Arturo Ciompi

People in the know are excited about the 2015 vintage in Europe. Almost every region has reported a superior growing season. But this is not a reason to ignore 2014, when some terrific wines were also made. One area that thrived was the southern Rhône. I recently tasted a Côtes du Rhône red that pleases […]

2014 was such a wonderful year for Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The structure, pinpoint texture and focused flavors of this vintage year are definitely worth shouting about. But if you’re seeking a bruiser, “look-at-me” style, then you won’t want today’s offering. The Hess Collection, maker of today’s wine, sources grapes grown between 600 and 1,120

New Zealand produces Sauvignon Blanc that is different and original. It has consequently shaken up the wine world. Their success with Pinot Noir also has heads scratching, and taste buds craving the original qualities of this finicky grape. Today’s wine, from the Central Otago region of New Zealand’s South Island, is a perfumed and delicate

This one snuck up on me. My first thought was, this is a wine reaching for the bleachers without the goods to back it up. A Chris Christie trying to be a Giancarlo Stanton. But with aeration, this turned out be a superior Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, one loaded with texture, sinew and passion. Made by Citra,

Most of you know the story of Robert Mondavi’s trip to France’s Loire Valley, where he fell in love with the wines of Pouilly-Fumé. He later decided to christen his own production of Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc as “Fumé Blanc” – and the rest is history. Fifty years later, winemaker Genevieve Jasnssens still makes a

I was telling my wife last night: “I would bet a tidy sum that I could identify a classic Rioja red tasting blindly.” There’s no other wine I know of that shares this fruit profile literally bathed in American oak. And today’s example certainly emphasizes this so very well. It’s the Rioja Reserva bottling from

For years we’ve read about Trebbiano being an innocuous grape, devoid of character, the grape of endless Italian “biancos” from all over the country. But, in the right hands, this grape can produce a wine full of flavor and surprises. Today’s example from Masciarelli, in Italy’s Abruzzo region, presents carefully selected grapes, aged in new

Many of you are familiar with the bargain rosé produced by Mulderbosch Vineyards of South Africa. But among their other releases is a fascinating red that always receives lavish praise whenever I serve it to friends. Built on a Bordeaux model blend, “Faithful Hound” is sometimes criticized for being made by the book, and being

Tempranillo is the truly great indigenous red grape of Spain. Also known as Cencibel, Ull de Llebre and Tinta del Pais, it shines in many parts of Spain besides its most famous home: Rioja. Today’s wine comes from the region of Castilla Y Leon, where one of one of Spain’s landmark wines, Vega Sicilia, is

I believe that Sicily is in contention for the most exciting wines being produced since the dawn of the 21st century. Sicily is being re-discovered, upgraded, and the wines are humming in a manner this grand island hasn’t seen for centuries. Although much of the focus has been on reds, white wines are also taking