Louis Latour, Santenay 2005

The driest, most austere, minimal Burgundy ever... Yet somehow you wanna keep drinking... A vegetal, spicy nose followed by some sharp, almost brutal, tartaric acidity and tannin driven mouth. Some vague attempts of red currant and apple, some lingering aftertaste of lime. Medium body and a dictionary burgundy color. I am guessing the bottle will be getting only better for the next 20 years. This wine makes you wanna put on your altar boy outfit. And the legitimate hardcoreness demands respect. 26$ in retail

73 points

Tenuta Sant´Antonio- Cabernet Franc 2007 Venezia, Italy

Tenuta Sant´Antonio- Cabernet Franc 2007 Venezia, Italy

Price 8 Euros

This was a gift from an Italian friend who wanted me to try a wine from his region.
Cabernet Francs can be very complex and this one did not disappoint, it had the rich body most Italian wines have and a very smooth finish which one tends to find in French Bordeaux.

Paired this with a steak bbq and it did the trick.

Don Pascual Petit Verdot 2008 & Don Pascual Tannat 2007- Bodega Juanico, Uruguay

Don Pascual Petit Verdot 2008- Bodega Juanico, Uruguay

Price U$ 10





Don Pascual Tannat 2007- Bodega Juanico, Uruguay

Price U$ 15


Uruguayan wines are very underrated and here are just two great examples of why this happens.

The Petit Verdot is one of the grapes used in Bordeaux and is used in some blends, but it is rare to find a good 100% petit verdot. This Don Pascual is smooth with a very nice finish similar to a merlot in softness.


The Tannat is a french grape that is Uruguay´s signature wine. The climate and terrain conditions allow it to develop very well and reach its full of potential in this small South American country.

This Tannat is aged in french oak and has hints of grapefruit, melon and vanilla. Great with BBQ and pasta.

Belle Vallée Pinot Noir - 2007 Willamette Valley, Oregon

Belle Vallée Pinot Noir - 2007 Willamette Valley, Oregon

Price U$ 25


Light ruby colour, oaky in flavour.
This is the perfect pinot to partner with a light meal, low in alcohol content with hints of black cherry and plum.
Good to open one and save another for a couple more years.

You can pick it up at Astor Wines in NY:

Mulderbosch 2008 Sauvignon Blanc South Africa, Stellenbosch Western Cape

Mulderbosch 2008 Sauvignon Blanc
South Africa, Stellenbosch Western Cape

U$ 18

Excellent lime green colour with hints of citrus fruits and figs.
Loved this South African white, great for hot summer days.
Has a tarty taste that goes well with fish and spicy foods.
Had this one picked up at Astor Wines in NY.
Highly recommend.

Pierre Matrot Meursault 2007

Unoaked Chardonnay from an old-school Côte de Beaune producer Pierre Matrot. Basic, refreshing, mineral and a perfect match for oysters. A floral bouquet (violets, acacia) with a simple but elegant lemon and honey mouth, very mineral and dry. Accents of tea and grapefruit peel. Enjoyed over a birthday dinner at Pearl Oyster Bar in the West Village (which is more than recommended).

60$ (restaurant price)
80 points

Castello Monaci Liente, Salice Salentino 2007

80% Negroamaro, 20% Malvasia Nera: a very, very fine specimen of Puglian red. Full body, thick deep crimson hue, a mixed red fruit nose, quite persistent. Cherry syrup on attack; cassis, citrus peel mid palete, and a long, opulent finish of bitter quinine, herbal spices and grapefruit. Negroamaro is my favorite southern Italian variety... indeed very dark and bitter:)

18$ @ De Wine Spot in Brooklyn
75 points

Cum Laude Banfi 2006

I imagine lots of people would love this wine: a dark fruit forward, velvety full body, soft tannin quaffer... For me there is not enough specificity to this wine, as it often happens with Tuscan reds: it is an upper shelf generic product. Cab Sav, Merlot, Sangiovese and Syrah cuvee; Parker gave it 90 points, but I don't care...this wine is not more than an overpriced fun pizza wine.

50$ (restaurant in Brooklyn)
73 points

Famille Peillot Bugey, 2008

Bugey is an appellation from Savoie in France, just a bit east of Beaujolais. This is my first time to try Pinot Fin, which apparently is a parent of Pinot Noir. A very strange, real and charming wine, which tasted like a mineral chardonnay with a shot of Cabernet Savignon. Very light body, not much tannin, but quite a bit of sharp acidity. Purple-ish red, very transparent, surprisingly well developed glycerin legs. Taste ways grassy, some mild, sweet cherry and other red fruit. Not much of a nose, but we served it chilled. Definite points for originality.
We drank it with some hunter's stew and fingerling potatoes: a perfect match.
20$ @ Blue Angel Wines, Brooklyn
78 points

Gigondas Les Pallieroudas 2006

80% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, organic, 80 year old vines from Cotes du Rhone. Very rare coffee and spices nose on this wine, followed by a mouth of coffee syrup, molasses, bitter herbs, caramel and plum compote. Dark and sticky, quite opaque. I liked how this wine is balanced with almost no acid... its the play of milky sweetness against the bitter aftertaste. It successfully accompanied barley with mushrooms and leeks in bacon.

$25 @ Blue Angel Wines, Brooklyn
80 points

Less known Italian varieties...

Motta Giove Ciliegiolo 2008

Very seldom Ciliegiolo appears as a varietal wine. It's a Tuscan/Umbrian grape which was traditionally added to Chianti. This bottle comes from a small producer located on the south-east corner of Tuscany.
Young, medium body, fruity with a unique bitterness which makes the whole thing attractive. The nose is a puny sweet cherry... but the taste is pretty awesome: red currant, black sour cherry, cherry pit and a bit of tobacco in the finish. Nice vibrant red color with shades of purple. Gave me a minor headache in the morning, but it was worth it:)

$20 @ Union Square Wines NYC
79 points







Zongola Montefalco Sangrantino 2003

Not exactly rare if you are into Italian wines... but Sagrantino from Umbria is local and quite fantastic. I believe in a few years it will make it to the pantheon of great Italian wines along with Amarone, Brunello and Barolo. Thick, full bodied, very tannic, ripe dark fruit, dry and chalky, big chocolate and cinnamon finish. A perfect winter treat.

$32 @ Union Square Wines NYC
75 points









Agricola Punica Montessu Isola dei Nuraghi, 2007

This Sardinian cuvee was really tasty, mainly Carignano (60%) and the rest Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah. Powerful, deep fruit, mainly plum and some anonymous berries, licorice, pretty long tannic finish. This wine scores over 90 points. The bottle was good, but for the price I would hope for a little more personality. A bit too generic...

34$ @ Italian Wine Merchants NYC
79 points