Review: NV The Mill Keeper Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon
The Mill Keeper is a second label from Napa’s Gamble Family Vineyards, and it’s described as “a portfolio specializing in multi vintage, environmentally conscious wines at a sustainable price point.” We received the two wines in the collection, which represent Napa’s bread and butter varietals. NV The Mill Keeper Chardonnay Napa Valley – Bold notes of…
Review: St-Remy Signature Brandy
St-Remy is French brandy but it’s not Armagnac and it’s not Cognac. It’s actually made from grapes from all over France: Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Beaujolais, the Rhône and Loire valleys, and Languedoc-Roussillon. That’s unusual for France, but it gives Cecile Roudaut, who’s been with parent company Remy-Cointreau since 1997, a lot more flexibility when it…
Review: Wines of Merry Edwards, 2020 Vintage
Merry Edwards‘ summer wine releases are upon us, with typically delightful results. Today we look at a collection of four wines. 2020 Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley – An iconic, brilliant example of California sauvignon blanc at its best. Bright lemon pairs well with soothing coconut, green fig, and hints of ruby red…
Review: Hidden Barn Bourbon Series 1
Jackie Zykan’s recent departure from Old Forester for a whiskey startup sent shockwaves through the bourbon world, and I swear you can still feel them. For those who missed it, Hidden Barn was founded by Zykan and Nate Winegar and Matt Dankner of Colorado’s 5280 Whiskey Society, and while they get their own Kentucky-based operations…
Review: 2021 Ancient Peaks Sauvignon Blanc Paso Robles
The 2021 vintage finds us with a solid expression of sauvignon blanc from Paso Robles’s Ancient Peaks, notes of elderflower and lemon doing the heavy lifting, with hints of grapefruit and a touch of cantaloupe adding a little nuance. Slight floral notes emerge on the finish. Easy-drinking, perhaps to a fault, it’s a wine that…
Champagne’s Challenge Is Consistency: An Interview with Maison Mumm Cellar Master Laurent Fresnet
For his first two years as Maison Mumm‘s Cellar Master, Laurent Fresnet connected with much of his audience from a distance. Fresnet assumed the role in January 2020. Just weeks later, worldwide lockdowns restricted travel and put a pause in his goal to meet face-to-face with consumers in the Champagne house’s international markets. That didn’t…
Book Review: Bar Menu: 100+ Drinking Food Recipes for Cocktail Hours at Home
For his second book of 2022, Andre Darlington takes a detour from the pleasurable Booze & Vinyl series, taking the dominant focus off making cocktails for a few hundred pages, and examining the possibilities of how higher-end bar food can enhance a proper night in while mixing drinks. Obviously, a few cocktail recipes are included…
Review: Bhakta 50 Armagnac “The Barrel Odyssey” (Barrels 21, 22, and 23)
Spirits mogul Raj Bhakta’s second act has pushed historic age statements into new territory, with most bottles of his Bhakta 50 Armagnac featuring at least some vintage spirit dating to 1868. The rest comes from various barrels dating between the late 19th and mid-20th centuries, with the youngest vintage produced in 1970. As such, no…
