Top Rated
The “Top Rated” category contains our favorite products, all reviewed with an A or A+ rating. If you’re looking for the best of the best, this is the place to be. You can filter your search to find only the top rated reviews in certain product categories by using our Advanced Search feature.
You have certainly never heard of Camus cognac. But what if I were to tell you it was a major worldwide brand, the fifth largest cognac house on the globe — with its major markets Asia and Eastern Europe. Now Camus is coming to America at last, with retail in 15 states and more to…
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I expect (and hope) that most readers of this blog are old enough to remember when Gruner Veltliner was going to be the Next Big Thing in wine. I’d peg that date at about 1998. And then the Next Big Thing really did come along. It turned out to be Pinot Grigio. Oh well. The…
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Intense to the point of bursting with dark chocolate, nuts, and over-ripe raspberries, this is Washington state winemaking at its best. You might think Cabernet, but the lack of any real tannin is a giveaway that this blend has none. The mix: 60% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot, and 6% Malbec. Silky and…
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There are nearly as many types of beer glasses out there as there are wine glasses. A few years back Samuel Adams created this custom glass — designed specifically for its Boston Lager — and unlike any other beer glass in my collection. I’ll let the company explain: “The brewers worked with a team of…
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Few brands enjoy the status that Dom Perignon has — and has had, literally for centuries. I had the good fortune to meet the Champagne house’s Chef de Cave Richard Geoffrey, who flew in to San Francisco to give us a guided tour of his latest releases — cracking open a few thousand dollars worth…
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Meet Emilio Rodriguez. He makes wine at Bodegas Terras Gauda — primarily white Albarino — and Pittacum — primarily from the red Mencia grape. Together, these two Spanish wineries (“bodegas” to those in the know) pack a one-two punch, representing two exceptional, crisp whites plus one of the best Spanish reds I’ve ever tasted. If…
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I had the pleasure to be led through Wild Turkey’s six whiskeys, courtesy of an online tasting with Jimmy Russell (of “Russell’s Reserve” fame) and his son Eddie Russell, the two men responsible for distilling Wild Turkey today at Austin Nichols distillery. Both of the new Russell’s Reserve whiskeys have been re-released in new packaging…
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Smoother and more balanced than the Anejo Reserva bottling of Havana Club, this version of the Club carries a seven-year age statement, and the difference shows. This is a perfect example of Cuban style rum (fitting since it’s actually from Cuba): There’s a huge amount of rich caramel character on the nose, with a light…
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A perennial favorite “splurge” wine, BV’s epically-named Georges de Latour Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Private Reserve remains a winner in its 2006 vintage. Amazingly soft for a Napa Cabernet this young, it’s a wine inflected with cocoa powder atop a deep blueberry and raspberry core. It is drinking just about perfectly right now, with a…
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During my visit to Ornellaia, I also had the chance to sample three other wines from the neighborhood, comparing them in the relatively controlled environment of a local wine and salumi joint. Some thoughts follow: 2007 Ornellaia – I’ve covered this one extensively here, but noted more rich chocolate character in this tasting of a…
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