If you ever need a new nose for your 1983 Mercedes 230E, Chtaura in the Bekaa Valley is the place to go. It’s full of workshops keeping Lebanon’s extraordinary range of 1970s and ‘80s European and American cars on the road. Yet, while this area looks like the last place you'd expect to Read More
A versatile and extremely enjoyable Napa Cab in a post-modern style: not a fruit-bomb and not over-oaked. Plummy blackberry aromas with the heat of the sun-baked earth in the aroma, also notes of cocoa, leather and wild mountain herbs from this Eakle Ranch estate-grown fruit. Medium-hearty body with fine-grain tannins Read More
It’s rare to be asked to review a fully developed wine these days. So it is a real pleasure to find lovely maturity in this cabernet sauvignon, with its strong elements of ripe, dark red fruit. Because the wine has aged long enough to find its equilibrium, the wine works Read More
Made in Napa’s northernmost area, Calistoga, the wine comes from grapes grown in vineyards that carry the certifications “Napa Green” and “Fish-Friendly Farming.” Which is important because these grape growers have committed to sustainable vineyard practices and to regenerating the Napa River which flows from north to south through the Read More
At the risk of sounding like a Captain Obvious, this is a juggernaut of a bottle: it’s taller, broader, and much heavier than the average wine bottle today, which lends the wine a certain feel of grandeur. In fact, this is not a grand wine, but a very approachable cabernet Read More
Rich fruit aromas rise from the glass, cassis, plums, and black cherry, with a hint of tomato leaf and dry herbs. Black cherry and blueberry pie, pencil lead, and unsweetened chocolate explode on a rich, voluptuous palate. Tannins are silky, fruits extracted, oak giving strong support without overwhelming. This is Read More
Blueberries, cherries, and vanilla waft up from the glass. Tart cherries and sweet blueberries, with blackberry and oak in the background, make up the palate. A touch of raspberry adds a little zing to the finish. Muscular tannins and a meaty body make a vigorous mouthful, that would pair well Read More