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July 2007
The Morning Labor
Posted: 05:42 AM ET, August 22, 2007
Sometimes, in fact most times, I absolutely hate my morning run. It is boring, and a real pain. But if I don’t keep the pace I may end up looking like some other wine writers who will remain nameless.
This morning during the last part of 40-minute run, coming up the hill from the valley below Il Borro, I felt like shooting myself for that last glass of 20-year-old Taylor and a Petit Edmundo cigar. Read more
Ageless Vintage Port
Posted: 11:50 AM ET, August 20, 2007
It never ceases to amaze me how Vintage Ports age so slowly, particularly the great ones. And how, when they finally start to go past their prime, they simply become nice tawnies …
I thought about this over the weekend when I tasted a range of Vintage Ports from 2004, 1997, 1985, and 1977. Read more
Don't Forget 1975 Pomerol
Posted: 12:46 PM ET, August 16, 2007
On my last day in Hong Kong, I went to Peter Lam’s office overlooking the harbor in the center of the city, and he laid on a tiny blind vertical of 1975 Pomerols with lunch. The 1975 is a forgotten and often maligned vintage despite that it made some excellent wines on the Right Bank. Read more
A Birthday Dream
Posted: 10:33 PM ET, August 07, 2007
I got off the plane in Hong Kong yesterday, and I found myself a few hours later in the Ritz-Carlton on one knee, decanting an imperial of 1961 L’Evangile and a jeroboam of 1961 Latour. I have never decanted such big bottles of anything, especially two amazing wines as the great first growth legend and the fabulous Pomerol. Read more
The Vintage Should Be the Vintage
Posted: 04:40 AM ET, August 07, 2007
I have been thinking about my colleague James Laube’s blog of August 3 when he discussed the option for winemakers to produce more non-vintage wines. And it made me think about how many people are already doing this – legally and illegally. Read more
Barbera and Pizza Sunday
Posted: 06:59 AM ET, August 06, 2007
I wrote this last night at the dinner table. I was alone and had nothing going on Sunday night in Tuscany. So I grabbed a pizza from the local pizzeria, and I tried one of the 2006 Barberas from my tasting in my office. Yes, I often work on Sundays when I am in Italy. Read more
The Italian Connection to Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Sale
Posted: 12:18 PM ET, August 01, 2007
I just got off the phone with Piero Antinori and we had a short discussion about his recent acquisition of part of the famous Napa Valley estate of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars. He said that his family was still discussing the percentage it would be taking in the deal, but that Ste. Read more
When Cool-Climate Wine Areas Get Warm
Posted: 12:04 PM ET, July 30, 2007
While I spent a few days in Alto Adige tasting through a hundred or so whites, mostly 2006s from most of the top cooperatives in the region, I began thinking about how cooler regions may soon become warm regions, suitable for all sorts of different grape types and wine. Read more
Wines in the Clouds
Posted: 02:35 PM ET, July 27, 2007
Just got back from the vineyards of Franz Pratzner in Naturns, in Alto Adige. His 12 acres of vineyards are steep slopes overlooking the Venosta Valley at about 2,000 feet above sea level. It reminds me of some of the steep vineyards in Germany’s Rhiengau and Mosel. Read more
Summer's Wine
Posted: 02:09 PM ET, July 25, 2007
Boats and Champagne: It’s a nice combination in the summer. I was hanging out with some friends last weekend on their Leopard Sport 18 on the Tuscan coast and the ice-cold Champagne was going down just right. I am a big fan this summer of the Jacquesson Cuvée No. Read more
Vin Santo?
Posted: 01:09 PM ET, July 19, 2007
I tasted about two dozen Vin Santos today in my office in a blind tasting, and I was wondering, how many of you out there drink these unique wines from Tuscany? I occasionally pull a cork on a bottle for dessert during a dinner party with friends, but I must say that I am not a big drinker of them. Read more
Thoughts After Lunch
Posted: 10:50 AM ET, July 17, 2007
I had lunch with a friend in Tuscany last week who is also a big-time wine trader in blue chip Bordeaux, and he brought a magnum of 1976 Cheval Blanc to lunch. We had this after a couple of gorgeous bottles of 1996 Barolos including a Roberto Voerzio Brunate and Pio Cesare Ornato with about a dozen or so people including a couple of wine producers. Read more
Secrets of Siepi
Posted: 11:46 AM ET, July 13, 2007
I had some friends over for dinner the other night, about 16 in all! And I decided to serve only magnums from my cellar. Most were 1997 Super Tuscans, including Castello dei Rampolla Toscana Sammarco, Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Masseto, and Fonterutoli Siepi. Read more
There's Always August
Posted: 10:41 AM ET, July 12, 2007
Announcing that France's 2007 harvest is ruined seems a little exaggerated – at least for Bordeaux. But news reports, particularly in the British press, have been saying that the consistent rains and cold weather this summer have almost completely destroyed the young crop. Read more
Tell It Like It Is ...
Posted: 01:54 PM ET, July 11, 2007
This thought-provoking comment was posted in response to yesterday's blog.
"User Name: Peter Chang, Hong Kong Posted: 12:12 PM ET, July 11, 2007
It's funny to continue to see the animosity towards the French for raising prices on a less-than-stellar vintage, especially from the Americans. Read more
More Rumors on 2006 Bordeaux
Posted: 11:03 AM ET, July 10, 2007
In between tasting hundreds of Tuscan wines for the magazine over the last couple of weeks, I have been hearing some interesting things about 2006 Bordeaux futures. The US distributors I have spoken to say that they haven't sold a thing, and that consumers are totally uninterested. Read more
St.-Emilion Pedigree at a Price
Posted: 11:37 AM ET, July 03, 2007
I just heard that the 2006 Cheval-Blanc came out today in Bordeaux. It's very expensive—perhaps as much as $700 a bottle as a future. Yikes. I am not sure what to say about that.
It made me think of another St.-Emilion estate that also makes excellent wines and has a wonderful pedigree for long-lived, super-classy wines. Read more
The Mouthwash
Posted: 11:05 AM ET, July 02, 2007
I finished off the evening yesterday with a few glasses of Graham 10-year-old tawny Port and a cigar—Ramon Allones Specially Selected. I was looking out at the stars, having a conversation with one of my best friends, and thinking what a great deal this Port is. Read more
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