This may be the finest Champagne I have ever had. The best part about it was that is was NOT cold. It was cooler than room temperature. You could really taste this Champagne at that temperature; if it is iced down, you get nothing but bubbles. Champagne truly is one of the finest wines in [More]
The Baron of Bierzo, The Maestro of Mencia
Well, I drank another stunning wine from Bierzo, the grape being Mencia. 2003 Decendientes de J. Palacios Petalos del Bierzo Stunning. Bierzo is in the upper left-hand corner of Spain, practically right above Portugal. The vineyards are usually fairly high-altitude, so these wines aren’t all roasty and pruney like other Spanish reds from the south. [More]
The Gift of Wine
The question from Basic Juice: If you were to give a wine out of your own cellar/collection/shelf/fridge as a gift this year, which wine would it be, who would receive it and why? Here’s my answer: Lambrusco – Ceci 2004 “La Luna” Whaaa? Lambrusco? This is not the insipid kool-aid that you may remember, or [More]
4 Days Later
That Cahors. Whoa. I had it open for four days and just finished it last night. I have one of those vinu-vac things to pump out the air from the bottle, but I am still impressed. It’s hard to determine what wines will age well but, for me, if a wine is still drinking good [More]
A Good French Country Wine
2003 Côtes Catalanes Rouge Cuvée Pierre Audonnet 75% Merlot, 15% Grenache, 10% Syrah
Malbec
2002 Rigal Chateau de Grezels Prestige Cahors I see so much Argentinian Malbec come and go that I had kinda forgotten about the true home of Malbec: Cahors. This region in France, nearish to Bordeaux, produces killer wines that are usually about 15 bucks. They are agers with some grip, usually blended with a bit [More]
Most Expensive Wines Ever
I came across this via basic juice. Check out the slide show at the bottom of the article: http://www.forbes.com/2003/11/19/cx_np_1119feat.html
Bierzo! Mencia!
My new favorite wine region is Bierzo in Spain. They have old-vine Mencia. I drank an incredible wine from this region: 2001 Dominio de Tares Cepas Viejas This is 60+ year-old Mencia vines. These wines are so delicious; they have incredible minerality, sense-of-place, and uniqueness. And you can buy this wine for under 25 bucks! [More]
