The 2005 Beaucastel was the winning bottle in the April Installment of Pick My Next Bottle. I did not decant the wine and it was served with grilled New York Strips, roasted asparagus and roasted Yukon Gold potatoes. Chateau de Beaucastel, located in Courthezon in the Southern Rhone Valley, has over 250 acres of organic vineyards. Unlike many Rhone Valley…
The May Installment of Pick My Next Bottle focuses on 2005 Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The purpose of this series is to provide insight into specific wines or producers you may currently have in your cellar. The winning bottle will be opened on Saturday and a Bottle Note will be published this coming week. 2005 was an exceptional vintage in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Conditions were perfect…
The 2007 Dalla Valle Cabernet Sauvignon was the winning bottle in the April Installment of Pick My Next Bottle. I did not decant the wine and it was served with a New York Steaks and Brussel sprouts roasted in bacon fat. Dalla Valle Vineyards was founded in 1986 by Gustav and Naoko Dalla Valle, who purchased 21 acres on the…
The April Installment of Pick My Next Bottle focuses on Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from the 2004 vintage. The purpose of this series is to provide insight into specific wines or producers you may currently have in your cellar. 2004 was an average vintage in Napa Valley but all the wines I have chosen below have an exceptional track record…
The March Installment of Pick My Next Bottle focuses on 2001 Bordeaux from some of my favorite producers. The purpose of this series is to provide insight into specific wines or producers you may currently have in your cellar. The winning bottle will be opened this weekend and a Bottle Note will be published shortly thereafter. The 2001 vintage in Bordeaux…
The 2006 Clos des Papes was the winning bottle in the February Installment of Pick My Next Bottle. The wine was decanted for an hour and served with burgers. Clos des Papes is owned by the Avril family, now headed by Paul Avril and his son Vincent. The family has been making wine in Chateauneuf-du-Pape for 300 years. The name…
The February installment of Pick My Next Bottle focuses on 2006 Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The purpose of this series is to provide insight into specific wines or producers you may currently have in your cellar. I plan on opening the winning bottle this Sunday and will publish a Bottle Note shortly thereafter. Although overshadowed by 2005 and 2007, 2006 was a classic…
The 2016 Carlisle Zinfandel Carlisle Vineyard was the winning bottle in the January Installment of Pick My Next Bottle. The wine paired brilliantly with homemade pepperoni pizza. Carlisle Winery & Vineyards was founded in 1998 by Mike and Kendall Officer. Their passion is clear: Small lots of Zinfandel and Syrah from exceptional, historic vineyards. Many of these vineyards are heritage sites…
The January Installment of Pick My Next Bottle focuses on 2016 Old Vine Zinfandel. As I mentioned in the first installment, the purpose of this series is to provide insight into specific wines or producers you may currently have in your cellar. The winning bottle will be opened this Friday and a Bottle Note will be published early next week.…
The 1996 Chateau Léoville Barton was the winning bottle in the December Installment of Pick My Next Bottle. I decanted the wine for 90 minutes and served with a tri tip roast and roasted broccoli. I bought this wine on release and have cellared it properly ever since. The Barton family, the current owners of the estate, trace their Bordeaux…