Featured Wines - April 2009

A traditional wine from a traditional region, unencumbered by the so-called exigencies of the international market, the 2006 Boccadigabbia Rosso Piceno does the Marches proud. This classic, nearly opaque Rosso Piceno remains bold and brooding, but thoroughly packed with flavor. Boccadigabbia makes the finest and fullest Rosso Piceno we have ever tasted, and the 2006 vintage in Central Italy is one of best we have seen in a decade. An entrancin...

A ripe, gentle, personality-filled Chablis, the 2006 Joseph Drouhin Premier Cru Chablis hits all of the high notes in an impeccably balanced, pristine format. From its light, golden green glow and pure refreshing aroma of fresh-picked apples, coriander, orange zest, and minerals to its creamy texture and clean, racy finish, the 2006 Drouhin Premier Cru Chablis reveals the subtle complexity and ultimate charm of authentic Premier Cru Chablis. Th...

The 2001 Montellori Salamartano remains a titan of a wine that captures all the glory of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot as well as the ethereal beauty of the scintillating Tuscan landscape. Named for the ancient room (Salamartano) in which Etruscan warriors from rival villages were locked to fight for their respective clans, Montellori’s 2001 Salamartano possesses a rich Bordeaux style robe, an aromatic bouquet, complex, nuanced flavors, and plen...

The tasty, friendly, easy-to-drink white wines of South Africa may be some of the wine world’s best-kept secrets. And the 2008 Heron’s Nest Chardonnay provides ample testimony to the quality and value flowing from the Cape of South Africa. Made in the Macon style of southern Burgundy, the 2008 Heron’s Nest Chardonnay is a crowd-pleasing white wine that offers up plenty of ripe apple fruit and overt charm in a soft, refreshing format. A dollop ...

Produced from hand-harvested grapes from La Mancha’s finest vineyards, Rafael Cañizares has fashioned a world-class wine in the 2007 Paso a Paso Tempranillo. For starters, bright berry fruit and spicy vanilla tones combine to form a delectable aroma in this rich, regal-robed Tempranillo. Furthermore, Cañizares has fashioned in this Paso a Paso a smooth, eminently drinkable red wine that embodies grace, style, and a mouthful of fulfilling flavor...

Imbued with a sunny, straw-colored robe that recalls the sun-drenched plains of northern Spain, the 2007 Mozares Verdejo (60%) Viura (40%) makes a stunning first impression. And it only gets better. Scented and savory, the 2007 Mozares Verdejo Viura is pungent with the aromas of grapefruit and pear, fresh-squeezed lime, and cut flowers. Sprightly but intense, the Mozares provides a mouthful of wine with racy fruit, herbal intensity, and refres...

The 2007 Angove’s Nine Vines Shiraz (94%) Viognier (6%) is ample testimony to South Australia’s reputation for furnishing the world’s finest Shiraz. Made in the famous Côte Rôtie style of France’s Rhône Valley, an appellation where small quantities of aromatic white Viognier grapes are often added to the brooding dark Shiraz must, the 2007 Nine Vines Shiraz Viognier captures all the inherent beauty of the classic blend, a cépage that offers the ...