Cabernet Sauvignon
NAPA VALLEY WINES – JUST WHEN I THOUGHT WE HAD SEEN EVERYTHING!
Well, if you will excuse me, I guess I was barking up the wrong tree. Even though I love dogs (we have 4 – all rescue dogs), this one is a real howler. Would you believe that a winery for dogs, named for the French bulldog of Raymond Vineyards proprietor Jean-Charles Boisset, has opened […]
Click here to read entire article »NEW WINES TO CONSIDER AS WE RAPIDLY APPROACH THE END OF THE YEAR
I am always looking for new and different wines. These range from obscure “Under the Radar” wines to the latest Burgundy vintage and other wines tasted from barrel. Around the year end holidays is always a time to relax and enjoy life. That includes time with family and friends and food and wine. So as […]
Click here to read entire article »SOME MORE BIG HOUSE RELATIVES PAY A VISIT TO THE UNDERGROUND
A short time ago, I had my first experience with the Big House family. It was the 2010 Big House White which I featured in my article Wine and Closure *click here to read the article*. DANIEL PLEASE ADD THE LINK There were three wines: the agony, the ecstasy, and the mystery. The Big House White was the mystery.
Click here to read entire article »RIDGE VINEYARDS – UNCOMPROMISING QUALITY
The history of Ridge Vineyards begins in 1885, when Osea Perrone, a doctor who became a prominent member of San Francisco’s Italian community, bought 180 acres near the top of Monte Bello Ridge. He terraced the slopes and planted vineyards; using native limestone, he constructed the Monte Bello Winery, producing the first vintage under that name in 1892.
Click here to read entire article »NEW RELEASE TRADE TASTING – NEW ZEALAND WINES
I recently attended a new release trade tasting in Los Angeles for New Zealand wines. Some 26 wineries were represented and there were well over 100 wines available to taste in a 3 hour period. These types of tastings are a way to get a general idea of the wines. But, for me, they are not an opportunity to write detailed notes on each wine.
Click here to read entire article »Retrospective Review: Volume II, Number 1 (August-September, 1980)
We are currently reproducing a copy of Volume II, Number 1 of The Underground Wineletter. Below you’ll find an updated review of each article, where I will go over what we got right and what we got wrong. We will follow this format with each successive issue.
Click here to read entire article »BIRDS OF A FEATHER…
OK, here’s your twofer – along with the big numbers from the big numbers wine critics comes the big wine descriptions. If you thought some of the numbers were amazing, have you paid attention to the wine descriptions?
Click here to read entire article »A Tale of Two California Wineries – One New, One Old
This is a history and tasting notes for two California wineries. One, the Hearst Ranch Winery, released its first wines earlier this year. It is located in the Central Coast. The other, Husch Vineyards was founded in 1979. It is located in the northern part of the state in Mendocino County. So in that respect they are very different. But, in another respect, they are very much alike. Both are committed to making very high quality wines in small quantities. The wines may be found in retail stores and restaurants, but both also offer a wine club with benefits and discounts to members. I strongly recommend that you investigate them further and even plan a trip to visit their tasting rooms. Both are scenically located in beautiful, historically interesting parts of the state.
Click here to read entire article »Retrospective Review: Volume I, Number 5 (April-May, 1980)
We are currently reproducing a copy of the fifth issue of The Underground Wineletter. Below you’ll find an updated review of each article, where I will go over what we got right and what we got wrong. We will follow this format with each successive issue. So Volume I, Number 6 will be coming next. […]
Click here to read entire article »Lemmings to the Sea?
A few years ago I was in Napa and stopped by the Dean & DeLuca store. In perusing through the myriad of wine racks, I was taken by the Cabernet Sauvignon section. It was huge! I was struck by not only how many bottles were priced at $100 or up, but how many I had never heard of. In the latter category, I counted 20 or 30 and gave up. As I left the store, I could not help thinking “This has gone too far. How many people are there to support the market?” It looked like a market top.
Click here to read entire article »
