Featured Wines - June 2006

New Zealand's rendition of Classified Bordeaux, the 1999 Mahara Spirit of Marlborough Merlot (60%), Cabernet Franc (15%), Cabernet Sauvignon (15%), Malbec (10%), né Meritage is, perhaps, the fullest, most concentrated wine we have ever tasted from New Zealand. More importantly, it is, also, one of the purest, most delicious wines we have had the pleasure to drink, from anywhere. And better still, Hans Herzog's flagship wine is just beginning to c...

The 2004 Inama Soave Classico is the finest Soave Classico this excellent estate has produced to date. Most assuredly, Inama has once again proven its prowess and redeemed the reputation of the entire zone with its 2004 offering. In short, the 2004 Inama is Soave Classico at its very finest: delicate, flavorful, pure, and vital. From the very first glimpse of its bright sunny robe to its long, mineral rich finish, the 2004 Inama Soave shines like...

Wow! The 2002 Savannah-Chanelle Santa Cruz Cabernet Franc is a huge staggering statement. It is a monolithic wine that could only have been made from very old hillside vines whose yields are low. This wine must top out at 15º alcohol or more, but there is much more to this wine than sheer power. True to its varietal, it is profoundly rich in color, deep, dark, and foreboding. However, it is also very aromatic and loaded with flavor. Ripe berry fr...

A highly aromatic wine from 100 % old vine Tempranillo grapes, the 2004 Mano a Mano is a knockout offering. It hails from the premier terroir of La Mancha and this handcrafted dandy certainly lives up to its name as well as its pedigree. Extremely deep in color, the 2004 Mano a Mano displays a gorgeously seductive nose that captivates from beginning to end. Aromas of black fruits, bacon fat, crushed cassis, and licorice tantalize the nose, and th...

Soft, silky, and downright huggable, the 2002 Savannah-Chanelle Santa Cruz Pinot Noir provides ample testimony to the estate's commitment to fashioning top notch Pinot Noir. Medium-bodied and regally attired in a ruby-colored robe, this enticing Pinot Noir offers up an array of scents and savors to make the most hardened Burgundy fanatic drool with pleasure. With just a minimum of aeration, the 2002 Savannah-Chanelle Santa Cruz Pinot Noir reveals...

A no holes barred, spare no expense Chardonnay, the 2002 Mahara Chardonnay has been called "The ultimate Chardonnay"... "A Chardonnay for people who really don't like Chardonnay anymore or are just plain sick and tired of the hegemony of oak".... And "The finest white wine we have encountered in a good long while," and that about sums it up. More aromatic and complex than most Chardonnays, this full-bodied white acts like a red and has a flavor p...

The 2004 vintage in Galicia was a normal, healthy one, devoid of the intense wilting heat of 2003 or the rain soaked dampness of 2002. Consequently, the 2004 Lusco Rias Baixas Albarino is a classic Albarino and a textbook example of this estate's and the Rias Baixas' most illustrious white wine. The 2004 Lusco recalls the essence of spring, when the first breathe of warm vernal air begins to dispel winter's chill. Thus, the 2004 Lusco offers up d...