Kawai | Jason Doss | Flickr Uploaded on August 9, 2023 Taken on August 9, 2023

Erminig Gwenn has added a photo to the pool: Vue générale sur Saint Emilion. Libournais, gironde (33), Nouvelle Aquitaine, France. Source : https://www.flickr.com/photos/etienne_valois/53101613386/in/pool-17918700@N00

Starburst | Jason Doss | Flickr Uploaded on August 7, 2023 Taken on August 7, 2023

World of Wine, Porto, Portugal Opened in 2020, World of Wine – known as WOW – has become a must-visit attraction for tourists in Porto, the city at the heart of Portugal’s Douro wine region. The new cultural district transformed Vila Nova de Gaia, on the south bank of the Douro river, an area previously occupied by Port lodges. The …

Decanter Fine Wine Encounter (DFWE) London is calling all wine enthusiasts and connoisseurs! We are excited to announce an exclusive opportunity to delve into the world of fine Italian wines with Ornellaia – one of the world’s most prestigious wineries. On Saturday 11th November 2023, you will have the rare opportunity to be one of the few participants to join …

A view from the Dundee Hills.  ‘The resulting wines are brilliant. They offer great concentration, wonderful lift and freshness and such fine tannins… the top producers have made wonderfully collectable wines that will age 15 to 20 years. A five-star vintage for the Willamette Valley’ The 2021 growing season was memorable, most notably for the heat dome the region experienced …

Wine matching by Fiona Beckett. Wines selected by our Decanter experts.  Most of us would, I think, agree that you don’t have to give the same thought to wine pairing when out on a picnic as you would for a formal dinner party. But that’s not to say you shouldn’t choose a wine that’s broadly suitable for the style of …

Robust and generous, with blackberry, dried fig, smoked pepper and crushed rock accents that take on structure and tension toward muscular tannins. Best from 2024 through 2032. 2,100 cases made. Source : 19faa1083b129a1ee9fe2c3295fa6151

Complex, this stunning white showcases ripe pear, peach and salted melon flavors, with hints of lemon verbena and litsea oil that add complexity and aromatics. Smooth and seamless, with fresh acidity highlighting its intensity, while notes of marzipan and orange blossoms linger. Drink now. 253 cases made. Source : 60ae516fb449388932dc9a2be137810e

Vines in St Emilion, Bordeaux. It’s quite an admission to make, and the blushes rise to my cheeks as I make it, that when I wrote my first books on wine (up to and including my The World Atlas of Wine, first edition 1971) I was convinced, and told my readers, that the clear and constant differences between the communes …

Château d’Yquem. As the world woke up on 1 January 1980, at the exact moment Debbie Harry reached peak stardom, the vignerons of Bordeaux no doubt let out a collective sigh of relief. The 1970s had been one of the most difficult decades on record for the winemakers of the most lauded of regions. In 1973, Pauillac’s Cha?teau Mouton Rothschild …

We love finding and tasting new Chateauneuf-du-pape from Costco, and here’s a new addition to the wine aisles that turned out to be a huge score. Outside of the Kirkland Chateauneuf-du-pape that is priced at $20, it’s hard to find good Chateauneuf at a reasonable price.  Usually you have to spend $40-$50+ to get the highly … Source : https://costcowineblog.com/2020-chateau-de-vaudieu-chateauneuf-du-pape/

This has settled down, despite a swath of dense tannins, delivering cherry, strawberry, earth, eucalyptus and mineral flavors. Well-defined, with a firm, yet long finish. Sangiovese and Merlot. Drink now through 2037. 20,000 cases made, 18,000 cases imported. Source : 507b7b0f47f60edd01cda79b3630a713

It’s been a couple years since we last reviewed the DAOU Cabernet for this site, but we’ve tasted several vintages since then as this is just a go-to bottle whenever you see it.  Huge bang for the buck, and that was once again the case with this 2021 vintage at Costco for $20.99. That’s the … Source : https://costcowineblog.com/2021-daou-cabernet-sauvignon-paso-robles/

For years, we’ve been asking for Costco to bring in more unique white wines and boy have they delivered upon that request in 2023. This one really caught us by surprise, and there’s a lot to unpack. First is the varietal make up of this unique white blend from southwest France.  It consists of 70% Petit … Source : https://costcowineblog.com/2017-chateau-bouscasse-les-jardins-philosophiques/

We were really happy to see this bottle land in Costco stores this week.  And instantly had to note the 2021 vintage. Turns out, we never found the 2020 vintage which should have arrived in August of last year (2022).  So the last time we saw this wine was in August of 2021 with the 2019 vintage.  Glad … Source : https://costcowineblog.com/2021-kirkland-signature-stags-leap-district-cabernet-sauvignon/

Château Branaire-Ducru. While merchants have reported strong collector interest in some Bordeaux 2022 en primeur wines, high release prices may not help the region’s near-term market momentum. {“content”:”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”} Matthew O’Connell, CEO of LiveTrade at Bordeaux Index, said of the campaign: ‘I don’t recall any wines that I would describe as [released at] investible prices.’ Prices may rise in future, ‘but …

This red shows verve as well as a bold, deep structure, yet retains finesse and detail, with tiers of blackberry, mocha espresso, crushed stone, smoked meat and tapenade flavors that slowly unfold toward broad-shouldered yet polished tannins. Syrah, Graciano, Petite Sirah and Roussanne. Drink now through 2033. 503 cases made. Source : 458e1d237e923dbfd935ad3a6aa4d182

A distinctive white, this opens with generous aromas of fragrant ground anise, graphite and crushed pine, followed by up-front flavors of poached apricot and blood orange that transition to dried white cherry and salted almond notes reminiscent of a good fino Sherry. Bright and graceful, with well-knit, mouthwatering acidity and a lingering finish that echoes the cherry and almond profile. …

Leanne and I chat about Cabernet Sauvignon in honour of Cabernet Day, the last Thursday before Labour Day… when we need something stronger in our glass than rose. 😉 Here are some quick facts you should know about Cabernet Sauvignon: Cabernet Sauvignon was originally created by crossing the white grape Sauvignon Blanc and the red grape Cabernet Franc. Cabernet Franc …