Hot Sheets

One of the coolest and inexpensive Nebbiolo gems is the Lasarin cuvee from famed Barolo producer Marcarini. 100% Nebbiolo from their young Barolo vines combined with an older vineyard in the Roero district on the left bank of the Tanaro River, this unoaked Nebbiolo is reflective of both its region and varietal. 2010 is shaping up to be a profound vintage in Barolo, Barbaresco and Piedmont in general and this wine gives an early glimpse to the superb quality.

Ahhhh, but this is not regular Nebbiolo, it acts bit like Barolo with training wheels. This wine has character and elegance of Barolo with intense perfume of fine flowers and mature berries but what distinguishes it, and ultimately separates it from the big wines its fresh, pleasant, forward, smooth palate presence. Lovely backbone and delineation, it's ideal with braised beef or medium aged cheeses. Drink it now - 2016.

Lately it seems as though people want to follow the latest trend when it comes to Washington wine and yet they forget just how good the top wines from the most established producers can actually be. Combine a great vintage like 2010 with a historic and important vineyard like Cold Creek and you have the makings for something that can be very special - and it is so fairly priced, too!

Sitting in the Columbia Valley south of the Wahluke Slope region Cold Creek Vineyard was planted in 1973 and the old vine intensity really shows off beautifully in this well-structured and ageworthy offering. A full nose of expressive, old school aromas of pipe tobacco, cassis, mint, clove and red earth gives way to a refined, seamless texture that possesses a very layered attack. Sophisticated, very real and detailed with lots of underlying backbone, especially on the drawn-out and true to its vineyard roots finish. Drink through 2022+.

The simmering volcano that is bulging and ready to erupt in Chablis definitely has to be the buzz over Patrick Piuze's wines. One of the most exciting young talents in the region, this French-Canadian transplant is a micro-negociant who purchases grapes from very fine sources, old vineyards, and mightily obsessed with Chablis terroir.

As a vintage in Chablis, 2012 is blessed with impressively high quality but cursed with a lack of quantity, therefore these great wines are going to be snapped up rather quickly. The Decouverte is a ‘tabula rasa' sort of Chablis that expresses its utter purity on a blank slate. Some floral tones are present but seriously mineral-driven, flinty, saline, crustacean shells and quinine drive the nose. In the mouth it has depth along with fierce edgy firm focus which brings everything together. If Dungeness crab is projected to be on your dinner table in the near future, you should definitely have some of this bracing white. Drink over the next 5 years.

From Catalonia's Emporda region, a stone's throw from the French borderon the Mediterranean, Espelt is a producer who fashions super wines that put forth an abundance of bang for the buck. The color here stands out like a blackberry stain on white linen!

Sustained, generous scents of black cherry quickly jump into licorice and cocoa tones with engaging nuances of cracked pepper and roasted earth. The attack is round, concentrated and luscious with tannins that are delicate and smooth. Everything showcases the fruit, which follows up with a long finish. Demonstrative of the entire Espelt philosophy and personality, this very expressive wine is a harmonious reflection of authenticity and fruit. Ideal with a mushroom tart, grilled or braised pork loin.

Think of David slewing Goliath or the 1985 Villanova basketball team knocking off Georgetown, perhaps the Giants beating the Patriots – twice! Yes, you got it, this a giant killer. Pesquie's Ventoux Rouge (70% Grenache 30% Syrah) is one of the most amazing values on the whole damn planet.

This delicious mouth-filling but tender-enough wine exudes the personality of Provence. Aromas of lavender, smoke, thyme and pepper lead into a deceptively deep textured wine with substance that is found more in twenty dollar reds than those at this price. A fine all-season selection that works well with slow-roasted lamb or stews in winter as well as grilled fare in summer. Enjoy this savory Southern French treat over the next 4-5 years.

The Manduria region of Puglia is renowned for its Primitivo and Feudi di San Gregorio's Ercolini family established their vineyard here in 2000 and aided further in bringing up the quality of this region's red wines as well as its notoriety. Primitivo's lineage is the same as Zinfandel, traced to this area as well as Croatia and the Ognissole version is a bit more dry than American Zin.

Deep youthful, up-front, lush and deliciously tangy with dark berry fruit, roasted earth and pepper spice on the flamboyant nose. In the mouth it offers up refined intensity with plenty of juicy blackberry, brambly raspberry, vanilla, roasted coffee and exotic spice. The finish is peppery, juicy and easy to like, especially at this price. A no-brainer with anything from mushroom risotto, pizza or pasta and a great match for a cheese plate with semi-soft cheeses and cured meats.

Any time we have had the opportunity to meet with Eric Hamacher and listen to his quiet but confident vision which is backed up by the production of one of Oregon's top Pinot Noirs, it is easy to see that he is committed to putting together gentile, tactile and profoundly expressed wines. Eric holds his tiny production wines in barrel and bottle each for 16-18 months so he always releases a couple of years later than some (but not all) Oregon producers. This was learned this while working with some of his idols in Burgundy. Also, this Pinot is sourced from different top, old-vine vineyards, expressing the finest blend of Pinot Noir a vintage will give you. It would be easy for Eric to produce a bunch of single-vineyard pinots in microscopic amounts from the old-vine sites he sources, instead his focus is to produce an incredibly complex bottling that draws on each site for certain qualities.

The 2010 vintage is deeply pitched with a nose of dark berry fruit, briar, earth and underbrush leading into a round, rich, fresh and vibrant mouthful of goodness. The finish is focused and pure, exhibiting silky structure and fine length. This is a wine of restraint yet it's gorgeously complex and has one intricate story that will unfold with cellaring. Like other 2010s, it has early charm but ultimately it will be at its zenith from 2015-2026.