The PR materials I received with this wine describe it as “elegant and refined, with sophisticated nuance and delicate balance.” I would use none of those descriptors for this wine. From my perspective this is an in-your-face, aggressive wine that’s bold, wild and jammy. With one taste of this wine I can tell it is […]
Wine Regions
Ferraton Père & Fils, La Matinière, Crozes-Hermitage
When beginning to write this review I was surprised to realize this is the first time I’ve reviewed a wine from Crozes-Hermitage. I’m a big fan of Rhone wines and have found many great value wines from the region over the years, but most of those have been from the southern Rhone while Crozes-Hermitage is […]
Leitz Eins Zwei Dry Riesling – Das ist gut
I’m sure regular readers of this website have come to know I’m a big fan of riesling — when it’s good, of course. And I tend to gravitate to German riesling in order to more consistently get good ones. But what about value? I know a big reason folks read this site is to find […]
Marques de Casa Concha, Cabernet Sauvignon
A couple days ago I was thinking about the price limit I use on this site. As a general rule of thumb I have focused on wines priced at $20 or less since I launched the site. There have been some exceptions over the years, but that’s been the target price. However it’s been over […]
Domaine Kikones, Reviving Wine in Northern Greece
After a drive through the countryside of Thrace (northern Greece) we arrived at Domaine Kikones in Rodope, Greece. This is not a very touristy part of Greece. It’s in the country about 20 kilometers northwest of Maroneia. My first impression upon arriving is it felt rather simple. There was no fancy chateau. No grand entrance. […]
Weingut Binz, Nackenheimer Pinot Gris Kabinett
I’ll be honest, I often don’t think of Germany when I think of pinot gris. Although there’s no good reason for that. Pinot gris is the fourth most common white wine produced in Germany, where it’s often called “grauburgunder.” I guess Oregon and Italy have just dominated my mind when it comes to this variety. […]
Casillero del Diablo Rosé Reserva
I’ve been a fan of rosé for several years. I’ll even beat my chest a little bit and say I was ahead of the curve on the recent surge in popularity of rosé. I’ve previously written that my favorite rosé in the world comes from Tavel. But that’s not to say you can’t get good […]
Serie Riberas Gran Reserva – Malbec
Most malbec we come across in the US comes from Argentina, but that’s not the only country in South America growing this variety. This one comes from Chile. This wine is produced by Concha Y Toro, the largest wine producer in Chile, under their Serie Riberas Gran Reserva brand. It’s from the Colchagua Valley region, […]
Parducci “Small Lot” Cabernet Sauvignon – Big Flavor
I’ve reviewed a couple wines from the Parducci “Small Lot” series lately, including their pinot noir and chardonnay. Both of those wines impressed me as incredible values. So I wasn’t terribly surprised when I tried their cabernet sauvignon and again it delivers a lot of bang for the buck. This wine comes from Mendocino County […]
Trivento Golden Reserve Malbec – Really Nice
I’ve reviewed a number of Trivento wines in the past. Like many wine producers they have a few different tiers in their portfolio, offering really affordable wines in the lower tier that may not be all that interesting but also having more premium tiers that display a bit more character and quality in the wine. […]