Blogs
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Bruce Sanderson Decanted
First-generation winemaker Luciano Sandrone and Elio Grasso and son Gianluca are at the top of their craft
Posted: December 2, 2011 By Bruce Sanderson
On my third day of visits in Barolo, I saw Luciano Sandrone and Elio Grasso. Luciano Sandrone started is estate from scratch and Grasso, though his father and grandfather grew grapes and other crops, switched from a career in finance to work his family's land.
Sandrone came from a family of carpenters in La Morra. Rather than join the family business, he learned to make wine, first at the traditional Giacomo Borgogno, then at Marchesi di Barolo, where he became the cellar master. Sandrone purchased 2.5 acres in Cannubi Boschis in 1970, releasing his first Barolo from the 1978 vintage.
Elio Grasso began bottling under his own label in 1980. His grandfather bought vineyards in Ginestra in 1920, selling grapes and a little wine in barrel, a practice continued by Grasso's father until his death in 1979. His son Gianluca has been making the wines since 1995.
Blogs
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Harvey Steiman At Large
New styles modeled on Burgundy make it the buzz of the country now
Posted: December 2, 2011 By Harvey Steiman
Everywhere I went on my recent visit to Australia, winemakers, wine writers and sommeliers all wanted to talk about Chardonnay. Prevailing opinion suggests that an emerging style modeled more on white Burgundy may supersede Australia’s reputation for making broad, big-fruit Chardonnays.
Blogs
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James Laube's Wine Flights
Beringer and others are proving that Sonoma Valley can make some sensational Cabernets
Posted: November 30, 2011 By James Laube
Last week, in one of my regular weekly blind tastings, I came across a pair of wines that consumers will love. But one is also a wine that has to make Napa Cabernet producers nervous.
It's the 2009 Beringer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Valley Reserve, a strikingly excellent Bordeaux-style blend that offers a wide array of flavors presented in an elegant, graceful style. The price: $45, with 3,600 cases made. It's the best Beringer Knights Valley wine I can recall and one of winemaker Laurie Hook's best efforts.
Blogs
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Exploring Wine with Tim Fish
Late autumn brings out the best in Sonoma and Napa
Posted: November 30, 2011 By Tim Fish
It was a long, hard year in the vineyards of Northern California. I don't know who's more exhausted right now, the winemakers or the growers, or maybe it's the vines themselves. It's the time of year when vineyards shut down, the leaves fade to yellow, brown and red, and finally scatter in the dirt.
Other vineyard seasons get more attention. Winemakers look forward to late summer and harvest and after a dark and soggy winter the fields in spring radiate green and yellow from the wild mustard.
For some reason I've always preferred late autumn weeks like this one. Temperatures reach the mid 60s during the day and there's still a touch of warmth in the breeze. Except for a red maple here and there, the trees in Sonoma don't offer a lot of fall color, so I've always relied on the vineyards to set the autumn mood.
Blogs
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Stirring the Lees with James Molesworth
Fresh off my trip to the Southern Rhône, I'm back in France to taste the much-heralded 2009 vintage
Posted: November 30, 2011 By James Molesworth
I'm heading across the pond again to finish my tastings of the 2009 Bordeaux that are now in bottle. My colleagues, executive editor Thomas Matthews and senior tasting coordinator Alison Napjus, are joining me, as they did last year when I tasted the 2008s.
Blogs
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Harvey Steiman At Large
A misleading rant stirs up online debate
Posted: November 29, 2011 By Harvey Steiman
One school of thought argues that we are idiots, those of us who find something special enough in wine to pay a little more for it. Naysayers point to scientific studies that purport to show that most consumers can't tell the difference between simple wines for $5 and complex, expensive wines. If that is so, why fork out $50 for a special-occasion bottle, or even $15 for a wine to drink with dinner tonight?
Blogs
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Bruce Sanderson Decanted
A highly anticipated visit to the maker of Wine Spectator's 2011 No. 8 Wine of the Year
Posted: November 29, 2011 By Bruce Sanderson
I visited two Piedmont wineries today, Azelia and Domenico Clerico. The style of wines at Azelia emphasizes fresh fruit with the underlying elements of terroir. For example, its Dolcetto is refined and elegant, while the Barolos, most from Serralunga, exhibit more structure, with the exception of the charming and graceful Bricco Fiasco. From Azelia it was on to the eponymous Domenico Clerico, a visit I was anticipating since we chose his Barolo Ciabot Mentin Ginestra 2006 as the No. 8 wine in this year's Wine Spectator Top 100.
Blogs
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James Laube's Wine Flights
Whether or not Yao Ming's new Napa venture will be a slam dunk is still up in the air
Posted: November 28, 2011 By James Laube
Is Yao Ming big enough to clear the lane for California wine in China?
Probably not. But his new Napa Cabernet venture is certainly a big step, and likely to generate plenty of publicity both here in the U.S. and the Far East.
Blogs
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Stirring the Lees with James Molesworth
Swinging by the Southern Rhône's Domaine de Beaurenard and tasting with Isabel Ferrando at Domaine St.-Préfert
Posted: November 28, 2011 By James Molesworth
When I arrived in the Rhône almost two weeks ago, it was just before the Toussaint, a major religious holiday in France that fell on a Tuesday this year, giving France a long weekend through the Monday before. That meant more than a few vignerons weren't available for visits. So after working in the outer-lying appellations for the past few days, I circled back today, finishing up in Châteauneuf-du-Pape at two major estates, Domaine de Beaurenard and Domaine St.-Préfert.
Blogs
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Bruce Sanderson Decanted
Tasting a range of Italian reds from Giuseppe Mascarello & Figli, including a trio of grand single-vineyard Barolos
Posted: November 23, 2011 By Bruce Sanderson
Founded in 1881 by Mauro Mascarello’s great-grandfather, the estate of Giuseppe Mascarello & Figli today covers 44.5 acres in Castiglione Falletto and Monforte d’Alba, two towns in the storied Piedmont region of northwestern Italy. About two-thirds of the vineyards are dedicated to Nebbiolo, the region's most famous grape and the one used for the wine of Barolo and Barbaresco.
Mascarello’s grandfather Maurizio purchased vineyards in one of the zone’s most historic sites, Monprivato in Castiglione, in 1904, building a cellar there. He moved to a former ice-making factory in Monchiero in 1919, where the state-of-the-art building offered constant temperature year-round for the wines.
Traditional winemaking is the philosophy here, though Mascarello, who took over responsibility for the vineyards and wines in 1967 (after 15 years working alongside his father), has shortened fermentation time over the years from 60 to 30 days. He also began bottling each vineyard separately, beginning with Monprivato in 1970.
Blogs
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James Laube's Wine Flights
Pour your best wines first, then lighten up
Posted: November 22, 2011 By James Laube
As one of America’s big feasting festivities approaches, here are some thoughts for food and wine.
You’re probably heard of a food coma. It’s a common occurrence for those who like to eat and drink to the fullest on Thanksgiving. Even though traditional Thanksgiving meals are heavy, most people have a hard time pushing back from the table. Over-indulgence is often the order of the day, even when you try to apply the brakes and park your fork.
Blogs
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Exploring Wine with Tim Fish
During this crazy holiday week, there’s still time to make the right wine choice
Posted: November 22, 2011
Thanksgiving dinner is about comfort; it’s about allowing yourself to eat stuff that you try not to eat all year. I have a similar attitude about Thanksgiving wine. It’s all about comfort. It’s all about don’t worry, enjoy. I’ve done my share of fussing over the wine—will it be this Gewürztraminer or that rosé, a Pinot Noir or a Beaujolais, sparkling wine or a dry Moscato? But for our dinner, while other guests bring most of the bottles, I always contribute a selection of wines for people to try, so there’s something to please most everyone.
Inevitably, I get harried calls and emails from friends and family a few days before the holiday, looking for advice on this year’s new releases. Who can’t relate to wine buying panic this week? So here are the sorts of wines I try to recommend to last-minute shoppers.
Blogs
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Stirring the Lees with James Molesworth
Visiting the Southern Rhône's Chêne Bleu and Philippe Gimel
Posted: November 21, 2011 By James Molesworth
Viticulturally speaking, the Rolets' property at La Verrière is the equivalent of the dark side of the moon. Located on the back side of the Dentelles de Montmirail, its vineyards face north. That, combined with 500 meters and more of elevation, makes it one of the coolest, windiest spots for vines in the Southern Rhône. Here, crop yields are naturally low, and exuberant ripeness plays second fiddle to racy acidity.
Despite its proximity to Gigondas (the property's vines border that appellation, as well as the appellations of Séguret and Beaumes de Venise), the Chêne Bleu wines only earn a modest Vin de Pays de Vaucluse designation, but don't let that fool you.
This was my first visit to this remote property, perched on a knife's-edge hill behind the town of Le Crestet. My trusty GPS did its job-as did the final words of caution from Nicole Rolet, the estate's owner, when she gave me directions.
Blogs
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Bruce Sanderson Decanted
The first stop in a week of Piedmont visits is Castello di Verduno, a respected Barbaresco and Barolo house
Posted: November 21, 2011 By Bruce Sanderson
I’m back in Piedmont, the region of northwestern Italy where vintners are best known for working the Nebbiolo grape from the renowned Barolo and Barbaresco appellations, for a week of winery visits. After a light lunch of lingua with salsa verde and tajarin at More e Macina in the town of La Morra, I was off to my first appointment.
Castello di Verduno, in the village of Verduno, one of Barolo’s 11 communes, has a history that dates back to the beginning of the 16th C. Its current viticultural history stems from the marriage of Gabriella Burlotto of Verduno and Franco Bianco of Barbaresco. As a result of this union, the winemaking and aging is done in Barbaresco, with the castle providing a vaulted cellar for storing the wines in bottle.
One of the specialties of the house is the Pelaverga Piccolo, a grape indigenous to the area that is only grown in Verduno.
Blogs
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James Laube's Wine Flights
A California Sonoma Pinot Noir producer triumphs for small winegrowers everywhere
Posted: November 18, 2011 By James Laube
The success of a Kosta Browne, Wine Spectator's 2011 Wine of the Year, is a personal triumph for the founders and their staff. But it also validates the American Dream, the vision of farmers who, decades ago, believed in wine—not to mention Pinot Noir—and confirms for the next generation of winegrowers, wherever they may be, that this is an ambition worth pursuing. It's a livelihood beyond a lifestyle—something substantive and real that's worth pursuing.
Blogs
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Harvey Steiman At Large
One Tasmanian winery tries some extreme ideas
Posted: November 18, 2011 By Harvey Steiman
Some of the loudest buzz these days in Australian wine centers on Tasmania, the island that is the southernmost state in the country and therefore the coolest (closest to the pole, of course). I just spent a couple of days in Tassie, tasting wines and visiting with small- to medium-size producers (there are no large wineries), some of whom don't export to the Australian mainland, let alone to the U.S.
Blogs
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Stirring the Lees with James Molesworth
Up into the hills of the Southern Rhône, to taste at Domaine Gramenon and Domaine Jaume
Posted: November 17, 2011 By James Molesworth
Today was a day not to lose faith in the GPS. Sometimes it took me on some squirrelly back roads, cutting through a vineyard on a narrow dirt path, even when there's a main road running parallel just a few hundred yards away.
But to find Domaine Gramenon, located up in the hills in the small hamlet of Montbrison, I knew I would need to keep the faith and stay on target. My GPS has taken me on the scenic route before, but it's always gotten me there.
Of course, I blew past the domaine once before turning around and seeing it as I backtracked. I should've known after all this time, that I was looking for a modest house with blink-and-you'll-miss-it signage. Set amidst vines that have already dropped their leaves when most others are still hanging on to theirs, and with browning weeds just as high running amok in the vine rows, Domaine Gramenon doesn't look like much at first glance. But the wines made here are distinctive, sometimes nebulous or awkward, but never anything less than provoking for their display of unadulterated minerality, smoky, garrigue-infused fruit and long, earth- and ash-laced finishes.
Blogs
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Exploring Wine with Tim Fish
When your imagination takes control of your TV, even a winemaker can be a star
Posted: November 16, 2011 By Tim Fish
I turned the TV on the other night, just in case there was something on worth watching, and it was the usual reality show nonsense. But it got me thinking: What would happen if the world of wine got swept up in our celebrity-crazed mass-media culture?
This season's The Bachelorette, after all, gave Sonoma winemaker Benjamin Flajnik his 15 minutes of fame. Would a show like Iron Sommelier be all that farfetched? Or how about America's Next Top Wine List?
And what if we took it to the extreme and let our imaginations run amok? (Yay amok!) Imagine a network where wine and reality TV merge and the result is surreality. The lineup of shows might look something like this.
Blogs
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James Laube's Wine Flights
A complete vertical of Kosta Browne Pinot Noirs
Posted: November 16, 2011 By James Laube
Kosta Browne may have quietly stumbled out of the starting gate. But it has provided an amazingly steady stream of excellent Pinot Noirs ever since.
Founders Dan Kosta and Michael Browne have also been at the forefront of a movement that has staked out new territory with Pinot Noir. It's a fruit-driven style that emphasizes ripe, opulent berry flavors with a measure of elegance, detail and finesse. Few wineries in California have enjoyed such dramatic success inside a decade. Few too have shown such a deft hand with Pinot Noir, which is all the more surprising considering neither of the principals had any winemaking training or experience prior to this.
Since 2002, the winery's third vintage with Pinot Noir, KB has produced 69 Pinots, with this rather striking statistic: All but one have earned 90 points or higher, and 24 have earned ratings of 95 points or higher. No other California Pinot producer comes close to matching those figures. Here are my tasting notes on their Pinot Noirs going back to 2000.
Blogs
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Harvey Steiman At Large
Industry-funded lab passes along its key discoveries
Posted: November 16, 2011 By Harvey Steiman
The world's biggest, busiest, most practical wine research facility isn't in California, France, Italy or Germany. It's the Australian Wine Research Institute in Adelaide, surrounded by many of the country's key wine regions. With 100 full-time employees, paid for by government assessments on wineries and vineyards, it's bigger and, the Institute claims, better-equipped than university-affiliated enology and viticulture departments elsewhere. I spent Monday morning visiting research, development and communications managers, who filled me in on some of their compelling work.
