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Burgundy New Releases: A Bit of Everything… (May 2020)

The 2018 Vosne-Romanée Aux Malconsorts 1er Cru has an extravagant bouquet with brambly red fruit laced with shucked oyster shell and a touch of seaweed. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grain tannins, lightly spiced with a subtle ash-like note towards the composed finish. This has great backbone that should guarantee its longevity. A quintessential Dujac/Malconsorts….

2018 Burgundy: Confounded Expectations (Jan 2020)

The 2018 Vosne-Romanée Aux Malconsorts 1er Cru has a perfumed, quite floral bouquet of blackberry, raspberry, black olive and oyster shells, all very well defined. The palate is medium-bodied with blackberry and cranberry fruit, tangible mineralité, a crunchy texture and fine backbone on the finish. This has the same symmetry and precision as the Beaux…

Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond (May 2019)

The 2016 Pinot Noir (Freestone Occidental) is a very pretty wine. Expressive floral and savory notes lead into a core of bright red-toned fruits. Silky and medium in body, with lovely aromatic presence, the 2016 is absolutely gorgeous today. The 2016 was done with just a touch of whole clusters (10%), and yet remains quite…

Bordeaux 2020 – The Southwold Tasting (Nov 2024)

The 2020 Y de Yquem has a pretty nose with yellow fruit, Satsuma and traces of dried honey, opening nicely in the glass. The palate is well balanced with a viscous entry and lower acidity than its peers but clean fruit. It concludes with a welcome stem-ginger and lemongrass-tinged finish. Very fine. Tasted blind at…

Santa Cruz Mountains – The Chameleon (Oct 2024)

The 2021 Monte Bello is a top-tier wine from this reverential site in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The blend contains quite a bit more Merlot than usual (31%), which is a reflection of reduced Cabernet yields stemming from the drought-riddled 2021 growing season. Broad, infinitely layered and rooted in deep spice tones, the 2021 opens…

Santa Cruz Mountains – California’s Hidden Gem (Nov 2023)

The 2020 Monte Bello opens with a burst of dark red fruit. Leather, tobacco and mocha open nicely in the glass. There’s no getting past smoke taint in this wine. That’s a shame, as the flavors are nicely delineated and the tannins are well balanced for the year in this small-scaled Monte Bello. The 2020…