Tarlant, Champagne, Brut Zero The nose features minerality, toast and citrus fruits. The mouth is bone dry and austere, like biting into the pith of an orange. The grapes are roughly 1/3 each of the players in Champagne, namely Chardonnay and each...
La Spinetta, Moscato d’Asti DOCG, Bricco Quaglia 2007 This is a personal favorite from the legend. I was blessed to meet Rivetti before the skyrocket to fame. This wine remains an affordable way to taste some of this estate's expertise. The White...
Domaine du Mas Blanc, Banyuls, Rimage 2006 There are Port-like notes of dried and stewed fruits topped with a nutty piece of pastry. The wine tastes of sweet black fruits and chocolate, sweet but not overly so, tasty with some bittersweet...
Domaine Fontanel, Rivesaltes, Ambre 1998 This golden wine smells of citrus peel and nuts. In the mouth it like eating nuts and toffee, very sweet and viscous with acidity that offsets the richness and a little warmth from the fortification - a...
Chateau La Caminade, Cahors, La Commandery 2004 There's a slathering of new oak on this wine, showing toast, vanilla and smoke in the nose. In the mouth there is great density and balance, the tannin not dominating but rather playing a role. Give...
Chateau du Cedre, Cahors, Cedre, Heritage 2004 The grapes are 90% Malbec and 10% Merlot. The nose combines the rugged side of wine-love, with horse blanket, cheese and ripe berry fruit. In the mouth the wine is quite tannic and strongly reminiscent...
Domaine de Fontsainte, Corbieres 2006 The rose wines from this domaine have shown complexity and suppleness. This wine exhibits cedar, vanilla, a sense of the garrigue and some earthiness in the nose. The tannins are supple, the acidity is lively...
Domaines Bunan, Cotes de Provence 2006 The nose is very lively with fruit, as in some whole berries in the fermentation amping up the fruitiness. This follows through in mouth with ample acidity and ripe tannins - nice. Mis en bouteille by the...
Mas Jullien, Coteaux du Languedoc, Rose 2007 The nose is clean and full of red fruits with brambles as well. In the mouth the red fruit shines and there is structure, reminding us that this was produced from black grapes, showing a light grip of...
Domaine Jean-Louiis Denois, Vin de Pays d'Oc, Les Oliviers, Roussanne 2006 Unfortunately this wine is exhibiting some very strong rotten egg aromas at first opening. With time the fruit comes through and the funk blows off but will everyone wait?...