’tis the season again, that jolly, snowy winter season when you’re bombarded with constant calls to buy, buy, buy gifts for the holidays. Here’s a surprise: I’m not going to do that today. In fact, I’m here to talk about a wine-related gift that I suggest you don’t buy.
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This clear, light but bright gold wine comprises a typical Southern Rhône white blend of 60% Viognier, 15% Roussanne, 10% Marsanne, 8 % Clairette, 5% Bourboulenc, and 2% Grenache Blanc. Delicious yet subtle scents of tropical fruit – mangoes, green figs and pineapple – flirt with white flowers and a distinct note of honeycomb in the background. Fresh and bright on the palate, it’s medium-bodied or perhaps a bit more on the palate, reading as rich but stopping well short of unctuous. The mixed fruits of the nose merge into something not quite as complex but just as delicious that speaks of peaches and pears, wrapped up with a firm structure of fresh acidity and 13.5% alcohol.
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Search for vendors and compare prices for E. Guigal Côtes du Rhône Blanc on Wine-Searcher.com.
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Twenty five years ago, Lanfranco Beleggia purchased an abandoned farm and began the project to create an estate that included a vineyard with winery, gourmet restaurant and luxury accommodations. On a sunny early fall morning Neil Duarte visited Officina del Sole. Here’s his report. Read article.
While we watch California’s wildfires with horror and sadness, one Napa winery has found a way to make lemonade out of lemons. Or raisins out of smoky grapes.
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Clear ruby color, shading to a clear edge. Subtle, clean red berry aromas lead into a fresh, acidic flavor that mirrors the nose, brisk and long.
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Find vendors and compare prices for Boisset Bourgogne Pinot Noir “Les Ursulines” on Wine-Searcher.com. Read article.
Clear gold, pale and transparent. Fresh, tart apple aromas and a whiff of white wildflowers. Mouth-filling, elegant apple and pear flavors give way to chalky minerality, framed by crisp, palate-cleansing acidity and moderate 12% alcohol.
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Check prices and locate vendors for Domaine Laroche Chablis “Saint Martin” on Wine-Searcher.com. Read article.
When I open a bottle of Chianti and fondly breathe in that first whiff of its characteristic spicy tart-cherry aroma, I realize that this is not just a wine that I like. It is a wine that makes me thankful.
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If you want a good Chianti that could serve as the picture next to the definition for Chianti in the dictionary, I don’t think you could do much better than the Ruffino “Aziano” Chianti Classico featured in this week’s column.
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Check prices and find places to buy Ruffino “Aziano” Chianti Classico on Wine-Searcher.com.
Find dozens of Chianti Classico wines and vendors, plus a concise article about Chianti Classico on this Wine-Searcher link.
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Lazio, the region that includes the city of Rome, used to be known for fairly average wines. No more, says Neil Duarte, who found much different – and better – wines on a recent visit. Read article.
If you want to argue that the world of fine wine is never confusing, you should probably avert your eyes from Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Montepulciano d’Abruzzo.
But here’s interesting news: Frustrated at last with the ongoing confusion, wine makers in Vino Nobile’s home village are taking “Montepulciano” off the front label.
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