Corks and Caftans

It came down to 3 wines, including an ’05 Justin Isosceles, an ’05 Julia’s Vineyard Pinot Noir from Foxen, and the Groth, also 2005. I hemmed and hawed, so Carey decided. This was our first Christmas away from the folks in 29 years, so we had to do something special—and this happened to be one [...]

It’s restrained (at times), floral, and light of tannins. Intensely cherried, tobacco and chocolate-packed, with a base of ripe stewed tomatoes. You will notice very little oak, a hefty yogurt-covered raisin, sans the raisin, on the mid-palate, and pencil lead metallic all over the nose and palate. This Cabernet thrives on variants—it’s multidimensional and complex, [...]

What a difference a year makes. The last time I tasted the ’06 Howell Mountain, it was beside one of my all-time favorite Blocks, the 345 Rutherford. Both these wines were exceptional, far exceeding any expectations of what I would expect from a $20 Napa Valley Cabernet. But these weren’t just Napa reds; these were [...]

Rutherford Perspective: noun; I. the experience of tastes relative to one another, as determined by one’s distance from a glass of luscious Cabernet, 2. a special vision resulting in hand-crafted wine from the western Rutherford bench. I love debut vintages. Not that I purposely seek them out—it’s more an interest in experiencing a winemaker’s initial [...]

*Disclaimer: I received this wine as part of a sample from Willamette Valley Vineyards* After Carey and I returned to the east coast from our trip to the Willamette Valley last March, we truly had a lot to reflect on. It wasn’t just a visit; we’d felt taken in. Every vineyard and winery we visited, big or [...]

The next time you are browsing through a wine store—most of which are arranged by varietal and/or country or region of origin—bypass the typical “Cabernet,” Chardonnay,” or “Bordeaux” sections and head straight for the rack labeled Agiorghitiko. Reaction? Are tears streaming out of your eyes with laughter? Because if I was an all-things-vino stand-up comedian this would [...]

When I write wine blogs, it’s hard to imagine getting an opportunity to stand with my subject’s maker face to face. Last night I got that chance, and it was a proud moment for me. Not only did it feel great knowing that my reviews were appreciated (or even noticed), but seeing Joseph’s passion first-hand [...]

Tonight I got my wife back! My suffering has been put to bed by my sun-kissed Floridian and a bottle of Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon. I have been recommended Ex Libris—latin for “from the library”—a number of times but didn’t bite until tonight while I was eavesdropping on a conversation in Purdy’s. “Blah blah blah [...]

Duck breast and spiral-cut ham, onion tartlets and twice-baked potatoes, triple-cream goat cheese, wild rice, and cranberry sauce—Christmas dinner at my Aunt and Uncle’s house. After the usual packed house the night before, the crew slimmed down on Christmas night as family members went off in different directions. Our only obligation was to bring some [...]

The next Block is in—and it may be the strongest. The response from the first three Block reviews (512 Sonoma Coast, 925 Howell Mountain, and 345 Rutherford) has been amazing. People try these wines—not knowing much about them—and realize they’ve stumbled upon something special and want to find out more. The same thing happened to me, and [...]

As soon as the summer heat rolls in, WineBid.com  puts all their shipments on hold—thankfully protecting purchases from baking en route in a box truck. So today, after almost 4 months since my last purchase, I had absolutely no idea what was in the box that showed up—it was like opening a Christmas present you’re [...]

I want to start by referring to the Block 512 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir review from the day before as an introduction to this review. The 512 was the first example I tasted of these generic district wines bottled under the title, or name, Vineyard Block Estates. The concept behind these wines is simple: purchase [...]