In our conversations with David Gates from Ridge and Joel Peterson from Once and Future Wines (also the founder of Ravenswood), they both lamented the fact that, no matter how extraordinary a Zinfandel is, it never claims the respect from critics that lesser wines made from other grapes regularly receive. This amazing wine is the exception to that and VERY deserving of the scores it has received (I have tasted it several times and I think 96 points is spot on). Both David and Joel said that they believe the best age for Zinfandel is 7-10 years but it is...

If anyone embodies the promise and spirit of “The New Spain,” it is Álvaro Palacios. His L’Ermita (along with Peter Sisseck’s Pingus) is widely considered to be the most important new Spanish wine of the modern era. Since he became a world-wide sensation with his 1993 l'Ermita (the 2018 vintage sells for $1,000!), I have been a devoted fan of his wines. His 2019 Camins del Priorat, only $22.99, is a revealing testimony to his genius. Gorgeous, bright fruit with raspberries, black cherries, and lavender with some schist. It’s medium-bodied with very polished and integrated tannins that go on and...

One of the great things about the wines of Chablis is the fact that they are often such fantastic values relative to white wines of the same quality from just a few miles south in the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune. This is an excellent illustration of that. The 2018 Louis Michel Chablis 1er Cru Montee de Tonnerre, only $42.99, is just a fabulous wine. Allen Meadows (Burghound.com, THE expert on the wines of Burgundy) rates it 90-93 points, saying: "This too is markedly floral in character with its airy and cool nose of citrus, seashore and shellfish...

I said in one of these emails recently that I regarded Sadie Family Mev Kirsten as one of the five finest Chenin Blancs in the world (perhaps in the top two). The only example of Chenin Blanc which I think might eclipse it is the Huet Vouvray Sec Clos du Bourg, which is among the world's finest dry white wines. And, at $44.99, it is certainly one of the finest for under $50. The 2019 has received a 97 point score from Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate (the highest score ever awarded by TWA to a Chenin Blanc): "The 2019...

In the last ten years or so, Patagonia (the southernmost part of Argentina) has become a hotbed for excellent Pinot Noir. The combination of cool climate and extremely arid conditions (there is almost no disease or pests in the vineyards, so the vines live longer and produce more profound wines) results in just the perfect conditions for growing this grape which is so sensitive to its terroir. The wines from Bodegas Chacra have the added advantage of being made by the winemaking team at Tenuta San Guido (Sassicaia), resulting in a unique combination of new world fruit and old world...