Articles

Ridge Buchignani Ranch Carignane 2018

by  |  05-04-2024

I don’t understand why Carignan is so polemic. Anyone who’s a regular reader of this site knows that I’m a huge fan of the variety as shown with the large Carignan tasting I did awhile... more »

Searching out the Terroir Hunters

by  |  06-03-2024

As Chilean winemaking is in the new world realm, a winery such as Udurraga is quite old being founded 139 years ago in 1885. Like many who are well established, they’ve become well known for... more »

Château Musar – Rouge 2002

by  |  10-02-2023

It is a strange fact of life that there always seems to be a bottle of Château Musar in the cellar. I’m never fully sure from whence they come, but I know that it’s not... more »

A surprise batch of Catalan Vins de Finca

by  |  22-12-2022

Charting the path of Vi de Finca wines in Catalunya or those of Vino de Pago in greater Spain, is a mighty tricky affair. While these are both single vineyard certifications akin to something of... more »

A Mediterranean exchange, Priorat on Hvar

by  |  04-11-2022

“Well, we like our wines strong here.” It was a statement that I was to hear in various forms during a recent trip to the island of Hvar on the coast of Croatia. In this... more »

In The Glass: Domaine de Bila-Haut – L’Esquerda 2018

by  |  22-07-2022

My fascination with Roussillon, France isn’t just because it’s the land that was historically Catalunya Nord (Northern Catalunya), but more that it’s neither here nor there. It’s most definitely not Languedoc (to which it is... more »

Another piece of Priorat history: Fra Fulcó 2001

by  |  30-03-2022

We continue to take a look at special wines available in the Ukraine Charity Wine Auction. Such as this very rare, 21 year-old Priorat wine that is indeed available to bid on only until this... more »

Scala Dei and la Cartoixa 1974

by  |  25-03-2022

Much praise is rightly given to the group of people who came to Priorat, Catalunya in the 1980s and saw not a remote wine region in serious decline, but a wondrous terroir with great possibility.... more »

A deeper look at DOQ Priorat 2019

by  |  17-03-2022

Whenever I can, I put together special tastings upon request in Priorat. They’re often for those visiting who want to sate a general wine curiosity or for dig deeper into a specific theme. In the... more »

In The Glass: Gritelles – Manou 2019

by  |  01-02-2022

“Reduction”, as defined by the Oxford Companion to Wine, is a: “chemical reaction that is in effect the complement of oxidation and one in which an element or compound gains electrons.” That’s obviously quite scientific... more »