Steven Kent wines raise bar for Cabs; sister winery La Rochelle thinks Burgundy
Another Mirassou is making wine — for collectors and the rest of us who yearn for incredible Cabs, Chards and Pinots.
Wine
Resident wine expert Sandra Silfven on all things vino
Whites
J Vineyards, Mondavi Fume Blanc and breathtaking Old Mission Peninsula
Here’s some wine for thought to lift up your spirits on a gray, rainy Monday in Michigan.
Egalite and Penfolds make wines with a mission
Wine is such a part of our lifestyle today that producers and organizations use the fruit of the vine to support special causes.
Glen Carlou: Chardonnay to gush about
For a true wine experience, try this Chardonnay from South Africa — it has to be good if Donald Hess of Hess Collection owns the winery.
Weekend wine: KRIS Pinot Grigio
This crsip, tart Pinot Grigio from the cooler regions of Italy speaks to owner Franz Haas’ passion for fine wine and art — the playful hand on the label is by noted Italian artist Riccardo Schweizer. The KRIS Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie 2010, $8-$11, is a refreshing summer treat with lemon-lime, tangerine and hints of almond on … Continue Reading →
Drink this from Michigan: Braganini Reserve Pinot Gris
St. Julian’s Braganini Reserve Pinot Gris 2011,$15, is a knockout. It’s a juicy, delicate, elegant dry white, redolent of mango, apricot, pineapple and tangerine with a tart lime twist threaded through the flavors. It has soft, viscous texture in the mouth from oak fermentation. All of the fruit was fermented in neutral oak, which tells me … Continue Reading →
Weekend Wine: Clean Slate Riesling from the Mosel
Give the bottle a good chill, twist off the screw cap and pour yourself a summer refresher. This is modern Riesling — from the Mother Country and without any words to translate. This collaboration of Moselland in Bernkastel-Kues and U.S. importer Winebow, running $12-$13, is one smart wine from the flavors to the styling to … Continue Reading →
Drink this: Vermentino from Sardinia
You like dry, stylish, rich, minerally white wines? Not the usual grape varieties? The 2011 Argiolas Costamolino Vermentino di Sardegna (Sardinia), running about $16, will blow you away. What an elegant, well-balanced beauty. Minerality like slate rocks, tropical fruits, lime juice, lime zest, pineapple — it’s stacked with flavors. Argiolas is a premium winery on Sardinia … Continue Reading →
Drink this: Root:1 Sauvignon Blanc
Root: 1 Sauvignon Blanc Casablanca Valley Chile 2011, $12: American wine critics are over the moon about this one, and for good reason: the passionate bottle design and the flavor explosion of crisp-tart lime, grapefruit, floral notes and herbaceous tones with lovely texture on the midpalate. It’s dry and assertive, with character skewed to experienced … Continue Reading →
Luxury reds from Trinchero Napa Valley; 'Be.' wines debut at Kroger
Napa winemaker Mario Monticelli makes reds so awesome, dense and jet-powered for the Trinchero Napa Valley line they can make you weep. All are made off single vineyards on prime sites all over Napa Valley, and all are owned by the Trinchero family. “Yeah, they give you zombie teeth,” admits Monticelli bursting into a wide … Continue Reading →