"Elegant Blaufrankisch" Sort of a jarring combination of words, isn't it? Austria's Blaufrankisch grape and the wines that it makes can fall under a number of descriptors. They can be broad and powerful, juicy, rustic and rugged. The best of them can be lots of fun to drink, but "elegant" is a word that would be used sparingly in regard to many of these wines.
"...Barolo Monprivato in particular remains a steal relative to other world-class wines. Monprivato is one of the handful of Italian wines that can hold its own with the best being made anywhere in the world."
- Wine Advocate
Mauro Mascarello's Monprivato is one of the
Germany is full of world-famous terroirs. Palmberg-Terrassen may not be world-famous, but it is one of the most soulful vineyards in Germany and in 2007 produced an incredible value of a Riesling. Consider the following details:
- This vineyard is full of 50- to 80-year-old ungrafted vines
In the tiny town of Gardiner, nestled deep inside New York's picturesque Hudson Valley, the Tuthilltown Spirits distillery has captured the attention of the whiskey world. Tuthilltown is the first and only distillery to produce whiskey in New York State since Prohibition, but their production is
The leaves changing color and falling from the trees; the first cold night when you can see your breath; the first occasion to dust off your winter coat. This time of year comes with no shortage of heraldic moments.
Now the spirits world has its answer to these non-potable harbingers of col
It takes an incredible amount of courage, vision, and conviction to extend yourself and your reputation beyond the safe and revered confines of what you know. When you are Piero Incisa della Rochetta and your family produces Sassicaia, one of the world's most famous red wines, this becomes even m
This is a SINGING(!) duo of Cavallotto Barolo Riservas with the crackling purity of a summer thunderstorm: One Bricco Boschis San Giuseppe Riserva and one Vignolo Riserva.
The 2000
The 2006 Veranda Pinot Noir is without a doubt the best Pinot Noir under $20 I've tasted since we opened our doors almost four years ago. Frankly, this bottle may have the present-day world title.
This is Pinot with a mouthful of juicy cherry and raspberry fruit darkened an
If you are passionate about Champagne, I urge you to read this article in its entirety.
As with 2005 in Burgundy, 1996 in Champagne was one of those rare years that brought even the most elite to new, unprecedented heights. In my 20 years of collecting Champagne, I do not think I've
Joe and I were pretty excited to host a dinner last Sunday at Hearth in NYC starring none other than Van Volxem's owner: Roman Niewodniczanski. Pretty much everything you've heard about him is true. He is very tall and he is very opinionated. He's not shy. And he's also making some of the most se
Didier Dagueneau was one of the most formidable and talented winemakers in France. He died on Wednesday, September 17th in the morning, after the ultralight plane he was piloting apparently stalled soon after takeoff. He was 52 years old.
With really only Edmond Vatan as his inspiration, he
Egon Muller is the Domaine de la Romanee-Conti of Germany as John Gilman suggests in his great article on the estate (reproduced in full below). These wines are extremely difficult to find and we are offering a limited selection at the lowest prices in the nation! The Scharzhofb
For Etienne de Montille, 2005 is without a doubt his finest effort. The 2005 collection easily puts him in the Pantheon with the masters of Burgundy. In this majestic vintage, I believe that Etienne's stable represents the best quality-to-price ratio of any producer's lineup, a
Just about everything you need to know about the 2007 German vintage, incorporating notes from Rudi Wiest, Therry Theise, Lars Carlberg of the Mosel Wine Merchant, Gernot Kollmann of Weingut Knebel and John Gilman of the newsletter A View from the Cellar.
We are thrilled to announce that Crush's Managing Partner Bobby Schagrin and his wife Bernie welcomed a baby boy into their family early Tuesday morning. Mother, baby and father are all doing great. We'll post more details soon!
Beaujolais has long been the secret haunt of wine geeks, value hunters and even collectors who want fresh, complex, food-friendly reds at very reasonable prices.
There's an honesty and transparency to good Beaujolais that makes it both invigorating and thoughtful. G
Preparing and Drinking Absinthe
Preparing absinthe is a complex ritual befitting the spirit's mythic lore.
This is a process in which, with every painstaking step, the anticipation builds to a crescendo culminating, finally, in actual consumption. In this way serving a
Everyone was seeing green (but not in a hallucinogenic way) at Crush's first-ever absinthe tasting last Thursday night.
Over 200 people came out to participate and we thank you all for your curiosity, good spirit and support. The representatives pouring were wonderful and t
Absinthe is a wonderful aperitif when diluted with water though, for you mixologists out there, absinthe can also be used in the construction of any number of historical cocktails like the Sazerac, or Ernest Hemingway's favorite cocktail - Death in the Afternoon!
Sa
Sancerre is just one of those magical summer whites and for good reason: Can any other wine deliver the mouthwatering citrus-and-stone combo with such an elegant and refreshing zing?
New Zealand, as the press has pointed out over the last 10+ years, has done the "zing" part
We arrived at Willi Schaefer bright and early and were welcomed by Willi Schaefer himself. The first stop: A tasting room full of AM sunlight and the scents of spring flowers coming through the window. A 1975 Graacher Himmelreich Auslese sat on the table. It felt like I went from
The reappearance of a crowned Wine of the Year!
Why this strange, earth-shaking occurrence? The fact of the matter is that we've been touting the merits of this kooky l
"Expressiveness bordering on the super-natural." - Terry Theise
The view within the Haardter Burgergarten vineyard; the Muller-Catoir estate is visible in the dista
The wines of Helmut Donnhoff have such power and complexity that their signature weightless feels seems nearly miraculous. One taste and you sense that magic. Donnhoff's wines are on par with the best of Germany in a very unique way - his sweet wines rival those of Prum and Egon Muller and the dry wines are mentioned in the same breath as luminaries such as Keller and Rebholz. Very few (any?) have this degree of versatility.
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