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April 2008
A Rookie Vintner Spreads His Wings
Posted: 04:49 PM ET, April 30, 2008
The first time I met Russell Bevan, several years ago in St. Helena, he and his merry band of wine-drinking pranksters were zigzagging through Napa and Sonoma counties on what might be described as an open-throttle, no-holds-barred, burn the candle at both ends tour de force food-and-wine tasting extravaganza. Read more
No Pfalz Start for this German Pinot Noir
Posted: 05:51 PM ET, April 29, 2008
I’m not as surprised as I used to be when I encounter a new (to me) Pinot Noir from an area not known for this varietal. I once scoffed at many from California, Oregon and New Zealand, but no more.
So when I was recently poured a glass of 2004 Pinot that was dark colored, rich and layered, with spicy floral wild berry, fresh earth and savory herb flavors, it showed enough of a mix of flavors to make me think Carneros or Santa Cruz Mountains. Read more
A Frosty Surprise Start for 2008
Posted: 04:17 PM ET, April 28, 2008
No one who farms grapes for a living is happy with recent spring frosts throughout California, which have been widespread and devastating by most accounts, extending from Anderson Valley in Mendocino to Santa Barbara in the south. Some vineyards may lose up to half their crop. Read more
When Winemakers' Lips Are Sealed
Posted: 01:02 PM ET, April 24, 2008
One of the wine industry’s most strictly adhered-to codes of honor is protecting where bulk, or excess, wine is sold.
Most unwanted wine comes from big producers and ends up in négociant labels, such as Two-Buck Chuck.
But even wineries that produce the most expensive wines typically separate their best barrels, or lots, from a vintage. Read more
Dial M For Michael Mondavi Cabernet
Posted: 12:59 PM ET, April 23, 2008
M by Michael Mondavi is the name of the new Napa Valley Cabernet, made by the former chairman of Robert Mondavi Corp. and his family.
It’s been a long time since Michael Mondavi, 65, has been this hands on with winemaking, and he seems happy about that. Read more
Lust for the Must: A Different Take on 2006 Pinots
Posted: 04:49 PM ET, April 22, 2008
Today is a share day, with me passing along a note from a winemaker, Wes Hagen at Clos Pepe, who once wanted to be a writer, and once you read this, perhaps you’ll understand why.
It’s a bit of a contrarian view on the vintage, from my perspective, but this is offered in the spirit of sharing from a die-hard Pinot lover. Read more
Final Thoughts on Cork Taint
Posted: 01:59 PM ET, April 21, 2008
Cork taint can be a can of worms.
Several readers have accurately addressed most of the questions posed here since Friday's blog entry, "Corks Worse Problem as Price Increases."
Daniel points out that Wine Spectator has covered cork-related issues extensively, not only in the context of TCA-infected corks, but also about instances of entire wineries having been affected. Read more
Corks Worse Problem as Price Increases
Posted: 01:39 PM ET, April 18, 2008
We re-crunched the numbers and percentages of corked wines by wine price range and, based on our limited samplings, it’s actually worse than we thought.
Yesterday’s blog was intended to simply look at corked wines across price points, using the assumption that expensive wines have more expensive corks and inexpensive wines use cheaper corks. Read more
Price of Corks Doesn't Guarantee Superior Quality
Posted: 01:50 PM ET, April 17, 2008
In conversations about corks with winemakers, one refrain I often hear is that if a winery buys more expensive corks, it gets superior quality.
I’ve also heard from winemakers, and cork manufacturers, that the incidence of TCA-tainted corks (which impart a musty, moldy flavor to wine) is just as high for the most expensive corks as for the least expensive. Read more
Vines, Wines, Values and Videos
Posted: 01:45 PM ET, April 15, 2008
Yesterday was video day in Napa and Sonoma. Gloria Maroti Frazee, director of education for Wine Spectator School, spent the day with some of our staff, working on features that will run online in conjunction with the magazine stories.
We talked about a pair of Chardonnays that represent the varietal at its stylistic opposites, so to speak. Read more
Wine Pricing Could Stand a Correction
Posted: 01:43 PM ET, April 11, 2008
Perhaps the easiest target for wine critics is wine pricing. Most of us have come to believe and appreciate that the market rules of supply and demand account for much of what is charged for wine, whether it’s sold from a mailing list or restaurant. Read more
What Makes or Breaks a Great Wine
Posted: 06:39 PM ET, April 09, 2008
I woke up this morning to an empty, sediment-stained bottle of 1957 La Tâche on the kitchen table, bottle number 00010 of 18,848 bottles. That means it came from the first case of that fabled wine, of which some 1,570 12-packs were produced.
I purposefully left the bottle out as a reminder—not of how wonderful this wine was last night but of a few observations about what constitutes a great wine from last night’s dinner and round-table discussion of old wines at Ad Hoc in Yountville. Read more
Tasting Maynard James Keenan's New Releases
Posted: 04:18 PM ET, April 08, 2008
I’m often at a loss trying to explain celebrity winemakers, since their wines rarely excite and more often are likely to disappoint.
I remember thinking that, upon reviewing one of Mick Fleetwood’s wines, that that particular rock star-turned-vintner had better not misplace his sticks. Read more
Rewards of Tradition with Hanzell Chardonnay
Posted: 01:03 PM ET, April 07, 2008
When Michael Terrien left Acacia to become winemaker at Hanzell Vineyards, he was forced to rethink winemaking. He went from a winery in Carneros that emphasized early drinking Chardonnays that were ready on release to one with a tradition of slow developing Chardonnays that aged exceptionally well. Read more
An Amazing Grace Change of Heart
Posted: 01:53 PM ET, April 04, 2008
A common winemaker adage is that their wines are like their children. There are no favorites. Each is unique. Each has its own personality and it’s impossible to choose one over the other.
Here’s my corollary counterpoint: Winemakers are far more complex than their wines. Read more
Wrapping Up Our Chardonnay Tasting
Posted: 03:09 PM ET, April 02, 2008
Whew. We’re finally finished tasting California Chardonnay for this year’s report. It’s been a long, occasionally grueling exercise, tasting some 425 new releases since last year, with most of the wines from 2006 along with a few stragglers from 2005. Read more
Farewell to a Friend: Barney Rhodes Dies at 88
Posted: 05:12 PM ET, April 01, 2008
Barney Rhodes, a great wine connoisseur and owner of Bella Oaks Vineyard in Napa Valley, died today at age 88 after a brief illness. His wife, Belle, died last year.
Barney and Belle moved to Napa in the early 1960s and planted their first vineyard in Oakville, which later became known as Martha’s Vineyard, a Cabernet that became one of the most famous wines in America. Read more
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