2017 Liano

Blending Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese is nothing new. The made-up term “super Tuscan” has been used for years to describe it. In essence it means a wine from Tuscany that includes non-indigenous grapes, such as Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah. Similar to France, Italian winemakers were stymied by laws that disallowed them from using certain grapes in their blends. That’s changed and in Liano (which began in the mid-1960s) we see a Cabernet-Sangiovese blend that is lovely, and that best represents the idea of the Super Tuscan. There is softness on the pallet with this wine. There are charming fruit notes of blueberry, blackberry, mild black cherry, cedar and sandalwood, bing cherry, and light herbal undertones. Aged for 18 months it definitely strikes a nice balance between the 70% Sangiovese and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon.

ORIGIN: Romagna, Italy
ALCOHOL: 13.5%
PRICE: $35 /750 ml
SCORE: 91 POINTS

Top Napa Cabernet Sauvignon - 2019 Tastings

The top Cabernet Sauvignon tasted and reviewed by Loren Sonkin in 2019.

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Top 50 California Cabernet Sauvignons to Try Before You Quit Drinking (a non-dump bucket list if you will!)

In putting together a list of the top California Cabernets, there is sure to be some disagreement. I tried to include those wines that have a track record, the wineries still making great wines, those that seemed to have the commitment for the future and some personal favorites. I am sure I left some out. 1. Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select – It’s always hard to name the number one wine. But this has a track record that’s very long. Even in less than stellar vintages, it is an outstanding wine. They just don’t seem to make a dud. My only complaint is the price at over $200 a bottle. But, in comparison to other Napa Cabs or elsewhere in the world, this is a fair price.

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Heidi Peterson Barrett: Napa's Wine Diva on Winemaking, La Sirena, and the Legacy of Screaming Eagle

Heidi Peterson Barrett As arguably the most celebrated, respected, envied, and in-demand winemaker in America today, Heidi Peterson Barrett is one of only a handful of winemakers who can legitimately lay claim to "superstar" status. Her wines at both Dalle Valle and Screaming Eagle resulted in multiple 100 point scores from Robert Parker (Parker himself dubbed her the "First Lady of Wine") and helped redefine both the meaning and value of "cult" wines. She rocked the wine world at the 2000 Napa Valley Wine Auction as a 6-liter bottle of her 1992 Screaming Eagle sold for $500,000, in the process setting a world record for the highest price ever paid for a single bottle of wine (a vertical offering went for $650,000 at the 2001 Napa Valley Wine Auction). Heidi Peterson Barrett is currently winemaker for Amuse Bouche, Paradigm, Revana, Barbour, Lamborn, Fantesca, as well as her own label La Sirena . I recently had the pleasure of catching up with Heidi to talk about winemaking, her own La Sirena label, and the legacy of Screaming Eagle.

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Bordeaux First Growths: Chateau Lafite, First Amongst First Growths

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Winemaker David Vergari Talks Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and....Armed Guards?

Sometimes there are people you encounter in life who, the minute you meet them, you think "This guy has a story to tell and I bet he tells it well." David Vergari is that guy. A veteran winemaker, David launched his own eponymous label, Vergari Wines , in 2003. He recently sat down with IntoWine to share with us his evolution as a winemaker and, most interestingly, the stories "behind the wine". You founded the Vergari Wine Company in 2003. What inspired you to strike out on your own? It happened in two ways: gradually, then quite suddenly.

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2017 Liano

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