Red Blend

An immodestly brilliant Pomerol… The first test of a truly great man is his humility,” asserted the English art critic and social theorist John Ruskin, whose contemporaries were unlikely to have accused him of possessing an undue measure of this virtue. Hardly a subject existed on which Ruskin did not hold an opinion that could […]

Never has necessity given birth to more arresting offspring than in Portugal’s Douro Valley, where production of fortified wines is capped by government regulators to ensure that the supply of port does not exceed global demand. The portion of each harvest that does not make the cut for Portugal’s best-known bottlings is diverted into table […]

At gatherings where more than two oenophiles are present, the question inevitably arises—in one form or another—of which wine is a given grape fancier’s favorite. Though responses to this query are as varied as the varietals themselves, among the cognoscenti, Nebbiolo always figures prominently. The reason for this is simple: Just as certain gemstones reflect […]

Wine is often cloaked in a mantle of romance by marketing directors who are intent on moving inventory. True romance, however, does occasionally emerge from the vineyards, as the vintners Solène Christophe-Fabre and Guillaume Fabre well know. The couple, both natives of France, met among the vineyards of Bordeaux shortly before Guillaume traveled to the […]

Pedigree, rather than taste, is often the decisive factor in the commercial success of a fine wine. Nowhere perhaps is this more true than in Champagne. No matter how delicate their texture or subtle their flavors, sparkling wines from other regions suffer in the eyes of the untutored for not having been produced in the […]

Named for a former owner, General Charles Palmer, this historic grand cru estate in Margaux is now managed by Thomas Duroux, who was formerly with Tenuta dell’Ornellaia in Tuscany. This blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah will astound the taste buds with a lush mosaic of flavors that includes mocha java, plum, tobacco, and […]

This powerful and richly flavored red comes from Napa Valley winemaker Andy Erickson, the man who crafts the wines for Oakville’s celebrated and ultra-exclusive Screaming Eagle winery. Leviathan’s notes of boysenberry, graphite, and smoke make it the perfect accompaniment for a thick steak. It is a hedonistic delight that will become even more complex with […]

In 2000, the Kapcsándy family purchased the historic State Lane Vineyards in Napa Valley’s Yountville appellation, which previously contributed fruit to Beringer’s Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon program. The family enlisted the assistance of winemaker extraordinaire Helen Turley and her husband, viticulturist John Wetlaufer, who applied their magic touch to the first few years of the […]