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March 2008
The Jewels in 2007
Posted: 10:39 AM ET, March 31, 2008
Tasting a vintage like 2007 from barrel can become tedious at times. It’s just one good wine after another, but nothing really exciting. It takes some time to uncover the jewels in a vintage like 2007. But every vintage has some bright spots -- those wines that make you understand why you are sticking it out tasting, and why you will remember the young vintage. Read more
Quick Message from Bordeaux
Posted: 02:53 PM ET, March 28, 2008
Despite all the bad weather, the Right Bank provided some good to outstanding wines today from barrel. And it appears that Pomerol is the best region of all in 2007. I still have to taste wines this weekend from Pessac-Leognan and other parts of the Graves – especially first growth Haut-Brion, which some say is excellent. Read more
More Thoughts on 2007
Posted: 01:27 PM ET, March 27, 2008
Today was a reality check on 2007. I tasted a number of very good reds, including Margaux, Palmer, Rauzan-Segla, and Pichon-Baron, but the rest of the 60 or so reds were inconsistent in quality at best. Many were lean, diluted or short on the palate. Read more
First Impression of 2007
Posted: 03:02 PM ET, March 26, 2008
I just finished my first day in Bordeaux and I am happy. Sure, 2007 is not a great vintage. It could never be exceptional, considering the wet and gray weather in Bordeaux for most of the summer growing season. Thank God for a relatively sunny September and October last year. Read more
Please, Mrs. Immigration Woman: Bordeaux 2007
Posted: 02:40 PM ET, March 25, 2008
Am I not welcome in Bordeaux? Or maybe someone more divine than my publisher or all the wine producers in region doesn't want me to taste Bordeaux's newest vintage?
The thought crossed my mind about two hours ago, when I arrived at Bordeaux airport from England and I was held for about 10 minutes as the immigration officer decided whether I would be allowed to enter "la belle France. Read more
Next Stop: Bordeaux 2007
Posted: 11:22 AM ET, March 24, 2008
I am leaving for Bordeaux tomorrow and arriving in time in the afternoon to taste a couple dozen baby Sauternes, and then I am off to a dinner at a friend’s house with a number of high-profile château owners and managers.
Need I say it? I am going back to Bordeaux to taste the region’s newest vintage – 2007. Read more
Smoke and Fire in Montalcino
Posted: 02:48 PM ET, March 21, 2008
Rumors spread fast in Italy, just like any other wine region. I think a lot arise from jealousy among wine producers. I really hate it... But sometimes there is some truth to them.
The most recent rumor is how about one-third of the producers in Montalcino are being investigated for blending wines from the south of Italy into their 2003 Brunellos. Read more
Back to School in Baja
Posted: 01:18 PM ET, March 19, 2008
I spent an afternoon with Hugo d’Acosta, the wine guru of Baja California, Mexico, tasting through various barrels of 2007 in one of his wineries, La Escuelaita – "the little school" in Spanish. The small winery is actually a school where about 50 wine-keen friends make their wines every year under the direction of Hugo. Read more
Catching the Wave in Mexico’s Baja California
Posted: 02:21 PM ET, March 17, 2008
Just got back from wine country in Baja California, Mexico. The drive to wine country in Mexico is about 4 hours south from Los Angeles, if you don’t get caught in traffic. I drove down last weekend in a white Jeep Commander with a couple of friends, included movie director/writer James Orr and John Gray, a chef with three restaurants in Cancun, Mexico. Read more
Pubs and Pinot Envy
Posted: 05:09 PM ET, March 13, 2008
I went to Father’s Office in Santa Monica for dinner the other day when I was in Southern California. I hooked up with the owner Sang Yoon, who is a big-time Champagne collector and a good guy all around. I have had some long dinners with him in Los Angeles, but I had never eaten at his gastropub. Read more
Balance Can Compensate for High Alcohol and Give Greatness
Posted: 12:23 PM ET, March 11, 2008
A lot is said and written about high-alcohol wines and how they don't age, and how they are not great quality, and blah, blah, blah. But I think it really comes down to the balance of a wine. The quality and ageability of a great wine never comes down to one single figure such as the alcohol content, or anything else for that matter. Read more
New Winemaker for the Great Bruno
Posted: 05:57 PM ET, March 07, 2008
Bruno Giacosa, the grand poobah of Barolo and Barbaresco, has changed his winemaker. He has hired Giorgio Lavagna, the head winemaker for the Batasiolo winery in La Morra for 23 years. Giacosa’s former winemaker, Dante Scaglione, is moving on as a consultant in the region after 16 years with Giacosa. Read more
A Friendly Reminder on 2005 Bordeaux
Posted: 12:38 PM ET, March 05, 2008
I have been reading all the positive comments here and on our forums about 2005 Bordeaux. What’s super cool is that many people are enjoying the lesser wines instead of the mega-buck trophy bottles. And they are already drinking very well, if you decant them an hour or two in advance. Read more
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