San Leonardo today produces one of the greatest Bordeaux blends of Italy, comparable in quality — but not in fame — to Sassicaia. Why is Sassicaia more famous (and so much more expensive)? Is it because it came first? Is it the “Super Tuscan” brand? Is it because the wine is more plush, a bit less edgy, and therefore more appealing to international tastes?
Posted on May 01, 2024
Jeff Patten
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Greatness in Brunello di Montalcino meant, for generations, vines located in the original heart of the DOC in and around the village of Montalcino itself. But starting in the 1970s, a group of producers started to discover that just to the southeast of Montalcino, in the commune of Castelnuovo dell’Abate, you could make some very special, and especially elegant, Brunello.
Posted on April 28, 2024
Jeff Patten
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Does a fresh-styled, old-vine Zinfandel — from 100+ year old vines, and made by one of the true icons of the California new wave — sound as good to you as it does to us?
Posted on April 24, 2024
Dan Weber
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If many Langhe Nebbiolos can be called ‘baby Barolos’, then Luigi Einaudi’s is a super baby Barolo! That’s because it’s not just sourced from declassified grapes in the Barolo zone — Einaudi’s is made from some of the most revered sites in all of Piedmont: “Monvigliero” and “Bussia”.
Posted on April 21, 2024
Dan Weber
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Located next to the winery, Clos de la Hutte is a true walled-in parcel that once belonged to an abbey. Boudignon makes several single-vineyard cuvées, but acknowledges that ‘Hutte’ has a special combination of power and elegance, which he attributes to the soils of sand of schist.
Posted on April 17, 2024
John Truax
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Louis Roederer is a singular champagne house. Since its found in 1776 (!), they have tended vineyards and made wines that have graced many tables of history.
Driven by an intense dedication to quality, and inspired by the terroir expressive wines and dedicated vineyard work of the Grower Champagne movement, in the late 90s, chef de cave Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon and the team at Roederer made the bold decision to transition their vineyards to organic and biodynamic viticulture.
Posted on April 14, 2024
Dan Weber
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We’re not the first people to call Lanzarote one of the most astonishingly improbable places to make wine on the planet. The Canary Islands are impossibly beautiful and dramatic, from the active volcanic peaks to pitch-black beaches bathed by piercingly blue waves. And in this wild environment, gnarled, wind-swept vines learn to not just endure but thrive, in some cases for 150 years or more.
Posted on April 10, 2024
Julia Burke
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What’s in a name? In the world of wine, sometimes too much. But in this case, it was the name “Verset” — a very special name, indeed, when it comes to Cornas — that led us to the gems that we are offering today.
Posted on April 07, 2024
Jeff Patten
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Pinot Meunier is the Champagne grape equivalent of Superman. By day, it’s Clark Kent: a humble blending grape, used to add fruit or savory nuttiness. Its more famous cousins, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, tend to hog the spotlight. It won’t be found growing in Champagne’s most famous villages.
Posted on April 03, 2024
Valerie Pimpinelli
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When we tasted Teularju a few weeks back, we sat up and took notice. On the first approach, the wines are wildly aromatic, with lifted red fruits and wild herbs, lip-smacking acidity, and juicy tannins leading to a supremely long finish. “What in the world?!” we exclaimed, and promptly went back for another sip. “This is the best Cannonau we've ever tasted, and it’s not even close”
Posted on March 31, 2024
Dan Weber
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Some of the world’s best Sauvignon Blanc comes from a small village in central France. Unless you’re a dedicated Francophile — or you’ve been reading our newsletter for a few years — you’ve likely not familiar with Menetou-Salon, or the high-quality wines found there.
Posted on March 26, 2024
Valerie Pimpinelli
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Today’s Mâcon, however, feels like it snuck up on us. Who knew that Pierre Boisson, one of our very favorite producers of Meursault, was taking part in these southward adventures? Apparently, he’s only been doing it for a few vintages.
Posted on March 20, 2024
Jeff Patten
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