Agrelo (Mendoza) |
Uco Valley (Mendoza) |
Adelaide Hills |
McLaren Vale |
Calistoga (Napa Valley) |
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Burgundy |
Burgundy |
Champagne |
Languedoc |
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Bordeaux |
Bordeaux |
Margaux |
Pomerol |
Pomerol |
Pomerol |
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Tokaj |
Friuli |
Piedmont |
Tuscany |
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Marlborough |
Douro |
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Multiple Regions |
Priorat |
Steven Spurrier names the 2005 Ferrer-Bobet his “Best Old-World Red” this month in his Decanter column. Says Spurrier:
“From one of Priorat’s coolest and steepest vineyards, the 53% Carignan and 35% Grenache are more than 100 years old (Syrah and Cabernet complete the mix). Fine, earthy nose with wild berry fruits, warm and rich with integrated oak. Complex.”
The UK’s Imbibe.com features Noval BLACK as a hot new item. Their headline is a little corny, “Noval goes BLACK to the future,” but we love what they have to say:
“Noval Black is classified as a premium ruby (though actually sits in between ruby and reserve port) and is decidedly modern in style. Soft, round and fruit- rather than wood-driven, it comes in a non-traditional bottle with a black and silver label.”
Ben Weinberg of Unfiltered, Unfined has a great roundup of Southern-Hemisphere wines, including Delta’s Pinot Noir 2008. The velvet cream comparison is spot on, rich and seductive with a clean finish of cherries and spice. Full article is here.
Delta Pinot Noir 2008, Marlborough
“As for reds, New Zealand’s rich, chocolaty Delta Pinot Noir Marlborough is basically a glass of velvet cream, like a liquid HoHo. But this wine diverges from the cake analogy by finishing long and lush, with cinnamon and dark cherry notes that linger in the mouth. A lot of wine, especially Pinot Noir, for the money.” Unfiltered, Unfined
The Wall Street Journal’s Jay McIerney sings the praises of the Santa Rita Hills in his latest column, calling the appellation “the hottest area for Chardonnay” in California and paying homage to Richard Sanford of Alma Rosa, the region’s founder. Says McIerney:
“Back in 1970, after falling in love with the wines of Burgundy, a young Vietnam veteran named Richard Sanford was scouring California for a suitable climate in which to grow the Burgundian varietals of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Mr. Sanford drove up and down the Santa Ynez Valley in a pickup truck with a thermometer, checking temperatures every mile. Eventually he decided that the cool western part of the valley had just the climate he was looking for. With a partner he bought land and planted the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard, first with Pinot and later with Chardonnay. The team made Pinots and Chardonnays and sold grapes to others, including Jim Clendenen of Au Bon Climat, Santa Barbara’s rock ‘n’ roll version of Robert Mondavi. Mr. Sanford eventually lost control of the vineyard and the winery that bears his name in a dispute with a corporate partner, and now makes wines under the Alma Rosa label.”
Examiner.com lists the Errazuriz Single Vineyard Carmenère 2008 as one of their go-to wines for outdoor grilling, a rich, complex red that pairs perfectly with pork ribs slathered in smoky sauce. The full article is here.
Errazuriz Single Vineyard Carmenère 2008
“It has a lot of black fruit and body, but it is also “a complex wine,” says Emily Link of The Winnetka Wine Shop. True, the texture is soft and round, but its lingering, brooding quality is not overbearing. Quite versatile, it goes nicely with steak. But this is a wine to savor with barbecued pork ribs and chicken, brushed with a smoky barbecue sauce.” Examiner.com
A stunning score for the just-released Ferrer-Bobet 2006, 93 points from the Wine Spectator. That makes it the second-highest scoring Priorat of the 2006 vintage! An amazing result for partners Sergi Ferrer and Raül Bobet, following on the heels of their terrific reviews in the Wine Advocate.
Ferrer-Bobet 2006, Priorat
“There’s depth and intensity to the black cherry, pomegranate and dark chocolate flavors in this focused red, which remains graceful and harmonious, with well-integrated tannins and a vibrant finish that’s fresh and complex.” 93 Wine Spectator
The April issue of Food & Wine features Monvínic, Sergi Ferrer’s Barcelona wine bar, among it’s “5 Best Wine Bars For Pairing Practice“. And what goes well with the rich, mineral-laced Carignan of Ferrer-Bobet 2006? We’re partial to a savory plate of barbecued ribs.
Bruno Paillard took top honors from Chris Kissack, author of the UK’s TheWineDoctor.com, at a trade tasting in Glasgow recently. Among all of the wines – whites and reds – from some of the world’s top producers, Kissak singles out the Paillard Blanc de Blancs Brut Millésime 1995 as the wine of the night, closely followed by the non-vintage Brut Première Cuvée. The full writeup is here.
Bruno Paillard Première Cuvée Brut NV
“This is 45% Pinot Noir, 33% Chardonnay and 22% Pinot Meunier. Rich fruit here, smoky and desiccated in style. Good texture, a creamy substance, with a fine and yet very broad mousse. A stony edge to the texture which I find appealing, and overall a very good and approachable style tinged with a little nettle at the end.” 16.5+/20 The Wine Doctor
Bruno Paillard Blanc de Blancs Brut 1995
“Pure Chardonnay, of course. A gorgeous nose here of baked oranges and biscuits, both smoky and walnutty. A full and creamy style, very bright and fresh. The definition is in keeping with the blanc de blancs style, and is not as evolved as the nose suggests, with just a little nuance of dried nuts. A lovely composition.” 17.5+/20 The Wine Doctor
Still more press for the Berlin Tasting – New York, this one from Josh Raynolds of Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar. Writing on the Winophilia blog, Raynolds says, “If the point that Chadwick was trying to make is that Chilean wines are delicious and often preferable to big-name wines from long-established growing regions, he made a big impression on the group.” The full post is here.
Another tremendous piece of press today, Bloomberg has posted a piece on the Berlin Tasting – New York. The best part is her final line, the real winner is Errazuriz’ Single Vineyard Cabernet.
“As we head for lunch at Porter House in the Time Warner center after the tasting, I keep thinking of what Jean-Bernard Delmas, former manager of Chateau Haut-Brion, once said to me: ‘I don’t make my wine to go with Lafite, I make it to go with food.’
“Haut Brion is not on the table at lunch. Chadwick understandably pours his own wines, including one that wasn’t in the tasting. The juicy, vibrant 2007 Errazuriz Single Vineyard Cabernet doesn’t have the concentration and depth of his five icon wines, but it’s vibrant and delicious with filet mignon and, hey, the price is right. Maybe that one was the real winner.“
Full article is here.
