06 Hall Merlot (Napa Valley): The dark fruits & cocoa are an attraction, but the extraction action might prove to be a distraction. $28 B # 08 Polka Dot Riesling (Pfalz): Refreshing & a touch sweet, limes & lemons abound. Certainly the most fun PD offering I've had. $10 B- # 06 Gaja Ca Marcanda…
Cahors Malbec: Feisty and Powerful, But Is It Marketable?
I’m in Cahors, and it’s one of those thoroughly gorgeously sunny wine country days that at turns make me happy to be alive and secretly, maddeningly spiteful towards those who get to experience this nearly every day. Of course, those turns tend to come after long stints of travel when I’m severely under-caffeinated, so keep…
The Upside of Wine Globalization
Yeah, I know right? There’s an upside to more and more wine being made more and more in an “international” style by more and more producers in more and more regions? Yes, there is. Yes, I’m serious. No, I haven’t been drinking too much wine while writing this. First, we need to explain what the…
Invisible, Man (Sampling New Stemware from Ravenscroft)
Given its name, you’d expect the “invisibles collection” – a new line of glassware from crystal makers Ravenscroft, to be light, and probably thin. You’d be right of course, based on the stemware sample that they sent to me recently. What you might not expect, though, is the effect that the “Invisibles” glass has…