Our Table to Your's

Wine: 2006 La Massa IGT Giorgio Primo
Region: Tuscany
Sokolin Price: $44.95/btl
Rating: 94 RP

As many of you probably heard, there has been much hype and noise generated about the 2006 Tuscans within the last few months. And rightfully so. In a nutshell, they can be described as powerhouse wines, packed with intense flavor and will arguably go down in history as one of the best vintages to come out of the Tuscan region. That said, for our for first field tasting report, we thought it was appropriate to choose a 2006 Tuscan.

We paired the 2006 La Massa IGT Giorgio Primo (30% Sangiovese, 30% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot) with a piquant French dip roast and white truffled potatoes. And let us say, this combo more than lived up to our expectations. As we typically do in tastings, we open the bottle and make a small pour for each taster. This helps us "calibrate" the wine before

Wine: 2004 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve
Region: California
Sokolin Price: $79.95
Rating: 95 RP

One of the best things about the business we are in is that we have the rare privilege of sampling the world's greatest wines. It just so happens that the greatest wines really come from all over the globe. While once thought to be inferior and unable to live up to French wines, US wines and those from new emerging regions have been gaining a real following. This is no doubt due to the very high quality being achieved by the vintners. As part of our field tastings, we will take our readers on a tour around the world from one wine region to the next. This is a trip that any wine lover should not miss.

Last evening we had the privilege of tasting a wine from the well known producer, Beringer. We first opened the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve to calibrate before decanting, the bouquet

Wine: 1985 Cheval Blanc
Region: Bordeaux
Sokolin Price: $459/btl
Rating: 98 RP-NM

It seems there is a long established conviction that the Bordeaux region of France simply defines the heart and soul of a great wine. Although we truly appreciate and enjoy wine from many regions across the world, we're not shy about saying that Bordeaux is one of our favorite wine regions. Over the next few months, we plan on sampling and sharing our thoughts with you on a wide array of Bordeaux wines, both old and young. Having the opportunity to smell, taste and enjoy old Bordeaux is one of life's greatest pleasures. For those of you who drink Bordeaux wines, you know what we're referring to and those who have not...well, get started.

We can't say enough about it - it encompasses so many things. It is living art in a bottle, it is rich with history, it is special, and it is like an old Rolex or classic car - it never

Wine: 2007 Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir Mount Carmel Vineyard
Region: California
Sokolin Price: $79.95/btl
Rating: 95+ RP

For this article, we decided to have a side-by-side tasting with two different wines but the same vintage and the same producer. We selected 2007 Pinot Noirs produced by Brewer-Clifton in California. Both cuvees come from very small productions with just over 1,000 cases produced.

There is an incredible amount of hype that surrounds the 2007 California Pinot Noirs. We are hearing from inside the trade as well as customers that this vintage is the best in bottle ever to come out of the region. Robert Parker tasted and doled out great reviews to the 2007 vintage, so we wanted to see for ourselves. Needless to say, it was a fun experiment, and the wines are definitely worthy of the hype and the points awarded by Robert Parker!

Before we get into the characteristics of the wines,

Wine: 2006  Jaffurs Upslope Syrah
Region: California
Sokolin Price: $59.95/btl
Rating: 96 RP

Every single day we constantly strive to locate the best "value wines" - wines that have a nice points to price ratio that we can indulge in without feeling guilty. Our customers feel the same way. The Jaffurs Upslope Syrah caught our attention for just that reason. When we saw the score then the price, honestly, we were quite surprised! Robert Parker gave it 96 points, yet it sells for just under $60/bottle.

We have found through our experience that young California wines are often powerful and intense which generally, benefit well from decanting. Of course, we wanted to re-test that theory.

Pre-decant, this wine was robust and full with its youth evident. Upon our first sip, it immediately evoked a sensation equivalent to a gushing dark fruit burst or fruit explosion flooding our palates. We

Wine: 2006 Lynch Bages
Region: Bordeaux
Sokolin Price: $54.95/btl
Rating: 92 RP

Wine: 2006 Certan de May
Region: Bordeaux
Sokolin Price: $54.95/btl
Rating: 94-96 RP-NM

2006 Bordeaux Tasting - We decided to take a quick look at a Left and Right bank wine in a vintage with very little hype but very intriguing scores.

First the expert - "I did not expect the highlights of 2006 to be as promising as they turned out. There was little talk about the vintage following the harvest, and after the wine press and the proprietors exhausted themselves with their praise of the 2005s, there was little need to start additional speculative fires. However, the 2006 vintage has produced many fine wines, and overall, it is superior to 2004." Robert Parker

Followed by the legendary 2005 vintage, which is thought to be one

Wine: 2007 Marchesi de' Frescobaldi Tenuta di Castiglioni
Region: Tuscany
Sokolin Price: $14.95/btl
Rating: 93 WS

700 YEARS OF WINE HISTORY. It started with a Florentine family and now thirty generations later the Frescobaldis continue their unparalleled dedication to the production of great Tuscan wines. With 5,000 hectares of estate properties, over 1,000 hectares of estate vineyards and nine estates in Tuscany the Frescobaldis have managed the family wine business, harmoniously blending tradition, experience, and innovation.

Sounds amazing right? That is exactly what we were thinking when we were offered the 2007 Tenuta di Castiglioni by the legendary producer. Awarded 93 points by Wine Spectator, "it has intense aromas of currant, raisin and licorice, with hints of toasty oak. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a powerful currant, blackberry and mineral aftertaste..." Wine Spectator.

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