The Power of Three: New Vintage Rosso di Montalcino
Italy: Tuscany, featured
, Jan 2021
Rosso di Montalcino took a bit of a backseat this year due to all of the excitement over 2016 Brunello di Montalcino, but now it’s time to focus some attention on these wines. The three vintages currently in the market all have their merits, and also provide some insight as to what might be in store for Brunello.
Cellar Favorite: 1998 Mastroberardino Taurasi Radici Riserva
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, Italy: Center & South
, Dec 2020
As soon as it feels like winter, when sweaters start to be worn indoors and the meals turn meatier and richer, all I want to drink is mature Barolo and Taurasi. It’s at this time of year that I pull a mixed case of the two from my storage, and stand the wines up so that all I need to do is choose, pull, decant and indulge.
Italy’s Sparkling Advantage: Prosecco and Franciacorta
featured, Italy
, Dec 2020
The holidays are upon us. It’s the season where more bubbly is purchased and consumed than at any other time of the year. Whether it’s for gifting, celebrating or the perfect pairing at your holiday meal, a bottle of bubbly always fits the bill. This report looks at Prosecco and Franciacorta, two of Italy’s greatest treasures.
Cellar Favorite: 2012 Vietti Barbera d'Asti La Crena
Italy: Piedmont, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Dec 2020
We don’t often think of Barbera as a wine that requires a decade or more to reach peak maturity; but then again, most Barberas don’t possess the potential to even last that long. However, when they can and they do, it’s a very special thing.
2016 Brunello di Montalcino: Radiance Personified
Italy: Tuscany, featured
, Nov 2020
In this year of incredible stress, heartache and forced changes to the way that we all have to live, there is certainly a comfort in looking at past vintages that are only now being released. Never before have these wines been more like a time capsule. There is no other vintage or category of wine that I’ve been looking forward to more than the 2016 Brunello di Montalcinos. The big question is: Do the 2016s live up to our expectations?
.jpg?1605538774)
Cellar Favorite: 1999 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
United States: California, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Nov 2020
The 1999 Dunn Cabernet Sauvignon has earned a highly respected place in the cellars of collectors in the know, and we’re not talking about the more popular Howell Mountain bottling.
Trentino & Alto Adige: Worlds Apart
featured, Italy: North
, Nov 2020
As if engrossed in a Tolkienesque fantasy novel, we delve into the labyrinth of producers, varieties, labels, languages and the diverse terroirs of Trentino and Alto Adige. However, while traversing this realm where Italian meets Austrian meets German, it quickly becomes apparent that the effort we put in to comprehending its people and the array of fascinating and stimulating wines they produce is truly worthwhile. Together, let's take a trip down the rabbit hole to better understand two of Italy’s most under-the-radar regions.
Cellar Favorite: 2006 Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva
Italy: Tuscany, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Nov 2020
The fact is, the 2016 Riserva became one of my favorite wines to pull from my cellar year after year. Now, at fourteen years old, the 2006 appears to have fully peaked, but is holding strong.
Cellar Favorite: 2014 Tiberio Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Colle Vota
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, Italy: Center & South
, Oct 2020
I clearly remember the first time I tasted the 2014 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Colle Vota from Tiberio three years ago. It was so tense and structured, taking hours to begin showing its layers and complexities. It was on day two that the wine began to reveal its inner beauty.
Vinous in the Kitchen: C Is for COOKIES
Vinous in the Kitchen
, Oct 2020
It had to happen sooner or later. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to bring cookies to Vinous in The Kitchen, at a time when families are home and projects with the kids make for a great way to spend quality time together. Even as someone who has been gluten-free for nearly a decade and stays far away from sweets, when my daughter came to me and asked if I would make her my “Famous” chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies, I couldn’t resist. Because the fact is, even if I can’t enjoy them myself, I take great pleasure in sharing them and watching her eyes light up. Let’s face it, making cookies from scratch has become something of a lost art. We all loved the mom or aunt who made them and shared around the holidays, yet the average person seldom makes cookies themselves. My goal is to change that today.