On the heels of strong reviews of their 2012 wines, Napa winemakers are giddily predicting another outstanding vintage in 2013. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of Bordeaux.
Bordeaux’s 2013 harvest saw its share of problems, and in the months since, many chateaux seem to have projected a cautiously optimistic attitude while saying as little as possible — perhaps to avoid deflating demand.
Not Stephane Derenoncourt, though. The world-renowned winemaker who consults for a number of Bordeaux properties has now delivered an early assessment of the region’s 2013 vintage, and he’s done so with refreshing candor.
Continue reading Telling It Like It Is: Stephane Derenoncourt Calls Out Bordeaux’s 2013 Vintage
There are big stars and exclamation points in my calendar every year next to the date for Premiere Napa Valley. It’s Napa’s best wine event, a four hour marathon tasting (that you sprint to sample as much as possible!) of 225 of the valley’s finest wines, followed by a chance to bid on these once-in-a-lifetime five, ten, or twenty case lots. Everyone’s ‘A game’ material is on display, and the chance to spend time with each producer as you taste their wine is priceless insight on what makes their wine and the Napa Valley community so special.