We love old school Chateauneuf du Pape- wines with great aromatic complexity, layer upon layer of alluring fruit flavors and that essence of the unique soils on which the vines are grown. We love them even better when they’ve been aged...
Those of us in the wine business, well, those of us who truly love wine anyway, make no pretense towards absolute impartiality when it comes to judging our favorites. We form deep emotional attachments to some wines and they become more like old...
Grapes: Muscat + Ugni Blanc
Region: Hautes-Alpes, France
Vintage: NVViticulture: Organic
Soils: Clay + Limestone
Vinification: Direct press, then fermented in tank. 2nd fermentation in bottle
Aging: 12...
Prima Note :This is my pick for springtime drinking. Brokenwood is one of the few wineries in the world that actually specialize in making Semillon and produces three different versions of it. The ‘straight’ one sees no wood and...
We love these bone-dry Austrian Rieslings. Hiedler’s is penetrating, persistent and utterly delicious. Its laser-like acidity will do wonders alongside a right-from-the-fryer schnitzel but we love it with oysters, fresh, delicate fish...
Pale sunshine yellow color and slight frizzante, this Moscato d'Asti has intense aromas of peaches, rose petals and ginger. On the palate, it is delicately sweet and sparkling with balanced acidity, good complexity and a finish of fresh apricots...
MAGNUMS
PRIMA Notes: Bramé, in Piemontese dialect means ‘a desire or craving for something,’ and that’s exactly what will happen to you when you taste this beautifully crafted, savory, food-friendly Barbera from the Roero region...
2018 Baricchi Barbera d'Alba 'Riva della Coda'
This miniscule estate is making some of the most compelling wines we’ve tried recently. Located in Neviglie, on the fringe of the Barbaresco appellation near the town of...
As anyone who has made the trek south to the Central Coast recently can tell you, there’s a whole lot more than cowboys and high-test Zinfandel going on in Paso Robles these days! In fact, the days when your visits to Paso wine country would...
Nowhere else, I think, does the unique soil of a region so inform the style of the wine as it does in the Soave Classico appellation. Located on a sweep of hills that roll eastward as far as the Venice lagoon, this area is not to be confused with...
The New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc category has become a tough one to navigate these days as the shelves that used to have two or three examples are now bursting with a dozen or more. What’s a consumer to do? And most of those newcomers...
Most of you don't know about Bodegas LAN's "employee cuvee."
Otherwise known as their "Rioja D-12," this deliciousness is an assemblage of barrels that LAN's entire team (everyone - from vineyard management, to winemaking, to operations, to sales)...
My relationship with the Sauvignon Blanc grape is, as they say, complicated. I find the grape, sometimes too aggressive and overly rich in the pyrazine compounds that can evoke, in my tender psyche, unpleasant aromas of pungent...
Dark, fragrant and just lovely on the palate, the aromatics channel the Northern Rhone Valley while the palate is all California. So much going on in those deep, dark depths….. Made for a perfectly grilled steak!
PRIMA Notes: Farming sustainably, with a push toward organic viticulture in the offing, his Chardonnay vineyards, ranging in age from 5 years to 80, thrive in the clay and limestone soil of the Maconnais, extracting great minerality and structure...
2016 Capanna Brunello di Montalcino 'Nicco'
James Suckling: Very beautiful aromas of crushed cherries and flowers, such as violets. Some fresh mushroom and tile as well. Full-bodied with extremely polished tannins and an ultra-silky texture...
2016 Capanna Brunello di Montalcino
James Suckling: Gorgeous aromas of black cherry, cedar, leather and dried flowers follow through to a full body with firm, creamy tannins that are long and caressing. Tight and focused. Pretty clarity to...
There is definitely no shortage of good California Sauvignon Blanc out there but the crème, as it were, keeps rising to the top- the wines that have created strong constituencies and managed to hold them for decades. Our favorites...
Importer's Notes: This red is the exception to the rule at Quintarelli. It is aged for only two to three years—as opposed to seven—and only the Cabernet is partially dried. The Corvina and Corvinone are pressed directly after harvest. The...
2019 Grand Veneur Cotes du Rhone 'Les Champauvins'
2022 was the year of the Cotes du Rhone at PRIMA! It seems like everything we tried from either 2018 or 2019 was either delicious, well-priced or both! It was really hard to pick a favorite...
Infinite 8 Champagne is the story of the rebirth of the Champagne House of Edmond Roussin, a family that had been working the vines since the French Revolution. Nicolas Letexirant decided to revive the family's interest 20 years ago by replanting...
2021 Pessimist by Daou Paso Red Blend, Paso Robles
Winery Notes:
The 2021 vintage delivers yet another stunning blend with trademark Pessimist flair. This wine is powerful and intensely aromatic out of the glass, presenting fragrances of...