2019 Brunello di Montalcino is “…the vintage we’ve all been waiting for,” so “Buckle your seatbelts,” and strap on your helmets because the newest vintage from Montalcino is “…an embarrassment of riches for collectors and fans of the appellation” (Eric Guido, Vinous Media). The hotly anticipated Brunellos have “…definitely lived up to [their] lofty reputation as an excellent vintage across Montalcino” (Kerin O’Keefe). It showcases the extraordinary qualities of Sangiovese, Tuscany’s most famous and beloved grape variety, and its ability to exploit the region’s phenomenal terroir. This “…magical year…” (Giacomo Neri of Casanova di Neri) of “radiance and appeal” (Eric Guido) will likely set a new benchmark for Brunello wines for years to come.
According to Italian wine expert, Kerin O’Keefe, she has “…never tasted so many drop-dead-gorgeous young Brunellos from a single vintage.” She confesses that many of the best wines stopped her in her tracks, generating that “…magical moment
Could you live on bread, cheese and wine? I have always thought that I could, so on a rainy weekend when I was the only one home and cooking seemed superfluous, I put that theory to the test. Add a classic book that I decided to re-read (the release of the author’s only other book is imminent), and I had the recipe for a blissful two days. 
There has been a huge demand in the market for 2010 Barolo, universally considered a “classic” vintage. Partly because the combination of a long, cool growing season and attention to details in viticulture and vinification allow these “classic” wines to be enjoyed in their youth as well as evolve over time. This is slightly different from the previous “classic” vintage of 2006 which produced slightly bigger and more powerful wines with denser tannins that will take a number of years to shed. That being said, drinking 2006s nearly a decade in, you still can taste the pedigree of the great wines and get a glimpse into the gorgeous and complex juice they surely will become. I can’t think of a better way to experience this for yourself than by sampling a bottle from the small stash of 
Spring is in the air and to me that calls for popping a delicious bottle of white wine to be enjoyed outside with friends. I was looking for something really special and unique, and I found it. The 
As my colleague Daron blogged about recently, the hottest releases on the market right now are the 2010 Brunellos. James Suckling was the first to report on the vintage and said “The year 2010 for Brunello di Montalcino is the greatest modern vintage of Italy’s most famous red wine region.” Antonio Galloni also recently released his report and stated that “Two thousand ten has turned out to be a superb vintage for Brunello di Montalcino”. Needless to say with all of the hype around the vintage, we’ve been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the 2010 Brunellos, and thankfully they’re just starting to roll in! The one that caught my eye was one of the better price-points from the vintage: 
Wilde Farm Winery was actually a horse farm long before it became a winery. In fact, the 
My favorite duty as a Sokolin Wine Consultant is to sample wines that are unique, rare or limited in production. This week, I had the pleasure of experiencing a new arrival, the 
The hottest releases currently in the wine market easily have to be the long-awaited 2010 Brunellos. It is a vintage many producers describe as “perfect”, a “dream”, and the “vintage of a lifetime.” After frequent rains in spring (which ultimately would assist in feeding the vines for the remainder of the year) pushed back the beginning of veraison a bit, a long and stable summer followed. According to the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino, this allowed “a harmonious development of the phenolic and sugar ripening” and “extremely high levels of total polyphenols, anthocyanins and extract rarely found in” Sangiovese. In short, this created complex wines with wonderful perfumes, solid structure, great balance and the ability to be enjoyed young as well as age. The first of the 2010s to arrive for us here at Sokolin was the 
Sunday evenings have become a really special time in my household. Whether we are able to host family and friends or it is an evening for two, my husband and I set aside a couple of hours to enjoy what has quickly become a new tradition – Downton Night! We carefully select the appetizers or snacks to be served and choose a bottle of wine or two to share. There is some debate as to whether the party really starts when the cork is popped or when dramatic music and the sight of a yellow Labrador Retriever walking toward a castle fill the screen – I like to think it is a happy combination of both.
As cold weather approached this weekend, I was thinking about drinking something that would not only pair well with the hearty meal I was preparing, but would pair well with my soul. Then it hit me! A warm California Cabernet Sauvignon. Truly heavy enough to warm me up and charming enough to take me away to the hills of Sonoma and forget about this cold weather. So I chose the 2012 Bucklin Old Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon.