CHRISTOPHER'S BLOG

The team behind this “Baby Chateauneuf” call the project Panicaut and it hails from one of the many Cotes du Rhone Villages where impeccable winemaking standards, old vines and a very long history all came together to elevate this region from once obscurity to big time importance. The Village we’re talking about is a mouthful, Plan de Dieu Cotes du Rhone Villages, and the wines are just as … Continue reading Baby Chateauneuf Anyone? The Resemblance is Uncanny! »

It’s a Long Read but Worth It Not counting the much larger Guigal domaine, René Rostaing is the closest thing to a true cult star that Côte-Rôtie has yet produced. A grower since 1971, his first vineyard purchases were a microscopic half acre each in Côte Blonde and in La Landonne on the Côte Brune. The real breakthrough came when his father-in-law, Albert Dervieux-Thaize retired … Continue reading Two of the Very Finest Wines I Carry »

His Village Level Wine is Tops in its Class! I first started working with Samuel Billaud at my shops in Houston, back in the early 2000s. At that time, he was the winemaker for his uncle’s winery, named Billaud Simon. The family estate was some 200 years old, and the uncle oversaw all the business dealings while Samuel made the wines. And what incredible wines they … Continue reading Among the Top 3 Producers in Chablis »

You’ve heard me singing the praises of Julien Brechet and his Domaine des Bosquets for months. Today, I thought I’d let you hear from those professional critics who make their living tasting and reporting on thousands of wines per year… “Looking at the classic cuvee, this Gigondas is a wine that readers should buy by the case.”                 ~ Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate “Readers wanting to … Continue reading “Don’t Miss These Incredible Wines!” RP »

First Offer: 95-point Vintage Barbaresco! Our long-awaited shipment from Italy has FINALLY arrived! One of the first wines I want to focus on from this glorious new collection comes from one of the most important vintages for its region in years. I’m talking about the all-important 2016 Barbaresco harvest. Now if you follow such things, I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know: 2016 … Continue reading Our Italians Have Arrived! »

Part III of Our New Arrivals from Italy While Piedmont is ruled by a handful of elite producers consistently producing superstar collectibles that fetch $100s a bottle, therein lie a few select, secret wineries that connoisseurs and collectors latch onto for superb value. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate highlights Piazzo as that “producer to turn to when looking for value buys from Barolo” and Forbes echoes; “this is a little known producer in a small hamlet of … Continue reading Outstanding Value Barolo from the Excellent 2015 Vintage »

Stunning Value at only $17.99! “The bottled 2016s capture every bit of the potential I sensed when I started tasting the wines from barrel, prior to en primeur, in January 2017. I found many 2016s to be even better from bottle than they were during the spring futures campaign. The best 2016s are powerful, richly layered, vibrant and stunningly beautiful, not to mention incredibly delicious and alluring. For … Continue reading VALUE ALERT: 94 point Chateau Bel Air 2016 »

My #1 Best Selling White Wine All Time  Without question one of my best-selling wines is Ogier’s Cotes Du Rhone Blanc “Artesis”. It’s all about the Viognier, I’m convinced, as this has one of the most pronounced aromatic profiles, followed by the most exciting flavors you’ll ever taste in the for $18! As with its stablemates, the grapes for this perennial overachiever are grown on terraces of … Continue reading Brilliant, Bodacious Viognier-Based Beauty »

Nothing Like it in All of Italy One of the most unique and delicious wines I brought in with our recent Italian shipment comes to us from the Viotti company in Piedmonte. The grape varietal they’re using dates to 1939 when one Professor Dalmasso – one of Italy’s most famous experts in the study and classification of cultivated varieties of grapes, an ampelographer – crossed … Continue reading Viotti’s Irresistible, Drink-Me-Now Albarossa »

Meursault or Napa, this will Thrill You! So, you say you’re a fan of Meursault but don’t want to pay the tariff for the pleasure of the ride? Well look no further my friend, for the perfect substitute just made its way across my palate. It comes to us from Luca, in the Tupungato of the Uco Valley in Argentina. It’s the perfect balance between a Burgundian … Continue reading One of the Greatest Chardonnays We’ve Tasted! »