Featured Wines - March 2021

Imbued with an impenetrable robe of inky crimson and royal purple, the 2018 Nugan Estate McLaren Parish Vineyard Shiraz (97 pts - Decanter) wears its nobility from the moment it is poured. Appearances can be deceiving, but not in the case of Nugan’s handcrafted single vineyard 2018 McLaren Parish Vineyard Shiraz. This wine has it all going on, and then some, beginning with a deep-down aroma redolent with blackberry and dark fruits, allspice, cardamom, and roasted espresso...

Albert Perromat continues to raise the bar for Graves Blanc with his superlative 2019 Château Ducasse Graves Blanc, a wine that captures the essence of white Graves and the appellation’s premier white varietals, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, replete with juicy herb and citrus flavors and a long, satisfying, mineral-rich finish. This youthful white also displays Graves Blanc’s brilliant crystalline color and telltale flash of green as well as an amplifying bouquet of ripe citrus, herb, melon...

Chapel Hill’s 2018 The Parson Adelaide Cabernet Sauvignon is the perfect introduction to Chapel Hill’s pure, succulent wines. For starters, the deeply colored 2018 Chapel Hill The Parson Cabernet Sauvignon offers an impressive array of savory Cabernet aromas, beginning with blackberry, mulberry, and cured tobacco along with hints of wild herb. Medium-bodied but rich in flavor, Chapel Hill’s 2018 The Parson Cabernet Sauvignon possesses a smooth, pleasing mid-palate that carries the wine’s pure...

Camille Braun’s 2018 Nature Pinot Blanc is a tour de force in the production of natural white wines. Thanks to the certified biodynamic viticultural practices at the estate and Christophe Braun’s longstanding acumen in fashioning natural wines, the 2018 Camille Braun Nature Pinot Blanc offers an aromatic, delightfully fruity, yet delicately dry glass of Pinot Blanc with superb definition. Springtime freshness redolent with delicate scents of apple blossoms and savory orchard fruit flavors delight...

Deep, dark, and deliciously brooding, Palazzo Maffei’s 2016 Amarone della Valpolicella conjures images of classic Italian wines of yesteryear. Deep, haunting aromas and flavors reminiscent of blackberry, kirsch, forest woodlands, tar, and faded roses haunt the senses. Rich in flavor, and bold in body and spirit, this young Amarone is just beginning to show its depth and power. The scion of an outstanding vintage, the 2016 Palazzo Maffei Amarone is built for the long haul. Initially reticent, it...

Complexity, purity, and delectable fruit infused with touches of melted butter and restrained oak tones make the 2016 Robert Oatley Margaret River Finisterre Chardonnay a true crowd pleaser and just downright irresistible. Not only did the ardent Chardonnay lovers on our tasting panel give this wine two thumbs up, the “anything but Chardonnay” crowd did, too, to the point of asking for seconds, and dare I say thirds. Now that says something because rarely does any Chardonnay, regardless...

The sister and brother team of Marlène and Nicolas Chevalier continue to push the envelope on flavor and texture in each successive vintage as their superlative 2018 Domaine Chevalier Les Voleyses Crozes-Hermitage will ably attest. The scion of a great vintage in the Northern Rhône, the 2018 Domaine Chevalier Les Voleyses Crozes-Hermitage sports a brilliant purple robe and a captivating aroma redolent with the scents of blackberry, plum, violets, and exotic spices. Sensuous and seductive in...