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Review: Château Le Devoy Martine “Via Secreta” Lirac (2019)
It’s the best evening combo I could hope for: A favorite bistro, a couple of hours to kill, and a bottle of Rhône. Rhône reds (sadly) aren’t common in restaurants in my town. They’re usually crowded out by blockbuster Cabs and Paso Robles blends. In the best of cases, they’re relegated to one or two…
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Review: Kirkland Signature Vacqueyras (2023)
There are two types of people who buy the Kirkland Signature wines from Costco: Those who care about wine tasting, and those who (mostly) don’t. Among the latter group, Kirkland wines are convenient, cheap grocery items and house-party standbys. Grabbing a case of Prosecco or a jug of Chianti saves you money and a trip…
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Review: Bonpas Grande Réserve des Challières Ventoux (2020)
I get giddy over a great-value Rhône, and this one is a doozy: The Bonpas Grande Réserve des Challières Ventoux. It even looks substantial and rich. There’s the heavy embossed bottle, the rawkin’ Gothic font, and the castle on the label. I bought the Bonpas during a Grenache spree a year ago and promptly forgot…
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Wines of the Southern Rhône with Gabriel Meffre
The Rhône Valley came to visit Texas with a tasting of seven different appellations from Gabriel Meffre! From a delicate white Côtes du Rhône to a substantial Châteauneuf, these recent-vintage wines showed the range and drinkability of one of France’s most important regions. The class was hosted by Total Wine, which is the exclusive US…
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Costco Advent Calendar Wine #10: Vin Twenty Three Red Blend (Côtes du Rhône, France)
The quest to taste all the Costco advent calendar wines continues! Next up is Bottle #10, a Côtes du Rhône blend called Vin Twenty Three. The label descriptors for these bottles are mostly breathless, AI-generated slop. But perhaps they may be valuable to someone who is trying to decide whether they will like this wine,…
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Review: Château Montmirail “Beauchamp” Gigondas (2021)
Gigondas, meet gigantes! The homophonic pairing was Sarah’s idea. My wife adores the huge, creamy Greek beans known as gigantes. So when she heard me yammering on about the hearty Southern Rhône wines of Gigondas, it was ordained that the two should share a table one day soon. It was an easy enough meetup to…
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Review: Lavau Tavel Rosé (2020)
My most recent wine find is a shamrock in a field of clovers. A crane among chickens. A redhead in a room full of blondes. It’s a piquant and powerful rosé from Tavel. I’d heard about Tavel from wine geeks. But I’d never had the opportunity to taste one because unlike Côtes-du-Rhône and Provence rosés…
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Review: Domaine Philippe et Vincent Jaboulet Viognier (2022)
Viognier? More like, “Viogn-yay!” Today we’re reviewing a fruit-packed, exquisitely floral Viognier from veteran Rhône winemaker Philippe Jaboulet (and son). The Jaboulets sold their renowned family business Domaine Paul Jaboulet Aîné in 2006, retained a few small plots, and have since started a new life as independent winemakers. So this is no trend-chasing, clumsily made…