Volume XXVIII – Issue 4

Exceptional 2022 Trefethen Chardonnay, Oak Knoll ($40): Anyone looking for an authentic Chardonnay that relates to the history of the Napa Valley must consider this remarkable experience as a reflection of the legacy of cooler areas, of which Oak Kno… Want to read more? If you’re already a subscriber, welcome back – you may login here. If … Continue reading “Tasting Notes”

2022 Mary Taylor (Olivier Gessler) Côtes de Gascogne IGP ($12):  Gascony is on the far western seaboard of France, hard by the Atlantic Ocean, so it tends to be cool, even though it is adjacent to Spain. The Pyrenees mountains keep heat to moderate l… Want to read more? If you’re already a subscriber, welcome back … Continue reading “Bargain of the Week”

Two dozen Sonoma County winemakers are loosely affiliated into a winetasting organization named to honor the late, beloved Mendocino winemaker Denny Martin of Fetzer Vineyards. They gather roughly monthly to evaluate a dozen current-release wines. In… Want to read more? If you’re already a subscriber, welcome back – you may login here. If you aren’t a subscriber, … Continue reading “Viognier Event”

“Gran Selezione” is a relatively new Chianti category of wine (approved in 2014) that, in my opinion, will probably produce wines that are actually better and certainly more authentic than the old Chianti Classico Riserva designation. The reason for … Want to read more? If you’re already a subscriber, welcome back – you may login here. If … Continue reading “A Grand Selezione Tasting”

(The following appeared in the Napa Register on May 1) I love many California red wines – but decreasingly so in the last quarter century. Wine quality is a complicated issue that defies a succinct explanation because it entails different grape varie… Want to read more? If you’re already a subscriber, welcome back – you may … Continue reading “The Euro-Styled Red”

“This Cabernet is soft and rich.” “I’d say it’s dark and concentrated.” There’s not a great deal of difference between hyperbole and euphemism and the words we use to describe wine can be a little of each, or they can be so illusory as to be vague. M… Want to read more? If you’re already … Continue reading “Describing Wine”

  Wine Australia, which helps to get the word out about the greatness of Aussie wines, said in a recent report that 94% of grapes used to make Australian Wine come from only 20 varieties with Shiraz taking up around 25% and Cabernet Sauvignon ar… Want to read more? If you’re already a subscriber, welcome back … Continue reading “Australian Wine Values”

By Dan Berger Ever since I first visited Australia in 1992, the first of 23 visits to Aussieland, I have been overwhelmed by the quality and style of the wines from that amazing wine country and how they have transformed what wine can be at its best…. Want to read more? If you’re already a … Continue reading “A Cal-Aussie Icon”

There is an undeniable freshness and vitality to most very young wines, particularly white and rosés, that display charming, often tropical or fruit-driven aromatics that deliver sprightly acidity that’s tasty when chilled. However, far less widely a… Want to read more? If you’re already a subscriber, welcome back – you may login here. If you aren’t a … Continue reading “Homage to Maturity”

By Dan Berger It probably is not a very good idea to completely dismiss a classic wine region out of hand, and to be sure I cannot, in all good conscience, suggest to readers that they bypass buying Bordeaux’s red wines from the 2022 or 2023 vintages… Want to read more? If you’re already a … Continue reading “Ignoring Bordeaux”