Category: Classics
Memorable Chardonnay Wines from 2022
The top 20 include nine from California and eleven from Burgundy. On the former, I’ve been a fan of Stony Hill of Napa and Hanzell of Sonoma for some 40 years. I prefer more classic styles, which these small producers...
Read MoreTop 20 Reds Tasted During 2022
The news media and various entertainment, search engine and research websites are currently featuring their “Best of 2022” lists, with occasional predictions for 2023. In the spirit of sharing, here are my Top 20 Red Wines...
Read MoreSo Many Wines, So Little Time
Readers often ask where I get my wines, particularly after posting tasting notes on some great values from around the world. Start with the big box stores (e.g., Costco) and local wine merchants. For expanding my horizons and to...
Read MoreRioja Adventures Round Two; Classic Reds, Sprightly Rosados and Crisp Blancos
Our base was the Hotel Marques Riscal, in Elciego, a tiny town on the road to the bigger destinations of Laguardia, Haro and Samaniego. MARQUES DE RISCAL The Marqués de Riscal City of Wine, in Elciego (Álava), includes: the...
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Discovering Rioja: fine values in high quality aged wines
Matt Kramer, long-time columnist for The Wine Spectator and author of a definitive book on...
Read MoreIn Search of the Napa Nose; Style and Sense of Place
Last month, I bemoaned the trend in California wineries toward making high-alcohol, thick fruit bombs out of Cabernet Sauvignon, with an accompanying loss of varietal character and sense of place. The wines secure high scores...
Read MoreBeyond the California Cult Fruit Bombs – Classic Wines from Napa
Having followed the evolution of the California wine industry since 1972, I’ve seen many changes in winemaking styles to appeal to new markets and critics whose rankings drive sales. In the past two decades, one trend is for the...
Read MoreFavorites from 2021 — Classics and Values
It’s always memorable to go through our tasting notes for the year. We recorded the notes during a wide range of tasting experiences, from trying new wines at home, to dinner parties with friends, to trade tastings, industry...
Read MoreRioja Shines; Fine Red Wines from Spain, $15 to $156
Ranking wines during blind tastings can provide some eye-openers, to coin a phrase, particularly with wines from different vintages and a wide range of prices. One group in San Diego, the Carmel Valley Wine Club, held its 302d...
Read MoreExploring New World Pinot Noir, $12 to $88
The following notes are from Pinot Noir wines tasted from the New World over the past six months and rated as good, very good and excellent. For background on Pinot Noir in the New World, versus its home in Burgundy, France,...
Read MoreDo California Red Wines Improve With Age?
Can fine red wines from California age, most notably the Bordeaux varietals? Even those far below the cult-level wine prices? It depends, of course, on too many variables to list here. But, in general, many do improve with age....
Read MoreSummer Whites: Easy Sipping Party Wines, Plus a Few Complex Classics
The following white wines rose to the top of our tasting leaderboard the past three months, scoring for overall quality of the wines and values delivered. Most are widely available, except for classics from the cellar and...
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