So when the Aussies regain their senses and start using corks again- warts and all, and I am no great fan of TCA-tainted wines- not to mention all of the premature oxidation issues with recent vintages of my beloved white Burgundies, which in my opinion may well be cork-related- then I will start tasting Australian rieslings again in-depth. MORE >>

The color has darkened over the years; there was no bricking on the edge, and the wine was tight at first with bright acidity and reminded me of aged Burgundy, but after a half an hour it had softened considerably and notes of sweet red berries emerged from the glass. The wax capsule on this bottle was lightly chipped, but the cork, perfect. MORE >>

The Burgundy-shaped bottle hints at the style of the wine. At this point, bottles of 1988 and 1991 are comparatively blasé. When my pal Deetrane read the post from the other day about tasting the 1976 Lopez de Heredia Bosconia, he was flooded with good memories. Great prices in the shop though. for Crianza, €5.50 for Reserva, €8.50 MORE >>

Given my partiality for Northern Italian, Spanish and Burgundy wines, I felt like I was being reunited with a long-lost relative. My good friends Deetrane and his wife P-trane just celebrated their 5th wedding anniversary with a weekend in the North Fork of Long Island. Dee and P were happily surprised at how much they liked the wines. MORE >>

Burgundy, Jura, and Muscadet.nope. The 1988 Closel Savenni è res Clos du Papillon was complex and beautiful, and the Chidaine Montlouis Clos Habert and the Pinon Vouvray Moelleux were great too. And as far as I know, 1988 wasn't a particularly great vintage - just a normal working class year in the Loire Valley. And under $25. MORE >>