Chip Hughes

9.0

Excellent gateway Cabby Frank and always one of the better values in the Kermit Loire portfolio. Cool, ferrous, fruits de sous-bois, shade wrapper leaf. Complete, sumptuous and satisfying. — a day ago

Chip Hughes

9.1

Viognier, harvested as it’s barely ripe and still pear-like. Excellent acidity and zip...features sorely lacking in many tired, hot and treacly southern Rhône bottlings based on this fickle grape. Ridiculous quality for the price. — 6 days ago

Chip Hughes

9.1

A little extra concentration and pointed acidity this vintage. And the usual bucket of yellow cherries and tangerines. — 10 days ago

Chip Hughes

9.0

The Urbans-Hof wines tend toward the broader, fleshier end of the Mosel spectrum, but they’re also rich and crowd pleasing. Lots of apricot and white peach. — a day ago

Chip Hughes

8.8

Very good...but priced like it’s great. Tons of Grüner out there just as good, for a lot less. — 5 days ago

Chip Hughes

9.0

Amazing what can be done with Nouveau when the grower is careful, unrushed and authentic. Exuberant, fresh and clear; full of life. Just the thing for yesterday’s turkey binge. — 8 days ago

Chip Hughes

9.4

To my mind, the quintessential $20 Oregon Pinot: explosive aromas of boysenberry and spice, with corresponding flavors, concentration and a superfine, acid finish. Burgundian in its lower alcohol and understatement, it’s the kind of confident, relaxed effort to be expected from a winemaker who has Burgundy in her DNA. — 11 days ago

Chip Hughes

9.3

Chamomile, poached pear, acacia, pain grillé, mushroom tea, quatre épices, baked bones. On the downslope, but still quite vital, as all the oxidative elements are still in tension and balance. The Martin brothers rank with Corsin, Janin and Cornin as the very best growers in the Maconnais. — 3 days ago

Chip Hughes

9.5

No words. Natty crunk meets ‘60s right bank Bordeaux. Luncheon claret...as you might have been served by Warhol or Timothy Leary. The Merlot seems a bit riper and more assertive in this vintage, but the CF wrapper leaf and cranberry pop comes in on the surprisingly suave and sneaky-tannic finish. There are no better wines being made in America if you love things that have one foot firmly rooted in the classics and the other with the itch for the new. Superlative and timeless. — 7 days ago

Chip Hughes

9.3

Miles to go. Needed five days of rough handling to show very primary elements of tea rose, umeboshi, hard crack caramel and intense mineral savor. The one interesting thing is that the tannins are soft and dusty from the get. Don’t bother checking back for 5-7 years on this one. — 11 days ago