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Lower ABV You rarely read winemakers’ notes here, but this one is too good even edit: “To enjoy the Marie’s cuvée, you have to enjoy simple things. Direct and immediate things. This wine is mainly about... Read More

Since Enrico Mandiorla's grandfather founded the estate in 1913, the once rare and now resurgent Timorasso grape has been the focus. And this one is pure brilliance. The grape gives wines of deep texture and complex non-fruit... Read More

A bit more ripe and fruit-filled take on the seafood-friendly white of Santorini and other Greek islands. This no-oak white delivers generous aromas and flavors of crisp white apple and Key lime supported by fresh acids and a... Read More

As Champagne expert says of Marc Hebrart’s Champagnes, “If you like to think about your wines, they’re intellectually engaging enough to satisfy you; on the other hand, if you’re just looking to drink,... Read More

Hebrart wines always perfectly marry intellectual levels of complexity and intensity with sheer hedonistic joy of drinking. The 2019 Special Club is a 60/40 Pinot Noir/Chardonnay blend and is, as Galloni says in the 94 point Vinous... Read More

We always love this wine from one of Chassagne's best producers and its highest-altitude 1er Cru. As Vinous says in the 93-95 point review, The 2022 Chassagne-Montrachet Virondot 1er Cru is habitually one of the Domaine's... Read More

Doug Margerum's flagship wine is a stunner in 2023! The 5 is for the Rhone grapes in the blend: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, and Counoise. The Vinous 94 point rave sums it up nicely: The 2023 Red Blend M5 is... Read More

Margerum's Uber Syrah - a co-ferment from all the best vineyards Doug works with acrosss the Central Coast. As each parcel of fruit arrives at the winery, approximately 10% of each pick and each clone is separated and added... Read More

Maybe the most convincing no-alcohol wine we've tasted to date comes from Austria's Traisental region and their version of the Muscat grape. This has a big, spicy, perfume with tart stone fruit at the core and flavors... Read More

Lower ABV Markus Molitor is one of the Mosel Valley's most lauded producers with more than a dozen 100 point ratings for his dry, off-dry, and - especially - sweet Rieslings. Like here, in a 20 year-old sweet Mosel Riesling... Read More

This dry Auslese Riesling comes from deep grey slate on a super steep, south-facing, slope. The 2018 “two star” bottling is, as Wine Advocate says in the 95+ point review, “pure, precise and flinty on the nose... Read More

One of the Mosel's greatest winemakers and greatest sites come together to great a dry wine than can only be called...well, Great! Already exciting to drink, give this another half dozen years if you can and enjoy for 30... Read More

Organic/BioThe name of the winery here is actually Vins El Cep, meaning roughly Wines from the vineyard. Unlike most Cava producrers, Maite Esteve only works with grapes she grows herself - here a blend of 50%Xarel·Lo,... Read More

Organic/Bio Lower ABV Within the foothills of the Coastal Range, Hylands was planted in the early 1970s to Charles Coury's suitcase clones and remains dense in Coury Clone Pinot today. This is simply beautiful Pinot Noir,... Read More

Lower ABV The Agenais IGT region overlaps the better known AOCs of Buzet and Cotes de Duras in the Lot-et-Garonne Department. Ok, let's make it easier- it's about 80 miles south of Bordeaux. Cabernet Franc and Sauvigon... Read More

Lower ABV Yes, Buzet is an obscure appellation and it takes a pretty dedicated importer to even visit this hidden region southwest of Cahors, much less find a really good wine there. Mary Taylor has done both! This is a crunchy,... Read More

Grow your classic Port grapes - Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca - in A-rated Port vineyards. Harvest by hand and then toss the grapes in stone lagers - vats - and walk across them and through them until the gentle... Read More

Lower ABV We could go on and on about the traditions of this Swiss family living in Gascogny since the 1920s, the unique growing conditions, and how the fruit here is related to (or just used as) Cognac grapes. But why? This is... Read More

Organic/Bio Like most Mary Taylor wines, there’s a great story here of an under-appreciated growing region and a crazy dedicated organic farmer/winemaker. Google it – it’s great! Or just pour a big glass of this... Read More

Organic/Bio Lower ABV What happens when you grow the Gamay of Beaujolais, the Pinot Noir of Burgundy and the Malbec of Cahors on the flint and silex soils of Valencay in France's western Loire Valley? Well, if the grower/winemaker... Read More

Organic/Bio A terrific Cotes du Rhone from organic Grenache (55%), Syrah, Mourvedre and Carignan and aged in concrete and large oak cask. The savory black olive note that builds with air nicely balances all the ripe raspberry... Read More

Coming from the beautiful island of Corsica, Mattei Cap Corse made a unique aperitif particular to the place. Louis-Napolean Mattei is its founder who envisioned making something special to the Cap Corse peninsula. Having been... Read More

Created by Louis-Napoliean Mattei in 1872, this is the oldest apertif of Corsica nad one of the finest. It starts with a mistelle - or grape must - of Muscat and Vermentinu and then flavored with a rage of aromatic spices and... Read More

Lower ABV Steve and Jill Klein Matthiasson make elegant, restrained, wines that still let you know they're from California. Like here in vibrant, generously ripe, Chardonnay from just outside Oak Knoll in Napa. Done in old... Read More

This is a library relase (Summer 2023) that's fully mature although certainly has plenty of time to go. Mayacamus is famous for age-worthy wines, and this certainly proves the point. As Wine Spectator said in their 2023 review... Read More

Organic/Bio As the double 97 point and one 98 point review suggest, this is one of the legendary Mayacamas Cabs. From the top of Mount Veeder, it marries terrific ripeness with true mountain vibrancy and structure and a finish... Read More

Colheita port is essentially vintage-dated tawny - wine from a single harvest placed into barrels and left to age until ready to drink and being bottled for sale. From the powerfully tannic 1970 vintage, 50+ years in barrel has... Read More

Colheita port is essentially vintage-dated tawny - wine from a single harvest placed into barrels and left to age until ready to drink and being bottled for sale. At 34 years from the vintage, the Maynard’s 1990 is singing,... Read More

A great example of what is perhaps the most classic style of “wood aged” or “Tawny” Port. Winemaker Alvaro van Zeller, formerly winemaker at Quinta do Noval, blends this from Port lots that have aged in... Read More

A stunning old barrel-aged Port in an equally stunning decanter-styled package. Maynard Ports come from members of the Van Zeller family, former owners of Quinta do Noval. All of the base wines for this blended wood Port were... Read More

Although it comes to the US from Italy (via Austria and Ohio - it's a long story), Zinfandel is very much America's grape. And this robust wine starts with very good grapes indeed, all grown by the unofficial first farming... Read More

Organic/Bio Not surprising that a Meo-Camuzet Vosne is terrific, but it is a delight to find one that's delicious now and over the next 10-15 years. As Vinous says in the 90-92+ review, from two hectares split over two parcels... Read More

Tempranillo can do lots of things and here it’s all about easy drinking summer fun. Picked fully ripe and done all in concrete, it’s brimming with bright cherry and juicy cranberry fruit but avoids “fruitiness”... Read More

Miles is unusual among Madiera houses, not because it uses Tinta Negra in its wines - it's the dominant grape on the island - but because they embrace and focus on it! This shows mouthwatering acidity and sharpness with notes... Read More

Legend has it that Rainwater Madeira was created when a Baltimore merchant left casks of dry Maderia out and they were soaked in an unexpected storm. The lighter, fresher, style became hugely popular in the then Colonies and remains... Read More

Organic/Bio Lower ABV This is seriously good California Chardonnay in a fun style from the very serious guys at Model Farm. The fruit is all from sites 1,000 feet or higher elevation, farmed organically, fermented with native... Read More

Organic/Bio Joanna Wells and Sean Castorani make mountain wine - wine only from California vineyards at 1,000 feet elevation and above. Here they're working on Wildcat Mountain in Carneros where fog and wind from the bay nearby... Read More

Organic/Bio Lower ABV The Cistercian order of nuns at Monastero Suore Cistercensi, near Vitorchiano in Lazio planted their vineyard in 1963, but it wasn’t until the early 2000s that they began working with Umbrian consultant... Read More

The origin story of Ruche is muddled, but it may have evolved in France’s Haute-Savoie before finding it’s real home in Italy’s Piemonte region but was more likely born in Monferato of a crossing of Croatina... Read More

Organic/Bio Elisabetta Fragiuoli has been making great wines from her vines on the hill overlooking San Gimignano since 1965. This is her Sangiovese from iron-rich soils and it packs a wallop of mineralty intensity underneath... Read More

Biodynamic Lower ABV In an ocean of Valpolicella, Agricola Montenigo stands out for its commitment to biodynamic farming and a noticeable sense of fun. Like here! This is the Valpolicella trio of Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella... Read More

Luc Morlet still consults at Peter Michael while making his own wine that sits right up there with Peter Michael in terms of quality and depth. This is a stunner, perfectly balancing richness of texture with bold fruit and deep... Read More

Organic/Bio Lower ABV From coastal south-eastern Sicily, Dario Serrentino works only with native grapes and in an organic, hands-off, style. This tiny production (100 cases) blend of Nero d’Avola, Grillo, Frappato, Insolia,... Read More

Doing non-alcoholic wine that tastes like wine is hard and usually the most we can say is, “They’ve done the best job we can find.” This goes a big step forward – tasting this blind and your nose and mouth... Read More

The Gallo family resurrected this old Monte Rosso estate, first built in 1886 and then closed during Prohibition. The wines today take advantage of Monte Rosso’s elevation to escape the morning fog that can make Sonoma Cabernet... Read More

Organic Lower ABV The Veneto is best known for Corvina-based reds like Amarone or Valpolicella and the light Bardolino reds from around Lake Garda. But small growers working in the eastern part of the zone are doing something... Read More

The narrow, steep-sided, pass between Valle d'Aosta and the rest of Italy is a silly place to grow grapes. But Roman troops stationed here needed something to drink, so they terraced the nearly vertical valley walls, built... Read More

The hot, dry, Douro Valley isn't the first place you'd think of for white wine, but at altitude more and more really good ones are emerging. Like here in a blend of 60% Rabigato, 30% Arinto and 10% Gouveio aged in used... Read More