The December installment of Pick My Next Bottle focuses on 1996 Bordeaux. 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. I plan on opening the winning bottle this coming weekend and will publish a Bottle Note shortly thereafter. 1996 was a…
The 2007 Dalla Valle Cabernet Sauvignon was the winning bottle in the October Installment of Pick My Next Bottle. I did not decant the wine and it was served with a delicious Pot Roast. Dalla Valle Vineyards was founded in 1986 by Gustav and Naoko Dalla Valle, who purchased 21 acres on the east side of Silverado Trail on Oakville…
The 2003 Pontet-Canet was the winning bottle in the September Installment of Pick My Next Bottle. This bottle was decanted for one hour and served with steaks. Chateau Pontet-Canet is situated next to Mouton Rothschild in the Pauillac region of Bordeaux. Pontet Canet was granted Fifth Growth status in the 1855 classification. Herman Cruse purchased the estate in 1865. The Cruse family…
The September installment of Pick My Next Bottle focuses on 2004 Bordeaux. 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 on Saturday and will publish a Bottle Note early next week. The 2004 Bordeaux vintage set a record for being…
The August installment of Pick My Next Bottle focuses on Châteauneuf-du-Pape from the the 2009 vintage. 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 on Saturday and a Bottle Note will be published the following week.…
The 2015 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino was the winning bottle in the July Installment of Pick My Next Bottle. The wine was not decanted and served with burgers and a fresh salad on a warm Summer evening in Seattle. Altesino is set amongst the north eastern hills of Montalcino. The imposing structure of the 15th century Palazzo Altesi overlooks the…
The May installment of Pick My Next Bottle focuses on Châteauneuf-du-Pape from the the 2007 vintage. 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 the following week. Robert Parker of the Wine Advocate rated…
The 2003 Canon-La Gaffelière was the winning bottle in the April Installment of Pick My Next Bottle. The wine was not decanted and paired well with grilled burgers on a warm Spring night in Seattle. Château Canon-la-Gaffelière is situated in Saint-Émilion and ranked Premier Grand Cru Classé B in the Classification of Saint-Émilion wine. In 1969, Count Joseph Hubert von Neipperg purchased Canon La…
The April Installment of Pick My Next Bottle focuses on 2003 Bordeaux. 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 Sunday and a Bottle Note will be published early next week. We all know the background on the historically hot…
Chateau de Beaucastel, located in Courthezon in the Southern Rhone Valley, has over 250 acres of organic vineyards. Unlike many Rhone Valley producers, Beaucastel grows all 13 of the grapes permitted in the appellation and the estate uses an unusually high percentage of Mourvèdre in its red wines, usually around 30%, along with 30% Grenache and smaller amounts of Syrah,…