Commentary and analysis of the Fogolar Wines, 2016 Picone Vineyard Cabernet Franc, VQA Vinemount Ridge, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada

Commentary and analysis of the Domaine Filliatreau, 2001 Saumur-Champigny “Vieilles Vignes”

Commentary and analysis of the Domaine de la Chevalerie, 2015 Bourgueil ‘Les Galichets’

Commentary and analysis of the Garage Wine Co., 2018 Las Higueras Vineyard Cabernet Franc, Maule, Central Valley, Chile

Commentary and analysis of the Domaine Xavier et Agnès Amirault, 2019 St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil “Les Gravilices”

Commentary and analysis of the Domaine des Closiers, 2020 Saumur-Champigny “Les Closiers”

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Chambers in Manhattan - the post-pandemic reincarnation of Racines NY, which existed in the same space. The food, hospitality and vibe exceeded my expectations. But let’s be serious here. I went to Chambers for the wine list.

Commentary and analysis of the Christian Tschida, 2018 Non-Tradition Red, Burgenland, Austria

Commentary and analysis of the Manoir de la Bellonnière (Patrice et Alexandre Moreau), 2020 Chinon ‘Les Battereaux’

Commentary and analysis of the Kelly Washington, 2018 Cabernet Franc, Bridge Pa Triangle, Hawke’s Bay (North Island), New Zealand

Commentary and analysis of the Therianthropy Wines, 2020 “The Negotiant Cabernet Franc, VQA Lincoln Lakeshore, Niagara, ON, Canada

Commentary and analysis of the Aurélien Revillot, 2018 Bourgueil “Sur Les Hauts”

Commentary and analysis of the Domaine Arnaud Lambert (Château de Brézé), 2011 Saumur Rouge ‘Clos de l’Etoile’

Commentary and analysis of the Early Mountain, 2019 Quaker Run Vineyard Cabernet Franc, Central Virginia, Virginia, USA

Commentary and analysis of the Bracco Bosca, 2019 Gran Ombú Cabernet Franc, Atlantída, Canelones, Uruguay

Commentary and analysis of the Le Dôme, 2009 St-Emilion Grand Cru, Bordeaux

A look back on the incredible year that 2022. I tasted A LOT of wines, and not nearly as many as I had hoped. But there is a lot more to come in 2023! Here is a round up of some of my most memorable wines I tried this year.

Cabernet Franc and Brazil may not be a grape-place combination that immediately leaps to mind, but for the latter part of the 19th century, and for the better part of the 20th century, Cabernet Franc was an important variety in the early years of the Brazilian wine industry.

Lenoir Chinon is somewhat of a unicorn in wine circles. Produced in miniscule quantities, and released periodically to the market, and only then after a very long elevage, these wines are very hard to find.

Commentary and analysis of the Pillitteri Estates 2012 Exclamation Cab Franc, VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake Canada