Wine Beer & Spirits

This wine is from France, Rhone region, Northern Rhone sub-region and Hermitage appellation. There are nearly 1,200 cases of the 2006 Ermitage Le Pavillon. Since Michel Chapoutier released his first full vintage, 1989, of this single vineyard Hermitage, it has been one of the great wines of both France and the world. The 1989 and 1990 remain very young wines (I had them over the holiday break and was amazed by their still youthful personalities.). The inky/purple-hued 2006 exhibits a gorgeous perfume of crushed rocks, white flowers, creme de cassis, blackberries, graphite, and a subtle touch of oak. Exceptionally full-bodied, multilayered in concentration, extraordinarily pure, and long, this is a prodigious young Hermitage th...Read more

This wine is from France, Bordeaux region, Haut Medoc sub-region and Saint Julien appellation. Not surprisingly, Leoville Las Cases has produced another classic, potentially long-lived wine in 2006. Among the St.-Juliens, it, Ducru Beaucaillou, and Leoville Barton possess the potential for the greatest longevity. Interestingly, when I visited this chateau in January, proprietor Jean-Hubert Delon offered me two samples, one where the cork had been pulled immediately prior to tasting, and another that had been decanted four hours earlier. Both were superb, but the wine that had had extended aeration was clearly the finer offering. The opaque purple-hued 2006- only 40% of the crop made it into the final blend- exhibits a personal...Read more

Like most Cognac houses, Delamain does not grow grapes but instead purchases eaux-de-vie from trusted grower/distillers who offer their finest spirits for evaluation after each harvest. The selected spirits for Delamain's Vesper are aged separately in old, 350-liter oak barrels called roux rather than new oak, which would lend too much tannin. After 30 to 35 years of aging, the Cognac is blended, then allowed to age 2 years further to marry the flavors and textures of its components. Instead of using distilled water to bring the alcohol content down to consumption level, Delamain blends in extremely old Cognacs with lower alcohol content.. This Cognac offers an initially oaky bouquet followed by an intense fragrance. On the palate it is ...Read more

This wine is from United States, California region, Napa County sub-region and Napa Valley appellation. An improvement over the debut 2002, this blend of 97% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc is a limited production (400 cases) wine expensively packaged in a heavy bottle with a designer label. It exhibits a deep ruby/purple color along with a big, sweet nose of roasted espresso, mocha, chocolate, black cherries, and currants. Well-textured, with superb fruit purity and intensity, full body, and a long finish, it should be consumed over the next 7-8 years.
Dark in color, with wonderful perfumed cassis, currantand black cherry fruit that's openly aromatic. The flavorsare rich and polished on the palate, with a plush,den...Read more

This wine is from France, Champagne region. Armand de Brignac Brut Gold is the flagship cuvee, a singular example of French Champagne tradition. Marvelously complex and full-bodied, its bouquet is both fresh and lively, with light floral notes. On the palate, Armand de Brignac has a sumptuous, racy fruit character that is perfectly integrated with the wines subtle brioche accents. The Champagnes texture is deliciously creamy, with great depth paired with a long, silky finish. Armand de Brignac Brut Gold is pressed from a perfectly balanced blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier wine. Sparkling CHAMPAGNE BLEND Wine

This wine is from France, Bordeaux region, Saint Emilion sub-region. Chateau Valandraud is the final achievement of an enormous sum of extremely hard, meticulous work on the part of a couple with a passion for wine, Jean-Luc Thunevin and his wife Murielle Andraud. Having become highly successful wine merchants in the Saint-Emilion area, their burning ambition was to own their own vineyard and make their own wine.Little by little, they bought up several parcels of vines. The name of the growth is both geographical (Val for Vale of Fongaban) and sentimental (Andraud being Murielles name). That was how Chateau Valandraud came on being.. A huge success for this demanding year, this sleeper of the vintage boasts a deep purple color...Read more

This wine is from United States, California region, Napa County sub-region and Napa Valley appellation. An improvement over the debut 2002, this blend of 97% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc is a limited production (400 cases) wine expensively packaged in a heavy bottle with a designer label. It exhibits a deep ruby/purple color along with a big, sweet nose of roasted espresso, mocha, chocolate, black cherries, and currants. Well-textured, with superb fruit purity and intensity, full body, and a long finish, it should be consumed over the next 7-8 years.
Dark in color, with wonderful perfumed cassis, currantand black cherry fruit that's openly aromatic. The flavorsare rich and polished on the palate, with a plush,den...Read more