The Old-Fashioned Wines of Mario Fontana
By Floribeth Kennedy
We just wrote about Mario Fontana’s winery in November. But now that Gambero Rosso has named him “winemaker of the year”, we think it’s important to write an article about...
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Pepiere’s Briords: A Grand Cru Oyster White
By Josh Shapiro
The wonderfully briney, complex whites of Muscadet remain some of the most underappreciated wines in the world. We’re not complaining, though — this lack of hype keeps first-rate examples insanely...
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Mustiguillo and the Great Values of Valencia
By Josh Shapiro
Spain is starting to look more and more like the wine scene in Italy, with lesser-known regions surging forward to show off their own native varieties and traditions. These offer...
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Bagnol: Mediterranean Rosé for a Special Night?
By Josh Shapiro
Provençal rosé is often crisp, light, and easygoing, but Domaine du Bagnol’s Cassis Rosé 2023 offers something more. Cassis, a tiny appellation between limestone cliffs and the Mediterranean, produces wines...
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Ghostnote: Tasting, not speaking
By Josh Shapiro
Brad Friedman is making wines with Italian varieties and the wines have true varietal character. The Sagrantino has the traditional darkness, a note that might remind you of a Paulo Bea...
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Clos de la Roilette: On Moulin-à-Vent and Fleurie
By Josh Shapiro
What makes Moulin-à-Vent special is the presence of manganese in the soils. This has a tendency to deepen Gamay and to give it more structure. It’s no wonder that for...
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Great, but not Fancy: No Es Pituko's natural bargains
By Josh Shapiro
The wine name, "No Es Pituko," is Chilean slang for "it ain't fancy" – and that tells you exactly what these wines are about. Sure, they're made from rare, ungrafted,...
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Gonon: The Bucci of St. Joseph?
By Josh Shapiro
It’s tempting to keep this article short because people will buy this wine almost no matter what we say here. But we are here to educate as well as to...
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Valravn Pinot Noir: New Wine Economics?
By Josh Shapiro
For years we’ve heard your complaints, and we’ve done plenty of the same sort of grumbling ourselves. Yes, we love California artisanry, and we think it is a huge improvement...
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Serafino Rivella: Great Terroir plus Great Techniques
By Josh Shapiro
It’s easy to understand why everybody who loves Piedmont is so excited by Serafino Rivella’s Barbarescos. First of all, it all comes from Montestefano, the great Cru in the commune...
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Michel Gros: Where the Reasonable Cellar Began
By Josh Shapiro
The historic Burgundy figure Jean Gros had numerous children. Under French law, property is divided equally among one’s offspring. So Jean had a problem: each child would inherit a parcel...
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Challao: Seeking One’s Fortune in Rioja
By Josh Shapiro
In fairy tales, there are often young men who go out to seek their fortune, a sack on their back. Sometimes, in the world of wine, it happens in real...
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The Eight-Generation Perfectionist of Ambonnay
By Josh Shapiro
In Champagne, everyone talks about their "mastery of blending." But few take it to the level of Eric Rodez. After eight generations in Ambonnay and a stint as chef de...
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