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Wine Blog from The International Wine of the Month Club

A wine blog written by the experts from The International Wine of the Month Club

What’s Coming in February 2023

February 1, 2023 by Don Lahey

David Finlayson CAB et al 2020 bottleIn February, The International Wine of the Month Club’s Premier Series is excited to feature four exciting world-class wines from around the world, beginning with the 2020 David Finlayson CAB et al. This delicious red pays tribute to the preeminence of Cabernet Sauvignon in the finest Left Bank wines of Bordeaux’s fabled Médoc. A plush blend of Stellenbosch and Paarl grapes, the 2020 CAB et al. seamlessly combines Cabernet Sauvignon with Petit Verdot, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, resulting in a riot of aromas and flavors. Juicy blackberry flavors meld with cassis, red currant, graphite, and a welcome hint of forest floor, much to the delight of the nose and palate. David Finlayson set out to create the ultimate South African Cabernet blend, and he has succeeded admirably. In this wine, he has also fashioned a superb Left Bank Bordeaux blend, often known as a Meritage. No smoke or mirrors here, just one very flavorful, easy-drinking Cabernet blend from low yields, superior vinicultural practices, and maturation in a combination of 95% French oak and 5% American oak in the hands of “The King of South African Cabernet.” Enjoy!

Emile Beyer Les Traditions Pinot Blanc 2021 bottleOur next feature this month is the racy, pure 2021 Emile Beyer 2021 Les Traditions Pinot Blanc, a wine that pays tribute to Alsace’s traditional white grape and the region’s unique terroir. As a consummate producer of Alsace Pinot Blanc, Christian Beyer utilizes two of the appellation’s traditional grape varieties (Auxerrois and Pinot Blanc) for his Les Traditions Pinot Blanc. Curious as this may sound, in Alsace a blend of both permitted varieties is often simply labeled as Pinot Blanc. The 2021 vintage embodies the classic characteristics of Pinot Blanc as Beyer’s 2021 Les Traditions Pinot Blanc opens with an enticing aroma, redolent with the scents of orchard fruits: apple, apricot, white peach, and pear grace the nose along with a refreshing underlying minerality. In the mouth, a succulent mélange of orchard fruits flows on a vein of juicy acidity to enliven the palate. Not surprisingly, Christian Beyer’s organically certified 2021 Les Traditions Pinot Blanc stands head and shoulders above the competition as Beyer treats his Les Traditions with the same careful attention that he affords his Grand Cru offerings. Enjoy!

Artesana Devocion 2020 bottleThis month’s next red feature is the rare and highly allocated 2020 Artesana Devoción. A blend of Tannat, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot, it is Artesana’s premier offering and an International Wine of the Month Club exclusive. Analía Lazaneo and Valentina Gatti, Artesana’s two highly skilled winemakers, have fashioned a truly exceptional wine in the 2020 Devoción. Deep purple and nearly impenetrable in color, one could easily expect a robust offering, but there is so much more to this wine than power. The 2020 Devoción is imbued with a deep, complex aroma and dark berry flavors. Blueberry, black cherry, and pomegranate greet the nose. The wine’s pronounced black fruits re-emerge in the mouth displaying hints of cedar, thyme, mint, and bergamot. While the palate is intense, the 2020 Devoción is also impeccably balanced and refreshing, with great volume and a long lingering aftertaste. Enjoy!

Domaine Dyckerhoff Reuilly Petit Gris 2021 bottleRounding out this month’s Premier Series is another rare, highly allocated wine in the 2021 Domaine Dyckerhoff Reuilly Petit Gris. This very traditional Vin Gris emanates from a tiny 1.25-acre parcel. Although it is a white grape, Pinot Gris is the rare white grape variety with a slight gray or pink hue to its skin; hence, the moniker Vin Gris. And, in Reuilly, Pinot Gris must by law exhibit a slight hint of rose as does Domaine Dyckerhoff’s eye-catching 2021 Reuilly Petit Gris. Imbued with the palest salmon or rose hue, Christian Dyckerhoff’s 2021 Petit Gris not only delights the eye, it also ingratiates the nose and palate with its high-toned aromatics. Soft scents of wild strawberries, white peaches, and apple blossoms greet the nose and become suffused in the flavor profile of this wine. Textured, yet bright and energetic, the wine’s enchanting fruit components complement Reuilly’s natural acidity and mineral-rich terroir. Enjoy!

Chateau La Reverence Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2019 bottleThe International Wine of the Month Club’s Collectors Series is again proud to offer three exceptional wines from three world-renowned estates and appellations, beginning with the stylish, superbly crafted, and highly rated 2019 Château La Révérence Saint-Émilion Grand Cru (94 Points: James Suckling & 93 Points: Wine Enthusiast). This exceptional offering hails from a tiny 7-acre vineyard just north of the village of Saint-Émilion. It is a young, full-bodied Saint Émilion Grand Cru from 50% Cabernet Franc and 50% Merlot that already shows its class and promises even more over the long haul. It offers layers of dark berries and black fruits, hints of fennel, and plenty of firm ripe tannins, which will serve it well for a decade or more. Elegant and complex, too, the 2019 Château La Révérence Saint-Émilion Grand Cru graces the palate with fresh blackberry, blueberry, currant, and plum flavors infused with deft touches of cinnamon and exotic spices for added complexity. Beautifully textured and bursting with energy on the finish with fresh black pepper and heady tannins, the 2019 Château La Révérence Saint-Émilion Grand Cru makes a bold, beautiful statement.

Domaine Francine Bachelier Fourchaume Premier Cru Chablis 2019 bottleNext up is the superlative 2019 Francine Bachelier Fourchaume Premier Cru Chablis, which highlights Fourchaume’s renowned terroir and Francine Bachelier’s acumen in fashioning exceptional Premier Cru Chablis. The scion of a warmer than average vintage, Bachelier’s 2019 Fourchaume Premier Cru seamlessly weds pure ripe fruit with Chablis’s telltale flint and chalky minerality. In the mouth, this racy, crowd-pleasing Premier Cru Chablis is both subtly complex and quietly seductive, offering a fine layer of acacia and orchard fruit flavors infused with a satiny texture and a ribbon of fresh minerality, which left our palates begging for more. Bachelier’s 2019 Fourchaume Premier Cru Chablis is a wine that you will not want to put down and will want to drink often now and over the next several years. Although it goes down easily, taking time to sip and savor this superb Premier Cru Chablis will handsomely reward the patient partaker. Enjoy!

Quinta do Noval Cedro do Noval Tinto Vinho Regional Duriense 2018 bottleCompleting this month’s Collectors Series is the ripe, expansive, and juicy 2018 Quinta do Noval Cedro do Noval Tinto, a wine that beckons with each sip. Deeper and more complex than in previous vintages, the 2018 Cedro do Noval Tinto offers a delicious combination of red and black fruits, vanilla, spice, and black pepper. Blackberry, blueberry, cherry, and plum all make their appearance in this Tinto’s aroma and flavor. In the mouth, the wine’s savory spice notes come to fore, melding with the wine’s fruit and tea-like tannins. Provide the flavorful 2018 Cedro do Noval Tinto 20 minutes or more of aeration and enjoy how it expands in the glass, its tannins smooth, and a warm pleasant finish has you begging for more.

Posted in: Featured Selections, Notes from the Panel

What’s Coming in January 2023

January 3, 2023 by Don Lahey

Chateau Lescalle Cuvee Emmanuel Tessandier Bordeaux Superieur 2019 bottleIn January, The International Wine of the Month Club’s Premier Series is delighted to offer four exciting world-class wines from France and Italy, beginning with the 2019 Château Lescalle Cuvée Emmanuel Tessandier Bordeaux Supérieur, an expressive, ripe, round, and utterly satisfying red Bordeaux. Its regal purple robe underscores the authority of the 2019 vintage and the particular success of Château Lescalle in what is certainly one of the finest and most consistent Bordeaux vintages. Moreover, the comely Château Lescalle Cuvée Emmanuel Tessandier offers up decadent aromas and flavors of ripe blackberry and plum, cedar, and rain washed forest floor. Its supple fruit flavors and well-integrated tannins provide flesh and bone to the wine’s youthful exuberance at the same time that they endow this handsomely wrought Bordeaux with the promise of years of fun-filled pleasure. Enjoy!

Domaine de la Racauderie Vouvray Sec 2021 bottleOur next feature this month is the 2021 Domaine de la Racauderie Vouvray Sec, a classic Vouvray, offering up a delicate perfume of stone fruits, crisp fall apples, and Bosc pears. In the mouth, the Vouvray’s vivacious minerality born of the appellation’s limestone rich tufa soil melds with fresh and clean stone fruit flavors to delight the palate. Racy, balanced, and with laser-like precision, the sensuous, juicy 2021 Domaine de la Racauderie Vouvray Sec exhibits all of Chenin Blanc’s finest attributes, including a satin-like underpinning and a long distinctive finish for which Vouvray is renowned. In France, it is said that dirt is destiny, but weather ultimately determines the vintage quality as well as the quantity: the 2021 vintage in Vouvray delivered on all fronts in Domaine de la Racauderie’s 2021 Vouvray Sec.

Carpineto Dogajolo Toscano Rosso IGT 2020 bottleThis month’s next special red wine is the elegant, charming 2020 Carpineto Dogajolo Toscano Rosso IGT from one of Vino Nobile’s most accomplished producers. Grown on hillside vineyards in central Tuscany, the 2020 Carpineto Dogajolo Toscano Rosso IGT exhibits a deep purple robe as well as beguiling aromatics in the form of freshly picked berries, cherries, rose hips, and violets. Juicy and equally seductive in the mouth, the 2020 Dogajolo offers up layers of lovely fruit, loamy earth, and hints of vanilla and spice from 6 months in French and American oak barrels. Rare is the Tuscan red that offers as much flavor and charm as Carpineto’s 2020 Dogajolo “Baby Super Tuscan” – a very fine red wine ready to drink from the moment it is poured.

Carpineto Dogajolo Toscano Bianco IGT 2021 bottleRounding out this month’s Premier Series is Carpineto’s 2021 Dogajolo Bianco IGT, a lovely white wine that mirrors the beauty and timeless charm of Tuscany. Grown on hillside vineyards under the central Tuscany sun, the 2021 Carpineto Dogajolo Toscano Bianco embodies the terroir from which it sprung, beginning with a glint and bright straw color. Ethereal and hauntingly beautiful aromatics beckon the eager taster to dive right in. Fresh and lively in the mouth, subtle apple and pear tones quickly emerge, followed by hints of melon and citrus, all of which are underlined by a pure racy minerality, the hallmark of the finest white wines of Tuscany. No smoke or mirrors, ponderous oak tones, or chemical stabilizations appear in Carpineto’s 2021 Dogajolo Toscano Bianco. This is a wine that embodies the simple elegance and timeless beauty of Tuscany. Enjoy!

Capezzana Villa di Capezzana Carmignano 2018 bottle coaThe International Wine of the Month Club’s Collectors Series is proud to offer three exceptional wines from three world-renowned estates and appellations. This month’s odyssey begins with the 2018 Capezzana Villa di Capezzana Carmignano DOCG from one of Tuscany’s oldest and smallest DOCG’s. The 2018 Villa di Capezzana Carmignano captures the exceptional beauty and allure of Tuscany and wholly captivates the senses. With a deep ruby robe flashed with violet, a sensuous bouquet redolent with the scents of roses and violets, and silky tannins that embody a delicious mélange of woodland berries and clean forest floor, the beguiling 2018 Villa di Capezzana Carmignano is downright seductive. Elegant, yet so rich in flavor, the 2018 Villa di Capezzana Carmignano sings from the glass almost from the moment it is poured. This is another Capezzana award winning Carmignano, which harmoniously blends fruit, earth, mineral and spice into one “sexy” wine. Enjoy this Tuscan treasure now and over the next 8-10 years!

Domaine Gilles Noblet Les Champs Pouilly Fuisse 2020 bottleNext up is the recently released 2020 Domaine Gilles Noblet Les Champs Pouilly-Fuissé, a noble Burgundian white wine that sports a bright yellow robe that’s the color of the noonday sun. Even more satisfying are the aromatic scents of soft ripe fruit, acacia flower, forsythia, and deft touches of vanilla which waft from the glass. This singular Les Champs Pouilly-Fuissé handsomely rewards in the mouth, too, where it graces the palate with heightened fruit and floral flavors in the form of acacia, forsythia, and tropical fruits, all gently bathed in a highly refined patina of sweet butter, creamy oak, and Pouilly-Fuissé’s renowned limestone-rich minerality. Moreover, the noble 2020 Domaine Gilles Noblet Les Champs Pouilly-Fuissé retains the finest attributes of the appellation, though it could easily be mistaken for a village Puligny-Montrachet or Chassagne-Montrachet. Similar to those wines, the 2020 Domaine Gilles Noblet Les Champs will continue to evolve and mature in bottle for several more years. Enjoy!

Domaine Raspail Ay Gigondas 2019 bottleCompleting this month’s Collectors Series is the exceptional and highly acclaimed (94 Points – Jeb Dunnuck) 2019 Domaine Raspail-Ay Gigondas. The 2019 Domaine Raspail-Ay Gigondas captures the Ay family’s consummate craftsmanship, which balances elegance and texture with power and depth of flavor. The 2019 Raspail-Ay Gigondas is aromatic, textured, and bold in flavor, all while keeping its equilibrium as one would never know it tops out at 15% ABV. Savory scents and flavors of black raspberry, kirsch, and garrigue mingle with exotic spices and subtle hints of violet and rose to deliver a complex, intriguing, thoroughly captivating Gigondas, and unabashedly one of the Rhône Valley’s finest wines. The wine’s ripe tannins make their appearance, too, to frame the wine’s delightful mélange of flavors and deliver a vibrant finish, assuring a long, happy life and a decade or more of drinking pleasure. Enjoy!

Posted in: Featured Selections, Notes from the Panel

What to Look for in December 2022

December 2, 2022 by Don Lahey

La Posta Pizzella Mendoza Malbec 2020 bottleIn December, The International Wine of the Month Club’s Premier Series offers four special wines from four countries. The ripe and seductive 2020 La Posta Pizzella Mendoza Malbec is once again the critics’ choice and the recipient of high acclaim (92 Points – James Suckling). Bold in flavor, yet smooth and juicy, the 2020 La Posta Pizzella Malbec offers tantalizing aromas and flavors of freshly picked blackberries, currants, and raspberries, along with a delicate hint of wild violets that adds to its allure. In the mouth, the 2020 La Posta Pizzella Malbec graces the palate with a seductive blend of black and red fruits, all suffused with deft touches of sandalwood and exotic spices. Fine, ripe tannins complement the wine’s plush, fleshy mid-palate, assuring freshness and a delightfully long and satisfying finish. The 2020 La Posta Pizzella Malbec is neither brawny nor brazen; it is a balanced and complex Malbec that delivers its largesse with grace and purity. Enjoy!

Aia Vecchia Toscana Vermentino 2021 bottlePaired this month with the sensuous 2020 La Posta Pizzella Malbec is the 2021 Aia Vecchia Toscana Vermentino, a unique and sophisticated blend of 95% Vermentino and 5% Viognier, which offers a bright sun-splashed color that radiates from the glass like the Tuscan sun. Even more gratifying is the wine’s amplifying aromatics and explosive mouth-filling flavors, which suggest ripe peaches, tangy citrus, and haunting floral tones reminiscent of acacia and spring flowers – all of which are sprinkled with a welcome touch of sea spray from the nearby Tyrrhenian Sea for added freshness and precision. In the mouth, Aia Vecchia’s 2021 Toscana Vermentino dances across the tongue with a vivacity that leaves the mouth clean and the senses begging for more. The 2021 Aia Vecchia works its magic with precision, flavor, and genuine tactile appeal from the very first sip, and it truly had us all begging for more.

Taboadella Villae Dao Tinto 2020 bottleNext in this month’s line-up is the 2020 Taboadella Villae Dão Tinto, a splendid example of the Amorim family’s Midas touch with Portugal’s unique blend of indigenous red grape varieties. The suave 2020 Taboadella Villae Tinto sports a brilliant ruby robe, an entrancing aromatic profile, and plenty of savory fruit bolstered by bright acidity – all of which made us clamor for another glass. Cherry, plum, and ripe strawberry fruit flavors wrapped in smooth, silky tannins grace the palate. Lusty, yet bright and energetic, the 2020 Taboadella Villae Tinto brings its welcome from the first sip. Clean and generous to the finish, Taboadella’s Villae Tinto is an easy go-to red wine and much more. Enjoy!

Esterhazy Leithaberg Burgenland Chardonnay 2017 bottleRounding out this month’s Premier Series is the much heralded 2017 Esterházy Leithaberg Burgenland Chardonnay (92 Points – Wine Enthusiast). This is an aristocratic Burgundian style of Chardonnay that demonstrates Esterházy’s preeminence with the world’s most treasured white grape. Blessed with a brilliant sun-struck color, intriguing aromatics, and excellent concentration, we were truly taken by this wine. An aroma replete with apple, pear, and beeswax emerges from the glass and continues to evolve as the wine opens and gradually sheds its initial chill. In the mouth, the wine’s concentration makes its appearance with a complex mélange of apple, apricot beeswax, and citrus along with a defined minerality born of Leithaberg’s (limestone) soil. Add just a touch of butter and a long, crisp, mineral-driven finish and the 2017 Esterházy Leithaberg Burgenland Chardonnay is one superb Chardonnay that is easily mistaken for an exceptional white Burgundy from France’s Côte d’Or. Enjoy!

Aquitania Lazuli Valle del Maipo Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 bottleThe International Wine of the Month Club’s Collectors Series is proud to offer our members three very special wines this month. Our first December feature is the outstanding and highly acclaimed 2018 Aquitania Lazuli Cabernet Sauvignon (94 Points – Vinous). The 2018 Aquitania Lazuli Cabernet Sauvignon pays homage to the finest classified red wines of Bordeaux: it is elegant, sophisticated, and loaded with flavor. It also sports a brilliant purple color, seductive nose, and deep palate-pleasing flavors. Savory scents of blackberry, dark cherry, currant, and spice waft from the glass. In the mouth, silky, rich tannins carry the wine’s deep hedonistic berry flavors infused with aromatic cedar, deft touches of vanilla, and toasted oak to a long, climactic finish. With ripe, rich tannins with nary an edge, the 2018 Aquitania Lazuli Cabernet Sauvignon makes an ideal companion to drink now as well as a candidate for a decade of ageing, which will only augment this complex wine’s sophisticated flavors. Enjoy!

Lhuillier Brut Tradition Champagne NV bottleOur next special Collectors Series offering this month is Lhuillier Brut Tradition Champagne. This lovely non-vintage champagne was fermented in the bottle on its lees for a full 36 months, is deliciously dry, and comports itself as a classic champagne. Displaying a pale golden color and a delicate mousse of tiny bubbles, the Lhuillier Brut Tradition attracts the eye and beguiles the nose from the first sip. In the mouth, the wine’s mousse reveals delicate apricot and peach flavors along with hints of brioche and a welcome minerality, all of which leave the palate both refreshed and begging for more. For optimal enjoyment, all champagne should be well chilled prior to opening (35°-38° F) before being allowed to slowly reach a more ambient temperature in the glass. Enjoy!

Mendel Unus 2019 bottleRounding out this month’s Collectors Series is the highly acclaimed 2019 Mendel Unus (93 Points – Wine Advocate), an exquisite blend of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot. Harvested from the finest grapes from the estate’s 1928 vineyard and matured in French oak barrels for 16 months, the 2019 Mendel Unus pays tribute to Mendel’s founder as well as winemaker Robert de la Mota’s acumen in the cellar. Big, balanced, and sporting a deep purple color, the 2019 Unus also demonstrates that it’s a lot more than just show with an aroma redolent with dark cherries, plums, cacao, and toasty vanilla. It’s equally adept in the mouth. Full-bodied and laden with layers of ripe gorgeous fruit mingled with hints of dark chocolate, wild herbs, and wood smoke, the 2019 Mendel Unus dazzles the palate. Rich, ripe tannins add vigor and verve, a long satisfying finish, and the promise of great drinking now and for the next decade, but why wait? Enjoy!

Posted in: Featured Selections, Notes from the Panel

20 DIY Wine Cork Christmas Ornaments

November 24, 2022 by International Wine of the Month Club

With the holidays in full swing, we here at The International Wine of the Month Club™ decided to pull out our stash of wine corks (we tend to have quite a few by the end of the year) and make some Christmas tree ornaments. With a little imagination, some crafting supplies, and help from some of our kids, we were able to make quite a few fun and unique tree ornaments!

Here are our 20 favorite Christmas tree wine cork ornaments, as well as a few that the kids made for us:

  1. Wine-Cork-Cotton-Snowman
  2. Wine-Cork-Heart
  3. Wine-Cork-Button-Snowman
  4. Wine-Cork-Elf-LS

  5. Wine-Cork-Angel
  6. Santa-Sleigh
  7. Hanging-Wine-Cork
  8. Big-Wine-Cork-Tree
  9. Wine-Cork-Kid-ES
  10. Wine-Cork-Raindeer-ES
  11. Wine-Cork-Raindeer-ES-2
  12. Wine-Cork-Santa-LS
  13. Wine-Cork-Snowman
  14. Wine-Cork-Tree
  15. Wine-Cork-Tree-with-Presents-ES
  16. Wine-Cork-with-Bow
  17. Wine-Cork-with-Charm
  18. Wine-Cork-with-Charm-2
  19. Wine-Cork-Love
  20. Wine-Cork-Mouse

A big thank you to our helpers Lizzy and Emily!Lizzy-&-Emily

Posted in: Interesting Wine Info, Notes from the Panel

Exceptional Red and White Portuguese Wines: Still in Need of Discovery

September 15, 2022 by Don Lahey

Red White Wine In GlassesDespite centuries of producing some of the world’s most sought after wines, most notably Port and Madeira, the trove of excellent unfortified Portuguese red and white wines remains relatively undiscovered on this side of the Atlantic. True, Portuguese rosés enjoyed a good run in the late 1960s and 1970s, and the present penchant for Vinho Verde seems to have established some credibility as a fun summertime wine, but neither rosé nor Vinho Verde truly represent the breadth of fine red and white Portuguese wines. Affordable, food friendly, and full of flavor, there is much to discover in this new age of oenological exploration, beginning in the north of Portugal in the valley of the Douro and extending south to Dão, Alentejo, Lisboa, and the Algarve. All produce many contemporary and traditional red and white wines of quality and individuality.

The Douro may be best known for producing Port, but fine unfortified reds and elegant world-class white wines also emanate from the Douro. Quinta do Noval and Quinta Nova de Nossa Senhora do Carmo are two splendid Port producers who also make superb unfortified red and white wines. Quinta Nova’s Pomares line are especially gratifying and provide worthy companions to any well prepared meal. Val Moreira is another exceptional Douro property and winery.

Moving south one discovers a plethora of small estates in Portugal’s Dão that continue to push the envelope in terms of quality and style with traditional Portuguese grape varieties: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Jaen, and Encruzado to name a few. Taboadella’s red wines are smooth and flavorful, while the estate’s Encruzado Reserva is a white wine that is every bit the equal of fine white Burgundy. Owned by the Amorim family who gained fame as cork purveyors, Taboadella is an ancient property that has emerged as a cutting edge producer in all respects.

The wine country around Lisbon is enjoying a renaissance, too, with such purveyors as San Sebastião turning out a wealth of tasty and affordable wines from traditional and international grape varieties. Moving further down the Iberian Peninsula, Alentejo, deep in the heart of Portugal and off the beaten tourist track, is home to the highly acclaimed Herdade Aldeia de Cima estate among others. And then there is the Algarve, home to a growing number of little viticultural jewels as well as fabulous beaches, caves, and nightlife. Isn’t it time to discover the splendid wines of sunny Portugal? Enjoy!

Posted in: In the News, Interesting Wine Info, Notes from the Panel, Wine Education, Wine Regions

Summertime Wines

July 15, 2022 by Don Lahey

Wine Glasses“What’s a great summertime wine”? The answer really depends on many factors, but in an ideal world it would be the wine in your glass and mine. That’s at least the way it should be, but how to find the best summertime wines rests on personal preference, accompaniments, companions, and of course the temperature at which the wine is consumed, to mention just a few variables.

For summertime wines, white wine and rosé come to most people’s minds by default, with Chardonnay still front and center simply because it remains the planet’s most ubiquitous white varietal, but there are so many other great summertime wines from which to choose. Sauvignon Blanc with its crisp herbal edge and refreshing acidity gets two thumbs up, and there is a lot more to Sauvignon Blanc than New Zealand’s grapefruit bombs. Chile and South Africa turn out splendid Sauvignon Blancs in a myriad of styles. France, the home of Sauvignon Blanc, also fashions wonderful white wines. Sancerre and the Loire Valley are notable for their Sauvignon Blancs, while Bordeaux offers a dizzying array of pleasurable summertime drinking with white wines, from 100% Sauvignon Blanc to blends containing Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris and Muscadelle. Chenin Blanc also deserves serious consideration as a summertime favorite. Vouvray Sec, the quintessential dry Chenin Blanc from France’s Loire Valley, makes a wonderful warm weather companion. Racauderie Gautier and Vigneau-Chevreau are two reliable high quality Vouvray producers, though South Africa also fashions first rate Chenin Blanc. All are delicious with a moderate chill.

Increasingly, my go to summertime wines include beautiful crisp Italian white wines such as the 3 V’s: Verdicchio, Vermentino, and Vernaccia di San Gimignano. Colpaola’s Verdicchio di Matelica, Le Colonne’s Vermentino Costa Toscana, and Fontaleoni’s Vernaccia di San Gimignano will all be in my glass this summer because there is no smoke and mirrors, only fresh natural flavors that quench the thirst, please the palate, and refresh the soul. And what would summer be like without an invigorating glass of Provençal rosé? Not a very good summer at all I think, so I will pour myself a glass of the 2021 Le Provençal Cotes de Provence Rosé while I fire up the grill. It will then be time to open a good red, cooled to about 60° F. California Zinfandel, Italian Primitivo, and a host of Mediterranean reds, cooled to 58-60° F, also make great summertime wines with almost anything that comes from the grill. Sequum’s Napa Valley Zinfandel from California and Masserie Pizari’s Salento Rosso Primitivo from Southern Italy will certainly be on my summertime wine list. What’s on your summertime wine list? Enjoy!

Posted in: In the News, Interesting Wine Info, Notes from the Panel

Burgundy: Where Dirt is Destiny

April 18, 2022 by Don Lahey

burdundyBurgundy is a wine as well as a place. In fact, it is many wines and many distinct locales, all of which were once part of the ancient duchy of Burgundy. Situated several hundred kilometers southwest of Paris, Burgundy is hallowed ground to serious lovers of the vine. From its golden hillsides, whose center slopes are so aptly named the Côte d’Or, flow France’s most expensive and profound wines. Names such as Romanée Conti, Chambertin, Clos de Vougeot, and Le Montrachet, among others, have been delighting serious wine aficionados for centuries. Yet, there is much more to Burgundy and its wines than a few illustrious names. For starters, Burgundy is the ancestral of home of two of the world’s most revered grape varieties – Pinot Noir and Chardonnay

Clearly, Burgundy is much more than a single wine or one great vineyard: it is a special place, a land almost entirely devoted to wine in one fashion or another. However, what remains surprising to many wine drinkers is that Burgundy is both red and white wine, the best of which come exclusively from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, respectively. With a growing number of exceptions, the finest Burgundies emanate from the region’s hallowed core, the Côte d’Or, which begins on the fabled Côte de Nuits, just to the south of Dijon, and flows all the way south to Santenay at the tip of the Côte de Beaune. The Premier and Grand Cru wines from these illustrious hillsides are worth their weight in gold, but increasingly the wines from the gentle slopes outside the privileged climats are creating the most attention and providing great drinking pleasure, including those on the Côte Chalonnaise and in the Mâconnais south of the Côte d’Or – all Burgundy and increasingly worth their weight in gold. Salut!

Posted in: In the News, Notes from the Panel, Wine Education, Wine Regions

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