January 2015

Quinta do Infantado Port

            Everything is different at Quinta do Infantado. Firstly, Infantado is one of the very few Port houses actually owned by Portuguese nationals and having a familial history on their lands. Based in Pinhão, Quinta do Infantado has been a leader in estate-bottled Ports since 1979. Prior to 1986, the British monopoly on Port required that all exported Ports be sent in bulk to Vila Nova de Gaia, 60 miles west of the Douro Valley, where they were bottled and shipped. This practice effectively prevented small private producers from exporting their wines, since the cost of running an operation in another town was prohibitive for these vineyard owners. In 1986 the laws were changed and Quinta do Infantado, already making their own wines, were amongst the first to begin exporting their wines.… Read the rest

July 2014

“Without a doubt, the leading estate in Gigondas is Louis Barruol’s Chateau Saint-Cosme. Located just outside the village, he releases an assortment of world class Gigondas, as well as a number of value priced, negotiate-styled Cotes du Rhone efforts that always deliver high-quality (these are normally released under his Saint-Cosme label and do not say Chateau Saint-Cosme). Both 2011 and 2012 are incredibly strong here and readers should not miss these wines!” Jebb Dunnuck in The Wine Advocate

The Saint Cosme estate is located in the heart of Gigondas in the Southern Rhone. The Chateau at the center of estate was built in the 16th century over the remains of a Gallo-Roman era villa and wine cellar. The family retained much of the original stonework, including the winemaking vats carved into the stone cellar that date from the 2nd century.… Read the rest

JL Chave 2011 Hermitage and Saint Joseph

“Our role is to ensure the story continues, to act as a relay and in so doing not make any radical changes..”  –Jean Louis Chave, on his family’s famed history in Hermitage

For over five centuries, the Chave family has been producing Hermitage wines of extraordinary quality and complexity. The current producers, Jean-Louis Chave and his father, Gerard, draw from the accumulated wisdom transmitted down through the generations of Chaves that began making Hermitage in 1481.

The family has 37 acres of vineyards in Hermitage and draw from their numerous lieu-dits scattered around the hill of Hermitage (L’Hermite, Peleat, Meal to name a few) to produce their Hermitage Rouge and Blanc. A blend of cuvees, the fruit in the Hermitage Rouge varies from year to year depending upon the strength of the individual climats, but the Bessards, their most revered plot located on a steep granite slope, always plays a starring role.… Read the rest