asked him when he got the wine and he replied, “It was stored in a number of different environments since I had the wine since college in 1978. SPIT: controlled storage. It was stored in my dormitory, then in my parents basement, then in my apartments, then in a controlled storage facility, and finally in a wine storage cooler. MORE >>

Hirsch bought his land on the Sonoma Coast, just three miles from the Pacific, in 1978 and planted a portion to pinot noir in 1980. Ten years ago, vineyard owner David Hirsch of Sonoma brought some of his wines to New York. So it was that the 1997 Chardonnay that we tasted was made by Williams-Selyem but the 2007 was from Hirsch Vineyards. MORE >>

With all the hype about the Bordeaux campaign to pre-selling their 2010 wines, it made me think: surely there are more affordable, just as age-worthy alternatives out there. would sign up for a case faster than I would a 375ml of 2010 Lafite–and I’d probably save money if I did. And around $30 a bottle? Under $30. Roda I. MORE >>

The 2010 vintage started with a cold spell in late May / early June with favorable weather through most of the season. During dinner, we tasted several vintages of Chateau Beycheville: the 2003, 1999, 1985, and 1978. This includes cutting-edge biological methods for the various treatments grape growing requires instead of chemicals. MORE >>

Similarly, the 1978 Cheval Blanc ("the white horse with velvet tannins") displayed smoke, mushrooms, and sandall wood, paired perfectly with local soft goats cheese, but was boring by itself. Tags: 2004 Champagne 1997 2000 France USA Bordeaux 3 stars Flawed 1982 1978 Napa Valley 2002 The wines are, of course, first rate. MORE >>