Wine of the Day: R. Lopez de Heredia ‘Vina Gravonia’ Crianza Blanco, Rioja DOCa 2006 – 8-29-16

R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia ‘Vina Gravonia‘ Crianza Blanco, Rioja DOCa 2006 750ML ($31.95) Buy Now: $28 special

The wide range of flavors on offer from the ‘Gravonia‘ conjure up thoughts of an open-air market, where fruit and vegetables elbow up against exotic spices and a million different scents waft through the hustling masses. Delicate impressions of tea, sun-soaked lemons, caramel, and peach play off of hints of hay, spring-time flowers, petrol, and almonds; the descriptors of this wine are rivaled only by the vast amount of dishes it’d match.

‘Gravonia‘ comes from 100% Viura; you may otherwise know the grape as Macabeo. The wine is aged for four years in mature oak barrels and racked twice yearly, later resting in the bottle before release.… Read the rest

Wine of the Day: Vouette et Sorbee Fidele (2012) 8-22-16

Vouette et Sorbee Cuvee Fidele Extra Brut, Champagne NV (2012) 750ML ($89.95) Buy Now: $59 special
Case-6 Vouette et Sorbee Cuvee Fidele Extra Brut, Champagne NV (2012) 750ML ($479.95) Buy Now: $336 special (that’s only $56/bottle!)

Ever since my first taste of grower Champagne (Pierre Peters Cuvee Reserve), I was hooked. Sure I had enjoyed Veuve Yellow Label, Moet and especially a few sips of a Dom Perignon, but here was something decidedly… other… different… and special about grower Champagne. Not knowing about farmer fizz at the time, I can honestly say it wasn’t the story that first got me interested, but truly the taste. It revealed layers of flavors, complexity and acidity with an extroverted personality all its own.

Since that day, I’ve been chasing grower Champagnes.… Read the rest

Wine of the Day: Lopez de Heredia ‘Bosconia’ Reserva 2004 8-17-16

Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia ‘Vina Bosconia’ Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2004 750ML ($39.95) Buy Now: $33 special

Uncork a bottle of Viña Bosconia and time stands still. Have a sniff, a sip, and you travel back in time. In this case, to 2004, but as with any Lopez de Heredia wine, to the 19th century origins of modern Rioja winemaking. This winery is as classic as they come in La Rioja, and the Bosconia Reserva represents one of their finest wines. Inspired by French winemaking since its inception in 1877, Bosconia is the Burgundy of Rioja: elegant, subtle, and seductively perfumed. A glance at the label suggests Bosconia’s deep-rooted past. Situated two miles from the winery, the Bosconia vineyard consists of 37 acres, mostly Tempranillo, with an average vine age of 40 years.… Read the rest

Wine of the Day: Antichi Vigneti di Cantalupo ‘Agamium’ Colline Novaresi 2009 8-12-16

Antichi Vigneti di Cantalupo ‘Agamium’ Colline Novaresi, Piedmont 2009 750ML ($21.95) Buy Now: $18

Set in the rolling Alpine foothills 25 miles west-northwest of Milan, on morainic soil suited especially well to Nebbiolo, it’s no surprise people have been growing wine in Ghemme since Neolithic times. The Celts made wine here, as did the Romans, who called Ghemme “Agamium.” The region’s cooler climate (compared to the more southerly Barolo) ripens the Nebbiolo grape to produce softer wines than the famous (and far more expensive) Nebbiolos to the south. Cantalupo is a top name in the Ghemme, and their 2009 Agamium proves nothing if not seductive. Smoothed and refined by bottle time, the wine’s medium body lets the fruit shine through—cherries, strawberries, blueberries—alongside dry, mellow tannins.… Read the rest

Rare & Classic: Mongeard-Mugneret Grands Echezeaux 2012 – August 2016

Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret Grands Echezeaux Grand Cru 2012 750ML ($219.95) Buy Now: $189

Tucked behind the Clos de Vougeot, and on the same little road as Vosne’s Les Suchots, the Grands-Echézeaux vineyard could hardly be better situated. Known for producing Grand Cru wines of structure and definition, Grands-Echézeaux lives up to its reputation chez Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret. Their 2.5 acre plot hosts vines from 40 to 70 years old. Accordingly, the wine they make has good color, a full body, and a rich, sturdy backbone, perfect for its dose of 100% new oak. On the nose, this wine shows leathery, spiced, and animal notes over black fruit and mushrooms. Its tannins soften into velvet over time, but this Grand Cru definitely needs ageing.… Read the rest