Tag: Napa Valley

Wine Spectator’s New York Wine Experience 2025 Day 1

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The 44th annual Wine Spectator’s New York Wine Experience was held on October 16-18.

It was three days of wine seminars and two days of the Grand Tastings on Thursday and Friday nights.

The event which raises money for the Wine Spectator Scholarship fund, was first held in San Francisco and alternated between that city and New York City until they decided to make New York the permanent home for the event.

The Grand Tasting which was open to the public is, in my opinion, the best wine tasting event of the year. It was two floors of over 265 participating international wineries and chateaux serving their wines that scored 90+ on the Spectator rating scale.

I was lucky enough to be able to attend both nights. It’s a massive amount of high-quality wines and as in the case in these types of mega tastings, I focused my efforts. On day 1 that focus was on the red wines of Bordeaux and (mostly) California Napa Valley. What was exciting is that most of the wineries showcased an older vintage of their wines which is always a treat to experience.

The event was held at the Mariott Marquis hotel at 1535 Broadway in the heart of the theater district in Manhattan.

Some of what I sampled:

Napa Valley

2009 Lokoya Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, peppery tree bark on the nose, chewy dark fruit with black pepper notes, firm grip.

2011 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon “Monte Bello” (Santa Cruz Mts.): Opaque black, brick rim, perfume of violets, roast meat and a touch of oregano, silky bright red fruit with a nice grip and firm tannin.

2012 Caymus Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon “Special Selection” (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, perfume of sweet red fruit and white pepper, chewy and chunky dark fruit with dark chocolate and spicy red fruit notes, good grip, long finish.

2013 Opus One (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red, brick rim, sweet tar, white pepper and saline on the nose, tight and concentrated black fruit with a chewy, long finish.

2014 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon “Gravelly Meadow” (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red, purple rim, crushed black fruit, pickle juice and milk chocolate on the nose, chewy and chunky with dark chocolate notes, nice balance.

2014 Harlan Estate (Napa Valley): Opaque black, slate and tar on the nose, chewy black fruit with a great balance.

2016 Hall Cabernet Sauvignon “Kathryn Hall” (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, chalk and barnyard on the nose, chewy and chunky with crushed stone, dirt and saline notes, firm grip, long finish.

2016 Mt. Brave Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, dirty tar and red roses on the nose, tight and concentrated black fruit ending with crisp acidity.

2017 Bond Red Blend “Vecina” (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, crushed rocks and pickle juice on the nose, chewy dark fruit with tree bark notes ending with firm tannin.

2017 Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon “Lot No 1” (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, spicy crushed black fruit and tar on the nose, chewy and tarry black fruit ending with a firm grip.

2018 Larkmead Cabernet Sauvignon “Solari” (Napa Valley): Opaque medium red, brick rim, sweet tar and crushed green herbs on the nose, silky red fruit with stone and chalk notes, firm grip.

2019 Joseph Phelps Red Blend “Insignia” (Napa Valley): Opaque dark purple, tobacco, cooked asparagus and dirty chocolate on the nose, thick and concentrated black fruit with smoke, steel and herb notes, firm grip, long finish.

2021 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon To Kalon Vineyard “The Reserve” (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, juicy green herbs on the nose, chewy, chunky and dusty black fruit with slate and dark chocolate notes, long and firm finish.

2021 Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon “Heritage Clone” (Napa Valley): Opaque thick black, violets and black pepper on the nose, thick and concentrated black fruit with a nice grip and long finish.

2022 Continuum Estate Sage Mountain Vineyard (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red, purple rim, cigarette smoke, white pepper and violets on the nose, chewy and silky with lip smacking tannin. Still young.

Bordeaux

2001 Chateau Phelan Segur (St. Estephe): Opaque black, dirt, mint and dark chocolate on the nose, thick and chewy with gritty chocolate notes on the silky finish, nice grip.

2010 Chateau Cos d’Estournel (St. Estephe): Dark red with a brick rim, cedar, tar and cooked vegetable on the nose, silky, chewy fruit with dark chocolate notes, firm grip, long finish.

2014 Chateau Haut Brion (Pessac Leognan): Clear medium red, dirty chocolate on the nose, tight red fruit ending with firm acidity.

2014 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion (Pessac Leognan): Clear medium red, brick rim, dirty black fruit on the nose, tight and concentrated black fruit ending with firm acidity.

2014 Chateau Montrose (St. Estephe): Opaque dark red, tar, sweet chocolate and toasty black cherry on the nose, concentrated and tight black fruit with dusty slate and gun metal notes, balanced grip with a long finish.

2015 Chateau Langoa Barton (St. Julien): Opaque black, purple rim, dirty chocolate on the nose, tight, silky red fruit, nice grip, some heat.

2016 Chateau Leoville Poyferre (St. Julien): Opaque black, purple rim, green herbs and chalk on the nose, chewy bright red fruit ending tight.

2016 Chateau Giscours (Margaux): Opaque dark red, purple rim, sweet barnyard and dirt on the nose, tight black fruit ending with big tannin.

Suckling’s Great Wine World NYC 2025

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James Suckling is a journalist and wine critic that regularly organizes and hosts wine events in Miami, San Francisco and New York City.

On June 11 & 12 he hosted the Great Wine World New York City wine event, which was held at The Glasshouse, a venue located on the far west side of midtown Manhattan at 660 12th Avenue.

There are mega tastings and there was this. Two days of a 3 hour walk around tasting each day featuring 800 wines of the world rated 90+ points from Suckling from 380 producers from 55 wine producing countries, with different wines on each day.

This year they had 6,000 attendees with consumers and members of the trade about evenly split between them. 100% of the proceeds from the cost of the trade ticket went to the California Fire Foundation.

There was plenty of excellent juice to sample those two days. It was a little hectic and confusing because the wine booths were in alphabetical order instead of bunched up by country, so you basically spent the time wandering around cavernous venue looking for the wines you were interested in sampling. But I suppose that way most of the people in attendance didn’t congregate at the most popular tables.

It was a very nice tasting.

As usual for me at these big tastings, I focused my energies on Bordeaux and Napa Valley.

Some of what I sampled:

Old World

2015 Chateau Pontet Canet (Pauillac): Opaque dark brick, tar, graphite and dark chocolate on the nose, tight red fruit with crushed rock notes on the firm finish.

2015 Chateau Gloria (St. Julien): Opaque dark red, perfume of milk chocolate and barnyard, tight black fruit ending with crisp acids.

2016 Chateau Malartic Lagraviere (Pessac Leognan): Opaque dark purple, crushed sweet red fruit on the nose, juicy black fruit ending with a nice balance.

2017 Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande (Pauillac): Opaque medium red, sweet tree bark on the nose, tight with barnyard notes and a firm finish.

2018 Chateau Sociando Mallet (Haut Medoc): Opaque dark red, perfume of violets and plums, chewy, minty fruit with firm tannin.

2018 Chateau des Laurets Baron (St. Emillion): Opaque dark red, purple rim, barnyard on the nose, tight and concentrated with oaky tannin on the firm finish.

2019 Chateau Giscours (Margeaux): Opaque dark purple, crushed stone on the nose, tight, dusty fruit with green stem notes, silky tannin.

2020 Chateau Grand Puy Ducasse (Pauillac): Opaque dark red, black fruit and graphite on the nose, chewy, dusty fruit with slate and black olive notes on the finish, good grip.

New World

2019 Heitz Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): Opaque medium purple, black pepper on the nose, concentrated and juicy black fruit with stone and crushed nut notes on the finish, good grip.

2019 St. Supery Cabernet Sauvignon “Dollarhide” (Napa Valley): Opaque black, nose of petroleum and crushed dark berries, juicy and chewy black fruit with mint notes, firm finish.

2021 Cakebread Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon “Benchland Select” (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red, black olives and dark chocolate on the nose, chewy with slate notes and graphite on the finish.

2021 Louis Martini Cabernet Sauvignon “The Gryphon” (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red, crushed blueberry on the nose, concentrated spicy red fruit, with peppery notes ending with dusty, silky tannin.

2021 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon “Fay” (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red, purple rim, graphite, toast, smoke and crushed strawberry on the nose, tight and concentrated black fruit with gun metal notes on the firm finish.

2021 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red, crushed blueberry and roast meat on the nose, chewy, concentrated red fruit with graphite and slate notes on the finish, good grip.

2021 Favia Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, crushed blueberry and fresh rosemary on the nose, concentrated chunky black fruit, crushed stone notes and silky tannin. Firm tannin and acids on the young wine.

2021 Merus Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): Opaque black, crushed blueberry and milk chocolate on the nose, chunky and chewy black fruit with slate notes on the firm finish.

2022 Quintessa Red Blend (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red, sweet blueberry on the nose, juicy blueberry fruit with dark chocolate notes on the nicely balanced finish.

2022 Amici Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red, purple rim, dark chocolate on the nose, chunky and chewy with dusty, lip-smacking fruit.

2022 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir “MacGregor Estate” (Sonoma): Opaque dark brick, blueberries and forest floor on the nose, silky red fruit with dark chocolate notes.

Frederick Wildman Grand Tasting NYC 2025

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I’m still going with the trade/industry tastings. On March 26th I attended the Frederick Wildman & Son New York Grand Portfolio Tasting.

Frederick Wildman is a long time, established distributor celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. They have a large portfolio of worldwide wines and spirit.

With such a large portfolio they needed a lot of space to hold the tasting. The tasting was held at the Guastavino’s event space located at 212 East 59th Street on the East side of Manhattan at the foot of the Queensborough (59th St) bridge.

This space is an architectural landmark with soaring Guastavino vaulted tiled ceilings rising two stories.

Guastavino tiles are an arched, vaulted type of construction introduced into the United States in 1885 by Rafael Guastavino. In addition to this event space, examples of these tiled archways can be found around New York City including the Grand Central Oyster Bar and the City Hall subway station. It’s hard to believe that at one time, the city of New York used this space to store garbage trucks.

Wildman’s portfolio is strong with Burgundy and high end California red wines which is where I focused my time.

Some highlights:

2009 Chateau de Camensac (Haut-Medoc): Clear medium purple, ripe red fruit with earth notes on the nose, silky red fruit, dusty, long finish, nice balance.

2016 Chateau Cantenac Brown (Margaux): Clear medium brick, tar and leather on the nose, juicy with crushed stone and green herbs notes nice balance.

2022 Olivier Leflaive Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru du Domaine (Burgundy): Light gold in color, toasty tropical fruit notes on the nose, juicy, toasty fruit finishing with good acidity and lime notes.

2022 Lignier Michelot Morey-St. Denis 1er Cru Les Faconnieres (Burgundy): Clear light purple, crushed red fruit on the nose, juicy red fruit with slate notes, good balance.

2022 Domaine Antonin Guyon Chambolle-Musigny Les Cras (Burgundy): Clear light purple, spicy red fruit on the nose, juicy with leather and stone notes, good grip.

2019 Arkenstone Estate Cabernet Sauvignon NVD (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, graphite and stone notes on the nose, chewy and chunky sweet red fruit, silky tannins. good grip.

2019 David Arthur Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Three Acre Ranch Pritchard Hill (Napa Valley): Clear medium red, tar, crushed black fruit an roast nuts on the nose, juicy ripe fruit with silky tannins.

2020 Bond Vecina Vineyard (Napa Valley): Clear dark red, sweet tar and roast nuts on the nose, silky red fruit, dusty tannins, good grip.

2020 Harlan Estate Red (Napa Valley): Clear dark red, closed nose of crushed raspberry, silky red fruit ending with dusty tannins.

2020 Arkenstone Estate Red Blend Howell Mt. (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, toasty crushed stone on the nose, dense and chewy with roast meat notes, silky tannins, great balance.

2021 Persus Alessio (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, overripe fruit and mint on the nose, juicy, silky black fruit with a good grip and nice balance.

2021 Lithology Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, dusty, crushed black fruit on the nose, dense, chewy black fruit with graphite notes, good grip and balanced.

2021 Knights Bridge Red Blend Haggerty Road (Sonoma): Opaque black, purple rim, violets and milk chocolate on the nose, tight, dense and concentrated silky red fruit, balanced.

2021 Larkmead Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Solari (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, coffee and roast nuts on the nose with dense red cherry fruit.

2022 Persus Bryn (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, crushed red fruit and graphite on the nose, juicy and chunky fruit with silky tannin and moderate acidity.

Vinous Icons New York City 2025

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Antonio Galloni is a wine critic and founder of the internet wine magazine Vinous. On February 27-March 1, the magazine held its second edition of Vinous Icons New York which was a series of wine dinners and two walk around tastings.

This year the event was held at the Pier Sixty event space at 60 Chelsea Piers on the west side of Manhattan overlooking the Hudson River.

This space was much larger than the venue that held the event last year with more room to walk around, in addition to a great view of the New Jersey skyline across the river.

The events were open to members of the trade and to the public and I attended both walk around tastings on Friday and Saturday afternoons.

This is one of the best wine tasting experiences of the year with the sheer quantity of top end wines to sample from France, Italy, Spain, Chile, Argentina and the United States.

With so many wines available to try, as usual I focused my attention on the wines of Bordeaux and Napa Valley. Most of the wineries poured different wines on each day so there was more than enough on both days to keep me busy with those two wine regions.

Some of what I sampled:

Old World

2006 Chateau La Grange (St Emilion): Clear medium brick, black olives and cigarette smoke on the nose, chewy, black licorice fruit, chewy tannins with crushed rock notes on the finish.

2009 Cos D’Estournel (St Estephe): Opaque black, brick rim, dirty cooked fruit and dark chocolate on the nose, dense and chewy with silky tannins and dark chocolate notes on the long finish.

2010 Cos D’Estournel (St Estephe): Opaque dark red, brick rim, closed nose of smoke and tree bark, dense and chewy dark chocolate fruit, silky tannins, great balance.

2015 Chateau Haut Bailly (Pessac Leognan): Clear medium brick, tarry dirt on the nose, chewy graphite fruit ending with firm tannins.

2015 Chateau Troplong Mondot (St Emilion): Opaque black, brick rim, closed nose of crushed stone, chewy dark fruit with firm tannins, balanced acidity.

2016 Cos D’Estournel (St Estephe): Opaque dark red, brick rim, tarry barnyard on the nose, tight red fruit, firm tannins.

2020 Chateau Pichon Longueville (Pauillac): Opaque dark purple, toasty violets on the nose, tight with chewy red fruit, firm, long finish, still young at this point.

***

2008 Ornellaia (Tuscany): Opaque black, brick rim, tar and leather on the nose, chewy dark fruit with slate notes, nice acidity, long finish.

2014 Vega Sicilia “Unico” (Ribera del Duero): Opaque dark red, brick rim, smoky dirt and tar on the nose, chewy, dusty fruit with graphite notes, long finish.

2016 Bodegas Vatan “Arena” (Toro): Opaque black, purple rim, spicy red cherry nose, chewy dense fruit with tar, mint and smoke notes on the finish, great balance.

2016 Allegrini Amarone “Ferramonte”(Veneto): Opaque medium brick, pencil shaving and mint notes on the nose, chewy, chunky dark fruit with great balance.

2019 Biondi Santi Brunello di Montalcino (Tuscany): Clear light brick, toasty dirty cherry on the nose, moderate chewy fruit with leather notes, drinking nicely now.

2020 Isole e Olena “Cepparello” (Tuscany): Opaque medium brick, brick rim, tar, graphite and dark chocolate on the nose, chewy with silky acids with dusty tar notes on the finish.

2021 Ornellaia (Tuscany): Opaque dark red, purple rim, stinky tar and leather on the nose, chewy, dense and dusty fruit with slate notes, nice balance.

New World

2014 Stag’s Leap Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon “Fay” (Napa Valley): Opaque black, brick rim, blueberry and crushed rocks on the nose, chewy dark fruit with tar and cigarette smoke notes ending with firm tannins.

2015 Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, smoky tar and dark chocolate on the nose, chewy fruit with slate and chocolate notes on the finish.

2018 Continuum Estate Red Blend (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red, purple rim, dark chocolate on the nose, concentrated dark fruit ending with nice balance.

2021 Brand Proprietary Blend (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, stemmy, plummy smoke on the nose, chewy black fruit ending with firm, silky tannins.

2021 Brand Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, tree bark on the nose, chewy black fruit with mint notes, silky and firm tannins on the long finish.

2021 Futo “Seta” (Napa Valley)” A red blend, opaque dark red, purple rim, stone and crushed rocks on the nose, concentrated dark silky fruit with slate and dark chocolate notes, great balance.

2021 Futo Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Estate (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, crushed rocks, smoke and blueberry on the nose, juicy, silky fruit with silky, firm tannins on the finish.

2021 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon “Red Rock Terrace” (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, ripe smoke and black fruit on the nose, tight and chewy dark chocolate fruit firm tannins on the great balance, still young.

2021 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon “Volcanic Hill” (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, crushed black fruit and blueberries on the nose, concentrated black fruit, nice silky tannins, great balance.

2021 Vineyardist Cabernet Sauvignon “Heritage Ridge” (Napa Valley): Opaque black, smoky dirt on the nose, concentrated, chewy and chunky with silky tannins, nice balance.

2021 Vineyardist Cabernet Sauvignon “Calarcadia Vineyard” (Napa Vally): Opaque black, closed nose of slate and crushed rocks, silky dark chocolate fruit, firm tannins on the nice balance.

2021 Stag’s Leap Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon “Fay” (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, stone, tree bark and crushed sweet fruit on the nose, chewy black fruit, firm and silky tannins, long finish, still young.

2021 Repris Cabernet Franc Moon Mtn. Vineyard (Sonoma): Opaque dark red, purple rim, closed nose of vanilla and milk chocolate, mouth coating dark fruit with dusty, firm tannins, long finish.

2021 Ovid Red Blend “Hexameter” (Napa Valley): A Cabernet Franc focused wine, opaque black, purple rim, tree bark and milk chocolate on the nose, chewy fruit ending with toast notes on the crisp tannins.

2021 Hirsch Vineyards Pinot Noir “Raschen Ridge” (Sonoma Coast): Clear medium purple, spicy cinnamon on the nose, juicy, dusty red fruit, nice balance.

2021 Hall Cabernet Sauvignon “Sacrashe Vineyard” (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red, purple rim, chewy and thick fruit with graphite notes on the silky tannins, nice balance.

2021 Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon “Coombsville” (Napa Valley): Opaque dark purple, crushed rocks on the nose, dense and tarry red fruit, dusty finish, nice balance.

2022 Merry Edwards Pinot Noir “Richaven” (Russian River Valley): Opaque dark red, toasty red fruit on the nose, juicy dark fruit with tar notes, crisp acids.

2022 Tor Cabernet Sauvignon To Kalon Vineyard (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red, brick rim, dark plum and cigarette smoke on the nose, chewy and minty fruit ending with silky tannins.

California At Wine Paris 2025

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On February 10-12, I attended the 6th annual Wine Paris trade show in Paris, France. The event was curated by Vinexposium which organizes major international events for the wine & spirits industry.

It was a trade show for members of the trade, winemakers, distributors, sommeliers and merchants. This years show had over 5,300 exhibiters from 50 wine producing countries with a record attendance of over 52,000 attendees.

It has always been on my bucket list to attend one of these major international wine trade shows in Europe whether it be in London, Verona, Düsseldorf or Paris. It’s been over fifteen years since I’ve last been in Paris, and it’s a beautiful city and I welcomed the opportunity to go back this year and experience the trade show.

The event took place at the Porte de Versailles expo center in the 11th arrondissment in the southern part of the city, conveniently with a Metro stop on the number 12 line.

This expo center is massive. As a point of reference, I have the Javits Center in New York City which is the city’s expo center. Porte de Versailles was a least three times the size of the Javits Center with eight pavilions.

Not surprisingly , the French pavilion was the largest with three floors, Italy had a pavilion to itself, there was a pavilion for worldwide spirits and cocktails, and a pavilion for “foreign” wines where wines from the United States and other counties other than Italy were showcased.

Each day had many master classes and opportunities to speak with industry professionals and to sample wine. Lots of wine.

Most of the wines from the U.S. were from California, with Napa Valley having a dedicated area to itself. There were also wines from Oregon and outlier States of New York and Virginia. I spent one afternoon at Napa Valley chatting with the people behind the bottles. I was curious to hear how receptive the Europeans were to the American wines .

2019 BV Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red, purple rim, crushed black plums and smoke on the nose, juicy with slate notes, silky tannins, nice balance.

2021 BV Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon “Georges De LaTour” (Napa Valley: Opaque black, purple rim, dark cherry chocolate on the nose, chewy with silky tannins, long finish, still young at this point.

2018 Cain Five (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, pretty perfume of violets, chewy black fruit ending with silky, mouth coating tannins.

2021 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red, purple rim, crushed rocks and violet on the nose, dark and chewy with chocolate notes, silky, firm tannins, nice balance.

2021 Cliff Lede Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon “Poetry” (Stags Leap): Opaque black, purple rim, dirt and chocolate on the nose, tight concentrated fruit with a firm, dusty finish, great balance.

2021 Darious Cabernet Sauvignon “Darius II” (Napa Valley): Opaque black with a purple rim, crushed rock and dark chocolate on the nose, concentrated black fruit with mint and graphite notes, silky and dusty tannins, firm acids.

2021 Grace Family Estate Cabernet Sauvignon “Cornelius Grove” (Napa Valley): A single vineyard bottling, opaque dark red with a purple rim, closed nose of crushed black fruit and chocolate, concentrated silky dark fruit and tannins, nice balance, long finish.

2021 Grace Family Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red, purple rim, stone, violets and green herbs on the nose, chewy and dusty fruit with milk chocolate and graphite notes, very firm tannins.

2018 Morlet Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon “Coeur de Vallee” (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red, purple rim, perfume of black olives and milk chocolate, chewy red chocolate fruit with green olive notes, nice balance, long finish.

2022 Ridge Vineyards Lytton Springs (Sonoma County): Clear medium red, purple rim, earth and cigarette smoke on the nose, chewy fruit with chocolate notes ending with firm, mouth coating tannins.

2022 Ridge Vineyards Zinfandel “Pagani Ranch’ (Sonoma Valley): Opaque medium red, purple rim, bright, ripe green fruit on the nose, juicy red fruit with licorice notes, tannins and acids are balanced.

2021 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon “Hillside Select” (Napa Valley): Clear dark red, purple rim, crushed red fruit and fresh rosemary on the nose, bright red fruit, dusty tannins, crisp acids.

2022 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon “1.5” (Napa Valley): Clear light red, purple rim, tarry green herbs and roasted nuts on the nose, bright red fruit with dusty tannins and moderate acidity.

2014 Staglin Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (Napa Valley): Opaque dark black, nose of ripe fruit, cooking spices and tree bark, chewy ending tight with tart notes.

2021 Staglin Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (Napa Valley): Opaque black with a purple rim, crushed rocks and spices on the nose, juicy black fruit with green olive notes and crisp acids.

2021 Staglin Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon “Salus” (Napa Valley): Opaque black with a purple rim, black olives and dark chocolate on the nose, tight and concentrated ending with some tart notes.

Seminar: California Pinot Noir

2019 Long Meadow Ranch Pinot Noir (Anderson Valley): Clear medium brick, tar, leather and roast nuts on the nose, juicy fruit with earth and roast fruit notes, toast notes on the finish, crisp acids.

2020 Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir “Larmes de Grappe” (Sta. Rita Hills): Clear light brick, toasted earth and red leather on the nose, tight and toasty light fruit ending with crisp acids.

2021 Kistler Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley): Clear medium red, crushed black fruit, plums and white pepper on the nose, firm, bright red cherry fruit, tannins and acids are balanced.

2023 Black Stallion Estate Pinot Noir (Los Caneros): Opaque medium red, juicy red fruit on the nose, bright red fruit with roast meat notes on the finish, crisp acids and firm tannins, still young.

Wine Spectator N.Y. Wine Experience 2024 Day 2

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The 43rd annual Wine Spectator’s New York Wine Experience was held on last October 17-19. It was three days of wine seminars and a Critics Choice grand tasting. The proceeds were for benefit of The Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation.

The Grand Tasting was held on two days and had over 250 international winemakers pouring their wines in a walk around tasting.

This event is probably, if not the best consumer wine tasting of the year with two floors of over 200 international wines rated 90+ points on the Wine Spectator ratings scale.

This year I was lucky enough to attend the event on both days. As is usual for me at these mega tastings, I focused my energies on one floor each night prioritizing Bordeaux and Napa Valley wines.

The event was held at the Marriott Marquis hotel at 1535 Broadway in the heart of Times Square, Manhattan.

Some of what I sampled:

New World

2004 Ridge Monte Bello (Santa Cruz Mtns.): Opaque black, tar, graphite and black leather on the nose, silky fruit with graphite notes ending with silky tannins.

2008 Pahlmeyer Merlot (Napa Valley): Opaque black fruit, brick rim, crushed raspberry and mint on the nose, juicy, smokey fruit and nicely balanced.

2014 Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Kathryn Hall (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, roast nuts and bacon on the nose, juicy black fruit with mint notes, firm tannins.

2015 Opus One (Napa Valley): Opaque black, brick rim, earthy crushed dark fruit with mint notes on the nose, concentrated, stoney black fruit ending with a great grip and balance with a long finish.

2016 Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon Lot No. 1 (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, crushed blueberry, wet stone and graphite on the nose, chunky, juicy dark chocolate fruit, great grip, long finish.

2019 To Kalon Vineyard Co. Cabernet Sauvignon H.W.C. (Oakville): Opaque black, purple rim, closed nose of crushed blueberries, juicy crushed fruit with firm acids.

2019 Bond St. Eden (Napa Valley): Clear medium red, purple rim, tarry nose, bright black fruit, firm tannins.

2021 Dominus Estate (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, graphite and black fruit on the nose, juicy and silky with silky tannins and a firm grip.

2021 Kamen Cabernet Sauvignon Moon Mt. District (Sonoma): Opaque black, purple rim, gritty dark chocolate on the nose, very concentrated black fruit with herb and mint note ending with firm crisp tannins.

2021 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon To Kalon Vineyard The Reserve (Napa Valley): Opaque black, purple rim, crushed red fruit and stone on the nose, juicy black fruit ending with big tannins.

Old World

2012 Chateau Cos d’Estournel (St. Estephe): Opaque black, brick rim, nose of dirt and stinky dark chocolate, tight concentrated fruit ending with big tannins.

2015 Chateau Canon (St. Emilion): Opaque black, brick rim, big nose of barnyard, chunky dark chocolate fruit ending with lip smacking tannins.

2015 Chateau Giscours (Margaux): Opaque black, brick rim, tar and dried leaf on the nose, concentrated black fruit with mint notes ending with firm but balanced tannins.

2016 Chateau Talbot (St. Julien): Opaque black, brick rim, toasted roast nuts on the nose, concentrated fruit with raspberry notes, silky and firm tannin.

2017 Chateau Pavie (St. Emilion): Opaque black, purple rim, crushed black stone on the nose, silky black fruit with graphite notes, great balance, long finish.

2018 Chateau Phelan Segur (St. Estephe): Opaque black, brick rim, crushed blueberries on the nose, concentrated, silky red fruit ending with a great grip.

2018 Chateau Pichon Longueville Lalande (Pauillac): Opaque black, purple rim, crushed stone on the nose, concentrated and silky black fruit with mint notes, silky tannins, great balance.

2019 Chateau Leoville Barton (St. Julien): Clear dark red, purple rim, crushed black fruit and dark chocolate on the nose, silky red fruit with tar notes, firm grip.

2019 Chateau Montrose (St. Estephe): Opaque black, purple rim, stone and crushed black fruit on the nose, juicy red fruit, firm tannins.

Wine Spectator N.Y. Wine Experience 2024 Day 1

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The 43rd anniversary of Wine Spectator’s New York Wine Experience was held on October 17-19 and was sponsored by the wine spectator’s scholarship foundation.

The yearly event began in San Fransico 43 years ago and for a while alternated between San Franciso and New York City until it was decided to make New York City the permanent home for the event.

The event consisted of several vertical wine tastings and seminars in addition to two days of Critic’s Choice Grand Tastings.

The grand tastings were an opportunity to sample over 260 international wines that scored 90+ points from Wine Spectator in addition to be able to speak with many of the owners and winemakers that were pouring their wines.

I would say that this is the best wine tasting event of the year for the consumer. It was a huge event with two floors of wine.

I was lucky enough to attend both days which gave me the opportunity to sample a good amount of really good wine.

Since I couldn’t possibly sample every wine that was on hand, I narrowed down on what I would try. I decided each day would be devoted to the wines of one particular floor and on each floor, I focused on what I normally do in these massive tastings, I concentrated on Bordeaux and Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with an occasional outlier.

New World

2008 Lokoya Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder (Napa Valley): Opaque dark brick, mint, graphite and cooked fruit on the nose, chewy black fruit with mint notes, silky, firm tannins.

2014 Joseph Phelps Insignia (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red with a purple rim, toast, tar and red fruit on the nose, thick with firm tannins and acids.

2014 Staglin Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford (Napa Valley): Clear medium red with a brick rim, cooked red fruit on the nose, silky black fruit, silky tannins, great balance.

2016 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Volcanic Hill (Napa Valley): Opaque black with a purple rim, nose of violets, tar and pickle juice, juicy, chewy red leather fruit with moderate tannins and acids.

2016 Mt. Brave Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder (Napa Valley): Opaque black with a purple rim, smokey tar on the nose, chunky chocolate on the fruit with nice structure and a long finish.

2017 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select (Napa Valley): Opaque black with a purple rim, roast nuts on the nose, chunky and chewy dark fruit with dark chocolate notes, good grip.

2018 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon S.L.V. (Napa Valley): Opaque black with a purple rim, plummy, chewy, chunky with silky acids on the good grip, long finish.

2018 Heitz Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Trailside Vineyard (Napa Valley): Clear medium red with a purple rim, sweet tar on the nose, juicy dark fruit, firm tannins.

2018 Schrader Cabernet Sauvignon Heritage Clone (Napa Valley): Opaque black with a purple rim, toasty dark chocolate on the nose, chunky and chewy with dark chocolate notes, firm grip.

2019 Outpost Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mt. (Napa Valley): Opaque black with a purple rim, crushed blueberry on the nose, chewy dark fruit with lip smacking tannins, long finish.

2021 Memento Mori Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): Opaque black with a purple rim, chewy dark fruit with graphite notes, firm tannins.

2021 Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District (Napa Valley): Opaque black with a purple rim, roasted nuts on the nose, chewy dark fruit, firm tannins.

2021 Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): Opaque black with a purple rim, closed nose of ripe fruit, tight and concentrated, big tannins.

2021 Favia Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville (Napa Valley): Opaque black with a purple rim, pickle juice on the nose, tight and concentrated with mint notes, big tannins.

Old World

2010 Chateau Haut-Brion (Pessac Leognan): Clear dark red with a brick rim, tar and smokey black leather on the nose, silky, peppery fruit with bitter almond on the long finish, great balance.

2010 Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac Leognan): Opaque black with a purple rim, toasty and tarry on the nose, thick dark chocolate fruit with silky tannins and a long finish.

2014 Domaine Faiveley Latricieres Chambertin Grand Cru (Burgundy): Clear medium brick, nose of tar, earth and cooked fruit, silky red fruit with earth notes and red leather on the finish, great balance.

2015 Chateau Chevel Blanc (St. Emilion): Clear medium brick, closed nose of dark chocolate, silky fruit with tight and firm tannins.

2017 Chateau Leoville Poyferre (St. Julien): Opaque black with a purple rim, nose of sweet tar and smoke, bright red fruit ending with big tannins.

2018 Chateau Leoville Las Cases (St. Julien): Opaque dark red with a purple rim, perfume of tarry black fruit, silky dark fruit with cigarette smoke notes, good grip.

2019 Chateau Lynch Bages (Pauillac): Opaque black with a purple rim, dusty tar on the nose, tight, concentrated and silky with black pepper notes, firm finish.

2019 Chateau Haut-Batailley (Pauillac): Opaque black with a purple rim, roasted nuts on the nose, chewy with firm tannins.

2020 Chateau Pichon Baron (Pauillac): Opaque black with a purple rim, smokey stone on the nose, chewy, bright dark fruit ending with crisp acids.

2020 Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafite (Pessac Leognan): Opaque black with a purple rim, closed nose of crushed strawberry, chewy red fruit with firm tannins.

Decanter Fine Wine Encounter NYC 2024

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Decanter is a British based wine magazine that covers news of the wine and spirits world. As with other wine-based magazines, they rate wines as well.

On June 8th, for the third consecutive year, they held the Fine Wine Encounter wine event in New York City. The event was held on the 60th floor at Manhatta restaurant located at 28 Liberty Street in lower Manhattan. Similar events by Decanter will be held later this year in Singapore and London.

The event featured a Grand Tasting which was a walk around event featuring award-winning wines from 50 producers with various masterclasses throughout the afternoon. In addition to the wines in the main room, they had a separate room that featured about 30 bottles of their Platinum, Gold and Best in Show rated wines to sample.

As in the past, it was an excellent tasting with a nice selection of top end wines of the world. I have to say, not in my top three but still an excellent tasting with the outstanding view in the venue as an added plus.

As is usual in the case of these big tastings, I focused on Bordeaux and Napa Valley Cabernet for the most part while sampling a few others. One good thing about this particular tasting is that many of the Bordeaux producers brought bottles of older vintage wines to sample and it’s always nice to try a Bordeaux with some age to it.

Some of what I sampled:

Old World

2003 Chateau Lagrange Magnum (St-Julien): Opaque dark red with a brick rim, pretty nose of crushed rocks and crushed black fruit, silky with slate notes on the firm finish.

2004 Speri Amarone “Sant’ Urbano” (Veneto): Clear medium brick with roasted nuts on the nose, leather notes on the balanced fruit with a good grip.

2010 Chateau Talbot (St-Julien): Opaque dark red with a brick rim, earth and mint on the nose, chunky with tight tannins.

2016 Chateau La Dominique (St-Emilion): Opaque dark red with a brick rim, perfume of crushed black, cooked fruit with silky red fruit, firm tannins and a long finish.

2016 E. Guigal Chateau de Nalys Chateauneuf du Pape Jeroboam (Rhone): Opaque medium red, perfume of tar, smoke, spice and mint on the nose, silky and juicy with stone notes on the fruit with great balance and finish.

2018 Chateau Giscours “La Sirene de Giscours” (Margaux): Opaque dark red to black, oak and crushed black fruit on the nose with chewy dark fruit ending with a nice grip.

2019 E. Guigal Chateau d’Ampuis Cote-Rotie (Rhone): Opaque medium red with roasted red fruit on the nose, chewy, sweet red fruit ending with a long finish.

New World

2004 Catena Zapata, Nicolas Catena Zapata Cabernet Sauvignon (Mendoza): Opaque black with a brick rim, toasty and chewy with ripe, cooked fruit notes.

2006 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon “Insignia” Magnum (Napa Valley): Opaque black with a brick rim, sweet tar and earth on the nose, silky, chewy fruit with silky tannins and dark chocolate mint on the finish.

2012 Santa Rita Casa Real Reserva Especial Cabernet Sauvignon (Maipo Valley): Opaque black with a purple rim, warm roasted meat on the nose, chunky with tight tannins.

2013 Quintessa Red Blend (Napa Valley): Opaque black with a purple rim, cooked black fruit, dark chocolate and roast nuts on the nose, silky red fruit with gun metal notes, good grip, long finish.

2014 Stonestreet Cabernet Sauvignon “Christopher’s Vineyard” (Alexander Valley): Opaque black with a purple rim, black tar and vanilla on the nose, fruit starts out silky and ends with big tannins,

2019 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon “Insignia” (Napa Valley): Opaque black, roast meat on the nose, tight and dense black fruit with a firm and balanced finish.

2019 Domaine Anderson Pinot Noir “Dach” (Anderson Valley): Clear light red, barnyard on the nose, dusty fruit with roasted nut notes.

James Suckling Great Wines World NYC 2024

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James Suckling is a wine writer with the blog jamessuckling.com. The blog reports on news of the worldwide wine industry and reviews and rates wines using a 100-point rating scale.

Mr. Suckling hosts several wine tasting events throughout the year and on June 5 & 6 he hosted the Great Wines World tasting event in New York City.

It was two days of over 500+ wines from 380+ producers that have been rated 92-100 on the JamesSuckling.com website. Those wines and the producers were spread over the two days but if you only attended on one day, that was still enough time to try a couple of hundred wines.

The event was held at The Glasshouse event space at 600 12th Avenue on the far west side of Manhattan overlooking the Hudson River. It was an event space that I have never been to before.

I attended on Wednesday and the sprawling event space overlooked the Intrepid Museum which was docked right outside. There were more than enough excellent wines of the world to occupy the whole evening sampling them. I had wished that the organizers of the event had grouped the wine booths by country as they normally do instead of by alphabetical order as they did in this case which would have made things less confusing, but that’s a minor point when drinking so much good juice.

As usual, in mega tastings like this I focused my energies primarily on Bordeaux and Napa Valley Cabernet with the occasional foray into the other regions.

Some highlights:

2019 Pahlmeyer Chardonnay (Napa Valley): Medium gold, tropical fruit notes on the nose, green herbs and pineapple on the fruit with good structure.

2021 Merryvale Chardonnay “Silhouette” (Napa Valley): Light gold, lime and tropical fruits on the nose, tight, with lime notes on the fruit, good structure.

2021 Chateau Boswell Chardonnay UV Vineyard (Russian River Valley): Light gold, lime and green herbs on the nose, tight with crisp acids.

2010 Chateau Phelan-Segur (St. Estephe): Opaque medium red with a brick rim, pretty nose of mint and toasted twigs, silky and smoky fruit with a great balance.

2013 Quintessa Winery Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): Opaque black, dark tar and leather on the nose, silky dark chocolate fruit with gritty tannins and a great balance.

2015 Chateau de Fieuzal (Pessac Leognan): Clear medium brick, ripe tar and cigarette smoke on the nose, toasty fruit with a long, tight finish.

2015 Chateau Prieure Lichine (Margaux): Clear medium red with a brick rim, barnyard and ripe red fruit on the nose, dusty fruit with a nice balance.

2016 Pym-Rae Red Blend (Napa Valley): Opaque dark brick with sweet cooked fruit on the nose, chewy, leather fruit on the long finish.

2016 Brane-Cantenac (Margaux): Opaque dark red with a red rim, roast meat and crushed rocks on the nose, silky fruit with herb notes ending with tight tannins.

2018 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red with a purple rim, toasty and smokey on the nose with turned earth notes on the tight fruit.

2018 Pym-Rae Red Blend (Napa Valley): Opaque black with a red rim, barnyard on the nose, chewy graphite fruit ending with a good grip.

2018 Chateau Phelan-Segur (St. Estephe): Opaque medium brick, closed nose of earth and tar, silky black fruit with a bitter almon finish.

2018 Marques de Carceres “Gaudium” (Rioja): Opaque black with a red rim, barnyard on the nose with chewy graphite fruit and a good grip at the end.

2018 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon “Fay” (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red with a purple rim, warm toasted nuts on the nose, juicy with a long, grippy finish.

2019 Pahlmeyer Red Blend (Napa Valley): Opaque black with sweet herbs on the nose, silky and dusty sweet tar on the fruit, nice balance with a good grip.

2019 Pontet-Canet (Pauillac): Opaque dark brick, earthy tar on the nose, silky, chewy and earthy fruit with a long finish.

2019 Chateau Batailly (Pauillac): Opaque black with a purple rim, sweet tar and roasted nuts on the nose, silky and tight with a firm, long finish.

2019 Chateau Lynch-Moussas (Pauillac): Opaque dark red with a red rim, earthy red fruit and roasted nuts on the nose, tight and smokey.

2020 Chateau Gris Nuit St-Georges 1er Cru (Burgundy): Opaque medium red, pretty nose of earth, smoke and leather with bright red fruit and firm acids.

2020 Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon (Puente Alto): Opaque medium red with a brick rim, toasty roast meat on the nose, tight and silky red leather fruit with a firm finish.

2020 Chateau Maillet (Pomerol): Opaque dark red with a purple rim, tar and dark chocolate on the nose, silky fruit with white pepper notes, firm tannins.

2021 BV Cabernet Sauvignon “Georges des Latour” (Napa Valley): Opaque dark purple, chalk and crushed raspberry on the nose with tight and dusty fruit. Still young at this point.

Wine & Spirits Top 100 2023

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On February 15th, I attended the 3rd annual Wine & Spirits magazine’s Top 100 wine event.

Wine & Spirits magazine was founded in 1982 and focuses on, not surprisingly, the personalities, geography and news of the wine and spirits industry. They also evaluate and rate wines and spirits.

This was a tasting of what they considered the top 100 wines of the world for this year. It was also a benefit for the NY/NJ Baykeeper, an organization which bills itself as an advocate for the NY/NJ harbor estuary.

The event was held at the perennial event venue, the Metropolitan Pavillion located at 123 West 18 Street in Manhattan and was open to both Trade and Consumer.

They had a good sampling of sparkling, rosé, white, red and dessert wines of the world and I particularly enjoyed the California Cabernets. Whoever was responsible for the food at the event did a good job this time around, there was some very tasty nibbles to go with all that good wine.

Some of my highlights:

White

2020 Fess Parker Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict Vineyard: Light gold with toasty notes, nice balance.

2021 Tablas Creek Cotes de Tablas Blanc: Medium gold, ripe flowers and lime on the nose with pineapple and lime notes on the crisp finish.

2019 Zind-Humbrecht St. Urbain Pinot Gris: Medium gold with a closed nose of green herbs, nice floral finish with a good balance.

Red

2019 Corison St Helena Cabernet Sauvignon “Sunbasket Vineyard”: Clear medium purple, closed nose, juicy, silky fruit ending with firm, silky tannins.

2016 Duckhorn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mt: Clear medium brick, dried leaf on the nose, juicy black fruit with mint notes, firm black cherry finish.

2018 Diamond Creek Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon “Red Rock Terrace”: Opaque dark red, black licorice and forest floor on the nose, silky red fruit with dark chocolate notes, great balance.

2018 Diamond Creek Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon “Gravelly Meadow”: Opaque dark red, perfume of black licorice and forest floor, concentrated with dark chocolate, slate and cherry notes ending with a silky grip.

2015 Jordan Vineyards Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon: Nice to try a Cab with some bottle aging, clear medium red, violets on the nose, silky and balanced.

2018 Ridge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon “Monte Bello”: Clear medium red, black licorice on the nose with silky and dusty fruit ending with a balanced finish.

2019 Sullivan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon “Founders Reserve”: Opaque dark red, roasted nuts on the nose, thick with dark chocolate and black fruit notes, moderate tannins and acidity, drinking nicely.

2019 Delas Freres Cote Rotie “La Landonne”: Opaque dark red, roast meat on the nose, concentrated dark fruit with ripe, silky tannins.

2018 Fratelli Alessandria Barolo “Gramolere”: Clear light brick, closed nose of tar, dusty and tight.

2019 Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore: Clear medium brick, leather and mint notes on the nose, dusty fruit with silky tannins, nice balance.

2019 Petrolo Barolo Val d’Arno di Sopra Boggina Riserva: Clear light brick, tree bark on the nose, silky, earthy fruit with firm, silky tannins.

2017 Produttori del Barberesco “Rabaja”: Clear light brick, closed nose of anise, silky and tight

2016 Sandrone Barolo “Vite Talin”: Clear light brick, dark chocolate and dirt on the nose, tight rasperry fruit ending with big tannins.

2017 Vega Sicilia Tinto Valbuena 5: Clear medium red, leather notes on the nose, silky red fruit with a nice balance.