Featured Wines - May 2015

As one would to expect from this domain, the 2010 Guigal Gigondas is a deeply colored, full-bodied red that possesses both charm and vigor. Scoring 91 points from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, Guigal’s Gigondas, like its predecessors, it is constructed along the lines of the estate’s legendary Châteauneuf-du-Pape. It sports a rich ruby/purple robe and a flamboyant bouquet that offers a cachet of rose petals, violets, and the deep down scents...

The 2013 Chevalier Les Pends Crozes-Hermitage positively sings from the glass. In a class by itself, the 2013 Les Pends Blanc offers a golden-hued robe and a rich, intoxicating bouquet that several panel members dubbed “hedonism in a glass.” Intoxicating scents of honeysuckle, summer flowers, exotic fruits, and soft vanilla notes all caress the nose. In the mouth the pleasure continues, as the 2013 Les Pends Blanc offers superb texture and...

While many wineries around the world tout the merits of their so called Bordeaux blend, few actually contain Bordeaux’s top five varietals or possess the finesse, complexity or rich flavors of exceptional red Bordeaux. Rustenberg’s 2011 John X. Merriman is the exception, a true Bordeaux blend and an outstanding wine in every way. The 2011 Rustenberg John X. Merriman presents itself as an elegant, mouth-watering blend of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon...

: The youthful 2014 Rustenberg Stellenbosch Sauvignon Blanc sports a bright sunlit color as it splashes exuberantly from the bottle into the glass. Melon, fig, herb, and freshly squeezed aromas of citrus and tropical fruits greet the nose and serve to enliven the palate. In the mouth, the wine displays an array of clean harmonious flavors dominated by ripe melon and citrus followed by soft pleasant earth tones and a gentle minerality.

The North Fork of Long Island juts into the sea, surrounded on three sides by water, much like Bordeaux’s Médoc, the home to France’s most renowned Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon based wines. And thanks to the glacial deposits of the last Ice Age, the soil of the Médoc and North Fork bear more than a faint resemblance to each other. Aged for 18 months in French oak barrels, the 2007 Lieb Cellars North Fork Merlot sports a deep garnet color...

Chief Winemaker and Managing Partner Russell Hearn has fashioned another outstanding effort in Lieb Cellars’ 2013 Reserve Pinot Blanc, an effort every bit as exciting as the winery’s award winning 2012 Reserve Pinot Blanc, the wine that first turned us on to Lieb Cellars. Having honed his winemaking ability in pioneering wineries around the world, including stints in Australia, California, France, New Zealand, and throughout America’s East...

Although Carmen has been fashioning world class wines for decades, Petite Sirah is a relative newcomer to Carmen’s formidable portfolio. With that said, no one in South America and few in California can match Carmen’s 2011 Gran Reserva Petite Sirah in either quality or value. At a recent panel tasting, the 2011 Gran Reserva took on a field of challengers costing twice the price and came out on top.