recently received a sample bottle of the 2004 Chateau Clinet. Although I try to keep my tasting notes and blog reviews to wines that are much less expensive, I also like to post about wines I enjoyed and this Bordeaux I enjoyed immensely. I am finally getting around to trying French wines. Pomerol Bordeaux French

The Valcarlos winery is sleek and modern and after an extensive tour of the vineyard and the modern winery we had a tasting of the line, followed by dinner. They grilled baby lamb for us on old vines, and tasted some fabulous vintage wine. Ah, Rioja! The wines were delicious as well! The evening was very hot.

Recently I was invited to a fabulous artisanal Neopolitan pizza dinner at La Pizza Fresca in Manhattan featuring a treasure chest of top Barolo from the very best producers, all from the 2004, 2005, and 2006 vintage. The wines were of very different styles and all were enjoyable. I learned a lot about production! News Piedmont barolo

I love blind tasting. Without knowing whether or not I am intrigued by the producer, whether or not I've had it before, or any of the many other things that influence my expectations about a wine before I actually smell and taste it. Tastings Agrapart Peter Liem Pragerdid this last year at about this time , and now again.

We tried the 2009 the winery created for En Primeur, After the tasting, we enjoyed a 3-flight tasting of the 2006, 2003, and 2000 vintages in a presentation led by Sarah Jane Evans MW with wines procured by Sylvain Boivert, Director of the Conseil des Grands Crus Classes en 1855. They are replicated here. Chateau LaGrange.

In 2012, Eric Boissenot's work will be on display in the big tasting room of the chateau until March 2013. "Wine and art. it's everywhere!". Henri Lurton, owner and winemaker of the Second Growth Bordeaux Brane-Cantenac , has long been a supporter of the arts, bringing in world-famous soprano Elizabeth Vidal to sing during En Primeur 2011.

In addition to Domodimonti we tasted other specialty items from Marche, as well as fabulous Amaro digestifs from Varnelli. Not all "natural" wines are delicious, yet Domodimonti manages to strike the right balance between quality taste and staying true to the environment. Domodimonti’s first vintage was in 2004. No one does.

As is the case with every single Champagne house visited, it’s now hard for me to understand how anyone can understand Champagne – or appreciate it – without having had such an incredible tour and tasting. Cristian Dennis, a very affable gentlemen who knows all the secrets (yes, and secret passageways as well!). Bollinger herself. dennis m.

And if such an era seems remote, consider that just a few years ago, in 2004, a person walking along a Delaware beach picked up a piece of glass with the inscription "Constantia Wyn" on it., Visitors can arrange to taste wine in advance (click here for full information). Of course, in those days S. In our wine tour of S. link]. News S.

The rest of us brought along a bottle and we cobbled together a vertical that spanned 10 vintages between 1988 - 2004. Verset's wines smell and taste right, like the essence of Syrah from that part of the world - Meaty, savory, funky, darkly fruited, olive-y, and vibrant with minerality and acidity. Stirring risotto makes him happy.

In 2004 he was able to buy out other family members so that he could make the wine he wants to make, and after my tasting today must concur it was fabulous. and the first thing to keep in mind is that tasting Joliet’s wine is tasting history. “Your grandfather actaually used that press!” Yet it is true. link].

And that’s what Dave Erickson, a site reader in North Carolina who blogs at the Wine Mule , has been doing and he sent in this question about them: We had a tasting of orange wines the other night , and the question came up: How do sommeliers deal with these wines, when they all seem to need anywhere from 4 to 24 hours to become presentable?

Franco-American couple Michael and Hélène Affatato purchased the1646-dated Chateau La Gatte in 2004, and enovated it into a B & B and winery. At the end of the tasting, both owner Leslie Barnes and wine director Brad Haskel thanked Helene for her insight, and also for talking about wine in a way the young servers can understand.

Fabulous tasting at Aureole in NYC today. Palm Bay had a special tasting event featuring Col d'Orcia, Jean-Luc Colombo, Mazzei, Planeta, and Santa Rita. Lifestyle palm bay international robin kelley o'connor

Some of the wines tasted: Chateau Clerc-Milon: 1994, 2004, 2005, 2006. Chateau Lynch-Bages: 1996, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2006 and Echo de Lynch-Bages 2008. Chateau Pontet-Canet: 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006 and Les Hauts de Pontet 2005. Pauillac is a small region, only about 5,000 people, and had very humble beginnings.

tasted the wines at their American launch (Grand Cru Selections is importing them; search for these wines ). The 2004 was the richest of the wines I tasted–this is still Brunello, not Chianti, after all–but it was plummy rather than the tiring jam. It was big and extracted and I found it fatiguing.

Twelve historical producers of Amarone visited Manhattan for a tutored tasting that was literally 'standing room only." The takeaway from today's tasting were how diverse the flavors were of the wines, which were all the 2001 vintage (except for a 2004). The basic grapes are the same used for dry, lower alcohol Valpolicella.

In 2004, Arianna Occhipinti made her first Agricola Occhipinti wine at the ripe old age of 21. poured this wine at a tasting in NYC recently and the group really liked it. As the fall weather starts to arrive, here’s a great wine for the seasonal transition: SP68 red from Arianna Occhipinti. Search for this wine at retail ).

2004 Damilano Barolo ** robust purple color. Tastes of fine, drying tannins, a blend of tart cherries and plums, with some spicy notes. Barolo 2004 2 stars Crosby Roamann Italy Anno ItalianoHarvest is approaching in our little section of Wilson Ranch. Somehow there is a rumor going around that it's a great year for Sauv B.

From the little that I have tasted so far, I think 2010 is going to be a fantastic vintage for many of the wines that I love to drink. remember in the early spring at the Bowler portfolio tasting I spoke with Mathieu Baudry while tasting through his '09s. haven't tasted the Tardive yet and I'm excited.

say carefully, because careless deep frying results in greasy food, over or undercooked food, or food that tastes more of the fryer than of itself. With the oysters I drank a relatively unknown but incredibly delicious and interesting wine, the 2004 Michel Loriot Pinot Meunier Vieilles Vignes Brut , $75. wines from Ambonnay.

Jaime then served a squash risotto which which we paired with the 2004 Inflorescence Brut Blanc de Noirs La Parcelle. The complexity and depth really was somewhat astounding, and I cannot give better descriptions of the smells and tastes because they truly were so varied. bars as opposed to 6) to minimize their impact.

He tasted the pinot noirs and syrahs he had been making since starting his own label, Copain Wines , in 1999. “A light went on,&# he says about that January day in 2005 when he returned to Sonoma and tasted his own wines. Brix (lower sugar level, therefore alcohol) and they tasted leaner. Search for Copain wines at retail.

And today, many lucky people had the opportunity to taste these wines with food. Aline Bally of Chateau Coutet paired her 2004 wine with marinated salmon, the acidity taming the wines. So what fun to attend the special VinExpo "Master Class" on pairing Sauternes with Chinese food. with winemaker Pierre Montegut. thankfully.

Today I had the chance to taste many wines, including the 2009 and 2007 Cotes du Rhone white (made from mostly viognier) selling for $14 that is incredibly fresh and delicious, with racy apricot on the palate and a long finish. The residual sugar was 120 grams per litre yet it did not taste that sweet. They are available in the U.S.

and very interesting to note that the King of Spain had Magnums of 95 Riserva served at a state affair in 2004, with celebrated Spanish chef Ferran Adria serving the cuisine. Luis E. Garcia Sales Executive, and Sandra & Sandra. So is this a modern style. or traditional?" Esperanza Castra, co-owner Grupo Matarromera.

At the dinner I tasted a red called J'en Veux for the first time. Considering the lineup of whites as a whole, I think that they might be as good as any lineup of white wines that I've tasted from the Jura. Anyway, we drank Les Chalasses from 2004 and 2008, and I thought they were both excellent wines. And indeed it was.

Today the Wines of Santorini hosted a fabulous seminar, with the tasting guided by Dr. Yiannis Paraskevopoulos o of GAIA wines, one of Greece’s top oenologistss. The focus of the tasting was the 2010 harvest, projected to be one of the best of the last decade. Wines from Santorini. The next flight of five wines were oaked.

This time of year there are a load of trade tastings, and even if like me, you only go to a few of them, you hear things. It is absolutely delicious, and it doesn't smell or taste anything like Sagesse - as Franck Pascal said, " The addition of still red wine really changes the character of Sagesse." That's right.3 cases.

It’s not every evening I get to taste ten white Burgundies with a decade or so of age. So I delighted to have the chance to taste through several bottles at a collector’s house recently to assess the risk and reward of white Burgundy. Kistler, Sonoma Valley, Durrell Vineyard, 2004. For one, they’re often expensive. French wine

The seminar and tasting for New York journalists was held March 8 and included a larger representation of cool climate VQA Chardonnays featuring 54 wines from 31 Canadian wineries located in British Columbia and Ontario. Cave Spring Cellars Blancs de Blancs Brut 2004. Cave Spring Cellars Blancs de Blancs Brut 2004.

Matthieu, the jovial, thirty-something son of Bernard who has been with the domaine since 2000, led us in a tasting of the more-or-less current releases and a few back vintages as well. One American in the tasting room said he had attended a dinner recently of every vintage of the last ten of Croix Boisee and the 2004 stole the show.

He took a break from tasting in Burgundy, where he is now, to respond. How important is blind tasting to wine evaluation? There is no question blind tasting is useful, especially for wines that are similar, or in competition settings. How many wines can you effectively taste in a day? His unedited replies follow below.

Following my interview with Jean-Marie Fourrier, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to attend a Domaine Fourrier tasting that featured several wines from the 2008 and 2009 vintages. Equally instructive is tasting the same wines from 2008 and 2009. have no idea yet, but this tasting helped me form some initial ideas.

Also tasted Kongsgaard 2008 Napa Valley Chardonnay * nectar of the gods. Compared to the 2007 Bonneau du Martay Corton Charlemagne (also tasted) - road tar, just really super French, light, with a pale green note, and very dry body, admittedly not doing it justice here - the Kongsgaard kicks ass. Dark garnet.

My father kicked him out of the cellar and said to him "My job is to make wine, your job is to taste it, not to tell me how to make it." JMF: Well, I was good friends with Romain Lignier (wine maker at Domaine Lignier who tragically died of cancer in 2004 at the young age of 34). He was tasting the 1995's. Denis. was a trainee.

So it's not often when an energetic and passionate wine expert such as Filippo Bartolotta (editor of L’Espresso Guide to Italian wine) comes to Manhattan to meet with a tiny handful of the city's most notable journalists to lead a tutored tasting through Italy, including a food and wine pairing of many dishes (black truffles, anyone?).

All of the Salon wine from the 1999, 2002, and 2004 vintages - all that there is for the whole world, is in this cellar (that looked kind of like a garage). Then we went upstairs to the tasting room. All together we tasted five vintages of Salon, including the 1999 which will be released in May of 2011. Calm, cool, collected.

2002 and 2004 Cristal, and pretty tasty too. Every find yourself secretly thinking that some or other grower Champagne really doesn't taste so great, or secretly enjoying a glass of big house wine? I think that the lines that distinguish grower Champagne from big house Champagne are too rigidly drawn. have, and it's all pretty silly.

The Merlot I loved -- and I thought that in a blind tasting, it could be easily confused with a high end Australian Shiraz as its flavors were ripe black currant, black berry, in that jammy yet dry Aussie style. Afterwards, we had an icewine tasting with Bruce Nicholson, who was responsible for the vintages during 2006 and afterwards.

If you've never heard of these wines or never tasted one, you are most certainly not alone. Tastes just like one too. This was the very first Coteaux Champenois Blanc I've ever tasted, I think I need more experience before saying much. I'd love to taste the '08 again in 5 or 10 years. My favorite wine of the tasting.

It's interesting to see the way your own tastes change, to put yourself back in the mindset of making these decisions. 2004 Éric Texier Côtes du Rhône-Brézème Domaine de Pergault , $29, Louis/Dressner Selections. 2004 Domaine du Closel Savennières Clos du Papillon , $26, Louis/Dressner Selections. Live and learn.

Jeanne-Marie De Champs helped orchestrate this fabulous tasting of top wine writers, critics, and other experts, including Master of Wine and journalist Clive Coastes. jeanne-marie at tasting. Tags: Burgundy News clive coates domaine lamarche hospices de beaune jeanne-marie de champs verticle tasting la grande rue clif coates.

Thanks to my then girlfriend, now wife BrooklynLady, sometime in 2004 I rediscovered wine. And one day you spend $75 on a great producer's villages Burgundy from 2004, and you realize that it might be true that good producers make good wine in all vintages, but there are better ways to spend $75. still have it, actually. not Turbido!

talian wines paved the way for my wine education, but last night my friend Eric Guido provided a detour for me: A blind tasting of six Australian wines from the famed Barossa Valley. For another take on the wines we tasted see Eric's comments at The V.I.P This wine was my overall favorite by far, and the majority of tasters agreed.

have a bottle of that wine, the 2004 Pradeaux. BG: You'll taste these all in the next few weeks? I've made a career on tasting wines young and having a sense of whether they will age well, or be better young, but I have to check on them to follow their development. NR: By tasting and drinking. BG: Nice! BG: Yup.

One of my favorite sommelier instructors thought that during a blind tasting, a Rioja can often be recognized by a dusty, leather saddle sort of scent, or by its American oak trademarks of dill and coconut. The Tasting. Quick! Thick of Rioja (the famous Spanish wine) and what flavors come to mind? Rioja History. The Grapes. The Winery.

Greg Dal Piaz from Snooth organized a tasting last week to sample nine Bordeaux wines from the 2004, 2005 and 2006 vintages, and below are some of my tasting notes. 2004 Chateau Sociando Mallet Haut-Medo c Full bodied, animal, barnyard, chocolate covered cherries, cherry liquore, dry leaves, $50. Chateau Dassault St.

Not what I remembered from the 2004 I tasted. very seldom use measures because taste is subjective and you can add or subtract any amount of ingredients in my recipes according to your taste. If a cheap wine does not taste quite good enough, why would I add it to my dish and ruin my cooking? lunch. Buon Appetito.

It is commonly said that 2004 is the worst recent vintage for red wine in Burgundy. But that in itself is probably not the biggest problem with the 2004's. As Bill Nanson of Burgundy Report first wrote about , ladybugs were all over the vineyards in 2004. bought some 2004 wines. So, 2004 Burgundy Red Wine - How Bad is it?

Its characteristic taste is fresh and distinctive, with just a hint of almond. Getting time to clean out the old wine fridge. Shirley keeps doing her part by challenging me to come up with a pairing for some of her weird dinner experiments. 10 *Disclaimer: I received this wine as a sample from the PR folks representing the brand.

also got to barrel taste this semi-sweet rosé and was waiting for something a little different out of Shirley's kitchen to give it a try. I love it when Shirley decides to experiment in the kitchen. It either means we end up going out to dinner or I am in for a special treat. Stoney Lonsesome Estates 2008 Reserve.

did stop at one and tasted their 2007 Meritage. say that because my luck has never been too good when tasting at a market or street fair and buying what I thought was an OK wine at the time. The winery and tasting room is located on the East side of Cayuga Lake between Waterloo and Ithaca. King Ferry Winery was founded in 1984.

The other night a few friends helped me to taste through a load of Santorini wines. tasted some of these wines before and found them to be rather compelling. At the big Santorini tasting in May I was bowled over by the barrel fermented wines. The palate is ripe and rich and to my taste, a bit overdone. Is it the vintage?

have already tasted two of the Octavin Home Wine Bar artisan white wines and did review the Sauvignon Blanc from that collection and was looking forward to trying the Zin, but not necessarily writing a review. I've been holding out on the wine reviews until everything gets back to normal after my surgery. Best of all is the price.

There is another wine in the portfolio, a wine that has quietly amazed me since the first time I tasted it. We drank the 2004, and this wine is still in the early part of its life. I want to tell you about what I think is one of the best wine values in Champagne, a wine made by René Geoffroy.

Mr. Millo is a Provence native who has been with the CIVP since its formation in 2004. After my visit with Mr. Millo, I was invited to La Maison des Vins “Cotes de Provence” – a formal tasting room where visitors can try a revolving selection of wines from different producers and different regions. Whites and Reds. Happy Travels.

Overall, the tasting was an excellent way to judge overall quality of the region’s wines, and in the case of some older members, a dramatic demonstration of how remarkably quality has improved over the last twenty years. It was curious to discover that according to Mr. Bissoli, every country seems to have a “taste profile.&#

have since tasted a Monthaven Chardonnay (California) and this past week the Silver Birch Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand). Last March I posted a press release on a new collection of artisan wines in an innovative attractive new package. The Chardonnay was not impressive. Light and fruity with little oak was not what I expected from a CA Chard.

With May and New York Riesling month coming to close soon, it is safe to say that I tasted more Riesling this month than any one year in my life. This turned out to be a little difficult for me to compare a dry I tasted this week to a semi-dry that I tasted six to eight months ago. Both were opened with a BBQ chicken dinner.

The 2004 NVR was very potent on the nose with considerable tannin and substance without losing much charm. All the substance of 2004 without the fruit forwardness. The 2000 should all be consumed soon and the 2004 in fifteen years. Last night I attended two wine events in NYC that left my head spinning. And not just one bottle.

It was the first time I would meet Dennis Cakebread, and it was a thrill to be able to taste the wines and pepper him with questions about the winery's history. it's always fun to sit next to a winemaker / winery owner during a wine dinner at a top restaurant like Park Avenue Spring in New York City. cakebread cake.

Guests are treated to a tasting of fine wines and the spectacular view that the tasting room provides. This past Monday evening was a first for me on-line. Because of my work schedule and Shirley's extra long 'honey-do' list I never have the chance to do a tweet up on Twitter or follow a wine party on Facebook.

He tasted his first glass of Romanée at 16 years old at a dinner for the Chevaliers du Tastevin, a Burgundy brotherhood in which his father was an officer. In 2004, he wrote a booklet about wine entitled “Vins, Champagne, etc.&#. One upcoming class on June 4, given by Thierry Bidault de l'Isle, is taught in French!

A 2004 & 2005. Tags: wine tasting Burgundy Corton Pernand-Vergelesses I met with my Burgundy club this past week. With the warmer weather we moved on to whites and we tried 7 wines from the Corton & Pernand-Vergelesses regions. The wines [.].

It's always great to experience a vertical tasting, especially when the owners are there to provide insight. The Shrivingtons' winemaker is Kim Jackson, who has been with them sicne the 2004 vintage. "It's been decades since I've been to New York," says the youthful and sporty looking Lynne Shri vin gon who has come to the U.S.

Another taste from the Wine Spectator Grand Tour in NYC. The Chateau Lafite Rothschild is absolutely amazing with a nose full of deep, floral aromas, especially violets and blueberries. perfect balance of acidity and tannins combined with scrumptious flavors showing mild cherries and blue fruits makes this wine a dream.

This past week-end, my pal Mark and I were able to taste two Rieslings from the Brotherhood Winery located in Washingtonville (Hudson Valley) NY on the Shawangunk Wine Trail. The two wines we tasted were the 2008 Riesling and the 2008 'dry' Riesling. Doing so seemed almost impossible. Enough history.

Although it has been produced only in 2004, 2006, and 2007, the label legally can’t state a vintage as a vin de table , so instead they rely on the microscopic font of the lot number , 20.06 in the one I tasted last week. I detail more of the shortcomings of the appellation process in my book, Wine Politics.)

Banfi Brunello Tasting. So there is nothing quite like driving up to a romantic Italian castle in a private chauffeured limousine on a gorgeous sunny day – unless that includes tasting some of the world’s best wine. Upon tasting the 1961 and 1964 vintage John asked if he could import fifty cases.

in 2004 alone. Presumably, celebrities would be advised when the restaurant procured a taste of fabulous Burgundy, Bordeaux, or other collectible wine and had the opportunity to buy it and have it kept waiting. Guests at the 21 Club. Did you know that the U.S. Over 20 million bottles were shipped to the U.S. Center for Wines of Origin.

The past few months I have been tasting, or should I say consuming, some really fantastic California wines from many different AVA's. Recently, the wife and I have been discussing a possible trip to California next year. few of the issues are for how long and where. Most notably, Zinfandel and Petite Sirah. Suggested retail is $15. must buy!

With that in mind, I convened the Brooklyn Blind Tasting Panel to take a closer look at inexpensive Provence red wines. Such a great group for this tasting - Rosemary drinks loads of minerally white wine and has a tough time with big red wines like this. During the tasting and then dinner, this wine was good but also a bit weird.

One of the 2009 wines that generated favorable comments at last week’s en primeur tastings in Bordeaux was Pontet-Canet in Pauillac. Over on Twitter, there was some confusion about the status of their Biodynamic certification. So I asked Alfred Tesseron who sent in a clarifying response that follows after the jump. Here are their.

The first of the Zin's I recently stocked up on is the Rancho Zabaco Dry Creek Valley 2004 Reserve. The 2004 vintage is 96% Zinfandel and 4% Petite Sirah. Much more jammy than the Paso Robles Zins I recently tasted and more like those Zins I had difficulty handling years ago. Deep dark fruit aromas with some cherry.

I didn't taste too many of the local wines when I was out for the lecture. met him when I was in Walla Walla in 2004 and had a good feeling about his future progression in winemaking. The tone was set when Kevin and I met Robert Ames for dinner @ Brasserie Four. The depth and complexity, layers of litigation. So that was in place.

This week at the Italian Culinary Center in New York City I had the pleasure of meeting Adolfo Folonari, co-CEO of Ruffino, who put together a tasting of his wines, and Cesare Casella, currently of Salumeria Rosi, who created the pairing menu. After the initial tasting, we moved on to the luncheon where there were four more wines to sample.

Since 2004 Steve has been Long Island Wine Council’s Executive Director, playing a large part in bringing the number of visitors to 1.3 Winterfest in March, April’s Barrel-tastings, May’s Run For The Rosé’s ($1 from each bottle sold goes to Cancer research), and September Barrel Auction are just a handful of the events happening there.

This is the third of the Carmenere wines I tasted this month. As I stated in my previous two articles, Carmenere is one of the wines I've pushed aside in the past, but have placed on a list to re-examine in 2010. The first two left me with mixed feelings about the wine. did enjoy this with some Muenster and Dubliner cheese. It'll be fun!!!

It's strange but I remember tasting this wine before, and posting it on this site. 100% Sangiovese grapes exhibit initial aromas of smoked meats, red berries, black plum and vanilla tied together with a palate of black currant, black cherry, black olive, and a twist of caramel and bell pepper. Cinnamon spice and crushed stone on the finish.

was too busy listening to Keith's stand up act to take any tasting notes, but here's what I can remember. I dropped by to see Keith Beavers at Alphabet City Wines last night, only to find him sitting around a table with friends sampling probably over 20 wines. This was a standout for me. It's a blend of Syrah with Grenache and Mourvedre.

It's been a few years since I tasted Carmenere. If I remember right, it was a take it or leave it, nothing special, too many other fine wines, don't shop for wine. My last review confirmed that feeling, but in a very serious attempt to expand a lazy palate I purchased a few different labels to compare. The first was disappointing.

The next day I got to taste them again and they were both excellent. Just a few notes- Still with braised beef and turnips: 2004 Pavelot 1er Cru Les Gravains , $45. Tags: Tastings Simon Bize Domaine Marcillet Robert Ampeau Jean-Marc et Hugues Pavelot Burgundy Chandon de Briailles Why Savigny-lès-Beaune? Flawed? Not good wine?

The Tempranillo of Garcia Figuero is smooth, elegant, and their very finest "Noble 2004" has been described (not by me) as akin to the finest Bordeaux. You can taste ripe jam, licorice, all very smooth and balanced and compex and rich. Tasting the wines, I can see why. Antonio (standing). liked this wine a lot. 28.00.

Last night I only had about an hour to sample as many wines as I could at the Gambero Rosso Tasting Italian Wines of 2010, so I checked out the table listing and went directly to the ones that caught my eye. All of them were exceptional and I took very brief tasting notes of each. Herbal, tar, cherries, smoky.

Think my taste buds are back. No matter what was tried I was getting a very musty taste. I've been having a few problems with red wines since finishing some prescribed meds a few weeks ago. opened a few old reliables thinking there must have been some bad bottles in the rack, but they turned out to be the same. Bogle Winery 2007.

remember asking my friend Peter about this as we drove from one cellar tasting to another in Burgundy a little over a year ago. With great wine in a vintage like 2004, it might not require 12 years. I've always been attracted to things that are defined by a concrete set of rules. Wine fits in here too. And that's fine. Ready to drink?

The tasting room is located in an 1850s farmhouse and the wine is the Cline Cellars Cashmere 2008. One of the great things about social networking is that you often get in contact with friends and classmates from a time when all was great, life was fun and we were all going to live forever. This disease is not reserved for just women.

Tomorrow, John Gilman offers his tasting notes on several decades’ of Mayacamas wines. There is no tasting room on one of Napa’s two main thoroughfares. Back in the tasting room, we tasted the current release (2004) and a library release (1996). The 2004 was introverted but elegant. she said.

As an exuberant young student I had been eager to taste the regions I studied, yet the upper-market wines from Piedmont seemed totally out of reach. Tasting Barolo. At a recent tasting of very young Barolos, I identified wines I liked yet have at least a decade to evolve but they are named below. 2004 Barolo DOCG, Prunotto.

day in New York with a bottle of 2004 François Parent Monthélie 1er Cru Les Duresses as a lunch wine for myself and a friend. François Parent winery circa 1930. So I decided to splurge today as it was a gorgeous (yet freezing!) Opening the bottle, it was as I predicted. She was their translator and their cook.

In the mouth, the taste was more mature than I thought it should be at it's young age, soft and mellow with a hint of chocolate. Sometimes when you least expect it, you open what may becomes your new favorite bottle of wine. Tonight I opened one of my remaining bottles of Finger Lakes wine purchased at my last tour in December. Alcohol: 13.0%

First posted December 12, 2004, and I refer to the cataclysmic summer that had just past. I'd taste some remarkable older Hermitage and Cornas (which just doesn't get enough respect), get a huge crush on wine maker deity, Thierry Allemand, I'd walk across the river at sunset. How did this happen without me seeing it?

Rita and I enjoyed the evening and the company too much to take extensive tasting notes, but I did text myself a few lines. Trentino Traminer Aromatico Casato Montfort 2004 Varietal: Gewürztraminer Region: Trentino Aged 5 months in steel vats and 3 months in bottle. Well, here they are.

To do so, I will have to taste, I mean drink, more wines that I never tried or wines I just never liked. That was not until I tasted and reviewed a Paso Robles Zin from Agent for Change. More intense than the last Zin I tasted and liked, but still not as bold or peppery as most I've had. It just never happened. Alcohol 14.5%

On a cold and blustery January Saturday, Italian Wine Merchants hosted a tasting series called Italy’s Icons and Rising Stars, which I attended with both old and new friends. In 2004, Piero purchased a vineyard in Patagonia Argentina which is now Bodega Chacra in order to produce Pinot Noir. Stay tuned.

At a recent Wine Media Guild (WMG) event here in New York I had the opportunity to taste several different brands for this holiday season. This wine was so great it had me writing little exclamation marks all over my tasting notes. 2004 Deutz Brut Classic (Maison Marques et Domaines USA) $65. It is 100% Grand Cru Chardonnay.

I'll just say it: I'm not a fan of late harvest zinfandel. So this 2007 Late Harvest Dusi Ranch is the only wine from Ridge I couldn't really get into this year. On the bright side, Ridge has instituted a new membership log-in to streamline purchases online. Thank baby Jesus, too.

Almost all that I had ever tasted were the Shiraz from Australia. While visiting Damiani Wine Cellars on Seneca Lake this past spring I tasted an excellent Syrah and I was sold. Then again maybe I just have to taste a few more and that's not a bad thing now, is it? From that day on I was a fan.

Paul Giamatti : played role of Miles in Sideways (2004); crushed the fortunes of Merlot with a single line while the film boosted interest in Pinot Noir. Thanks to everyone for the fascinating discussion suggesting nominees for the Wine Person of the Decade. Now it’s voting time! You can only vote for one person.