The Asian Winehunter

Over the years, by trial and error one usually goes through quite a few corkscrews. Some are just horrible but others have worked quite well. If this saves you time, agony and undue trouble then it would have been worth it. This is what works for me and continues do to so. Screwpulls This brand from france is probably the easiest corkscrew to use and works very well in 95% of the situations. The nice part is it requires very little training or "skill" to successfully open a bottle. Here are my two favorite versions. The "deluxe" version . Guaranteed to wow your friends with the plunge action. Its also one which I find being used less and less because its just too darn big - overkill most of the time. This particular portable version is my favorite portable screwpull - its a 2-piece with a "finger" lever. This provides more leverage than the usual single piece versions which have a smaller handle and effective leverage. The blade in this foil cutter is not...

Domaine Jean Francois Coche Dury is a very small vigneron located in Mersault. While production levels are extremely limited, his reputation is anything but that. The property holdings are about 26 acres. The yields are low with generally high vine age and plot density. The methods are about as traditional and "old-fashioned" as one can get. Careful selection of "Organic" fertilizers (i.e. manure) and avoidance of chemicals are practiced. First and foremost Coche-Dury pays attention in the vineyards whether its plowing, fertilizers, pruning, de-budding etc... The current portfolio includes Corton Charlemagne, Mersault Perrieres, Caillerets, Narvaux, Rougeots, Vireuilts, Chevalieres. There are some reds in Auxey-Duresse, Monthelie and even a 1er Cru Volnay ( ??!!) - the majority is Mersault however. The Coche-Dury Portfolio (not necessarily comprehensive): Corton Charlemagne - Grand Cru Coche-Dury's plot sits in the center of Corton Charlemagne. The soild consist...

Whenever a bunch of Burg nuts get together. The inescapable question is "who are your favorite producers, domaines and negociants". Well here is my short list. It's a bit long but hope it helps. Bernard Dugat-Py is a ‘small’ family operation located in Gevrey Chambertin. This operation’s first vintage was 1989 and produces outstanding examples of what Gevrey Chambertin is capable of. Prior to this, their wines were purchased by negociants for bottling under their own names. Total vineyards cover 8.06 hectares or ~20 acres. Much of these are old vines and therefore produce lower yielding smaller sized fruit berries. This reduces the need for a ‘green harvest’ – a common practice in Burgundy to restrain yields. The domaine essentially adheres to organic farming methods and eschews fertilizers and weed killers. All grapes are manually harvested with complete de-stemming. Wild yeasts are used and wines are neither fined nor filtered. The suggested bottle age by the Domaine ar...

Since this is a blog on wine, I thought it might be worth sharing a few good reads as of late. The Emperor of Wine - The rise of Robert M. Parker, JR. Whichever camp ( pro or anti Parker ) you belong in, this biography of RMP is a must read. While I am told some of the facts in this book are not quite correct - it still a thoroughly enjoying read. The reader gets sucked into the wine world with its myriad of colorful characters. 94pts The Accidental Connoissuer - An Irreverant Journey through the wine world. The title is exactly how it reads, an almost random romp through wine world. Charming & witty at times however be prepared for more than a few "boring patches". 88pts Inspiring Thirst The winehunter's favorite in this lot. Kermit is the GRANDADDY of all Winehunters. Names like Chave, Jayer, Clape, DRC... The man has been through them all except he did it 30 years ago! This book is a collection of 30 years worth of Kermit Lynch's newletters highlighting wines...

The winehunter was lucky enough to tag along with a friend to a dinner with many wines. All the wines were served blind. Except for the people bringing their own, no one had any clue what was on the table - a complete "free for all". For starters. '95 Jacquesson Signature Rose - Champagne Nice nose initially but shut down very soon after this only to come back about an hour later with apple and honeyed overtones. Nice mousse, nuts, tannins though the pinot character was a bit less than expected. Suspect this needs another 5 years. 93pts. '99 Emmanuel Rouget Vosne Romanee This took a while to open up ( ~1.5 hours). Considerable tannins though everything was well balanced. More than one would expect from this level of Burgundy. In need of another 5 years of bottle time. 90+ pts '02 Joseph Phelps Insignia. Napa Massive nose of sweet black fruits with buttery/avacado overtones. Good amount of tannins though kept in check by the fruit concentration. Nowhere near ready ...