Wine ChroniclesBring prices down in 2014 say Bordeaux buyers: open letter
By Panos Kakaviatos for wine-chronicles 25 January 2015 Last month, I purchased a bottle of 1966 Chateau Montrose, a top second growth from Bordeaux’s Saint Estephe appellation, which apparently did well in that vintage. The price for the bottle, which I purchased at an auction with apparently very good provenance, was less than $190. I […]
An evening of Château Pichon Longueville Baron: 1989-2010
By Panos Kakaviatos for wine-chronicles.com 21 January 2015 This was my sixth consecutive annual Bordeaux gala dinner in Washington D.C. The wines of Pichon Baron have been particularly excellent in recent memory since the 2000 vintage. Jean-Rene Matignon – who flew to Washington for this tasting dinner – has been at the helm since 1987 as […]
2012: Bouchard kicks ass. Older vintages, too.
By Panos Kakaviatos for wine-chronicles 17 January 2015 Bouchard Père & Fils is the largest estate in Burgundy’s famous Côte d’Or. At least since 2003, I have been a regular taster of wines made by Bouchard and appreciate winemaking director Philippe Prost’s aim towards elegance and finesse as an overall style. Indeed, even in hot […]
The empire strikes back: Latour 59 and 62 and why I love Bordeaux
11 January 2015 By Panos Kakaviatos for wine-chronicles.com Most of 2014 I spent visiting wine regions outside of Bordeaux, from Southern Styria to Nemea, Greece. Like many #wine lovers, I got tired of the escalating prices of top Bordeaux wines. And as much as I love Burgundy, there too, some domains have been jacking their […]
“Euro-Maidan” one year on: wine reflections from Kyiv
25 November 2014 By Panos Kakaviatos for Wine-Chronicles.com Last Friday marked the one year anniversary of the “Euro-Maidan” uprising that led to the ouster of Russia-backed former president Viktor Yanukovych – and later to Russia’s Crimea annexation and continued conflict in Donetsk and Luhansk. Underscoring the power of social media, the Associated Press reports that Ukraine’s revolution began […]
No crystal balls: assessing prenatal 2014 Burgundy
16 November 2014 By Panos Kakaviatos for Wine-Chronicles.com I always enjoy tasting the pre natal wines of the Hospices de Beaune with Michael Apstein, M.D., who is a frequent contributor to the San Francisco Chronicle, a wine educator for more than 20 years, a freelance contributor to many national magazines, James Beard Award winner for wine […]
Burgundy’s world famous auction kicks off
15 November 2014 By Panos Kakaviatos for Wine-Chronicles.Com November in Burgundy is known for Beaujolais Nouveau and the Hospices de Beaune wine auction. The latter is more interesting. This year’s auction takes place in the midst of absurd prices for top Burgundies, so we should not be surprised if another sales record is broken. As […]
Cru Bourgeois, if bored with the dough
TASTING CRU BOURGEOIS – BORDEAUX FOR DRINKERS – #DWCC2014 Readers take note: The fact that I have a full time job unrelated to wine permitted me to co present these wines without any payment – from either the cru bourgeois producers or from the DWCC. My interest and passion for these wines is not influenced […]
Alsace’s “classic” harvest in 2014
Seems to favor fresh styled dry wines, and could be great for crémant By Panos Kakaviatos in Strasbourg 2014 looks to be a “classic vintage” with high acidities and good ripening especially for Riesling and Pinot Blanc, reported Olivier Humbrecht of Zind Humbrecht in Turckheim, who finished harvesting in late September at his precocious vineyards. […]
Salt of the earth: discovering Portuguese culinary ease
18 September 2014 By Panos Kakaviatos for wine-chronicles.com I’m drinking 20-year-old Tawny Port and smoking a just decent enough Cuban as I write this after dinner feeling like worn out nobility. But I bought the bottle at the Lisbon airport before leaving Portugal and was truly impressed by the choice of Ports – and dry […]
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