Page 26 - Blog

“I have always found Branaire Ducru to be curiously underrated, undervalued, and somewhat forgotten whenever Bordeaux enthusiasts discuss their favorite wines.” 

“2000 was the first vintage to demonstrate that numerous high quality Bordeaux wines can be made in all price categories.”

In short, these two quotes by Robert Parker are the reason we recently purchased 2000 Branaire Ducru.  

Chateau Branaire Ducru is located in the southeastern portion of St. Julien, across from Chateau Beychevelle which it once was part of up until 1680. The winery’s vineyards located throughout the commune contain various amounts and types of gravel in the clay soil, allowing for beneficial drainage of the vines, about 70% of which are Cabernet Sauvignon. The current owner and winemaking team at Branaire feel these vines perform best at an age of 35 years and gently renew portions of the vineyards

“This iconic winery continues to offer wines with personalities and styles that set them apart (especially the estate wines) from just about anything else readers will taste from California.”– Robert Parker, Wine Advocate

Mt Eden is a historic boutique winery located in the Santa Cruz Mountain appellation about 15-20 miles from the Pacific Ocean.  It was founded in 1945 by Michael Ray, and he focused primarily on small plots of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet. Like Robert Parker mentioned in the quote above, these wines are very different from the usual California wines, and they definitely have their own distinct personalities.  

The 40 acre vineyard is farmed sustainably without irrigation and is planted on a shady cool mountaintop.  It’s comprised of 20 acres of Chardonnay, 13 acres of Bordeaux Varieties (Cabernet, Cabernet Franc & Merlot) and 7 acres of Pinot Noir.  In 2007, they purchased a nearby

The groundwork that Robert Mondavi laid for the American wine industry is forever etched in the history of great winemaking. His accomplishment in bringing the American winemaking industry to the forefront is legendary, and we have him to thank for the successes that California winemaking has today.

The Robert Mondavi Winery was established in 1966 by Robert. It was the first major winery built in Napa Valley and for decades, it was California’s most famous winery.

Being in the wine industry for as long as I have has given me wonderful opportunities to taste a wide range of wines as you can imagine. This inevitably has given me a certain insight, especially when comparing similar varietals from different regions. A perfect example is the 2012 Robert Mondavi Reserve Chardonnay that I had last night. I normally prefer white Burgundy, just a personal preference, but after reading recent reviews on this one I thought I would give it a go. I was certainly pre-disposed to

The commune of Gevrey Chambertin possesses nine Grand Cru vineyards, more than any other in the Cote de Nuits. In the heart of them you will find Chambertin along with Clos de Beze, the two benchmarks of the commune considered by Clive Coates, MW to produce “immaculate and full, firm and rich, concentrated and masculine” wines. Many consider Chambertin to be the King of Burgundy, Musigny the Queen, and along with a handful of Grand Crus from Vosne Romanee, they comprise an elite core of arguably the First Growths of Red Burgundy. 

Nicolas Potel began his winemaking career at Domaine de la Pousse d’Or, his family’s place in Volnay. Around the same time as his father’s untimely death in 1997 and the sale of their stake in the Domaine, Nicolas started his own negoce company. Though he sold the Maison to the Cottin brothers of Laboure Roi in 2004, Potel continued to produce some wonderful examples of Red Burgundy for them until his departure

“In the Esclans Valley angels whisper. If you drink this wine, you might hear them. If by chance you visit us, you might see them.” - Sacha Alexis Lichine, Winemaker 

June 21st has come and gone which means summer is upon us. I think most of us can agree summer was here even before that date. School is out, the heat seems like it is turned up this year which just makes me yearn for the sun, sand and of course a drink in my hand.  

This is the season of Rosé and what better bottle to kick off the summer than the 2014 Chateau D’Esclans Whispering Angel Rosé.  Year after year Chateau D’Esclans produces a magnificent bottle of light, refreshing Rosé that is a pleasure to experience each time you pop and pour.  I’ve stocked my wine unit with a case; wouldn’t you like to do the same?

Whether you plan on having

This past week I had the great pleasure of celebrating my lovely daughter’s graduation from high school. The weather was pristine and all 422 students were assembled outside for commencement. Needless to say, it was a proud moment for me. My youngest has blossomed into a beautiful, strong and incredibly savvy young lady. Our entire family gathered to celebrate. Being a balmy 100 degrees that day, I wanted to bring a few bottles of white wine to celebrate the moment. The highlight of the day was the 2010 Vincent Girardin Chassagne-Montrachet Les Caillerets. Superb minerality, impeccable balance, and palate quenching zest were only some of the superb qualities this gem brought to the table. Being among many who don’t necessarily appreciate the nuances of fine wine, I was pleased that many offered unsolicited remarks and compliments regarding this superb effort. At only $59.99, it over-delivers for a Premier Cru from this heralded family. 

2010

With summer finally here, I’m constantly getting asked by my customers if I can recommend a good Chardonnay. Usually, my next question has to do with what style they prefer, and the majority of the customers responses are ‘not too oaky’ and ‘on the dryer side.’ My first go-to recommendation is a Chablis! What I’ve realized though is that many aren’t aware that it’s produced from the Chardonnay grape. Actually, many connoisseurs and critics believe it’s the truest form of Chardonnay due to the cooler climate of the region and on average, they use much less influence of oak than other regions that produce Chardonnay. Chablis is known for having ‘steely’ and ‘flinty’ notes with nice minerality and acidity. 

William Fevre was the son of an accomplished winemaker and started Domaine de la Maladiere where he produced and bottled his first wine in 1959. Over a 50 year span, Domanie de la Maladiere became

I would always hear stories of the famed Tua Rita Redigaffi, with its cult like following after the 100 point score from Wine Spectator in 1997. So recently when given the opportunity to have their flagship wine, the 2007 Giusto di Notri, I knew I was in for a treat. 

In 1984, Rita Tua and her husband Virgilio Bisti purchased the estate and began planting Bordeaux varietals Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. The original plantings of about seven acres were sold off and used in another famed winery of Maremma, Sassicaia. That is until 1992, when they started bottling under their own label Tua Rita, an inversion of the proprietor’s name. Currently Tua Rita produces seven different wines, two whites and five reds, up from the original three that were produced in the first vintage. After only five years of producing wine, they received their first 100 point score for the Redigaffi,

As I sit here sipping on a glass of Alain Voge’s 2012 Cornas Les Vieilles Vignes, I can’t stop thinking about a smorgasbord of steak selections on the grill: marinated flanks, seasoned skirts, sexy strips, a thick ol’ rib eye, and since we’re talking syrah, throw in some lamb chops! I mean, there are a number of varietals that go well with meat, but when it comes to the char of flesh and fat, syrah is the choice for me. And with Memorial Day just behind us, now is the prime time of the year for these pairings on the grill. 

When it comes to Old World Syrah, the Northern Rhone is as classic as it gets, with Cote Rotie and Hermitage as the benchmark examples. Of course with their stature, can also come hefty price tags. But over the past decade or so, savvy collectors have been enjoying relatively affordable offerings from Cornas, the southernmost AOC

In the rolling hills of the Alexander Valley, you will find the home of a wonderful estate that my most recent bottle to blog about calls home.  Roth Estate Winery, owned by Leslie Mead Renaud, was founded in 2001 with the purpose of producing Bordeaux varietals. A decade later, Leslie is producing a fine Cabernet, with production just fewer than 10,000 cases, that I had the pleasure of tasting. 

The terroir consists of volcanic-based soil that gives character to the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot that grow on the Sonoma Coast estate.   Roth is known for producing concentrated and complex wines, which is clearly shown in their 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon. As most California Cab lovers know, 2012 was an excellent year for Cabernet Sauvignon on the North Coast, meriting a 96 point rating overall from Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate Vintage Guide.

When I opened this bottle,