, which is not especially convenient to the tasting circuit. What a mistake that turned out to be. This spectacular lunch proved Il Silene is very much worth a special trip.
Cellar Favorite: 2012 Vietti Barolo Riserva Villero
Piedmont, Italy: Piedmont, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Jun 2019
Vietti’s 2012 Barolo Riserva Villero is absolutely gorgeous. In 2012, the Villero is especially lifted and aromatic, showing a distinctly floral and red-toned expression of fruit rather than the darker, more balsamic inflections that are typical of this Castiglione Falletto cru.
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Montrachet 1978-2015
France: Burgundy, featured
, Jun 2019
This fabulous charity dinner, held to benefit children’s oncology at The Mount Sinai Hospital, featured a breathtaking range of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti’s Montrachet spanning 22 vintages back to 1978. It was a truly magical night of wine, food and conversation, all for a great cause.
Abreu – The 2009s Revisited
United States: California, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, featured
, Jun 2019
I still remember the first time I tasted the Abreu 2009s. It was fall of 2011, the year Robert Parker asked me to take over Napa Valley coverage at The Wine Advocate. Those 2009s were so showy and unbelievably alluring when they were young. Needless to say, I was deeply intrigued to revisit them at nearly ten years of age.
Domaine Leroy – The Bottled 2016s
France: Burgundy, featured
, Jun 2019
“Am I going too fast?” Lalou Bize-Leroy asks as she takes me through her bottled 2016s. Not a chance. One of the first things I observed when I started visiting the domaine years ago was Lalou’s intense pace, which remains pretty much the same today. “I like to taste quickly,” she adds. “With wines its either ‘yes’ or ‘no’. There is no middle ground. Just like people.” That insight is one of many that emerge over the course of this remarkable survey of the 2016s.
Cellar Favorite: 2014 Champagne Christophe Baron Brut Nature Les Hautes Blanches Vignes
France: Champagne, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Jun 2019
The 2014 Brut Nature Les Hautes Blanches Vignes is the first wine I have tasted from Christophe Baron’s new project in Champagne, and it is magnificent.
New Releases from the Langhe, Roero, Asti & More
Italy: Piedmont, featured
, May 2019
Although Barolo, Barbaresco, and, more recently, Alto Piemonte get the lion’s share of attention, Piedmont has so much to offer beyond those highly-regarded appellations. Dolcetto, Barbera, Freisa, Timorasso and a host of other indigenous varieties give consumers myriad options for discovering the breadth of diversity that makes Piedmont one of the world’s most dynamic regions.
Cellar Favorite: 2006 Weingut F.X. Pichler Riesling Smaragd Unendlich
Austria, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, May 2019
Pichler’s 2006 Riesling Smaragd Unendlich (the name translates to ‘unending’) is one of the most remarkable wines – white or red – I have tasted in a long time.
Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond
United States: California, featured
, May 2019
Readers will find a breathtaking array of wines from Sonoma, Anderson Valley and beyond in this report. The 2017s have turned out to be a big surprise given the challenges of a growing season punctuated by three significant heat events. Pinot Noirs and Syrahs are the most consistent varieties, but there are peaks of brilliance in Zinfandel-based reds and Chardonnay as well. As always, the sheer diversity of Sonoma County and its neighboring appellations is truly remarkable.