Arizona Foothills featured the 2015 Guigal Saint Joseph Rouge in the story “10 Fall Wines.” Editor Melissa Larsen noted the Guigal wine as “elegant and complete, with flavors of red berries and an aroma of oak.” She also suggested pairing the Saint Joseph with “perfectly grilled meat – or can be enjoyed on its own.” You can read the full story here.

Mass Live wine writer Ken Ross recommended the Guigal 2015 Cotes du Rhone Rouge in his weekly column “Wine Press: 3 Great Grapes For Grilled Meats & Recommended Wines.” Ken suggests the Guigal Cotes du Rhone Rouge as one of the best blended red wines to accompany steak. He notes this Guigal wine is “the most affordable and consistently great year in and year out” and that the “2015 Rhone wines in particular are some of the best ones made in decades.” Ken also described the wine as a “beautiful, dry red wine” that “will continue to taste great for the next five years or so.” You can read the full story here.

Praise for Guigal’s stellar 2015 Cotes du Rhone Rouge

D Magazine wine columnist Hayley Hamilton includes Ponzi Vineyards Pinot Noir Rosé in her latest column, “What to Drink Now: Red Wine Options for Under $25.” In the story, she explains that high quality wine doesn’t have to cost a fortune and that she is always on the lookout for affordable wines that drink like they cost $100. She continues to describe the Ponzi Pinot Noir Rosé as a wine boasting flavors of “watermelon, and strawberry” and that the Willamette Valley bottle “is the ideal wine to sip as summer transitions into fall.” You can read the full story here.

Robb Report wine columnist Sara Schneider focuses her latest Robb Report column on Chardonnays from Oregon. In the piece, she boldly argues that “Willamette Valley winemakers rival their French counterparts for world-class versions of the world’s favorite white.”  She praises winemakers in the Willamette Valley, including Luisa Ponzi of Ponzi Vineyards, for setting a new, extremely high quality standard for Chardonnay in Oregon over the last few years. She describes this breed of chardonnays as “crisp, aromatic, energetic, minerally and downright savory.” Ponzi Vineyards 2015 Avellana Vineyard Chardonnay is featured as one of six wines, recommended for its “exotic citrus and orchard blossoms on the nose give way to mouth-filling, creamy lemon, apple, and peach ($63).” You can read the full story here

Guigal was featured in the Food & Wine story “What to Drink Next: Trust These Names in Wine.” Ray Isle highlighted Guigal as “one of the Rhone Valley’s most respected names.” He offers recommendations from Guigal at the “bargain” “upgrade” and “splurge” price points. The 2015 Cotes du Rhone Rouge, which Ray selected as the “bargain,” is noted as “saturated with blackberry and black pepper flavors” and “a great choice for a holiday party pour or for dinner at home.” Ray offers the 2016 Saint-Joseph Blanc as the “upgrade” because of its “silky texture” and “aromas of spring flowers.” Lastly, for the “splurge” Ray recommends the 2015 Cote Rotie Brune et Blonde de Guigal. He describes this wine as a “peppery, potent red” which offers  “a sense of the Guigal’s famed La La bottlings – for believe it or not a seventh of the price.” You can read the full story here.

The Daily Herald‘s wine columnist, Mary Ross, offers her Chicago-based readers a great overview of what goes into crafting a true Champagne, based on the strict governing of vineyard and winery practices, as a way to underscore how special these wines truly are. She then focuses majority of her story on Champagne Bollinger, discussing the House’s incomparable quality standards, approach to winemaking and expressions within the range. She explains how Bollinger stands out from other producers with their undeniably complex, powerful wines by relying on fruit from “their family-owned estate, comprised of top-ranked Grand and Premier Cru vineyards, with qualities of soil and climate expressed best by the most demanding grape, Pinot Noir.” Bollinger Deputy Chef de Cave Denis Bunner elaborates on Ross’ statement on what makes Bollinger so unique, adding as a reference to their stock of 3,500 aged casks, “Bollinger gives wine air by fermenting in wood (not steel tanks), one of only two houses to do so. After primary fermentation, Bollinger’s wine rests on lees for twice the regional requirement, sometimes much more. A portion of the best wines are reserved in a cellar of 700,000 magnums, to be blended into multi-vintage wines for richness and texture.”  ‘He adds “There are places of the cellar even we don’t go to. Madame Bollinger once returned with a magnum from 1830.” The story then focuses on one of the best examples of these aged wines with R.D. – discussing a tasting of 1996 and the new 2004 release this fall. This is an extremely rich article worth reading in full, which can be found here:

Leading luxury publication Town &  Country includes the Champagne Bollinger Limited Edition Brut Rosé 2006 in an online roundup of best rosé Champagnes. The writers elaborate on the wine, explaining that “a ten year bottle-aging brings out deep notes of chocolate and dried fruit, making this elegant French bottle just as good with dessert as it is a substitute for one.” You can read the full story here:

Champagne Bollinger featured in a story highlighting great rosé champagnes and sparkling wines

Guigal was featured in the Food & Wine story “What to Drink Next: Trust These Names in Wine.” Ray Isle highlighted Guigal as “one of the Rhone Valley’s most respected names” within the piece about family owned wineries. He offers recommendations from Guigal at the “bargain” “upgrade” and “splurge” price points. The 2015 Cotes du Rhone Rouge, which Ray selected as the “bargain,” is noted as “saturated with blackberry and black pepper flavors” and “a great choice for a holiday party pour or for dinner at home.” Ray offers the 2016 Saint-Joseph Blanc as the “upgrade” because of its “silky texture” and “aromas of spring flowers.” Lastly, for the “splurge” Ray recommends the 2015 Cote Rotie Brune et Blonde de Guigal. He describes this wine as a “peppery, potent red” which offers  “a sense of the Guigal’s famed La La bottlings – for believe it or not a seventh of the price.” Read the whole story here

Bloomberg wine columnist Elin McCoy explains that while many Pinot Grigios lack complexity and can be described as dull, consumers can still find terrific options to enjoy, including Ponzi Vineyards 2017 Pinot Gris. In the story, “Wine Made Easy: Nine Pinot Grigios Actually Worth Drinking,” she elaborates by telling readers to “forget all those tired clichés and have a rethink about why the grape had such mass appeal in the first place. Delicious, food-friendly examples can be had for $25 and less, and they’re not hard to find.” The story offers history on the grape and its rise in popularity, then features recommendations from Italy, Oregon, New Zealand and France. Ponzi is one of only two Oregon wineries selected and Elin says of the 2017 Pinot Gris that “this crisp white from an Oregon pioneer in the Willamette Valley consistently overperforms for the price. Its style is midway between Alsace and Italy, with juicy, refreshing pear, citrus, and mineral flavors that slip down easy and the hints of fennel and attractive slight bitterness you find in examples from Alsace.” Read the whole story here.

In a feature story for Wine & Spirits titled, “Sauvignon Blanc from Chile’s Cold Coast,” writer Rachel DelRocca Terrazas elaborates on “head-turning sauvignon blancs” that she had been tasting from Costa, the vineyards nearest to Chile’s coastline. She provides context on the history of Chile’s coastal vineyards, in that they didn’t even exist until 1982! Errazuriz is selected as one of the pioneers in this region. In the story, the publication’s critic for Chilean wine recommends Errazuriz for sauvignon blanc that stands out and offers context, “Errazuriz grows its Aconcagua Costa Sauvignon Blanc in the Manzanar Vineyard, planted in 2005 and 2009 just seven miles from the ocean. The vineyard yields a sauvignon with pink peppercorn scents and citrusy, saline flavor.”

Six wines were recommended in this detailed story, including the Errazuriz 2016 Aconcagua Costa Sauvignon Blanc ($23), which credits the vines for a refreshing quality, adding that “you can taste the cold Pacific breezes in lime, mineral and herbal notes, the citrus and salt flavors following an arrow of acidity.”

Read the full story here