As I said before about the legendary 1986 Henri Jayer Richebourg, I’m supremely picky about which wines I consider true “unicorns;” they should be rare, old, age-worthy, and historically significant. Although 2005 Clos Rougeard Saumur Champigny is still relatively young by fine wine standards, I consider it one of the few mid-2000s wines to have…
One common myth that many beginning wine collectors believe is that they can store red wine for years, no matter the varietal. In reality, only some red wines will last for decades in your cellar; most wine (an estimated 99 percent, according to some experts) doesn’t gain any benefit from aging, so you’re better off…
We lost a wine icon this year. Margrit Mondavi passed away from cancer on September 2, 2016, and although she is no longer with us, she leaves behind a long legacy that will ripple through California’s wine industry for decades. My father-in-law remembers the first time he met Margrit Mondavi. “She was magnanimous and sharp…
When my ancestors moved from Italy to the United States decades ago, they did so in turmoil: phylloxera had taken over their vineyards and destroyed the grapevines they worked so hard to cultivate. They were forced to abandon their vines and make a new life in the United States as orchardists. Unfortunately, the small village…
Picture this: you’re at a white wine tasting with a group of experts. After trying a glass of sweet Riesling, one of the experts says, “This one has plenty of apricot, with just a hint of peach cobbler.” However, no matter how many times you try that same wine, you can’t seem to find those…
Over the past decade or so, I’ve noticed more collectors turning to professional wine storage than ever before. That’s because the internet age has made this kind of storage convenient for collectors of all experience levels. In the past, most of my wine-loving friends would rather spend thousands of dollars on a home wine cellar,…
Brunello di Montalcino is the crowning jewel of Italy’s Sangiovese grape, capable of lasting as long as 20 years in a cellar without much effort. Yet when the weather, the winemakers, and the cellar conditions are just right, Brunello can exceed this lifespan by an additional 10 or even 20 years; it’s a rare feat,…
A few weeks into September, like clockwork, I start getting email notifications letting me know that my wine allocations are on their way. If I’m not careful, I’ll end up with multiple cases of wine at my doorstep, and no place to put them. Fall is one of the two busiest times of the year…
Barolo has long been one of my favorite wine styles of all time, so you can imagine my disappointment when I tried more than a few mediocre 2012 bottles this year. It’s not that these wines are awful, they simply don’t move me like Barolo usually does. Renowned Piedmont critic Gregory dal Piaz had the…
As semillon develops noble rot, seen above, the grapes become sweeter, which allows the wine to age longer in a cellar. I have a confession: I used to be intimidated by the idea of collecting any white wine other than Champagne. Like many collectors out there, I loved a crisp glass of Chardonnay, but my…
With its long aging potential, complex flavors, and high market value, Riesling is a must-have wine for any collection. However, in my experience, this is one of the toughest wines to get right. For starters, it’s almost impossible to tell how this varietal will taste based on data points like residual sugar and acid levels.…
In a recent post on the Wine Berserkers forum, one writer related the story of how he wanted to invest in some new rosé vintages for the summer, so he took a trip to his local shop. As he browsed through the aisles, one of the floor sales experts told him he should buy a…
