But wait! ‘Value’ and ‘Chablis’ are rarely uttered in the same sentence these days, especially with the designation ‘Premier Cru’ on the label! Va de Vey is much smaller than its better-known 1er Cru...
Historically one never turned to the Macon for rich, character-filled white Burgundies. They looked further up the Cotes to find them. But a new generation of vintner and a little help from a changing climate has turned appellations like...
An while we’re talking value and climate change, how about Remoissenet’s very impressive Bourgogne Aligote for under $25! You might know this venerable property run by Pierre Rovani as having one of the deepest cellars of old wine in...
Let’s take it up a one more notch, shall we, and visit the Cotes de Nuits appellation of Morey-Saint-Denis where 90% of the production is beautiful Pinot Noir. The under-six hectares of Chardonnay scattered around the appellation, though, are...
Still feel a Burgundy’s first duty is to be red? Let’s move even further up the Cotes to one of Nuit’s most northern outposts Fixin (fee-sahn). In the old days, Fixin was known only to Burgundy’s most ardent bargain...
Yet another stunning 2021 Oregon Pinot Noir, Lingua Franca is the brainchild of world-famous Master Sommelier Larry Stone. While working at his first Oregon wine project, Evening Land, eagle-eyed Larry eyed a piece of land across the street from...
As you may (or may not) know, PRIMA Vini ha a small direct-import business we developed using our longtime contacts (and leaning on some close friends) to source a passel of exciting new wines, some never before seen in California. Back in the...
As you may (or may not) know, PRIMA Vini ha a small direct-import business we developed using our longtime contacts (and leaning on some close friends) to source a passel of exciting new wines, some never before seen in California. Back in the...
The 2022 Scavino Vino Rosso, a blend of Dolcetto, Barbera, Nebbiolo and Merlot, is stunningly good! It brings all of the gravitas and character of Scavino to the table at a magnificent price! And it does so with amazing grace and complexity...
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...
PRIMA Notes: Looking for that perfect Chardonnay to enjoy all year long? How about Flowers’ gorgeous Sonoma Coast Chardonnay for a song? This is a beautifully balanced wine with all of the great acidity and lovely, lacy fruit this...
Bigger and bolder that the Blanc de Blancs, as you might expect, this is a serious Champagne; with depth and power in reserve and the promise of a long lifetime. **** JR- The perfect blend of power and grace, there is wonderful energy to carry along what...
This is the first appearance of Gosset’s Blanc de Blancs in our annual Champagne fest and it was a real stunner; with an ethereal quality, delicate minty spice and extremely fine bubble and texture. **** JR- Wow. This was the Champagne...
FR-The Aubry Brut was the outlier in the tasting lineup; a truly artisanal Champagne that included some of the more obscure Champagne varieties in the blend. It is tremendously rich, with an exotic floral and spice character that was particularly...
FR-Echoing the sentiments above, Eric’s Rose is simply exquisite; with precisely-defined aromas, fruit, bubbles and acidity; all adding up to a remarkable experience. Jean-Marc, following in the Jacquesson tradition, makes serious wines that...
FR- I love the wines of Jean-Marc Seleque, definitely one of Champagne’s rising superstar producers. Made in the Extra Brut style, this wine is the quintessential expression of Champagne’s unique chalky soil and mineral-driven acidity...
One of my favorites of the entire lineup; the Bruno Paillard was complete in all aspects and incredibly balanced; flavorful but subtle, immediately appealing but structured for more bottle age. ****+ JR- I can’t disagree with Frank, and it...
The Duval Leroy Brut offers a generous palate of ripe fruit along with a mouth-filling texture. It keeps all that richness in check with a fine bubble and crisp finish. Great value as well. *** JR- Lovers of richer, more crowd-pleasing...
FR-If you’re a fan of zero dosage wines, as I am, then this Champagne is for you. It is strikingly dry, with mineral-like salinity and a purity that comes from no added sugar. Precise and well-delineated, it will be magical with a few...
This is probably THE wine of the tasting for me. I wrote in my notes, “Extraordinary, great complexity and length of flavor.” It was incredibly rich, polished and exquisitely structured for current consumption and future enjoyment...
This small estate with cellars near the town of Neive is about as Old School as it gets. Although there is a computer, a fax and a telephone in the office these days, there is virtually no other technology in sight. The old stainless steel...
All three of the Billecart Salmon wines were spectacular, beginning with this Blanc de Blancs cuvee. Pure, lush fruit with brilliant freshness and youthful vivacity. Simply gorgeous! ****JR- The Billecart wines were, across the broad,...
This has jumped to the top of must-drink white for Thanksgiving! - JR Over the years, we have felt obliged to tell our customers that the white wine grape of Burgundy was Chardonnay. And it is. Except, that is, for a smattering of Pinot Blanc in the...
2019 Bodegas LAN Rioja 'D-12'
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...
Inventory Arrives 11/28/23
2019 Fattoria Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva
Back when I started at PRIMA, some 30 years ago, the so-called new wave of wines from Chianti Classico could be summed up in ‘Three F’s,’ Felsina, Fontodi and...
The 2020 vintage produced some outsized and delicious wines in the Southern Rhone- outsized in every good way! In other words, what they may lack in finesse and refinement, they make up for in sheer chutzpah and succulence! And, in...
Whether I’m travelling in Piemonte speaking with actual people or lurking on various social media sites where the local wine cognoscenti gather, I always have my radar engaged to hear what wines people are most talking about. There are a lot of...
In what’s officially (in my mind) the coolest wine evv-vahh, we present the 2020 Vin de la Solitude from Domaine de la Solitude; Chateauneuf du Pape as it once was, or, maybe, how it may be again. The grapes are fermented as whole clusters...
Wine Advocate: The 2021 Pinot Noir Ryan has a medium ruby color and autumnal scents of truffle and forest floor, cinnamon and Earl Grey tea leaves complementing a core of wild berry fruit. (In 2021, the wine comes from the Dutton-Jentoft and...
2022 Tansy Fiano, Bowland Vineyard, Russian River Valley
Believe it or not, there were some good things that emerged from COVID as well as the myriad bad. Take Tansy Wines. It was because of the pandemic that local...
As the 2019 harvest in the Langhe has progressed from harvest, through its winemaking and aging stages and now, to finished products, the vintage’s reputation has done nothing but gain momentum. The winemakers themselves have always been fans...
2020 Skerk Carso Ograde Venezia-Giulia Bianco
‘Orange,’ you groan. ‘Not an orange wine!’ Yes. Drink it. It’s good, and good for you! You told me you wanted to experiment once in a while, and this November is your month to...
I have, in a glass next to me at my desk, about half a glassful of nineteen-year old Barolo. I have been going back to it every few minutes to check on it and now, after about a half hour since it was poured, it has blossomed into something truly...
I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised that Li Veli’s ‘simple’ Primitivo is so good because everything they produce at this address in southern Puglia is amazing but, really, what a stunning wine for under $20! Dark, earthy and...
Go east from Piemonte until you can go east no more and you’ll find the ancient and indigenous Friulano grape thriving on either side of Italy’s border with Slovenia. This fresh, herbal white has all the acidity you need to cut through...
Something brand new from Elena Fucci, the ‘First Lady of Aglianico’ of the slopes of Mount Vulture. This dark, earthy cuvee was designed to be consumed a little younger than her monstrously tannic (but very delicious) Titolo, it’s rich,...
Capichera is one of the most important addresses in the Gallura appellation in the far north of Sardinia but they choose to label this- their freshest, easiest going version of Vermentino (even though it could technically wear the higher-regarded...
The hillside vineyards of Caluso, right on the border between Piemonte and Valle d’Aosta, seem to defy gravity, perilously clinging to terraces built during Roman times. It’s a stunning vista you almost have to see to believe. ...
When it comes to California Chardonnay, there are many who it do it well, but the list of those who do it exceptionally well is a lot shorter. These are winemakers who can translate California’s best sites into wines with transparency and...
We’ve often speculated what a Chardonnay made by the creators of The Prisoner might taste like. As it turns out, it is pretty amazing. It hails from the Oak Knoll District between Highway 29 and the Silverado Trail and the Napa side of...
Cooperatives are not an unusual phenomenon in Europe. Almost every growing region on the continent has at least one place where growers with no ability to make their own wine can send their grapes and get a decent return on their hard work. ...
The affable, understated Sean Capiaux has earned a very good living over the years making wine at some very high profile Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley wineries including the likes of Jordan, Pine Ridge and Peter Michael. His current day job is making the...
2016 Rocche Costamagna Barolo Rocche dell’Annunziata Riserva ‘Bricco Francesco’
A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to try a horizontal of 2016 Barolo Riservae from a variety of producers from a variety of locales and came away...
I am not going to tell you this is the second coming of Chateau Haut Brion for $20, but this is a very authentic, savory and quite delicious taste of what makes Graves one of the most distinctive appellations of the Left Bank of the Gironde. This...
We remember our first meeting with Randy and (the late) Debbie Lewis. It was at a party at their home on the peninsula to debut their (I think it was….) 1992 Lewis Reserve Cabernet, a cuvee made with under the Miner Family label...
We remember our first meeting with Randy and (the late) Debbie Lewis. It was at a party at their home on the peninsula to debut their (I think it was….) 1992 Lewis Reserve Cabernet, a cuvee made with under the Miner Family label. Randy...
We remember our first meeting with Randy and (the late) Debbie Lewis. It was at a party at their home on the peninsula to debut their (I think it was….) 1992 Lewis Reserve Cabernet, a cuvee made with under the Miner Family label. Randy...
One of the most interesting leitmotivs of my recent trip to Italy was disovering how committed the young generation is to eliminating the tyranny of the grape monoculture that has developed in places like the Langhe. Creating more diversity...
2021 Austin Hope Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles
Big boned but nicely balanced, lovers of full-throttle Cabs will dig Austin Hope!
Austin Hope’s wines have quickly earned a cult-like following around the country for their...
The wines of Seresin are a real blast from our past because during the heyday of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, several decades ago, we, like so many of our customers, fell in love with these distinctive whites, especially those from the Marlborough...
This Gaiole-in-Chianti producer is one of the real benchmark wineries in Chianti. An ancient property renovated in the early 1970s, Castello di Ama was one of the first wineries to really push the envelope to raise quality in the region by farming...
Location, location, location! We discovered not too long ago that Sonoma-Cutrer’s top-quality Russian River Ranches cuvee is largely sourced from the Chardonnay vines planted on either side of the driveway that runs up to the hill to the very...
"There is a red wine of Nebiule (Nebbiolo) made in this neighborhood which is very singular. It is about as sweet as the silky Madeira, as astringent on the palate as Bordeaux, and as brisk as Champagne. It is a pleasing wine." - Thomas Jefferson ~ 1787...
97 points James Suckling Lots of blackcurrants and blueberries on the nose, together with walnuts and chocolate. Full-bodied and very layered, with super depth and plushness, offering currant, crushed-stone and bitter-chocolate flavors. Very lush...
98 points James Suckling
Aromas of blackcurrants and black cherries with hints of crushed walnuts, grilled thyme, cocoa powder and graphite. It’s full-bodied with layers of ultra-fine, silky tannins that elegantly coat your palate,...
97-99 points Jeb Dunnuck
Ranking with the top wines of the vintage, the dense purple-hued 2020 Château Pape Clement offers a sensational bouquet of pure crème de cassis interwoven with notes of liquid violets and classy oak...
99 points James Suckling :A beautifully layered red with blackcurrant, hazelnut and lead-pencil character and fine, velvety tannins. Full-bodied and reserved. It’s like a tightly knit ball of polished tannins that are cashmere in texture. So very...