Page 22 - Blog

In terms of Valpolicella, one tends to think of the wine as simple. That is until you talk about the Valpolicella that is produced by Dal Forno. His wines are anything but simple. Antonio Galloni even goes on to say that because “the Valpolicella is made from 100% dried fruit, it makes it more of a second wine of the flagship Amarone than a true Valpolicella.” 

Valpolicella wines have different distinctions and are usually produced with a blend of grapes, mainly being Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara. The regular DOC Valpolicella can be simple and thin, and really not be anything special. Then there is Valpolicella Ripasso, which uses the grape musts from the left over Amarone that fermented to add body. Besides Amarone, which dries out the grapes for at least 3 months to concentrate the sugars, there is Valpolicella Superiore which uses the same method just for a shorter amount of time. Dal Forno says their Valpolicella Superiore is dried for 1 and a half months

“What’s new & exciting at Sokolin?!”  Is a question I get asked quite frequently, so I thought I’d share with you what’s hot right now. The 2014 Burgs are just starting to roll in, and the White Burgs in particular happen to be the hot wines at the moment. One reason, obviously, is that we’re in prime time season for drinking white wines, but also because they’re ridiculously good. Antonio Galloni said they’re in “..the same quality league as 2012 and 2010”,  which were both knockout vintages for White Burgundy.

One of my favorite producers and also one that absolutely crushed it in the ’14 vintage was Henri Boillot. Henri is the fifth generation of the branch of the Boillot family, and they’ve been farming in Burgundy since 1885. The Domaine consists of 15 hectares split between

Featured Wine: 2014 Jean Paul Droin Chablis ‘Les Clos’

$69.99 – 95VM

In many circles, Burgundy is considered one of the most challenging regions to master by even the most proficient wine connoisseurs. When I came into the business I vividly remember my mentors telling me “don’t worry, one day Burgundy will just ‘click’ but until then, keep studying.” They were right and eventually it did “click” and now, like countless others, I am completely head over heels in love with Burgundy. My passion for Burgundy does not end with the wine itself, but extends to encompass all that goes

Chablis is a wine for oysters…

…born from their shells

A well worded quote from Chablis: Bernard Ginestet’s Guide to the Vineyards of France, particularly in reference to the Grand Cru vineyards which are planted primarily on Kimmeridgean soil, a blend of limestone, clay and fossilized oyster shells. These soils of the Grand Cru slopes, along with a south-south-west exposure allowing for maximum sunshine in this northernmost “cool climate” region of Burgundy, allow for one of the purest and unique expressions of Chardonnay in the world. 

According to domain’s website, William Fevre descended from a family which lived in the Chablis region for two and a half centuries before officially declaring their first vintage in 1959. Since then, the domain has acquired more vineyards in Chablis with 15.2 of their 78 hectares classified as Grand Cru. 2.55 of those hectares come from two parcels of vines planted in the Grand Cru known as Les Preuses,

The Bachelet brothers, Alec and Marc, are a bit new to the winemaking scene having started their endeavor in 2005. They cut their teeth working for other winemakers until, with the help of their father and uncle, they purchased 10 hectares and rented another few, all of which they farm with no insecticides.  

They are known for terroir driven Chardonnay with great acidity and minerality. They choose to pick fairly early and use 350 liter barrels to maintain the freshness of the wine. It remains in the barrel for a year before it is racked into stainless steel on the lees where it remains for another 8 months, being bottled in April. The results are very focused, sophisticated wines that have gained the attention of critics, importers, merchants and collectors alike. 

“Their 2013s reaffirmed my position that these boys know exactly what they are doing: mineral-driven, terroir-defined expressions of Chardonnay with a knack for sending tingles down

Domaine Ott has been making a prominent name for itself in the rosé business since production began in 1912. Now owned by Louis Roederer, the Domaine Ott level of class and sophistication has only increased, making any of their rosés a must-have for summer sipping. 

BY.OTT is a new production from Domaine Ott’s 4th generation of wine makers, cousins Jean-Francois Ott and Christian Ott. It contains all that one would expect from the vineyards in Cotes de Provence, and maybe even more. BY.OTT is a blend from a few different vineyards, the most well known being Chateau de Selle and Clos Mireille. There is no doubt in the pedigree of this bottle, even if the price tag is under $20.

When the warmer months roll around, rosés are my go-to picks for every occasion.  After receiving my invitation to a summertime bachelorette party I knew it would

Salvatore Geraci continues to make one of the iconic wines of southern Italy; hence I opted to share this bottle with my lady for her birthday this past weekend. Surrounded by our four children, our best friends and a sparklingly beautiful afternoon, we proceeded to imbibe in great flavors from the Finger Lakes. Some Rieslings from the area were a must, but I was secretly waiting to pull the cork on the 2007 Palari Faro. 

Salvatore oversees every detail within his operation, from the condition of each vine to the restoration of his family manor into a modern winery and tasting room. He happens to be an architect as well. The images of Salvatore’s vineyards are astounding. From these impossibly steep terraces, he creates the Falari Paro. It was almost Burgundian in weight and light on its feet. Then you take notice of the floral bouquet, trying to anticipate the minerality you’ve read about. On the

Back when Napa Valley was just beginning to establish itself, a lot of California wines were sweet and multi-varietal wines. It wasn’t until wineries in the late sixties and early seventies started using Cabernet Sauvignon as the main grape that Napa Valley became known for it. One of the few pioneers to make a wine made of Cabernet Sauvignon was Caymus. 

Caymus Vineyards was established in 1971 by Charles and Lorna Wagner with the help of their son Chuck. The Wagners have been wine growers since 1915, which they sold off to bulk wine at the time. It wasn’t until 1972 that they produced 240 cases and released their first vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon. Today, they produce the Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, the Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon, and a Zinfandel, with production around 65,000 cases. 

We just checked in their latest release, the 2013 vintage, and I was eager to taste this wine. The ‘13 vintage is being hailed as one of the greatest

The Sta. Rita Hills American Viticulture Appellation is in the southern section of California’s Central Coast in Santa Barbara County. The first vineyard in the region, Sanford and Benedict, was planted in 1971 but the AVA status was granted 40 years later in 2001. According to the Sta. Rita Hills Winegrowers Alliance, the “AVA is home to over 59 vineyards, totaling 2,700 hundred acres planted to Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and 18 other cool climate wine grape varieties.”

Ron Melville relocated his family’s winery from the Knight’s Valley part of Sonoma County to Sta. Rita Hills in 1996. Since then, he and his son, Chad, have been dedicated to producing cool climate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah from their estate fruit. Located about 10 miles from the ocean in the coastal valley corridors between the Purisima Hills and the Santa Rosa Hills, the estate vineyards receive consistent morning and evening fog as well as steady afternoon winds. The Chardonnay