Marmesa Cabrillo Peak Pinot Noir 2007, Santa Lucia Highlands, California (£15.55/£7.20 Bibendum – sale price valid until Aug 1st 2011) I like the savoury/meaty warmth here and the lush plummy flesh with touches of tomato and toasty oak, but it’s let down by a slightly baked, overripe raisinny edge and […]
California
Wine first. Sorry Gallo, but your Summer Red (£6.99 Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco) didn’t do it for me. The winemaker seems to have been a little heavy-handed and extracted too much flavour, and this, coupled with the quite ripe berry fruit and touch of the medicinal/boiled sweet, makes for the […]
Gallo Summer Red meets the Asus Eee Pad Transformer
Tenuta Degli Dei ‘Le Redini’ IGT Toscana 2008, Italy (~£18) Quite a lush modern style with berry, sour cherry and damson skin flavours, Alicante adding some iron and herbiness and oak giving a smoky vanilla sheen, finishes in gentle, soft and supple style but maybe just too smooth? S- Caiarossa […]
Wine Tasting Video: Three Italians and a Zinfandel
It’s not all that much of a surprise to see Francis Ford Coppola acquiring the Inglenook name and rechristening his Rubicon estate Inglenook – more newsworthy is the arrival of Philippe Bascaules from Chateau Margaux as Estate Manager and Winemaker. Click here for more info
Rubicon Becomes Inglenook
How many vintages have John Shafer of Shafer Vineyards, Boots Brounstein of Diamond Creek Vineyards, Margrit Biever Mondavi of Robert Mondavi Winery and Jim Barrett of Chateau Montelena seen in the Napa Valley? Let’s just say ‘plenty’. On February 24th 2011, this venerable quartet kept a rapt audience entertained with […]
Napa Valley Wine Legends – Part 3
How many vintages have John Shafer of Shafer Vineyards, Boots Brounstein of Diamond Creek Vineyards, Margrit Biever Mondavi of Robert Mondavi Winery and Jim Barrett of Chateau Montelena seen in the Napa Valley? Let’s just say ‘plenty’. On February 24th 2011, this venerable quartet kept a rapt audience entertained with […]