Off the Shelf, 5/16/18
William Fevre Chablis ‘Les Clos’ 2015 Pahlmeyer Chardonnay, Napa Valley 2015 Hartford Court Pinot Noir ‘Warrior Princess Block’, Willamette Valley 2015 Orin Swift Abstract, California 2015
Author: Alison Hill
My Favorite Wine, May 16, 2018
2015 Domaine Charles Audoin Bourgogne Rouge Regular Price $34.99 Sale Price $27.99 Lots of wines from Burgundy are labeled as ‘Bourgogne Rouge’, which is the lowest rung in the Burgundy hierarchy. But not all Bourgognes are alike. While some are made and released quickly by large negociants from excess grapes, others are the product of[…]
Tasting Notes: Beautiful Wines, May 12, 2018
What makes a wine beautiful? Balance and complexity would be my answer. By balance, I mean that the fruit flavors are balanced by acidity, which enlivens your taste buds. Balance is also reflected in a moderate alcohol level (13% or so) and a supple texture. In other words, not big, bold and over-the-top. And from[…]
My Favorite Wine: May 8, 2018
2015 Le Domaine Montirius Vacqueyras ‘Garrigues’ Regular Price $27.99 Sale Price $21.99 I first meet Christine Saurel nearly 15 years ago and then had the opportunity to visit her and husband Eric at their southern Rhone estate a few years later. Then, the wine world was just discussing the benefits of organic and biodynamic farming,[…]
Bourbon Tasting: May 5, 2018
John F. Fitzgerald ‘Larceny’ Kentucky Straight Bourbon 92 proof Regular price: $26.99 Sale Price: $23.99 Larceny is gold and copper in color, with an aroma of tobacco, cinnamon, fresh bread and vanilla. It’s spicy in the front, mellowing into a dry finish with a resurgence of the spice and tobacco notes as you hold it[…]
My Favorite Wine: May 3, 2018
2016 Memo Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Regular Price $12.99 Sale Price $9.99 Looking for that bright and juicy warm weather red? Look no further! Montepulciano is Italy’s second most planted indigenous grape varietal, planted primarily in central, eastern and southern regions but not in Tuscany, where the town of Montepulciano lies. It’s thought that Tuscany’s Sangiovese grape[…]
Tasting notes: New Arrivals, April 28, 2018
Ameztoi Rubentis, Txakolina 2017 Regular Price $22.99 Sale price $17.99 The pink sibling of Ameztoi’s flagship white, this vibrant rosé is made from a mix of red and white indigenous grapes and is bottled with a little residual carbonation to give it a light spritz. Pierre Morin ‘Vieilles Vignes’, Sancerre 2016 Regular Price $29.99 Sale[…]
In Vino Veritas?
Wine is many things to many different people. To some, it’s nothing but a lowly intoxicant; others view it as a symbol of the cultural elite. It can be sour or sweet, cheap or expensive, simple or complex. Its remarkably easy to make and incredibly difficult to master. There exists no verifiable standard of measure[…]
My Favorite wine: April 24, 2018
2016 Pierre-Marie Chermette Moulin a Vent Cru Beaujolais ‘Les Trois Roches’ Regular Price $32.99 Sale Price $25.99 Some wines are meant to pondered over. They are complex and coy, revealing aromas and flavors over a period of time, changing in the glass and the bottle as it empties. Other wines are all about instant gratification.[…]
How do you value value?
Wine is one of the most imprecise and amorphic consumer goods ever produced; its flavor, quality, relative body, and best use are all subject to a myriad of opinions, most of which are profoundly speculative, if not downright disingenuous. Alleged experts can’t agree upon, really, anything. So what’s the value conscious consumer to do? First[…]