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2024 Domaine Henri Costal, Chablis Premier Cru “Vaillons” White Burgundy, France.Again, like the last vintage, Costal has made a beauty from Vaillons, one of my favorite Premier Crus in Chablis, maybe second to Montée de Tonnerre, showing off chalky terroir and a surprising depth of fruit with green apple, Bosc pear, tart peach, quince and […]
2025 Tenuta della Terre Nere, Etna Rosato DOC, Sicily, Italy.This beautifully light coppery/salmon Tenuta della Terre Nere Etna Rosato is mineral intense, delicate on the briskly dry palate, with crushed strawberry, sour cherry, spicy raspberry water, ruby citrus and saline rich wet stone. Subtly volcanic flinty notes and a faint floral element add to the […]
2023 B. Kosuge Wines, Gamay Noir, Carneros.The expressive, magenta/ruby hued and medium/full bodied Kosuge Gamay Noir, from a tiny little vineyard parcel along the Carneros Highway on the Napa side, shows off juicy wild plum, cherry, strawberry and tangy red currant fruits on the palate, adding some pomegranate, mineral notes, crushed dark flowers, snappy herbs […]
2022 Domaine Michelot, Meursault “Les Narvaux” white Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, France.Those savvy enough or have a long history of drinking white Burgundy, especially Meursault will know, that even though “Les Narvaux” is not a Premier Cru, it is an awesome plot of terroir and some fantastic Chardonnay grows there, so I was thrilled to […]
2019 Graci, Etna Rosso DOC, Arcurìa “Sopra il Pozzo” Mount Etna, Sicily, Italy.A profound example of Mount Etna, and a top ten wine of the hear so far, this stunning and delicate ruby/garnet hued Graci Arcurìa, Nerello Mascalese, delivers a stylish, raw and layered medium bodied palate of mineral laced cherry, spiced plum, strawberry and […]
2023 Flywheel, Syrah, Brosseau Vineyard, Chalone AVA, Monterey County.The full bodied, dense and delicious deep purple/garnet 2023 vintage Brosseau Syrah from Flywheel and vines in the historic Chalone AVA is my favorite in Scott Shapely’s new set of releases with its dark berry, blueberry compote, delicate florals, subtle peppery spices, chalky notes and chocolatey mouth […]
2022 Domaine Antoine Arena, Patrimonio Blanc, Carco, Corsica, France.The beautiful, mineral toned and deep Antoine Arena Carco Patrimonio Blanc, made from 100% Vermentinu (Vermentino) is drinking exceptionally well at this stage, especially last night when I had this wine with friends at Monterey’s Cella Restaurant with a selection of sea food, from anchovies to raw […]
2009 Bruno Paillard, “Nec Plus Ultra” Cuvée, Extra Brut Champagne, Reims, France.The gorgeous and richly flavored N.P.U. Extra Brut Champagne from Bruno Paillard was one of year’s treats, disgorged in 2024, with an extremely low, three grams per liter dosage, after ten years on the yeast, makes this a a crisply bone dry, but wonderfully […]
2025 Bruna Grimaldi, Langhe Arneis DOC, Piemonte, Italy.After a few years of writing about the incredible Barolo wines here at Bruna Grimaldi, I finally am getting around to mentioning just how great their Arneis white wine is, and this 2025 is a stunner with crystalline purity, steely mineral intensity, and bright acidity. This ultra pale, […]
2024 Roar, Syrah, Rosella’s Vineyard, Estate Grown, Santa Lucia Highlands.One of my favorite wines from our local vineyards, and possibly one of the most underrated and under the radar wines from the Santa Lucia Highlands, the Roar Rosella’s Syrah, which is an absolutely gorgeous wine in the 2024 vintage with feline muscular structure, deep fruit […]
2019 Pax, Gamay Noir, Alpine Peaks Vineyard, Sonoma Coast.The light ruby and deep amber edged 2019 Alpine Peaks Gamay Noir from Pax, from a forgotten bottle I tucked away, was a surprise addition to a blind tasting lineup of Gamay wines and proved delicious and has developed nicely since release about five years ago with […]
2025 Bodegas Olivares, Rosado, Jumilla DOP, Spain.The 2025 Rosado, crafted from mainly estate grown high elevation Garnacha, is beautifully fresh and mineral toned with ultra dry crispness and a fine delicate light bodied palate of sour cherry, a whisper of strawberry, ruby grapefruit, wet stone, wild sage, rosewater and very faint watermelon. Made to be […]