MENTIONED IN THIS POST: -Yquem -2001 Yquem -2007 Yquem -2011 Yquem Chateau d’Yquem’s 2001 vintage nearly breaks our rating system. It’s one of those rare wines that already tastes perfect in its youth, and only seems to get remarkably better as the years wear on. Many critics who have tried this wine aren’t even sure…
MENTIONED IN THIS POST: -Hourglass -Screaming Eagle -Ornellaia Earlier this year, Hourglass had a close call with a handful of pine trees in their vineyard. Months of unusually heavy rain in the late winter caused massive flooding in the vineyard, which caused several 150-foot pine trees to rip right out of the ground. Vineyard proprietor…
MENTIONED IN THIS POST: -Sine Qua Non -Harlan -DRC -Sine Qua Non The Bride -Sine Qua Non Pagan Poetry -Guigal New World wines taste better today than they have in the history of the wine industry. California cult wines, in particular, have greatly improved in quality since the 1960s, yet one cult winery seems to…
MENTIONED IN THIS POST: -Cos d’Estournel -2009 Cos d’Estournel -Harlan -Mouton-Rothschild If you want to get a room full of shy wine enthusiasts to talk, just say the words, “2009 Cos d’Estournel.” I’ve seen collectors come close to fisticuffs over this seemingly unobtrusive vintage. This is the very definition of a polarizing wine; most collectors either…
MENTIONED IN THIS POST: -DRC -Screaming Eagle -Lafite -Margaux -Liger-Belair -Yquem -Krug Critic Matt Kramer recently praised the “contrarian cellar” in his Drinking Out Loud op-ed. He thinks of a contrarian cellar as the opposite of what you’d normally see in a collection; instead of dust-covered bottles of DRC, you’ll find obscure Quarts de…
MENTIONED IN THIS POST: -Lafite -Latour -Haut-Brion -Margaux -Mouton Rothschild -Leoville Las Cases -Cos d’Estournel -Pontet Canet -Pichon Lalande -Lynch Bages It’s the time of year when the entire wine world is focused on one thing – Bordeaux futures. After several years of decreased demand in the U.S., the 2015 vintage ignited new interest with…
MENTIONED IN THIS POST: –Montrose 2009 –Montrose 2010 When I originally looked into some of the latest releases from Montrose, I assumed that the 2009 was more collectible than the 2010. After all, the 2009 costs about $100 more per bottle than the 2010. But after digging through numerous tasting notes and looking at the…
MENTIONED IN THIS POST: -Penfolds -2005 Penfolds Grange -Domaine de la Romanee Conti -2010 Lafite Rothschild While all unicorn wines are rare, not all of them are expensive; Penfolds 2004 Block 42 is both. In 2012, this wine sold for $168,000 per bottle, which at the time made it the most expensive wine sold directly…
MENTIONED IN THIS POST: -Margaux 2009 -Haut-Brion 2010 -Leoville Las Cases 2010 -Lafite -Verite La Muse 2001 -Ausone If you’re serious about wine collecting, chances are that you will invest in wine futures or pre-arrivals at least once. That’s because futures and pre-arrivals often offer the best prices on bottles, and you can secure your…
MENTIONED IN THIS POST: –DRC –Chateau Angelus –Tenuta Dell’Ornellaia –Azienda Agricola Argiano –Pol Roger –Robert Mondavi Winery –Chateau d’Yquem –Domaine Leroy –Screaming Eagle When you choose the right vintage, wine is the best gift for nearly any occasion because you can customize the varietal, region, and vintage to match the giftee’s taste and personality. The…
MENTIONED IN THIS POST: –Colgin Cellars –Abreu Vineyards I’ve long been familiar with Colgin’s classic Cabernet Sauvignon, but recently, I’ve found a new love: Cariad. This is perhaps fitting since the name “Cariad” means “love” in Welsh. Full of intense tannin and layers of fruit, the proprietary Bordeaux-style blend from the Colgin estate is more…
MENTIONED IN THIS POST: -1995 Veuve Cliquot La Grande Dame -2002 Bollinger Extra Brut -2004 Moet & Chandon Dom Perignon Rosé -2000 Krug -2013 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon -2005 Raveneau -1996 Chateau d’Yquem -2013 Gaja Barbaresco -2007 Nicolas Catena Zapata -2014 Peay Chardonnay If you’re stumped on Mother’s Day gifts this year, fine wine might…