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Back to Burgfest: 2017 Whites – Blind (Aug 2021)

The 2017 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru has an odd nose, a little petrolly and Germanic, yet the more I sit with this, the more I fall for its charms and the more mineralité percolates through. The taut, poised palate is well balanced with fine acidity and good weight. There is a slight creaminess in texture toward…

Back to Burgfest: 2017 Reds – Blind (Jan 2022)

The 2017 Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru has a perfumed, floral bouquet with violets and rose petal threatening to overwhelm the fruit, though there is fine delineation here, and real mineralité surfaces with aeration. The fresh palate is medium-bodied, taut and tensile, with fine-grained tannins, but might have benefited from a tad more density and grip…

The Riches and Richness of Chateauneuf-du-Pape (Dec 2019)

Bright violet. Mineral-accented dark berry and violet qualities on the deeply perfumed nose. Shows very good breadth as well as energy on the palate, offering sappy boysenberry, black raspberry and spicecake flavors that are complemented by musky herb, floral pastille and licorice nuances. Finishes smoky, smooth and very long, with repeating dark fruit and floral…

2016 Brunello di Montalcino: Radiance Personified (Nov 2020)

The 2015 La Magia Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is a dark and intense wine, showing mentholated black cherry and sage, while flaunting its oak influence with aromas of mocha and balsamic spice. It’s rich and textural, with fleshy, ripe red berries and spice underscored by tactile minerality. Tannins build toward the close, creating a grippy…

Cellar Favorite: Klein Constantia Vin de Constance 1991-2019 (Jul 2022)

The 2016 Vin de Constance contains 165g/L of residual sugar. This has a wonderful bouquet with layers of wild honey and acacia, little-changed since I last encountered it a couple of years back. The palate is concentrated, multi-faceted yet primal at the moment. I suspect this vintage is maturing at a glacial pace, but I…

Constance Craving: Vin de Constance 1992-2017 (Sep 2020)

The 2016 Vin de Constance contains 165g/L residual sugar and has a pH of 3.73. It is slightly paler in color compared to other recent vintages. The well-defined bouquet offers scents of wild honey, acacia and orange blossom, all quite airy and focused – not what you would call a heavyweight nose. On the palate,…