Drinkhacker

JUNE 7, 2024

Il Blu — denoted by its blue label — is the wine that “put Brancaia on the map.” Never even remotely sweet, this is a brooding wine for a serious meal, silky but dense and, ultimately, quite weighty. Pair it with a meal of the appropriate gravity and you’re in for quite a night.

Wine 115

Wine 115

Drinkhacker

JUNE 18, 2024

Two wines from Etude, which crafts bottlings from all over California — but particularly Napa Valley. This hasn’t changed dramatically from the 2020 expression — remember, 2021 is the current vintage as of 2024 — but it’s slightly elevated with a better balance showing this year.

Wine 116

Wine Bottling 116

Drinkhacker

DECEMBER 12, 2023

This wine has been around for decades, providing a reliable choice for fans of California Cabernet. The 2020 release is 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 7% Merlot, 2% Malbec, and 1% Petit Verdot. I’m not sure how it happened, but this is our first time reviewing Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

Wine 116

Wine 116

Drinkhacker

JANUARY 11, 2024

We’ve long been fans of Attems, which is best known for its pinot grigio wines made in Italy’s Venezia region. Cicinis is a bit different, a sauvignon blanc wine produced in Collio, in the very most northeast part of the country, bordering Slovenia. Delightful on its own or with seafood. A- / $18 / attems.it

Wine 116

Wine 116

VinePair

APRIL 30, 2025

The wines of Sicily are well known, from the Nero dAvolas and Etna Rossos and Biancos , to the white Grillos and Catarrattos. But the wines of Sardinia, the second-largest Italian island in the Mediterranean, remain relatively obscure. The grapes are grown organically in granitic soils, and the wine shows fresh acidity.

Wine 60

Wine Bottling 60

Drinkhacker

AUGUST 17, 2024

Did you know you can get a merlot wine — 100% merlot — from Italy? The wine is rich on the tongue and lasting, with moderate but manageable tannins and a slightly gamy edge. The post Review: 2020 Famiglia Cotarella Sodale Merlot Lazio IGP appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider's Guide to Good Drinking.

Wine 110

Wine 110

Drinkhacker

MARCH 18, 2025

There are cult wines and there are cult wines. You can probably name a dozen of these most prized wine brands, and I’m willing to bet that Vega Sicilia is among them. Despite some tart boysenberry and underripe blueberry notes, the earth maintains its grip on the wine throughout.

Wine 81

Wine Bottling 81

Drinkhacker

MARCH 4, 2024

Maturing in 100% French oak for 18 months, the wine presents bold notes of spiced plum and dark chocolate at the forefront. As the wine evolves in the glass, it reveals deeper layers of complexity, with currant notes, a subtle hint of smoked sage, and blackberry that is muted at first but gradually builds in intensity with time.

Wine 115

Wine 115

Drinkhacker

JULY 9, 2024

This bottle slipped through the cracks in our most recent roundup of top Virginia wines , so we’re making up for the oversight and covering it solo. A- / $41 / musevineyards.com The post Review: 2020 Muse Vineyards Petit Verdot Shenandoah Valley appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider's Guide to Good Drinking.

Wine 110

Wine Bottling 110

Drinkhacker

MAY 27, 2024

As for white wines, they aren’t produced on the Right Bank — only the Left Bank makes these blends, which are built around sauvignon blanc, sémillon, and muscadelle. If you’re drinking White Bordeaux, it’s a Left Bank wine. Thoughts follow. Thoughts follow. A- / $35 The post Review: Left Bank Bordeaux from Ch.

Wine 115

Wine Bottling 115

Drinkhacker

DECEMBER 6, 2023

This wine is invariably a monster , and the 2020 vintage is no exception to that rule, Inky purple-black, it is initially slightly off-putting with its tarry notes of the blackest of berries and the darkest of chocolates — notes of blackened oak barrels and licorice candies never far from reach.

Wine 101

Wine 101

Drinkhacker

JULY 11, 2024

At the top of Stags’ Leap Winery’s mountain of Cabernet Sauvignon releases sits The Leap, a heavy-duty wine that, in this incarnation, is composed of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petite Sirah, 3% Malbec, and 1% Merlot. Top-notch stuff.

Wine 110

Wine 110

Drinkhacker

FEBRUARY 17, 2024

A few weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to receive an invitation to someone’s lovely home in the central Kentucky countryside to enjoy an evening focused exclusively on wines from Napa’s Rutherford Valley. Quality was not in short supply, with many hard-to-find vintages or bottles attainable in highly specialized shops.

Wine 115

Wine Bottling 115

Drinkhacker

DECEMBER 8, 2023

2020 Echolands Rubrum – A Bordeaux blend, the wine is made with 40% Cabernet Franc, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot. This wine pours dark, dark purple in the glass. The wine has good structure, with generous acidity and well-integrated tannins. Let’s give them a try.

Wine 105

Wine 105

Drinkhacker

JANUARY 20, 2024

Generations later, they’ve diversified and now rely largely on wine as their primary export. A- / $38 / langetwins.com The post Review: 2020 LangeTwins Thirty Eight Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Jahant appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider's Guide to Good Drinking.

Wine 115

Wine 115

Drinkhacker

AUGUST 10, 2024

2020 Castello di Gabbiano Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG – Bright and immediately pleasing, this offers a classic Chianti experience with a brisk fruit profile of bold cherry notes tempered by a touch of orange peel, wet leather, and tobacco leaf. A- / $33 castellogabbiano.it

Bottling 115

Bottling Wine 115

Drinkhacker

APRIL 9, 2024

B+ / $26 / mascotavineyards.com The post Review: 2020 Mascota Vineyards Unanime Malbec appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider's Guide to Good Drinking. It pairs quite well with grilled dishes during the summer months but could also complement a quality block of Cheddar or Gouda beautifully regardless of the season.

Wine 116

Wine 116

Drinkhacker

JUNE 4, 2024

A return appearance of Beaulieu Vineyard on this site should not come as a surprise, given our track record of reviewing and enjoying the Rutherford-based vineyard’s diverse range of wines.

Wine 111

Wine Bottling 111

Drinkhacker

APRIL 8, 2024

A- / $20 / trivento.com The post Review: 2020 Trivento Golden Reserve Malbec appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider's Guide to Good Drinking. This is most certainly ready to drink now and can work as a standalone but a rich, hearty pairing of food allows this to show off its versatility.

Bottling 112

Bottling Wine 112

Drinks International

MARCH 26, 2025

Argentinian wine producer Catena has been The World’s Most Admired Wine Brand 2025 in the 15th edition of the ranking. It’s the first time since 2020.

Wine 131

Wine 131

Drinkhacker

MARCH 27, 2025

Today we’re checking out three wines from the operation — a vintage-dated bottling and two non-vintage wines, though, per Roederer, both are technically better described as “multi-vintage” blends. We’ll let the wines do the talking from here.

Wine 62

Wine Bitters Bottling 62

Drinkhacker

JUNE 14, 2024

These include the more traditionally styled Finca El Otero 2019 and the brand new contemporary El Espino 2020. All three wines are made from 100% Tinta del País. Ringed around the edges with baking spice, the wine avoids falling into an over-sweetened trap and allows touches of licorice and nutmeg to cling to the sides of the mouth.

Wine 111

Wine Bottling 111

Imbibe Magazine

DECEMBER 22, 2023

Often, I’ve found that a large segment of customers lump Prosecco into the inexpensive, sweeter-styled sparkling wine categories, like Moscato d’Asti or fruit-based sparkling wines,” says Arielle DeSoucey, wine director at Tap and Bottle in Tucson, Arizona. More recently joining the party is Prosecco Rosé.

Wine 277

Wine Bottling Beer 277

Imbibe Magazine

FEBRUARY 12, 2024

Non-vintage Champagne—a blend of reserve wines and the current harvest—is often considered the entry-level wine for a Champagne house. The cuvée is comprised of 80 percent wine from a specific vintage and 20 percent of reserve wine. And only vineyards certified Sustainable Viticulture in Champagne (VDC) go into this wine.

Wine 289

Wine Bar Bottling Beer 289

Drinkhacker

APRIL 19, 2024

A- / $90 / elevenelevenwines.com The post Review: 2020 Eleven Eleven XI Cabernet Sauvignon Oak Knoll District appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider's Guide to Good Drinking. The enduring finish is touched with notes of allspice and a shot of cherry juice.

Bitters 116

Bitters Wine 116

Australian Bartender

APRIL 14, 2025

The highly anticipated open has been brewing since 2020 when they were forced to close Fredas Bar and nightclub due to redevelopment. Easy drinking wines from small Australian and European producers. Fredas caf will be transforming into Bar Fredas. Weve cherry picked all the drinks we love, with a focus on fun and nothing too heavy.

Bar 94

Bar Nightclub Club Vodka 94

Drinkhacker

JUNE 8, 2024

Wines by Joe is a second label for Dobbes Family Wines — Joe being Joe Dobbes. These are Oregon-based wines from all over the state — and nothing in the mix priced above 20 bucks. We received a trio of wines from the current vintage for review. Thoughts follow. Thoughts follow. Great value.

Wine 111

Wine 111

VinePair

JANUARY 13, 2025

For much of the wine industry, 2024 provided few reasons to pop corks. 3 Italian sparkling wine in the U.S., market for this very Italian sparkling wine. percent since its debut in 2020. percent since its debut in 2020. over the past half-decade even when sales of other sparkling wines have flagged.

Wine 98

Wine Alcohol Beer Bottling 98

Drinkhacker

AUGUST 2, 2024

Nested within California’s Paso Robles district along the Central Coast, Continental Vineyards (CV) is a sister label to Broken Earth Winery, releasing only wines sourced from its estate vineyards, produced in highly limited editions and only during exceptional vintage years. It will be well worth the wait.

Wine 111

Wine Bottling 111

Drinkhacker

OCTOBER 15, 2024

Peak wine season is upon us, and with it come some questions: Is the 2021 or the 2020 the better buy? Not a huge number of changes from last year, though a few vintages from 2020 and 2021 have been added to the list for certain regions. So you can tell the difference whether you use a color or black & white printer.)

Wine 111

Wine 111

Drinkhacker

DECEMBER 24, 2023

2020 Domaine Bousquet Ameri Organic Malbec – A 100% Malbec big with dark notes of violet, blackberry and dark chocolate. A- / $37 2020 Domaine Bousquet Ameri Organic Red Blend – A blend of 60% Malbec, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Syrah, and 10% Merlot.

Bottling 104

Bottling Wine 104

VinePair

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

After VinePairs Malbec buying guide went live earlier this month, Marylands Old Westminster winery completely sold out of its 2020 vintage. We dont say this as a braggadocious claim of influence, but rather to point out that the grape variety remains widely popular despite many winemakers efforts to push esoteric wines on their customers.

Wine 59

Wine Pilsner Sommelier IPA 59

Cheers

MARCH 22, 2024

We asked the our national wine panel to taste and rate Old World wines from this past year. As always, these selections include brief tasting notes, a rating and the wine’s retail price (which can vary from store to store and market to market). Four Stars (91-86): A very good wine and an excellent value.

Wine 110

Wine Bottling Alcohol 110

Drinkhacker

JULY 3, 2024

Today we are fortunate to cover a quintet of wines from the storied operation, including a white blend, three Chianti Classicos, and a Vino Nobile di Montepulciano — offering a broad look at the various styles coming out of the winery. 2021 vintage is pictured, but 2020 was tasted.) Let’s dive in. Let’s dive in.

Wine 105

Wine Bottling 105

VinePair

FEBRUARY 19, 2024

One would assume that the countries that drink the most wine in the world would remain pretty enthusiastic about the beverage, but this year, that doesn’t seem to be the case. Wine Industry Report , sharing current data on wine trends, including a list of the top 10 countries that consume the most wine. is the No.

Wine 131

Wine Alcohol 131

Drinkhacker

JUNE 30, 2024

Dark, dense, and a little bit pruny, this is a wine that hits the palate with a rich thickness, rolling over the tongue en route to a core of plum, currants, and tart black cherries. Pushy notes of graphite, turned earth, and anise give the wine a very savory start, with restrained notes of cherry adding a mild but welcome note of fruit.

Wine 109

Wine Bottling 109

Chilled Magazine

JANUARY 25, 2024

The Agave for All seminar, brought to ELEVATE by Proximo Spirits and Southern Glazers Wine & Spirits, included an intro to tequila, including its origins from the agave plant and how it influences the industry today. By 2020, tequila’s market share was at an all-time high due to its popularity in the U.S. and around the world.

Brandy 246

Brandy Tequila Wine Bar 246