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Chevillon Vaucrains: Star of the Vintage and a Big, Brooding Burgundy

There's always some buzz around the Burgundy vintage prior to the "official" reports and scores. Certain themes come up again and again: Rousseau made great wines. Freddie Mugnier really hit it out of the ballpark. Aubert (de Villaine of DRC) thinks the Grands Echezeaux is phenomenal this year (a

Schafer-Frohlich: Boy Wonder in the Nahe

Tim Frohlich, the 30-something ultra-cool winemaker, may well be a genius. He has what Rudi Wiest calls "the touch." Unlike most winemakers in Germany, he did not study at Geisenheim; instead, at the tender age of 21, after only an an internship, he simply told his parents (his mother was making the wines at the time) that he was ready to take over the estate. And so he did.

2002 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Rose

The 2002 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Rose presents what I believe is the greatest vintage rose Champagne deal that I've seen in my 20+ years of collecting. This wine is packed with incredibly rich and mineral-nuanced Pinot Noir fruit while exuding an energy that makes it feel almost

2004 Fevre Chablis Grand Cru Vaudesir - Robert Schagrin's Wine of the Year

If the past couple of years have been all about the great vintage releases of Burgundy, Champagne and the Piedmont, 2008 has been different (that's probably an understatement). There have been few "golden vintages," aside from 2007 in Germany, and so I've been spending a lot of time going

2006 Bize Savigny-les-Beaune Aux Vergelesses - Ian's Wines of the Year

I'm biased. What can I say, for me red Burgundy represents the holy grail.

I believe it's the most ethereal, most elegant, most beguiling wine out there. There's a twisted part of my soul (or is it the good part of my soul?) that only, only wants to drink red Burgundy and s

2005 Palari Faro -Tom's Wine of the Year!

The methods I use to determine my "Wine of the Year" have nothing to do with point scores or detailed comparisons of every wine I've tasted over the last 12 months. No, my metrics are much more simple and visceral! Previously I've used the "Gulp-ability Factor" a

Chateau Chalon, Vin Jaune and Cotes du Jura

"The charm of the Jura and its wines come from the sense that time has grown genuinely mossy and amnesiac here. Small vineyards, old vines, curious grape varieties seen and tasted nowhere else, vinification methods that would be regarded as obtuse or mad by the oenological conformists who pas

2004 and 2005 Macle Cotes du Jura - Joe and Stephen's Wine(s) of the Year!

You should be both alarmed and invigorated by the fact that the bottle(s) Joe and I picked as our "Wines of the Year" are unquestionably some of the strangest, most curious and unforgettable wines you will ever put in your mouth, period.

No, you probably d

The 2008 Crush Wines of the Year

When national publications name their "Wines of the Year," they are limited by many factors - the biggest of which is the wine's availability. It doesn't make sense for them to drive the public into a frenzy over a bottle of wine that is hardly available.

As a small independent reta

Moric Blaufrankisch: Austria vs. Burgundy

"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.

The Greatest Monprivato?

"...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

Rebel with a Riesling: Value of a Vintage?

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

Tuthilltown Spirits - A Shot of Kentucky in New York State

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 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