Chip Hughes

9.2

Raspberry coulis juice bomb. Dark, pure, direct. Incredible focus and energy. Crushable plushness. — 2 days ago

Chip Hughes

9.4

Sous voile. Saline, ultra-sleek, tense. Macadamia and pears. Incredibly long finish. A 20-25 year wine that gives a lot of pleasure now. One of the best US Rieslings I’ve ever tasted. — 7 days ago

Chip Hughes

8.8

Needs at least a day of aeration. Goes from simple and smelling like mediocre Hermitage Blanc to a more open, exotic profile: jasmine, chamomile, white flowers and almonds. Tannins have resolved. Not exceptional, but a very competent effort. — 17 days ago

Chip Hughes

9.2

Dialed back on the Syrah this vintage. The extra Sangio and Grenache give it lift and freshness. One of my favorites of the past few years...super aromatic! — 2 days ago

Chip Hughes

9.2

Proper Barbaresco from a great vintage. Right in the sweet spot: burnt sugar, quatre épices, roasted plums. The ultra-structure that all the great ‘10s have make this a likely candidate to drink well for another 10 years. Amazing that this is still in stores for $30 or less. — 12 days ago

Chip Hughes

9.3

I’m old enough to remember when Bordeaux wasn’t a Parkerized delivery system for skullbusting levels of alcohol. This reminds me of a charming, “luncheon claret”-type Right Bank thing that used to be the mainstay of good stores and restaurant wine lists: cranberry, raspberry, a touch of Cab Franc sap and herbs. The world needs more truly medium-bodied reds like this. — 17 days ago

Chip Hughes

9.0

Big, rich and dark...but nicely balanced and neither overextracted nor too high in alcohol. Always good value. — 4 days ago

Chip Hughes

9.3

Still the gold standard. Rich, elegant, persistent. Especially fresh in ‘15. — 8 days ago

Chip Hughes

9.0

Gateway Savoie? Fresh, with aromas and flavors of white flowers and citrus blossoms. A noticeable hit of RS makes it go down easy but doesn’t manage to cover for the low (for Savoie) acidity or clipped finish. A great wine for the hardcore Chardonnay crowd, though. — 14 days ago

Chip Hughes

9.3

Super fruity, energetic and pure. Cherries and minerals. Just the tiniest bit of brett adds bottom notes and complexity. Kind of perfect for what it is. — 18 days ago