2017 Wine

Showing more than a touch of austerity, the 2017 Saint Joseph needs a couple of years in the cellar. It's herbal and ashy up front, balancing those elements with grilled meat and black olives. Medium to full-bodied, it's... Read More

Bottled in June 2019, the 2017 Cornas Vieilles Vignes still seemed shut down when I tasted it, marked by cedary oak and mixed berry flavors. It's full-bodied and silky-textured, framed by surprisingly tart acids on the long,... Read More

The Poderi Aldo Conterno 2017 Barolo Bussia shows a dark but busy quality of fruit that speaks more to the power of this hot vintage than it does the nuanced side of Nebbiolo. In this respect, the wine is quite typical of the... Read More

Coming from Hudson selection, Old Wente clone vines that over 20 years old and planted on the Napa side of Carneros, the 2017 Chardonnay Hudson features super intense notes of freshly squeezed lemon, lime zest, warm apricots and... Read More

Mark Aubert notes that this is a complex vineyard. It is planted to four different clones: two Old Wente clones, Mount Eden and Corton Charlemagne. The 2017 Chardonnay Lauren Estate starts out with a quiet intensity of ripe pears,... Read More

The 2017 Chardonnay Sugar Shack is produced from Montrachet clone vines grown in Rutherford (Napa Valley). POW! It comes charging out of the glass, all guns blazing! Notes of lemon tart, lime cordial and preserved pineapples leap... Read More

Owner/winemaker Mark Aubert has had a distinguished winemaking career including positions at Peter Michael Winery and Colgin Cellars. He has also been a winemaking consultant for several prestigious wineries throughout Napa Valley.... Read More

The Château de Beaucastel Hommage à Jacques Perrin from those years was made mostly from very old Mourvedre vines yielding tiny quantities of intensely ripe, concentrated fruit. Those fortunate enough to have tasted... Read More

In the heart of the appellation Gigondas, the Château de Saint Cosme is an exceptional estate, with its Gallo-Roman fermentation vats perfectly preserved. The property has been in our family since 1490 and we have been vignerons... Read More

Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon slowly unfurls to reveal a beautiful nose of warm redcurrants, black raspberries and blackcurrant pastilles with an undercurrent of violets, fragrant soil and cinnamon... Read More

In 1825, Pierre Faiveley founded the firm that now bears the name Domaine Faiveley. At that time, the firm was a classic négociant, buying and selling wine. From generation to generation, with a strong commitment to the... Read More

In 1825, Pierre Faiveley founded the firm that now bears the name Domaine Faiveley. At that time, the firm was a classic négociant, buying and selling wine. From generation to generation, with a strong commitment to the... Read More

Ripe and juicy, this deals a hand of cherry, kirsch, rose, mineral and spice notes. Though saturated with flavor and firmly structured, this delivers elegance and excellent length, driven by vibrant acidity. Shows terrific balance... Read More

The G.D. Vajra 2017 Barolo Bricco delle Viole is packed with medium dark cherry fruit and plum. The wine also shows a savory side, with spice, hazelnut cream, licorice and lightly fragrant potting soil. This vintage sits solid... Read More

The 2017 Chardonnay opens with pure notes of poached pears, white peach, quince and apple pie plus notions of citrus blossoms, smoke, toast and honeyed hints in the undercurrent—what a superb perfume! The palate is still... Read More

The 2017 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Clos de la Maréchale is a little more introverted after its recent bottling, unwinding in the glass with a reticent bouquet of red berries, raw cocoa, sweet soil tones and dried flowers.... Read More

The 2017 Pinot Noir Cerise Vineyard aged 19 months in 47% new French oak. It has a medium ruby color and nose of pomegranate, spiced cranberry sauce, crushed blackberries and lavender with black tea, earth and dried leaves plus... Read More

As of 1985, Domaine Meo-Camuzet began selling under their own label directly from the cellars. After 1988, they progressively took charge of the vineyards as the contacts with their vintners expired. Currently, Jean-Nicolas Méo,... Read More

Penfolds RWT Shiraz presents an admirable alternative to the multi-regional sourcing and American oak maturation that are hallmarks of Grange, expressing instead, single-region Barossa Valley Shiraz matured only in French oak.... Read More

The only white I tasted this time, the 2017 Predicador Blanco is a blend of Garnacha Blanca with some Malvasía and Viura that was barrel fermented in French oak with indigenous yeasts and matured there for ten months. It's... Read More

Ramonet's finest red this year is the 2017 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Boudriotte, a lovely bottling that bursts with scents of wild berries, orange rind, sweet soil tones and dried flowers. On the palate, the... Read More