2019 Fattoria La Massa ‘Giorgio Primo’ (Toscana): Whoooooa. Let’s do more than justa little ‘mini’ for this blockbuster. Excellence is immediately apparent on the nose, with juicy red currants, plums, graphite, dried sage, cinnamon, cocoa, & vanilla. The palate is polished, modern, mineral, silky, floral, dark, leathery, brambly, elegant, long, and electric. A stunner. $110 A…
Pokémon Power, Aussie Style (Fowles Victoria Recent Releases)
Welcome to the third installment of my three-parter on the wines of Austraila’s Victoria region (if you missed them, catch up on Part 1 and Part 2). Today, I’m featuring one of Victoria’s hundreds of family-run producers, Fowles Wine. In April of 2024, I had the pleasure of attending a media dinner at Philly’s Sampan…
Family Matters (Victoria Wines, Part 2)
Welcome to Part 2 (you can check out Part 1 here) of my 3-parter feature on the wines of Victoria, Australia—an area rich in small animals that can quickly kill you (like the box jellyfish, blue-ringed octopus, and redback spider… hell, even the magpies are dangerous there. But it’s also home to a diverse an…
Wine Reviews: Mini Round-Up for July 15, 2024
2023 Anselmo Mendes Contacto Alvarinho (Vinho Verde): Fantastic rendition. Fresh, structured, energetic, floral, citric, and stone-fruit-filled. $22 A-
2019 Masseria Li Veli ‘Contrade’ Negroamaro (Puglia): Still juicy and fruity, with spicy cherries, black raspberry, and a boisterous personality. $14 B
2023 Stinson Vineyards Rose of Tannat (Monticello): Tannat tamed into tangy, temperate red fruit without tarnishing its tobacco tinges. $25 B+…