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The Power and the Passion: Wynns John Riddoch 1982-2019
Australia, Verticals & Retrospectives, featured
, Sep 2022
The roots for Wynns Coonawarra Estate’s Cabernet Sauvignon John Riddoch were planted over a century ago in the 1890s. Today the wine is a modern Australian classic as illustrated by this full vertical tasting stretching back to the 1982 vintage. Fine, detailed and well structured, these long-lived Cabernet Sauvignons show more than just a passing resemblance to the best wines from the Left Bank and have their own, distinctive Coonawarra style.
Cellar Favorite: 1997 & 2009 Kanonkop Paul Sauer
South Africa, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Sep 2022
The secondary market for South Africa’s most desirable top cuvées continues to see increasing numbers of collectors chasing diminishing supply. Buoyant interest in the Cape’s blue chips is a relatively recent phenomenon that has grown organically, pulled by demand rather than forced by supply. One coveted label is Kanonkop’s Paul Sauer.
Vinous Table: Cornerstone, London, UK
Vinous Table, United Kingdom
, Sep 2022
Cornerstone is the kind of restaurant that I am seeking more and more these days: either waiting patiently for a Michelin star or recently in receipt of one, yet unburdened by the accolade. As a showcase for Tom Brown’s culinary skill, Cornerstone works perfectly.
The Not So Wild West: Margaret River in the Groove
Australia, featured
, Sep 2022
It is hard to believe that in a little over fifty years Margaret River has risen from a home of counterculture to be one of Australia’s most sophisticated wine regions. A tasting of new releases again showed that, pound for pound, there are few premium wine zones that can match the sheer value from this incredibly remote corner of the world.
Cellar Favorite: 2010 & 2011 Porseleinberg
South Africa, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Sep 2022
Porseleinberg leads an impressive and growing fleet of world-class Syrah/Rhône blends from South Africa.
Chenin Blanc: Wait a Sec
France: Loire, featured
, Sep 2022
No two seasons are alike in the Loire these days. In addition, the reality is that dry wines are far easier to sell today than off-dry and sweet wines. Looking at 2020 and 2021 in the context of current trends, the question remains: while the market clamours for dry Loire Chenin Blanc, is the move towards drier styles in the wines’ best interests?
Vinous Table: Bar Le Côte, Los Olivos, CA
United States: California, Vinous Table
, Sep 2022
With its seafood focused menu and bright décor, Bar Le Côte is a very welcome addition to the Santa Barbara wine country dining scene.
South Australia, Victoria and a Bit Beyond
Australia, featured
, Sep 2022
The sheer diversity of wine styles in greater South Australia is nothing short of mind-bending. Name it, they make it. That makes generalizing about this vast swath of territory a fool’s errand. The attitude toward Australian wines seems to finally be shifting to what is and has been happening here, albeit slowly. Still, far too many wine lovers view Australia’s massive and far-flung vinous culture as simply about big, full-throttle reds, all day long. Stereotypes do tend to die hard.
Memories Tumble Out: Pichon Baron 1937-1990
Verticals & Retrospectives, France: Bordeaux, featured
, Aug 2022
Even the most famous Bordeaux estates own pitifully small libraries of older vintages. When Christian Seely invited me to taste a bygone era of Pichon Baron from the châteaux’s scant reserves, I knew it would be an unrepeatable travel back in time, one with plenty of surprises.
Sancerre: Finding Its Place
France: Loire, featured
, Aug 2022
Forget the grape behind Sancerre, local producers are increasingly keen to push their individual vineyards. With records showing the Sancerrois were using the term “climat” before the Burgundians and with hundreds of individual sites today, it’s important to acknowledge their history, but I wonder if the world demands such detail from Sancerre, or if its winemakers are trying to push wine uphill.