Reference

Country: France / Clos Triguedina Variety: Malbec-Merlot Southwest France Winery: Jean-Luc Baldès / Cahors This is beautifully structured, packed with black fruits, ripe tannins and balanced acidity. It’s still young, showing the black fruit side of Malbec, but the tannins are already integrating well into the structure. Age for 4–5 years.

Country: France / El Niño Loco Variety: Rhône-style Red Blend France Other Winery: Guillaume Gros / Vin de Pays de la Méditerranée The blend is 70% Syrah, 20% Grenache and 10% Carignan, and in 2009 the grapes were as ripe as they could be. Mocha and chocolate notes pick up a touch of prune. With […]

Country: France / Variety: Rhône-style White Blend Rhône Valley Winery: E. Guigal / Côtes du Rhône More than half of the blend is Viognier, which no doubt accounts for its dramatic aromas and flavors of exotic tropical fruit, only just reined in by more citrusy notes. It’s full bodied and round in the mouth without […]

Country: Spain / Demencia Variety: Mencía Northern Spain Winery: Demencia de Autor / Bierzo Dark, compact and black, with graphite and growling blackberry aromas. Feels tight and drawing but serious and structured, with black fruit, chocolate, toast and spice flavors. Blackened as well on the finish, with mint and toast. Hold until 2015.

Country: Portugal / Morgado de Santa Catherina Reserva Variety: Portuguese White Bucelas Winery: Companhia das Quintas / Wood-aged, this is a ripe-textured wine that has rich flavors of yellow and white fruits and toast. It has concentrated, intense fruit that bursts in the mouth. Delicious and impressive, this could be aged for another two years.

Country: Portugal / Quinta do Cardo Selecção do Enólogo Variety: Portuguese Red Beira Interior Winery: Companhia das Quintas / This is an austere wine that blossoms slowly. Using grapes sourced from a vineyard at an elevation of 2,000 feet, this has a wild herb character along with dark black fruits and tannins that need several […]

Country: Portugal / Herdade da Farizoa Reserva Variety: Portuguese Red Alentejano Winery: Companhia das Quintas / Densely tannic, this is also full of sweet berry fruits. Powerful and superripe, its fruit is beginning to integrate into the big, smoky, chocolaty structure. The finish shows both toast and juicy fruit notes. Keep for 3–4 years.

Country: Spain / Sierva Variety: Red Blend Levante Winery: Bodegas Carchelo / Jumilla Big and lush, this has graphite, coconut, minty oak and huge berry fruit aromas. It’s plush in the mouth but not wayward or overly big, with roasted plum, ­molasses, leather and raspberry flavors and a forward barrel note. Savory and long on […]

Country: US / Estate Grown Variety: Petit Verdot California Winery: Ballentine / St. Helena This is rich and dramatic in blackberries and black currants, with an olive note and a lovely coating of cedar. Dry and tannic, it has plenty of class and elegance. Hard to see if this is a longterm ager, but it’s […]

Country: Argentina / Finca Las Palmas Variety: Malbec Mendoza Province Winery: Trapiche / Mendoza A high-end Malbec experience at a reasonable price, this boasts rich aromas of cola, graphite and boysenberry that leap from the glass. The palate is bright and just thick enough, with wild berry, cherry, plum and oak-based flavors. Another whack of […]

Country: Spain / Mas La Plana Black Label Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon Catalonia Winery: Torres / Penedès One of Spain’s most character-packed wines, this vintage of Mas La Plana deals bacon, berry and earthy aromas in front of a weighty, fairly tannic palate. Becoming richer and riper as it unfolds, this is full of prune, plum […]

Country: US / Bayliss-Bower Vineyard Blanc Variety: Pinot Noir Oregon Winery: Ghost Hill / Willamette Valley Stainless-steel fermented and the color of wheat, this still white wine is stylish and compelling. If you’ve wondered why anyone would bother to make a white Pinot Noir, this is the answer. It’s fragrant with sweet grass and melon, […]