Reorder Your Favorite Wines

In two decades of tasting Gilles Noblet’s wines, we have never tasted anything less than classic, elegant Mâcon-Fuissé and Pouilly-Fuissé. His 2011 Mâcon-Fuissé is no exception, offering an elegant, savory, fresh bouquet reminiscent of acacia flowers, apple blossoms, and minerals. On the palate, it follows through with gentle fruit, pinpoint minerality, and laser like precision that provides eminent drinkability. All this adds up to an elegant, nuanced, refreshing glass of Chardonnay.

Sergio Gomba’s scented, seductive 2010 Querciola Barbera d’Alba clearly expresses the hedonistic side of Barbera and highlights the tender qualities of this classic red wine from Piedmont. It comes across as scented and savory, like the Barbera wines of yesteryear. The ruby robed 2010 Querciola Barbera d’Alba bears the scent of ripe Bing cherries, violets, and lush woodlands. It is medium-bodied and gracious on the palate, so that one gets a full taste of Barbera fruit and spice, without a tannic after burn.

Losada Vinos de Finca has hit a homerun with the 2011 El Pájaro Rojo, a deeply-colored, polished, and sophisticated 100% Mencia wine from old vines. Redolent with beautiful and captivating scents of black fruits and exotic spices, it ingratiates the palate with a supremely suave texture and plenty of ripe, unctuous flavors. Expect deep rich fruit, subtle spice tones, and the most supple mouth feel imaginable in a young red wine. From start to finish, winemaker Amancio Fernández did everything right with this offering.

Château Barreyre is one of the finest petits châteaux in Bordeaux and 2009 was one of the finest vintages in Bordeaux on record, so our tasting panel’s expectations were high. The 2009 Château Barreyre did not disappoint, offering a bold aroma of cassis and ripe red berries, deftly laced with enticing floral tones. Balanced and superbly structured, with plush ripe tannins that will allow for further maturation (if you have the patience), each sip brings a complex mix of nuanced flavors reminiscent of black cherry, cedar, and vanilla.

Vesevo’s 2011 Falanghina blends the full tropical flavors of Falanghina with the salty freshness of the nearby Tyrrhenian Sea. To whet the appetite, fresh scents of green apple, lime, and sea spray splashed with a dash of quince spring from the glass to tantalize the nose before magically re-emerging in the wine’s fresh, invigorating mid palate. Crisp and zesty from start to finish, Vesevo’s 2011 Falanghina makes a convincing case for the ancient Falanghina variety, one of Italy’s oldest and most revered grapes.

Forget any insipid Verdicchio from fish shaped bottles you may have experienced in Italian restaurants or cheap seafood shacks because the 2011 Bisci Verdicchio di Matelica adds a whole new dimension to the Marches’ most popular wine, offering up an alluring nose of dried pineapple and fresh summer fruits. On the palate, subtle floral tones and gentle fruit flavors mingle with refreshing minerality. You won’t find oak on this wine or encounter any smoke and mirrors, just pure elegance and charm.