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The Spirit of Fall: Modern Spirits Pumpkin Pie Vodka

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

Bodega Chacra

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

2000 Cavallotto Barolo Riserva

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

Back up the Truck! 2006 Veranda Pinot Noir

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

1996 Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs

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

Van Volxem Dinner - Random Thoughts and Tasting Notes

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 Dies at Age 52

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

Back-Vintage Egon Muller Special!

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

2005 De Montille

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

2007 German Vintage Report: Purity, Depth and Concentration Manifest

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.

The Newest Member of Crush! Only a few days old...

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!

2006 Desvignes Morgon Cote du Py

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 Absinthe

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

Absinthe Revival!!

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 Cocktails!

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

Back Up The Truck!! - Mount Nelson Sauvignon Blanc

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

2007 Willi Schaefer: Extreme Focus, Clarity and Concentration

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

Stadlmann Zierfandler Mandel-Hoh 2006

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

2007 Muller-Catoir: The Tradition Survives

"Expressiveness bordering on the super-natural." - Terry Theise

The view within the Haardter Burgergarten vineyard; the Muller-Catoir estate is visible in the dista

2007 Donnhoff: A Visit with the Master

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.

2003 Mascarello Barolo Monprivato

The estate of Guiseppe Mascarello is one of the most underrated in the wine world; Mauro Mascarello, the current head of the estate, is a Piedmont legend standing with the giants of traditional Barolo: Giacomo Conterno, Bruno Giacosa and Bartolo Mascarell

Vatan 2006

The 79-year-old Edmond Vatan has been making what is largely considered to be the world's top Sancerre for an entire generation. The Sancerres from his Clos la Neore vineyard are renowned for their purit

Schilcher Sekt! Strohmeier Sensational for Summer Sipping

Schilcher Sekt: This may be your new favorite summer wine, if you can pronounce it! Howard Goldberg of the New York Times has fallen in love - now it's your turn.

Schilcher Sekt flows liberally in Austria; the charming sparkling rose is just about the perfe

Edmunds St. John - The Controversy over California

Steve Edmunds is one of our favorite traditional California producers and his 2005 Syrah from the Wylie-Fenaughty Vineyards is superb.

It has also become somewhat of a lightning rod, illustrating the divide that exists between traditionalists and modernist