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The Best of Northern Italy (Feb 2011)

Dal Forno should really change the name of his 2005 Valpolicella Superiore. This is really an Amarone for all practical intents and purposes, since 2002 made entirely from fruit that has been dried, albeit for less time than that legally required for Amarone. Firm, sturdy tannins frame blackberries, blueberries, violets and new leather in the…

The Red Wines of Northeast Italy (Mar 2012)

Dark ruby. Deep aromas of smoky redcurrant, cooked plum, underbrush, herbs and cocoa. Enters the mouth creamy and nicely concentrated, with black pepper, spice and herb notes adding lift to the red fruit and chocolate flavors. A little chunky and less complex than usual for Dal Forno owing to the poor vintage but still shows…

The 2014 White Burgundies: What’s Not To Like? (Sep 2016)

(13% alcohol; from a sunny, early-ripening site): Light, bright yellow. Yellow stone fruits and a whiff of pear on the deeply pitched, rather powerful nose; distinctly less delicate than the higher-altitude La Truffière. Fat, round and sweet but lacking the detail of Sauzet’s other 2014 premier crus from Puligny; in fact, this is the first…

2012 Red Burgundy: Against All Odds (Jan 2014)

The 2012 Ruchottes-Chambertin is laced with sweet red berries, crushed flowers and spices. This is another relatively soft, supple wine, with no hard contours or hard edges. Pretty, silky tannins support the spherical texture. Here, too, the overall impression is that the Ruchottes is built for near and medium-term pleasure.

The 2012 Red Burgundies from Bottle (Mar 2015)

Bright medium red. Superripe aromas of black and purple fruits, violet and licorice, complicated by leather and game nuances. Highly concentrated, very ripe and palate-staining, with the black fruit and menthol flavors lifted by a note of violet. Finishes with a suggestion of chocolatey ripeness and outstanding breadth. Perhaps not as classy as its 2013…

Blind Vision: 2015 Burgundy Red & White (Nov 2018)

The 2015 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St.-Jacques 1er Cru has more fruit intensity than Jean-Marie Fourrier’s (implying just a slightly later picking, perhaps), offering copious black plum, raspberry, sous-bois and subtle tobacco scents that are beautifully defined. The palate totally delivers: harmonious, succinct, beautifully structured, with perfect acidity that imparts a disarming sense of symmetry, and brilliantly…