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September 2008
What Will the Economic Turmoil Do to Your Wine Buying Strategy
Posted: 01:21 PM ET, September 25, 2008
I’m in Wine Spectator's New York office this week for editorial meetings. And being in such relatively close proximity to Wall Street and the heartbeat of our nation's financial institutions brings up what I suppose is an obvious question: Given the current fiscal turmoil and likely ensuing fallout, whatever that brings, how does the current state of affairs affect your wine buying strategies this fall?
Read moreNapa's Cade Is as Green as It Gets
Posted: 03:27 PM ET, September 23, 2008
Cade is cutting edge green and beyond.
The winery on Howell Mountain was built to reflect the rugged masculine feel of the terrain, resting on a steep rocky slope surrounding by towering trees. "Cade" is a Shakespearean reference to a cask or barrel. Read more
You Could Feel Dagueneau's Personality in his Wines
Posted: 12:52 PM ET, September 19, 2008
Some winemakers’ personalities are so much like their wines, and their wines’ character like themselves, that when you meet them, or taste their wines, you immediately make the connection.
Robert Mondavi always exuded a sense of elegance that came through in his wines. Read more
What Lies Ahead for Chateau Montelena
Posted: 03:32 PM ET, September 18, 2008
If you looked at Jean-Guillaume Prats’ passport this week, it would have stamps showing he’d been in France, Singapore, Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur), Thailand (Bangkok), Indonesia (Jakarta), the United States and back to France. All in one week, ending Tuesday when he left Napa. Read more
New Montelena Owners Look to the Future
Posted: 04:16 PM ET, September 17, 2008
Never mind troubled wines, a flawed cellar or even the need to replant vineyards.
The Chateau Montelena deal is all about potential and what lies ahead, Jean-Guillaume Prats said Tuesday in an interview in Napa.
Prats, general manager of Bordeaux's Cos-d'Estournel and soon Montelena, said the purchase of this storied Napa Valley winery by Cos' owner, Michel Reybier, had nothing to do with its past wines. Read more
Amazon's Wine Play: What Does It Mean?
Posted: 12:43 PM ET, September 12, 2008
Since most of us don’t reside anywhere near the top of wine food chain, at some point we intersect with the distribution system.
Depending on where you live, of course, it can be anything from a piddling annoyance to a grander, weightier matter that transcends irritation. Read more
Second Chance Not Always For The Better
Posted: 05:17 PM ET, September 10, 2008
As the tastings wind down for any given varietal, and the wines that need a second, or third, or even fourth review pass through the tasting room, sometimes things get ugly.
We re-taste wines for a variety of reasons. Wines with bad corks, spoiled wines or bottles that have been cooked during shipping are routinely tasted a second time. Read more
Patience Rewarded as Pace Slows for 2008
Posted: 01:57 PM ET, September 09, 2008
Last week’s heat wave-induced grape picking frenzy seems like a distant memory now that temperatures in Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino dipped back into the tolerable range over the weekend. This morning it was downright chilly, and the trees and their yellowing leaves are signaling the onset of fall. Read more
Chime In On What's Overripe
Posted: 05:22 PM ET, September 05, 2008
Here’s a topic for everyone: “I'm new to wine collecting,” writes Jeffrey, “and still trying to get my arms around some of these issues. What are examples of big, overripe, fruit forward, etc. ‘faddish’ wines? Is Joseph Phelps Insignia in this category? The Martinelli/Turley (Marcassin) Pinot Noirs?”
Welcome to wine’s hottest button. Read more
Heat Is On For Harvest 2008
Posted: 04:48 PM ET, September 04, 2008
The wait card for harvest 2008 has been pulled out of the deck for many winemakers.
Hot weather the past few days in Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino, with forecasts yet of more to come, has taken away winemakers’ option of waiting to see which way the weather will break and whether to let the grapes hang, in hopes of milder weather, or pick. Read more
The Market Dictates What Wine Styles Are Popular
Posted: 02:02 PM ET, September 03, 2008
Sure, the popularity of the modern style of riper wines is controversial. Yet winemakers I’ve talked with in recent weeks have no intent on changing styles. Why should they? Their wines are selling out at their asking prices, whether it’s $50 or $150 a bottle, in some instances much higher prices for Napa Cabernet. Read more
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