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James Molesworth's Blog Archives

July 2008


A Mini-Guigal Vertical Shows an Evolving Style

E. Guigal doesn’t need an introduction—anyone who follows wines even casually knows that this is the dominant négociant house in the France's Northern Rhône Valley. In particular, E. Guigal’s Côte-Rôtie bottlings, led by it’s famed "La La" trio, have brought the house its greatest recognition. Read more


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

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


To Taste or Not to Taste? That Is the Sommelier's Question

In this year's annual Restaurant Awards issue, Wine Spectator conducted a poll via our website that netted some very interesting consumer feedback in regard to today's level and style of restaurant wine service. Read more


A Sit Down with Chile's Marco Puyo

When I first met Marco Puyo, it was several years ago, while he was still working at Los Vascos. At the time, he was part of a growing generation of young winemakers who seemed destined to help shape the Chilean wine industry in the coming years. Several of them, including Marcelo Papa and Enrique Tirado, have done just that. Read more


A Few Dining Options when in the Rhône

Though work comes first (breakfast is usually skipped and lunches are light), I do get time to take in a few meals during my semiannual tours in the Rhône Valley. For those of you looking for a decent meal in the region (sometimes tougher than you might think), here are my casual thoughts on a few newcomers, as well as some more established faces. Read more


Day 10: From the Roasted Slope to the Hill

On my final day in the Rhône, I finished up with two visits in Ampuis, with two vignerons who are polar opposites.

René Rostaing is formal and restrained; his wines loaded with black fruit, violet, white pepper and garrigue notes. Read more


Day 9: A History Lesson, and More Time on the Roasted Slope

Whenever I visit the Rhône, I try to set aside some time for a retrospective tasting (you can reference my past reviews of the 1995 and 1998 vintages in Châteauneuf-du-Pape). On this trip I wanted to focus on Côte-Rôtie a bit, so I rounded up nearly two-dozen samples from the superb ’99 vintage. Read more


Day 8: On the Roasted Slope

“L'été est arrivé,” was the joyous refrain of every vigneron I visited. With sunny, dry, hot weather helping to make up for the cold, wet spring, folks in Cote-Rôtie were just as happy as those down in Chateauneuf. Read more


Day 7: A Quiet Sunday with Three of the Four (or Is It Five?) Musketeers

Dinner ended well after midnight at Regis & Jacques Marcon, plus it was Sunday, so I was moving a little slower than usual. I was finally able to motivate by 11 a.m., got in my car and drove back down the gorgeous, winding mountain road from St. Read more



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