The notion that Chateau Bellefont-Belcier 1998 (a combination of Merlot and Cabernet Franc from Bordeaux’s “right bank” region of St. Emilion) was produced in the same year that I graduated from college made me feel a bit like I was opening a time-capsule when I popped the cork…. not to mention, old.  But anyway, the […]

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Ed’s Red Napa Valley 2005 is a mixture of Bordeaux varietals (47% Cabernet Franc, 11% Merlot, and 11% Cabernet Sauvignon) with Syrah (16%) and Petite Sirah (13%), and in  stereotypical California style, it is enormous.  The intensity of its purplish ruby red color – it’s practically opaque – was a nice clue as to its large body, but we only experienced […]

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The Domaine de la Pépière Cuvée Granit 2006 is classified as a Vin de Pays (the link is to Wikipedia), which is a classfication level below that of the French wines, appellation d’origine contrôlée, that we’ve reviewed in the past, and the wine hails from a poducer known more for its whites — Muscadet, to be precise — than reds.     
Still, we found this blend […]

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We were in the mood for something different when we purchased the Olaia Dehesa de Rubiales 2004, and different is certainly what we ended up with.  This wine bears very little resemblance to any of the others we’ve reviewed previously.
The Olaia is composed mostly of Prieto Picudo (50%) – a darkly colored, nearly extinct grape that is grown almost exclusively in Spain and […]

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