What Would Mikey Drink

Yet another killer 2005 burgundy. This is serious, dark, and takes more than an hour to start to come out of its shell. Then it is just delicious, with a field of dripping, ripe black fruits, and warm, damp dirt. It has a massive, complex palate and a huge finish, with lots of tannins. I [...]

This is the second wine of the Cos d’Estournel, the superstar Bordeaux producer. It is made in the same style as the Grand Vin, from the same site, just from younger vines that will be incorporated into the first wine in several years. It is an inexpensive way to sample the house style. Given the [...]

I am quite happy with this wine. It is an outstanding example of an old world style syrah from the Rhone, made by a top producer, for a reasonable price. It is a luxurious purple. It smells like cracked pepper laced plums, and tastes like a delicious blend of minerals, and spiced, black fruits, with [...]

I’ve enjoyed many versions of Lizzie’s reserve in the past. This bottle is a disappointment however. It appears to be a perfectly aged bottle, with great fill and a near ideal cork (no mold, 3/4 wine stains). It is lightly colored, light bodied, acidic, and tastes mostly like wet cardboard. There’s a stewed tomato component [...]

Yet another outstanding 2005 red burgundy. This one has a lovely, velvet ruby color. Boisterous dark fruit aromas with some mushrooms cascade through my head. The wine tastes delicious. I get bright, sweet fruit, but with lots of original character, impeccable balance, and a 30+ second finish. In case you can not tell, I think [...]

Burgundy is like poetry. Unlike Bordeaux (history), or Rhone (philosophy), it is probably impossible to assign an objective grade, especially at this quality level. Did anyone attempt to grade Walt Whitman’s poems? This is a singular, unique, and utterly compelling wine of incredible character. It is 18 years old, but tastes vibrant and fruity and [...]

Pesenti is a historic vineyard, first planted in 1923, and Turley is a very consistent producer of this often jammy, one-dimensional grape. This is a good example of zinfandel from an excellent site made by a talented winemaker. It is a deep, dark, pretty ruby. The smells are interesting and compelling. There’s something like nori [...]

I won this wine at the last Acker auction. It was about $55 per bottle. Yes, it is expensive, but an absolute bargain compared with the most recent release (the ’05, which is a better vintage, is worth about $300). Attending an auction is a great way to pick up some well aged wine, while [...]