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If I Could Buy Only One – August 30th Vintages Release


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By John Szabo MS Earlier this year I attended the Anteprime di Toscana, the annual release of new vintages from all the major Tuscan appellations (with the exception of Brunello di Montalcino, which hosts a separate preview tasting in November). It’s always a brilliant opportunity to catch up with producers, taste soon-to-be-released wines, and get […] More

John Szabo’s Buyer’s Guide to Vintages August 30th Release


If It’s in the Buyer’s Guide, It’s Worth Buying, and Navigating “Scoreflation” By John Szabo MS, with notes from David Lawrason, Michael Godel, Megha Jandhyala and Sara d’Amato Navigating the Scoreflation First, just a brief word on the admittedly tired subject of wine scores. We know that you know this already, but considering the theme […] More

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Carmenere

The Carmenère grape is a red variety originally planted in the Médoc region of Bordeaux, France, where it was used for blending purposes in the same manner as Petit Verdot. Now rarely found in France, the world's largest area planted with this variety is in Chile in South America. Chilean plantings, brought from France in the 19th Century, were originally thought to be Merlot, before being correctly identified in 1994 and, since then, used as a distinctive signature by the country's producers. Carmenère wine has a deep red color and aromas found in red fruits, spices and berries, with tannins that are gentler and softer than those in Cabernet Sauvignon. Although mostly used as a blending grape, wineries do bottle a pure varietal Carmenère which. Its taste might also be reminiscent of dark chocolate, tobacco, and leather. The wine is best drunk young.