2017 Gourmet Père et Fils Entrecôte Merlot Cabernet Syrah, France, Wine Review

This is an inexpensive blend from the south of France (Languedoc) although the label just indicates France.. It comes brightly packaged and is certainly intended for their export market. Ruby/purple in color. The nose is very jammy with raspberries and cherries and also some spice with bits of fresh cut lumber. On the palate, this is slightly sweet and jammy with black raspberries and black cherries along with some toasty oak. Probably best to serve at parties on its own. It should be consumed now.

Grade:

C+

Score:

Vintage:

2017

Current Price:

$8.00USD

Cheval Blanc: The “First Growth” of the Right Bank

When the wines of Bordeaux were classified in 1855 all of the wines were from the Left Bank of the Gironde River. In fact, with the exception of Haut Brion, which is from Graves, all of the wines classified were from the Medoc. Since that time, the winemaking areas of Bordeaux have greatly expanded. Some of the best wines in Bordeaux are now made on the Right Bank including some of the most expensive wines in the entire world. While there is no official classification system for all of Bordeaux, there can be no doubt that if such a system was implemented today, at least a few Right Bank wineries would make the list. Perhaps no winery deserves the mythical first growth of the Right Bank title more than Cheval Blanc. In fact, the wines of Saint Émilion, a commune on the Right Bank, were ranked in 1955 and Cheval Blanc was one of two that received the highest rank of Premier Grand Cru Classé (A). Those rankings were redone in 1969, 1986, and 1996 and most recently in 2006 (although that ranking is the subject of an ongoing legal dispute not relevant to Cheval Blanc) and Cheval Blanc has remained a First Growth in every subsequent ranking.

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Judgment of Paris: Film "Bottle Shock" Brings the Paris Tasting of 1976 to the Big Screen

Bottle Shock On May 24, 1976, Steven Spurrier, a British wine merchant hoping to stoke sales at his French-wine-only shop, held a wine competition in Paris. In this competition French judges were invited to blind-taste top chardonnays and cabernet sauvignons from France and California. In an event that would later be dubbed the Judgment of Paris , the California wines –included merely to serve as the “sacrificial lambs” to the supposedly superior French wines- won the competition in a shocking upset. This singular event revolutionized the wine industry and put California on the map as a major world producer of fine wine. This story comes to life on the silver screen for the first time with the film Bottle Shock , starring Bill Pullman, Alan Richman, and Dennis Farina among other notables. I recently chatted with Bottle Shock Co-Writer and Producer Jody Savin about the film. Why this film now? To answer this question in a socio-political sense, I would venture to say that we live in challenging times.

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2018 Bieler Père et Fils Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence Rosé Sabine, France, Wine Review

Vintage:

2018

Score:

Grade:

A-

Current Price:

$11.00USD

A very pretty Rosé from the heart of Provence. 52% Grenache, 23% Syrah, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cinsault, and 3% Rolle. Salmon pink in color. The nose is nice with cherries, slight floral and strawberries. On the palate, this is dry. Slightly viscous. Nice strawberry fruit. Good acidity. Nice finish. This won't drink better than this but should be good for another year. It goes well with lighter food and salads. Great value.

1982 Château Mouton Rothschild, France, Bordeaux, Pauillac, Wine Review

Vintage:

1982

Score:

100

Grade:

A+

Lots to say about this wine, but first, why it was opened. My friend Chris is about to retire. Way back in 1986 or so, Chris was convinced to spend $30 for a 375ml bottle of this wine. Since that time, he has waited for the right special occasion to open the bottle. Luckily for me (since I din't meet Chris until around 2010), this bottle is known to maturing at a glacial pace. He has moved all around the world waiting for the right time and place. My wife and I had dinner at Chris's home before he leaves town and goes to spend his retirement in Cape Cod. Chris opened the wine. What

1961 Château Latour Grand Vin, France, Bordeaux, Pauillac, Wine Review

Vintage:

1961

Score:

Grade:

A-

Current Price:

$9417.00USD

This was served for a friends 60th birthday. It was decanted for sediment and allowed to breathe for 20 minutes before being poured into glasses and given another ten minutes. I ended up letting the wine go another 45 minutes (checking in on it during that time) before consuming which seemed to me optimum. The bottle was bought a few years ago at auction and seemed sound and looked legit. Purple in color, a bit lighter at the core with some browning especially at the edges. A bit flat and slightly opaque. After blowing off some bottle stink and coming back to life, the nose is comple

2017 Gourmet Père et Fils Entrecôte Merlot Cabernet Syrah, France, Wine Review

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Cheval Blanc: The “First Growth” of the Right Bank

Judgment of Paris: Film "Bottle Shock" Brings the Paris Tasting of 1976 to the Big Screen

2018 Bieler Père et Fils Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence Rosé Sabine, France, Wine Review

1982 Château Mouton Rothschild, France, Bordeaux, Pauillac, Wine Review

1961 Château Latour Grand Vin, France, Bordeaux, Pauillac, Wine Review