The ocean of mostly bad white zinfandel that washed over American wine drinkers during the 1980s did incalculable damage to the reputation of all pink wines, even to outstanding versions from Provence. But time, it appears, heals all wounds. It’s hard to imagine a category of the wine world that’s hotter or more fashionable than rosé right now. A great number of these wines are actually better than drinkable, and some of them are flat-out superb. READ MORE »
Fans of rich, concentrated, early-drinking red wines that deliver real bang for the buck caught onto Australian shiraz years ago, and these wines still sell well in the U.S. But too many of that country’s entry-level shiraz bottlings lack the balance and verve craved by consumers who normally gravitate toward European wines. READ MORE »
While Canadian ex-investment banker Jayson Woodbridge is best known to collectors of high-end California wines as the relentless force behind the hugely rich Hundred Acre cabernets, he has built up a much larger following for a series of inexpensive wines he makes in considerably larger quantity under his Layer Cake label. For their fruit, accurate varietal character and sheer drinkability, they offer stunning value. READ MORE »
It isn’t often that Bordeaux has a vintage as good as 2009—or one that’s likely to be so easy to drink in its youth. While the superlative quality of many 2009s is sure to drive prices for the big names into the stratosphere, plenty of other châteaux that made some of their best wines ever will be far less expensive. In fact, I suspect that their prices will seem downright cheap compared to what you’d pay these days for red wines of equal quality from Napa Valley. READ MORE »
