Blog Index

James Laube

Trefethen Builds Greater Richness into Its Napa Wines

Posted: 04:41 AM ET, 07/31/08

Last week I tasted a cross section of Trefethen varietals, chosen by owner Janet Trefethen, as means of showing how the wines from the winery in the Oak Knoll District of Napa have evolved in style.

The 1987 Riesling was amazingly fresh and vibrant, with tangy nectarine flavors. Read more

Harvey Steiman

Andrew Will Shows What It Has

Posted: 02:07 PM ET, 07/29/08

I don't know whether to file this under "mea culpa" or "pleasant surprises." At dinner the other night with some musician friends, I ordered a bottle of Andrew Will Ciel du Cheval Red Mountain 2001, a Bordeaux blend from Washington. Read more

James Laube

Tom Shelton: A Classy Guy

Posted: 12:57 PM ET, 07/29/08

You think you know things about people, but of course you can only know so much.

I knew the severity of Tom Shelton’s health in the past week, since so many of his friends kept me in the loop out of their love and concern for him and his family. Read more

James Suckling

A Great Example of a Wine Restaurant

Posted: 12:20 PM ET, 07/28/08

Hey, what's wrong with a restaurant making money on food? Does the wine list nearly always have to be the profit center for a restaurant?

Maybe these two questions are not fair, considering the cost of starting and running a restaurant these days, especially in major metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles or New York. Read more

Bruce Sanderson

A Few Notes on Champagne

Posted: 02:58 PM ET, 07/25/08

Prior to my trip to Burgundy in June, I had the opportunity to taste some new Champagnes.

Benoit Gouez, the Moët & Chandon chef de cave, presented the 2003 vintage of its Brut Grand Vintage and Brut Rosé Grand Vintage. Moët will release the Brut 2003 in October of this year and the Rosé in November. Read more

James Suckling

Sass Road Trip

Posted: 12:31 PM ET, 07/24/08

I went on a road trip on Tuesday to Tenuta San Guido, the producer of Tuscany’s famous red, Sassicaia. It’s in the coastal area of Bolgheri, about a two-hour drive from my house with no traffic, or about an hour south of Pisa by car.

I try to go every year and taste with Niccolo Incisa della Rocchetta, the owner of the estate. Read more

Harvey Steiman

Australia's Colonial Wines Take a Step Up

Posted: 09:40 AM ET, 07/24/08

Someone from outside can make some fascinating wines in a different region. All those Champagne houses changed the style of sparkling wine in California, and, most famously, Baron de Rothschild got together with Robert Mondavi to make Opus One in Napa Valley, bringing a different sense of legitimacy to California Cabernet. Read more

James Laube

Reviving Montelena Will Be a Challenge

Posted: 02:53 PM ET, 07/22/08

Chateau Montelena is a marquee name among Napa Valley Cabernets, but from a bygone era. The winery, which had been rumored to be for sale, was purchased this past weekend by Michel Reybier of Château Cos-d'Estournel.

It still has fans who admire its sturdy, distinctive, ageworthy style, but most of them are old-guard collectors. Read more

Harvey Steiman

What Makes Wine Worth It?

Posted: 09:42 AM ET, 07/22/08

The topic of price vs. quality in wine keeps coming up, and not just among savvy wine drinkers looking for the most bang for their buck when they buy a bottle. Last week, Steven D. Levitt, an economics professor, made a pretty bold assertion in his Freakanomics blog for the New York Times. Read more

James Molesworth

Picking a Price for a New Wine? How About Giving It Away?

Posted: 01:51 AM ET, 07/22/08

Normally, yet another small-production wine (even one with outstanding quality) would be just another entry to an already crowded playing field. Add in the fact that the wine comes from the still-overlooked South Africa, and most folks probably wouldn’t even raise an eyebrow. Read more

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