2011 was dry and hot early in the season ,then wet around harvest, making for a lack of precision in some Chablis. Vaillons is a highlight for Fèvre, with good retention of acidity energising and focusing the palate and emphasising its fine, mineral texture. Precise white peach and lemon fruit carry approachable allure. $54 at […]
Calm and seamless, this is a great value expression of Volnay, with the rare assurance of red Burgundy under screw cap. It’s perfumed and spicy, alive with rose petals, pepper, tilled earth and dried herbs. The palate is beautifully textured, carrying red cherry fruits and those fine, mineral tannins classic to Volnay. $92 at United […]
A great vintage for a top yet underrated producer in on one of pinot noir’s finest villages, this is a champagne that captures finesse and poise, framed in deep-set concentration; the signature of the villages of Bouzy and Ambonnay. Fleshy white summer fruits, pear and grapefruit zest of considerable depth open out to notes of […]
Coutet’s Aline Baly introduced this unusual wine to me as “big bold and beautiful!” That it is. The company has been experimenting with a dry white for some years, but this is its first release. It’s a serious commitment, technically challenging for a company and a region built around sweet wines, with a new winemaking […]
Hiroyuki Kusuda’s specialty may be pinot noir, but his syrah is equally impressive, a wine of elegant focus and textural structure. An enticing bouquet of black pepper, black plums and hints of charcuterie introduces a finely honed and tightly coiled palate, built around firm, finely structured, gravelly, mineral tannins that promise a confident future.
The magnificent generosity of fully mature fruit from the village of Cumières is something to behold in the bright and energetic 2008 season, drawing out the inimitable sea-salt mineral personality of the village with breathtaking clarity. Rich layers of brioche, honey, pear and nutmeg of barrel fermentation and maturation open into a wonderland abounding in […]
Great value Great Southern cabernet merlot of fruit integrity and varietal definition. It’s crunchy and tangy with redcurrant and blackcurrant fruit, fragrant violet perfume and good persistence. Finely textured tannins are reinforced by a year in new an older French oak barrels, while lively acidity offers well balanced support. $15 at MyCellars, Aussie Wines, Wine […]
Hoddles Creek again tops the value stakes, delivering much more complexity and fruit integrity than its price suggests. This is a great vintage of grand complexity of charcuterie, riding over a focused and well defined backdrop of tangy grapefruit, celebrating its cool climate site. Tight acid, even line and impressive persistence declare a serious chardonnay […]
True to its dry, warm season, this is a powerful riesling that combines intense apple and kaffir lime fruit with tight acidity, textural phenolics and considerable weight, building a dry style of impressive proportions. It has balance in the midst of it all, and persistence, too.
One of the best pinots anywhere under $20, this is a beautiful expression of a great vineyard, seamlessly crafted with a lot of love. No expense has been spared, with all the care of pre- and post-fermentation maceration, some natural fermentation and 11 months maturation in one-third new barrels. Hoddles Creek fans will love this […]