Page 19 - Blog

In April of 2015, my colleague and I were busy in Bordeaux tasting the new 2014 vintage. Our week was for the most part like any other ordinary year of En Primeur tasting: travelling from chateau to chateau, sipping, spitting and taking notes. Overall, the wines had been fairly good, but not “vintage of the century” good, and we were in desperate need of a “wow” moment to liven up the trip a bit. Fortunately, that moment came mid-week when we were whisked away to a private dinner at Chateau Haut Brion. On the way to the Chateau, I couldn’t stop imagining what the dinner might be like and which wines might be poured. Little did I know that this day would prove to be a completely unexpected learning experience and that my view on what constitutes “the best Bordeaux” would change forever.

When you taste at Chateau Haut Brion or Chateau La Mission Haut Brion, the Dillon family likes to show all of their wines at once. For a busy wine professional,

Taking a look at Chanin Wine’s website, you’re likely to notice a few things. The first might be the red “SOLD OUT” under each of the chardonnays listed in their store. If you’re surprised, you’ll quickly understand when you look at the Press tab. Gavin Chanin, winemaker and namesake, has garnered accolades from a veritable who’s who of the wine industry press and beyond. Winner of Forbes’ “30 under 30” for the Food and Wine category, one of the “Best chardonnays in the world (outside of Burgundy)” for Decanter, Winemaker of the Year winner from Food and Wine magazine—and that’s just a small selection.

Though Chanin Wine’s rise to fame has been quick after its founding a mere 10 years ago, Gavin has had a long interest in wine, having worked his way to become assistant winemaker at both Au Bon Climat and Qupé. In his winemaking, Chanin can count among his fans not only the winedrinking

I keep sending cases of these white wines to my beach house. Everyone at my place is just loving the selections below! They’ve been the most popular for seafood dishes and grilling. I can’t say enough about these reasonably priced wines!

2015 Les Hauts De Smith Blanc: If you’re searching for something other than white Burgundy, here’s the perfect solution. At only $29.95, this Bordeaux Blanc (91-93 RP) even gets me excited! Smith Haut Lafitte has become one of the most iconic producers in all of Bordeaux. Widely known for their 100-point red wines, their white wines are just as good. We recently tried this Haut de Smith Blanc at the chateau, and we were blown away! When we were told the price, we took every case available at only $29.95. It tastes like a $100 bottle!

If you’ve been purchasing from Sokolin for a while, you’ve most likely heard of the boutique Napa Valley wine producer, Waterstone Winery. You’ve seen our email offers on their Cabernet Sauvignon and even probably ordered it for yourself or sent a bottle as a gift. We’ve been selling their Cabernet for over a decade, with 2001 being the first vintage we discovered and sold. When we were blind tasted on their Cabernet for the first time, we mistook it for a $100+ bottle when in reality, it was priced around $20! It’s that good! We’ve sold every vintage since, and it has consistently been one of our best-sellers every year, with tens of thousands of bottles sold. Whether you are new to wine or are a seasoned aficionado, Waterstone never disappoints, and it certainly outperforms its price. Waterstone’s website states that it “creates luxury wines at affordable prices.” And that’s exactly what they do.

Waterstone has built

Sancerre, the consummately food friendly white of the Loire Valley, is a wine that almost wasn’t. Originally dedicated to Pinot Noir, Sancerre would not be replanted with Sauvignon Blanc if not for the destruction of phylloxera, a root-attacking louse brought from the US that devastated vineyards through France in the 1800s. Seeing the promise of this grape in Sancerre’s chalky soils, producers quickly became converts.

Our featured producer, Domaine Bailly-Reverdy, owes much of its success to Sancerre’s affinity for food. In 1956, after the marriage of Bernard Bailly and Marie-Thérèse Reverdy a few years previous, the estate got its foothold in the market by focusing on selling to restaurants. The Parisian bistro scene fell in love with the crisp citrus and mineral focused Sancerres, and it was not long before the US market followed suit.

Today, Domaine Bailly-Reverdy is in the hands of its third generation of growers who continue the tradition

The word “legend” is thrown around a lot in the wine business, and it can generally be quite subjective. Those who love Bordeaux may say that Chateau Petrus is legendary, while those who enjoy Tuscans may proclaim that Ornellaia is one of the most legendary wine producers of all time. While both the Bordeaux lover and the Tuscan lover are correct, they may disagree with one another’s opinion. There are however those producers that transcend subjective opinion and are generally regarded as “legendary” by wine lovers of all tastes. Domaine Leflaive is without a doubt one of those transcendent producers and the various white wines that they produce from the Burgundy region in France are some of

Saint-Tropez—the very name brings to mind beautiful beaches filled with beautiful people, the tropical Mediterranean sun shining down, drink in hand. A glass of rosé perhaps? Food and drink have that rare ability to transport us to far-flung locales, letting us immerse ourselves if only for a brief time in another place, another culture. So let’s fill our glass, close our eyes, and take a trip to Provence, the home of Minuty Rosé.

Though it may seem as if Minuty has only recently come into vogue on the rose scene, the name has existed in Provence for at least 150 years with the construction of the familial chateau during the reign of Napoleon III. However, it was not until the 20th century that the land would be used for winemaking, quickly becoming one of only 23 classified growths in Provence.

Today, Minuty has its eye on the future. In terms of investing in the environment,

Summer is only a few days away, and can you guess what pairs well with summer sunshine? A crisp glass of high quality white Burgundy! We’re highlighting one you’re going to love from Louis Latour, a benchmark producer when it comes to Corton Charlemagne. The Latour family is the largest landowner of the Corton Charlemagne appellation and has been producing wines for over 200 years.

“Although equipped with the most modern tools and equipment, the winemaking methods remain simple and traditional. The Louis Latour style is an auspicious combination of the richness of nature and the skill of man's labour. We respect the natural rhythm of the vines and make our wines in harmony with their nature, with the aim of offering full expression to the elegance and the balance of the great terroirs of Burgundy.” (Louis Latour Website)

While

2014 Copain Wines Chardonnnay Dupratt Vineyard is one of our new arrivals for summer and a must-have for the season. If you’re planning on entertaining soon, this wine will impress you and your guests from the first sip to the last drop! Wells Guthrie is the all-star winemaker behind this Chardonnay, and his resume includes working at Chapoutier, Marcassin and Turley before taking over at Copain. While living in France, Guthrie was inspired by the French winemaking practices and principles, and his California wines reflect the French style. He’s been described as a “first-rate talent” by wine critic Allen Meadows of Burghound and is also known to be one of Robert Parker’s favorite California producers.

A single vineyard wine, the 2014 Chardonnay Dupratt Vineyard is an old-vine Chardonnay from the small five-acre Dupratt Vineyard, which sits on a ridge in Anderson Valley at an elevation of 1,550 feet. The fruit from this upland-timber sandstone-soil

What’s hot and sought-after right this minute in the wine business? Rosé! We’ve seen the demand for Rosé steadily increase in the last five to seven years, and the rise of Rosé’s popularity is still going strong. And for good reason. The quality being produced is at the highest levels we’ve tasted, it’s versatile, food-friendly, and most of the bottles are just beautiful and look amazing on a summer tabletop.

You’ve probably seen Rosé photos flood Instagram feeds and take social media by storm. There are even hashtags specifically designated to Rosé (#yeswayrose, #rosealltheway and #roseallday, just to name a few). This doesn’t appear to be a fad or a trendy phase; it’s a movement that we believe is here to stay.

With all of this Rosé excitement in the air, we’d like to share a new arrival with you, 2016