Our Table to Your's

Wine: 2004 Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino
Region: Tuscany
Sokolin Price: $54.95/btl
Rating: 95 RP

The 2004 Brunellos are red hot right now and we found a near perfect 95 point wine for less than $55 that we tried just last night. It was so extraordinary that we had to share it with you immediately! The 2004 Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino is bursting at the seams with notes of dark fruit, spice and chocolate covered cherries, and it coats the palate like velvet. This wine is drinking fabulously now and will last another 20+ years. It's really a gem, and for those of you who have been buying wine for years, you know how difficult is to find a 95 point wine at this price. 2004 Brunellos of this pedigree and rating command much higher prices.

These days, we are all looking for value wines that we can share with family and friends without feeling like we overpaid for the bottle. In our last article,

Wine: 2007 Roessler Cellars Pinot Noir la Brisa
Region: California
Sokolin Price: $27.95/btl
Rating: 92 WS

2007 California Pinot Noirs are undoubtedly the best vintage we've ever tasted. We were again reminded of just how incredible they are when we served the 2007 Roessler Cellars Pinot Noir la Brisa a few nights ago at a restaurant in NYC. Dark purple in color, notes of perfume and floral hints emerged upon the first swirl and sniff. It is described by Wine Spectator as "tightly structured, firm and concentrated, with a trim beam of spice, earthen floor, dried currant and cranberry fruit that holds onto its earthy tannins through the long finish." Well said.

The interesting thing for us to note is that the la Brisa was the third wine of the evening and followed a polished legendary heavyweight, a 1995 bottle of Chateau Mouton Rothschild that sells for close to $400/btl. To be candid, the Mouton

Wine: 2008 Varner Foxglove Chardonnay
Region: California
Sokolin Price: $14.95/btl
Rating: 91 RP

Looking back at the line-up we've reviewed and brought to your attention thus far, it dawned on us that we hadn't presented any white wine selections to you. It prompted us to sample a young chardonnay, the 2008 Varner Foxglove Chardonnay. For all white wine lovers out there, this one is not to be missed! We paired the wine with baked grey sole (also cooked with a splash of the chardonnay) & baby red-skinned potatoes, & the combination was just right. A light golden color, it smelled of fresh pears, melons, minerals, & gave off the slightest hint of summer flowers. It was crisp & alive upon the first sip & reminded us of sunny days that seem way too distant at this cold time of year.

Robert Parker said that these wines are "absolutely spectacular bargains from the very high-quality

As we recently mentioned in one of our previous articles, the 2004 Brunello di Montalcinos are extraordinary, and top industry critics have given these wines rave reviews. But, the Collemattoni Brunello di Montalcino takes excellence to another level - this wine absolutely has the "wow factor." Loaded with hints of black licorice, dark fruit (especially cherries) and earth, this wine is extremely velvety, supple, silky and in a nutshell, very appealing.

Camped by the fireplace, we enjoyed this bottle of wine without any food, and it was wonderful. You know a wine is amazing when you don't even need to pair it with food to experience its full effect and splendor. The glycerin content was high, as evidenced by the wine's long "legs" that slowly made its way down the glass. The finish seemed to go on forever. We expect this wine to drink well for another 15 years.

Of all the amazing '04 Brunello di Montalcinos we've tasted (and we've sampled a lot!), the Collemattoni Brunello

Wine: 2006 BV Tapestry Reserve
Region: California
Sokolin Price: $27.99
Rating: 93 WS

During a quiet night at home, we decided to sample one of our most recent best-selling wines, the 2006 BV Tapestry Reserve. Upon first taste, it was easy to understand why. This wine is rich with dark fruit bursts, scattered with a dash of graphite and black licorice and exudes old-world style. With its blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot & petit verdot (a classic French blend), it has obvious similarities to a Bordeaux wine and could be mistaken for one by some. It's a rare opportunity to taste a combination of Bordeaux style intermingled with the power and finesse of California fruit. With its long finish, this wine should hold up well over the next 15-20 years.

Now the critics: Robert Parker said that this wine "is the finest example of this cuvee I have

Wine: 2006 Argiano Solengo
Region: Tuscany
Sokolin Price: $69.95/btl
Rating: 93 RP

Anyone who subscribes to our daily offer and collector's corner emails knows very well that we firmly believe that the 2006 vintage was an incredible one for Tuscany.  The critics seem to agree.  "The 2006s are big, full-bodied wines loaded with super-ripe fruit, but with plenty of stuffing underneath..."  "I continue to be impressed with the consistently stunning 2006s from Tuscany."  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.

Given these outstanding reviews that we are constantly reading, we again opted to try a wine of this vintage and chose the 2006 Argiano Solengo (meaning, to go it alone).  With this wine, we served a whole roasted duck, along with red bliss potatoes cooked in some of the duck fat.  In one word: delicious!  Selecting the Solengo proved to be a wise choice on our part

Wine: 2006 Pahlmeyer Merlot
Region: California
Sokolin Price: $64.95/btl
Rating: 94 RP

Robert Parker said that "if you are not on Pahlmeyer's mailing list, there is little chance of securing these wines in the marketplace." 

Well...we've just got our hands on a classic wine made by the superstar Cali producer, Pahlmeyer, at a very LOW price!  The 2006 Pahlmeyer Merlot is a wine that you should NOT pass up.  The release price on this wine was around $80/bottle, and we're able to offer it to you for only $64.95/bottle!

At a small dinner party over the weekend, we served this wine with homemade Tuscan tomato soup and slices of fresh French bread drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with fresh grated parmesan.  The pairing was astonishing.  We always say "food was made for wine," and wine continually takes center stage

Wine: 2004 Celler de Cantonella Cervoles Tinto
Region: Spain
Sokolin Price: $19.95/btl
Rating: 92 RP

In looking back over our article archive, we decided it was time to call your attention to a Spanish wine from one of their great vintages.  Spain is one of the largest wine producing countries, and lately, they've become known for turning out some remarkable bottles.  The 2004 vintage was one of its most important and celebrated vintages, and is just downright superb. 

The 2004 Celler de Cantonella Cervoles Tinto is an excellent example of how impressive the 2004 vintage is overall.  Full of smoke, tobacco, oak, and even a hint of bacon, it was incredibly smooth and silky.  Its unbelievable smoothness and approachability honestly surprised us and was completely unexpected.  That's the beauty of wine - it can often take you by surprise!  This wine is drinking so PERFECTLY

Wine: 2007 Ramey Chardonnay Sonoma Coast
Region: California
Sokolin Price: $29.95/btl
Rating: 91 ST

This past weekend, we invited a small group of friends over for dinner and served up a delicious dish of linguine with fresh New Zealand Cockles and clam juice accompanied by one of the most recent additions to our inventory, the 2007 Ramey Chardonnay Sonoma Coast.  Producing some exceptional medium bodied and flavorful Chardonnays, Ramey has made quite a name for itself in the industry.   

A light yellowish-straw like color, the wine was buttery, not too over oaked and chock-full of citrus fruit, but amazingly, wasn't too sweet.  Its crisp refreshing flavor with just the right amount of acidity was quite welcoming, especially since the red pepper in our linguine dish was just a tad spicier than we would have liked.  This wine really cut the spice factor and is a perfect

France's Burgundy region is one of the most acclaimed wine producing regions and is a favorite among those wine aficionados with the most discerning and refined palates.  Serious wine collectors always end up in this region.  Extremely tiny and very, very limited productions result in many wines from this region being highly sought-after prizes.  Typically, the demand for high-end Burgundian wines far exceeds the supply that's out there for purchase.

It's always fun and interesting to taste a younger wine side-by-side with an older wine produced in the same exact area and appellation.  You can really gain some valuable insight as to how the younger wine will evolve and what it will taste like years from now.  We decided to experiment with this idea again and sampled two wines from the same appellation, Charmes Chambertin, but with different producers & vintages.