Featured Wines - March 2010

Joel Gott has been making Dillian Ranch Zinfandel to great acclaim since 1996, but there has been no better effort from this outstanding vineyard than the majestic 2007 Dillian Ranch Zinfandel. Rich in robe and endowed with the heavenly scents of blackberry, wild cherry, bramble and sassafras, one could almost be satisfied by merely sniffing this delectable potion. But alas, that would be only half the pleasure. On the palate, this packed, full-t...

Born into one of Savennières’ greatest vintages, the 2005 Baumard Clos du Papillon has received tremendous acclaim since its release, and all of it well-deserved. A stunning wine of breed, length, and profound depth of flavor, the 2005 Clos du Papillon merits an enviable position as the poster child for Savennières and the dry Chenin Blanc wines of the entire Loire Valley. Furthermore, this wine continues to improve in bottle with each passing ye...

The village of Castiglione Falletto is known for producing a powerful, masculine style of Barolo that is equally renowned for its longevity; and while Enrico Scavino’s Barolo wines are some of the most age worthy in all Barolo, they are also supremely balanced, highly polished offerings that trade rusticity for complexity and a staggering depth of flavor. Not surprisingly, Scavino’s 2003 Barolo normale is one of the most charming of all Barolo in...

The 2008 Gustave Lorentz Reserve Pinot Blanc is a truly dry rendition of a classic Alsace varietal. It is a bright, cheerful Pinot Blanc that offers up a gentle mineral rich aroma that is laced with the scents of crisp mountain apple and fresh soft cheeses. In the mouth, the 2008 Lorentz Pinot Blanc Reserve dances across the palate, before exiting in a flourish of clean crisp flavors that hint of almond and spice. Yet, what makes this Pinot Blanc...

“A soft, succulent Rioja that captures the vibrancy of the Rioja Alta, without a preponderance of wood” is how one persnickety panel member described this wine, as the other tasters all smiled and nodded in approval. Indeed, Bodegas Bibainas’ 2006 Vina Zaco is already a reference point wine, meriting 90 plus points from the world’s most demanding critics. Moreover, the wine is a real crowd pleaser. Medium to full bodied and pleasingly aromatic, t...

Year in and year out, Gilles Noblet fashions crowd pleasing Pouilly-Fuissé that is bright, sunny and oh . . . so easy to drink. With every sip of the eminently drinkable 2008 Domaine de la Collonge Pouilly-Fuissé, one tastes the golden clusters of Chardonnay grapes that mature gently and slowly under the Maconnais sun. What's more, the 2008 Domaine de la Collonge Pouilly-Fuissé exhibits Noblet’s soft, seductive signature. On the nose, his vivacio...

The 2007 Château Eulalie Plaisir d’Eulalie Minervoisprovides the perfect wine to serve every day. Medium-bodied, pure, and full of favor, this cherry colored Minervois conveys all of the enticing scents and savors that led the Romans to name the hallowed ground of Minervois after their goddess Minerva. Perhaps one tasting panel member best described the 2007 Château Eulalie when he commented, “Ooh-La-La is more like it. This is a very accessible ...