Chip Hughes

6.1

Pure garbage. Wish I had some Ipecac. — a year ago

Chip Hughes

9.3

What a pleasure it is to drink Rioja that’s unabashedly old school; it smells and tastes like massively concentrated Tempranillo rather than like the mincemeat-and-herbs thing you get from American oak barrels. Fine, dusty tannins complete the package. This and a chunk of Manchego make a meal. — a year ago

Chip Hughes

9.2

Rapidly becoming a big fan of Demougeot. This lieu-dit Savigny- from an extremely challenging vintage- is spot on: all sap, sous-bois and savor. It’s also premier cru-level texture and complexity. A real achievement...and not at all expensive! — a year ago

Chip Hughes

9.3

More chiseled than the 2018. Preserved lemon, sea spray. Incredible, almost oily texture. Massive for villages-level Chablis. Something special. — a year ago

Chip Hughes

9.4

A big, rich, fatty Poulsard that’s both utterly typical and not plagued with the weedy reduction that can dampen the immediate enjoyment of these wines. Almost modern and Burgundian aromas and flavors of dark cherry, black tea and incense, which has to be a function of the warm, dry 2018 growing season. An excellent, affordable gateway Jura red for those who may have a little trepidation. — a year ago

Chip Hughes

9.4

Bourgogne Rouge in name only. This cuvée comes from an old vines plot of Meursault Pinot Noir, and it’s simply one of the most refined, tender and haunting Burgundies of the vintage. Wild fraises, roses and hints of clove and cinnamon...all in a delicate, shimmery framework. Extraordinary. — a year ago

Chip Hughes

9.2

This is “a feinherb” the same way a Ducati is “a motorcycle”. It’s all in the experience of sizzling acids, huge extract and wet, grayish slate minerality. Always a Saar highlight that shows what value is available in its less-expensive wines. — a year ago

Chip Hughes

9.1

Always at the very top of the Alsace Pinot Blanc A-list and always good value. Fresh cream, a bit of orange blossom; plenty of nerve and backbone, which sets it above the lactic, soupy pretenders. — a year ago

Chip Hughes

9.0

Waxy yellow fruits. A whiff of verbena. A nice salty/savory element. Admirable in its understatement and in not overreaching with excessive extraction, oak aging, etc. Peciña wines consistently over-deliver. — a year ago

Chip Hughes

9.5

Once the slight matchstick reduction blows off, this immediately becomes one of the most profound American Chenins I’ve ever tasted. Sourced from old vines patches in both Dry Creek, Sonoma and south of Sacramento. Riveting, detailed, oily in concentration and finishes close to a minute. Back label says this effort was encouraged by Leo Steen; go figure. My rating may prove conservative in a few years. — a year ago