drink now, hold or past peak?

Posted: May 16, 2012 By Tim Fish

Milla Handley was making Pinot Noir in the Anderson Valley before it was cool to be there. She has championed that remote valley in Mendocino County since launching Handley Cellars in 1982, back when winemaking there was just taking baby steps.

"In the old days, we were using old dairy tanks for fermenters," Handley said. "And we weren't sure we could get still wine grapes ripe or not."

Things change in 30 years. Anderson Valley has matured and is now considered one of California's best spots for Pinot Noir. Handley recently marked her three decades in the business by opening a few older wines from her extensive cellar.

News & Features : What We're Drinking Now

Souvenirs of 1986

Château Cos-d’Estournel St.-Estèphe 1986

Posted: April 30, 2012 By Thomas Matthews

News & Features : What We're Drinking Now

A Top Austrian White, More Than a Decade On

Nigl Riesling Qualitätswein Trocken Kremstal Senftenberger Piri Privat 1999

Posted: February 21, 2012 By Bruce Sanderson

News & Features : What We're Drinking Now

Silk and Roses

Château Margaux Margaux 1929

Posted: October 25, 2011 By Thomas Matthews

News & Features : What We're Drinking Now

Tony D’s Mystery Decanter

Ridge Mataro California Evangelo Vineyards 1990

Posted: September 6, 2011 By Thomas Matthews

News & Features : What We're Drinking Now

An Outstanding Port, Three Decades Later

Dow Vintage Port 1977

Posted: August 15, 2011 By Bruce Sanderson

News & Features : What We're Drinking Now

An Aged Cabernet for a Significant Dinner

Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District Reserve 1999

Posted: June 29, 2011 By Tim Fish

News & Features : Retrospective / Vertical

2001 California Cabernet Retrospective: Stunning at Age 10

Fourteen wines earn classic scores, with 37 more rating outstanding

Posted: June 27, 2011 By James Laube

News & Features : What We're Drinking Now

Sharing a Landmark Cabernet With My Family

Chateau St. Jean Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County Cinq Cépages 1996

Posted: June 10, 2011 By Thomas Matthews

Blogs : Harvey Steiman At Large

Abundance of Riches

A parade of Rhône-style wines makes for a memorable evening

Posted: June 6, 2011 By Harvey Steiman

The bottle of Henschke Hill of Grace 1996 rested in my cellar for about a decade, waiting for the right occasion. It came out Sunday night at the annual dinner I donate, along with my longtime friend Archie McLaren, to the Central Coast Wine Classic auction. Last year's lot centered on Rhône-style wines—French wines from Archie's cellar, Syrah- and Viognier-based bottles of Australia and Washington from mine.

We had some great names in the lineup, including top vintages from Jean-Louis Chave, M. Chapoutier, Paul Jaboulet Aîné and Château de Beaucastel. But the HoG stole the show. As well it should, being the greatest single-vineyard wine in Australia in the greatest vintage there of our lifetime.

Blogs : James Laube's Wine Flights

Two Napa Cabernet Verticals with Fred Schrader

The California Cabernet icon pulled out two verticals of his Beckstoffer To Kalon and T-6 Cabernets when I interviewed him last year

Posted: May 19, 2011 By James Laube

m as curious as everyone else about how well certain wines age, and one of the stress tests, if you will, is to taste older vintages.

When interviewing Fred Schrader last year, he poured two verticals to show how the wines were aging. Both flights were extraordinary and very revealing; all of the wines were outstanding (or better), youthful, vibrant and concentrated. Moreover, they all showed great potential for years ahead. The first flight came from the wine he's made the longest, the Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard, followed by the T-6 bottling, which takes its name from the clone of the same name.

News & Features : What We're Drinking Now