2010 was a great vintage in Rioja in general and seems to be exceptional here, with a 2010 Viña Ardanza Selecci?n Especial (what used to be Reserva Especial) that can challenge any of the recent vintages and hopefully can develop in bottle to reach...
Lurid ruby-red. Highly expressive red and dark berry preserve aromas are complemented by incense, _ garrigue_ and floral pastille nuances. Sappy and seamless on the palate, offering deeply concentrated, primary black raspberry, bitter cherry and spicecake...
A terrific vintage for this wine, which was bottled just a couple of weeks prior to my late June visit, the 2021 Cotes du Rhone Coudoulet de Beaucastel is a blend of 30% each Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah, plus 10% Cinsault. From a vineyard just outside t...
Tasted out of multiple barrels, the 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape looks to be a ripe, sexy wine with gorgeous red and blue fruit as well as notes of graphite, smoked meat, and violets. Rich, full-bodied, and concentrated on the palate, it has rock-solid underl...