Featured Wines - August 2009

The 2004 Canneto Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva is a big, brooding, old-fashioned Vino Nobile. It remains inky black in appearance; and from all other indications, too, Canneto’s 2004 Vino Nobile Riserva is a wine built for the long haul. From a deep purple robe that bears only the faintest glint of garnet to a long, powerful finish, the 2004 Canneto Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva provides the modern world a rare glimpse of traditiona...

Sancerre is the quintessential Sauvignon Blanc and in a vintage such as 2007 Sancerre is second to none. However, Domaine Moreux’s 2007 Les Bouffants Sancerre speaks to the acumen of the Moreux brothers as much as to the inherent virtue of the vintage. Moreover, the Moreux brothers’ Les Bouffants provides the yardstick by which other Sancerre may yet be measured. Classic, elegant, and hauntingly aromatic, Roger and Christophe Moreux’s Sancerre qu...

The 2002 Kilikanoon Killerman’s Run South Australia Shiraz is a blend of Clare and Barossa Valley fruit that is simply outstanding. The wine exhibits a deep purple color and a knockout nose that is packed with blueberry, blackberry, and mulberry fruit, spice, and oak barrel tones. Although staggering in alcohol (in excess of 15% we would guess), one would never expect, nor detect that much power in this wine. The 2002 Killerman’s Run Shiraz glide...

Vinoterra’s 2007 Tsinandali is a traditional blend of 80% Rkatsiteli and 20% Mtsvane.It is fragrant, dry white wine with lovely fruit, lively spice, and a light herbal minerality.Soft and elegant in the nose with hints of citrus, apple, and apricot, Vinoterra’s Tsinandali promises ease and charm.It delivers all that and more.It follows through on the palate with equal grace and style in the form of satiny fruit and a silky texture, making this un...

The 2007 Francois Lurton Malbec Reserva deftly blends the inherent attributes of old vine Malbec in Argentina with Bordeaux sophistication. Lurton’s Malbec Reserva sports a deep purple robe that is nearly opaque, but the real fun begins when you stick your nose into the glass. A rich, flamboyant aroma, redolent with the scents of black fruits, rose petal, and dark chocolate, seduces the olfactory. From the first sniff of this comely wine, it beco...

The 2007 vintage in Northern Italy has turned out to be excellent one for white wines, and the 2007 Tamellini Soave DOC presents itself as one of the stars of the vintage. And just when we thought this estate’s outstanding 2005 Soave DOC would be difficult to eclipse, the 2007 Tamellini Soave comes along and outshines all other takers. Tamellini Soave is everything authentic Soave ought to be . . . and more. It sports a light golden robe, a begu...

The 2007 Il Cuore Rosso Classico recalls not only the artful blends of yesteryear, it heralds the present trend towards fleshy, more fruit driven wines. Rosso Classico is a wine with plenty of natural flavor; it is neither dominated by oak, nor copious additions of tartaric acid. The 2007 Il Cuore Rosso is an expressive, medium bodied wine that resonates with the scents and savors of ripe cherries, summer berries and plums. It is soft and succule...