Popular Wines
As magical and enigmatic as the world of wine can be, it’s not always easy to find your way around. Every day, inexperienced wine enthusiasts try to explore new blends and end up with a shopping list that their budget simply cannot support. Every high-quality wine is a unique, important experience, one that opens a person’s taste palate to a whole new world of flavor and pleasure. Something primal awakens within, urging you to find new and more compelling aromas and textures. But with so much to choose from, where do you begin?
When it comes to wine, popular blends are relatively common for a reason. They serve as an excellent entry point into the world of fine wine, and studying them lets you understand more obscure, complicated wines out there. A collection has to start somewhere, and these blends are often easier to get and help you develop your taste. Imagine bonding with your friends and family over a brand you’re all familiar with and able to appreciate to its fullest. Good wine offers something new, yet vaguely familiar with each glass, as your mouth picks up on subtleties in the liquid that tempt you further and inspire thought and introspection, uncorking new conversation topics and improving the mood no matter the situation.
If you’re looking for safe picks, you want to set your sights on quality brands from Italy, France, and Spain. A glass of sultry Sangiovese or Trebbiano Toscano can liven up a family meal and impress even the stuffiest guests while being a perfect partner to any traditional Italian dish you can think of. One taste of a Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay is enough to let France stand out as a breeding ground of divine, elegant elixirs that can fit the taste of any enthusiast. Meanwhile, Spain offers powerful blends such as Garnacha, Bobal, or Tempranillo, helping you create memorable moments out of even the most ordinary evening. And this is only scratching the surface.
Our goal is to introduce you to popular, tested brands the same way we would introduce you to a potential soulmate. With the right mood and some good timing, you can develop a healthy, pleasurable relationship with wine that lasts a lifetime.
When it comes to wine, popular blends are relatively common for a reason. They serve as an excellent entry point into the world of fine wine, and studying them lets you understand more obscure, complicated wines out there. A collection has to start somewhere, and these blends are often easier to get and help you develop your taste. Imagine bonding with your friends and family over a brand you’re all familiar with and able to appreciate to its fullest. Good wine offers something new, yet vaguely familiar with each glass, as your mouth picks up on subtleties in the liquid that tempt you further and inspire thought and introspection, uncorking new conversation topics and improving the mood no matter the situation.
If you’re looking for safe picks, you want to set your sights on quality brands from Italy, France, and Spain. A glass of sultry Sangiovese or Trebbiano Toscano can liven up a family meal and impress even the stuffiest guests while being a perfect partner to any traditional Italian dish you can think of. One taste of a Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay is enough to let France stand out as a breeding ground of divine, elegant elixirs that can fit the taste of any enthusiast. Meanwhile, Spain offers powerful blends such as Garnacha, Bobal, or Tempranillo, helping you create memorable moments out of even the most ordinary evening. And this is only scratching the surface.
Our goal is to introduce you to popular, tested brands the same way we would introduce you to a potential soulmate. With the right mood and some good timing, you can develop a healthy, pleasurable relationship with wine that lasts a lifetime.
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1969 Quinta Vale D. Maria Very Old Tawny Colheita Porto96WEThis limited production wine from one cask of aged tawny is amazingly concentrated. The spice, the wood flavors and the acidity have all come together to a point of supreme maturit..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $579.00 -
1975 La Mission Haut Brion97RPThis is undisputably the wine of the vintage, a year that was clearly over-exposed and over-rated, largely because it was better than the four vintages that preceded it. However, i..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $1,395.00 -
1977 Grahams Vintage Port93RPGraham is another great port house, producing one of the deepest-colored and sweetest styles of vintage port. Along with Taylor and Fonseca, Graham has probably been the most consi..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $155.00 -
1982 Ducru Beaucaillou97JDThe finest bottle I’ve had of this wine (which came from the estate), the 1982 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou continues to drink brilliantly and is a magical Saint-Julien. S..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $599.00 -
1982 Gruaud Larose98RPA massive wine that is clearly of first-growth quality in this vintage, the 1982 Gruaud Larose remains a youngster. A broodingly dense, thick, unctuously textured, inky/plum/garnet..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $799.00 -
1982 Latour100DECThere are hints of brick orange around the outer edges, but this is still beautifully rich red at the core, and the warmth of the vintage’s sunshine is clear from the first m..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $2,195.00 -
1982 Talbot95RPAlong with the 1986, the 1982 is one of the greatest Talbots ever made. Far more evolved than its stablemate, Gruaud Larose, it exhibits a dense garnet color to the rim along with ..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $399.00 -
1985 Ducru Beaucaillou92RPA wine of extraordinary charm and elegance, the dark garnet-colored 1985 Ducru-Beaucaillou has a floral, cedary nose intermixed with red and black currants as well as flowers. The ..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $295.00 -
1985 Dunn Napa Cabernet Sauvignon94WSIntense and concentrated, packed with ripe cassis, cherry and currant flavors that are rich and elegant. The acidity and tannins are crisp and juicy, offering great potential for t..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $299.00 -
1986 Dominus93RPI did not pick this out as Dominus in the blind tasting, largely because it came across as such a young, rich, blockbuster wine. One of the richest, densest, most concentrated offe..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $359.00 -
1986 Ducru Beaucaillou96JG(Château Ducru-Beaucaillou (St. Julien) Re-Furbished at the Château in 2011) Ducru-Beaucaillou has recently re-released several vintages from the era when there was som..." Learn MoreAs low as $299.00 -
1986 Joseph Phelps Insignia94RPThis surprisingly rich, dark garnet-colored Insignia displays notes of cedarwood, tobacco leaf, black currants, graphite and damp earth. Medium to full-bodied with remarkable densi..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $359.00 -
1986 Lafite Rothschild100DECWe are in perfectly-aged claret territory here, the most beautiful impression of a wine at its plateau. It's perfectly ready to drink and is still generous, with a long life ahead ..." Learn MoreAs low as $1,745.00 -
1986 Leoville Las Cases100DECMichel Delon, then owner, believed this to be the greatest wine he ever made. It's not often the case that wines with this much expectation riding on them live up to the hype, but ..." Learn MoreAs low as $669.00 -
1986 Margaux98+AGThe 1986 Chateau Margaux was even more emotionally moving. Still incredibly youthful, it showed incredible focus and depth, all backed up by considerable structure. As hard as it m..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $899.00 -
1987 Heitz Cabernet Sauvignon Martha's Vineyard96JG(Cabernet Sauvignon “Martha’s Vineyard”- Heitz Wine Cellars) The 1987 Martha’s Vineyard hails back to the time when the labels stated 13.5 percent alcohol, ..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $529.00 -
1987 Silverado Napa Cabernet Sauvignon92WSSmooth, ripe and harmonious, with layers of black cherry, plum, currant and anise, finishing with a smooth texture and a long, lingering aftertaste.--1987 California Cabernet horiz..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $239.00 -
1988 Cos D'Estournel92WSBeautiful aromas of fresh herbs, such as tarragon and mint, with berry and cherry undertones. Medium- to full-bodied, with fine tannins that are polished and very pretty. Caressing..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $289.00 -
1988 d'Yquem99RPThe 1988 is a backward-styled Yquem, built along the lines of the extraordinary 1975. With a honeyed, smoky, orange/coconut/pineapple-scented nose, this powerful wine possesses ful..." Learn MoreAs low as $299.00 -
1988 Latour96WSSo minty, with loads of subtle ripe fruit and eucalyptus undertones. Full-bodied, with ultrafine tannins and a long, long finish. Caresses every inch of the palate. It's the qualit..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $795.00 -
1989 Cos D'Estournel94JSA wonderful depth of fruit with very firm and dense tannins. It has so much character of olives, spices, and berries. It's the wine’s freshness and intensity that won me over..." Learn MoreAs low as $305.00 -
1989 Figeac97JSExquisite old wine with sweet tobacco leaf, gorgeous fruit and hints of iodine and oyster shell. Full-bodied, yet so polished and refined. The tannins melt into the wine. So lovely..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $365.00 -
1989 La Mission Haut Brion100RPBoth La Mission-Haut-Brion and Haut-Brion hit home runs in this vintage, which did not produce as many profound wines as the Bordeaux publicity machine suggested. 1989, the 200th a..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $1,785.00 -
1989 Lafleur99JSI am almost always in awe of Lafleur and this is one of the best. This is so subtle at first, but then the enchanting aromas of olive leaves, ivy, licorice, tar and treacle wash ov..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $2,169.00
